The 2012 La Vendimia is the winery’s young red, an aromatic wine, with notes of flowers, wild strawberries and licorice. The palate of this 50/50 blend of Garnacha and Tempranillo is fruity, with velvety tannins and good acidity. A quaffable young Rioja at a super price. Drink 2014-2016. Palacios Remondo is the original winery in Rioja created by Don Jose Palacios Remondo in Alfaro in 1945. Owned by the Palacios family, it is one of the most important on the Spanish wine scene. Don Jose had nine children of whom four remain in the wine world. Antonio, Chelo and Alvaro started working for the family winery but Alvaro left in 1989 to start his own project in Priorat. Rafael, the youngest, joined the family business and he developed the white Placet, but he eventually left to focus on white wine, and created his own project in Valdeorras with the Godello grape (As Sortes and now O Soro) from the 2004 vintage. One of Chelo's sons, Ricardo Perez Palacios, was interested in wine and he teamed up with his uncle Alvaro to create the Descendientes de J. Palacios, in Bierzo, a region Alvaro had in mind right from the time he started in Priorat, named after Alvaro's father and Ricardo's grandfather, who passed away in 2000. Antonio left Palacios Remondo and Alvaro returned to apply his wide experience with Garnacha in the Rioja wines. As a result, the red wines have more and more Garnacha, the grape they reckon does best in their area. The wines are in the process of being updated, or maybe I should say that they are going back to their roots to the character of Rioja Baja where they are located. Imported by Folio Fine Wine Partners, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 256-2700; www.foliowine.com

Black cherry, light chocolate and tobacco notes mingle in this round red. The ripe fruit is supported by light tannins and fresh acidity. Drink now through 2016. 6,500 cases imported.??–TM??Region: Spain / Rioja Select to Add