Tasting Notes
The Hernáiz brothers' entry-level Rioja, drawn from the family's vineyards across Rioja Alta — Cenicero, Fuenmayor, Navarrete and Hornos de Moncalvillo — rather than from the Finca La Emperatriz estate itself. Aged briefly in concrete and seasoned barrels to keep the fruit forward and the oak invisible. The nose is bright and immediate: red cherry, raspberry, wild strawberry and a lift of dried Mediterranean herbs. The palate is medium-bodied and juicy, with supple tannins, fresh acidity and a clean, moreish finish. Unoaked Rioja as it should be — a house red with real provenance behind it, and 90 points from Robert Parker.