We are delighted to be listing a wonderful range of Riojas from Bodegas Palacio. The Bodega was founded in 1894 by its namesake Senor Cosme Palacio who was also responsible for setting up the world famous Vega Sicillia Estate in Ribero del Duero.

Palacio now however has a strong French influence, being owned by Jean Gervais and employing the skills of Michel Rolland from Pomerol. The wines are aged using only oak barriques from the Limousin forest of France.

The resulting red wines are characterised by rich, voluptuous fruit and by a perfect balance of oak - neither too forceful nor too understated.

We have selected five wines, two from the long-established Glorioso range and three from the recent Cosme Palacio range. The latter wines are aged wholly in new oak with the white wines being fermented on the lees.

The 1995 Glorioso is a Reserva having spent two years in oak. It is soft and rounded on the palate, beautifully mellow and finely balanced.

The 1998 Cosme Palacio red is a deep, opaque colour, with tremendous structure and backbone - a rich and meaty wine with a fine balance of tannin. Its white counterpart has a wonderful bright, golden colour with a stunning nose, burgeoning with oaky, resiny, vanilla aromas. It is a wine with a smooth and rounded finish.

This selection shows the individuality and quality of these great wines of Spain. Far removed from one-dimensional, oaky examples, they have great fruit, character and complexity.