Roda Sela 2020

Description

Often referred to as “the Grand Cru of Rioja”, Bodega Roda is a landmark in the old Riojan city of Haro. From the underground drives to the dedicated, floor-heated malolactic cellar, everything Roda does speaks of precision and fastidious attention to detail.

Fruit from each of its 17 vineyards is vinified separately and only after a year in barrel are decisions taken about the wines’ ultimate designation. Irrespective of this though, Roda’s ground-breaking R&D work on the phenolic maturity of Tempranillo means that all their wines are famed for their ethereal balance, elegance and finesse.

From Sela through to their flagship Cirsion, the wines progress from the red-fruit spectrum to the black, all the while increasing in concentration and complexity, while retaining that signature finesse and balance.

Fruit is from vineyards in excess of 30 years (some up to 80 years old), grown organically, aged in French barrels, neither filtered nor fined.  Each vintage is made “on its merits” to reflect style of the vintage (rather than an application of a recipe).

Sela is Roda’s younger plantings, established in the late 80s at the inception of the Roda project. Sela is named after the Scandinavian village where owner Mario Rottlant goes for ski holidays.  These three vineyards are north of Haro towards Villalba. Until now, this great young material was simply sold off on the bulk fruit market. Now, these vineyards are nicely mature and deserving release in their own right, but not yet qualifying as Roda or Roda 1 fruit, thanks to Roda’s insistence that these are only to be old vine (35 years or more) wines.

‘Sela’ maintains Roda’s hallmark of elegance and tannin fineness. 95% Tempranillo, 2% Graciano and 3% Garnacha from sustainable vineyards 15 to 30 years old, 100% aged in semi-new French oak, for 12 months

The vines were ‘tutored’ on poles for their first 12 years, then released to be true bush-vines trained ‘en vaso’.

Mother nature served up a dream growing season in 2018. Red and blue fruits with spring fresh mountain herbs , sweet caponata-fleshy egetals, red-radishey fruits, strawberry florals. The palate is medium-weight, with softly extracted fleshy tannins. Do not miss out on this fine Rioja!

Review of 2016:92 pts Wine Advocate
RRP: $78  **SPECIAL 6 BOTTLE OR MORE BUY $65.99