The wine is truly attractive, transmitting the finesse and elegance of the Tempranillo and the fresh, delicate fruitiness of the Garnacha. A balanced combination which is far from an excessive complexity, corpulence or over extraction to achieve the goal set by the bodega: to make a "RICH" wine in capital letters. With a nose in which the fruit character with floral nuances and strawberry toffees will stay with you all through its passage through the mouth, where you can sense its power, but with an elegance, enchanting you with its great balance until the long finish with heady notes of red fruit typical of the best garnachas from the Rioja Alavesa.
Only the perfect grapes are used to produce this wine. Amaren Crianza is the pursuit of perfection in all areas: the vineyard, the selection process, winemaking method and ageing.
Red meats, stews, game, cured cheeses.
"Deep garnet to the eye, this wine has a nose of cassis, clove and forest floor. It is full in the mouth, with a wall of concentrated tannins and flavors of brambly fruits of the wood, dark chocolate, freshly ground coffee, eucalyptus and violet that endure on the palate. — Mike DeSimone"
- Wine Enthusiast (May 2023), 92 pts
"The Amaren style is unapologetically modern with ample, concentration and fruit power, lashings of French and America oak sweetness and spice, supple texture, glossy black fruits and the freshness and minerality to age. The 15% Garnacha adds some extra lift here. 2020-25."
- TIM ATKIN RIOJA 2020 SPECIAL REPORT, February 2020, 91 pts
"The nose here is bustling with dark cherries, dark plums, dark chocolate and vanilla. Quite chewy and expansive on the palate, where the bark undertones really come through. Cherries, laden with nuts on the medium finish. Drink in 2021."
- James Suckling (Spain Tasting Report 2019), 90 pts
"(aged in a 50/50 blend of new American and used French oak barrels) Lurid violet color. Heady, mineral-tinged red berry preserve, spicecake and lavender pastille aromas are complicated by suggestions of smoky minerals and cola. Offers juicy, sharply focused raspberry, cherry-vanilla and spicecake flavors that show impressive depth and turn sweeter with air. The juicy, extremely persistent finish is framed by supple, slow-building tannins that fold quickly into the wine's plush red fruit. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (February 2019), 92 pts
"Cropped from a somehow-challenging year, the 2014 Crianza, a blend of 85% Tempranillo and 15% Garnacha, aged in new French and American oak barrels for 12 to 14 months. It's clean, aromatic, modern and quite showy. It's approachable and easy, with polished tannins and tasty flavors. 40,000 bottles produced."
- Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Issue #235, February 2018), 90 pts
"Deep ruby. Oak-spiced cherry and blackberry aromas and flavors are complemented by a suggestion of mocha that gains strength as the wine opens up. Plush and seamless in style and showing no rough edges. Rich yet lively; a peppery note adds a spicy kick on the back half. Gentle tannins shape the impressively persistent finish, which leaves a hint of bitter chocolate behind. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (May 2017), 91 pts
"(aged for a year in a 50/50 mix of new American oak and used French oak barrels) Lurid ruby. An exotically perfumed bouquet of red fruit liqueur and potpourri carries suggestions of smoky minerals and oak spices. Sweet and seamless on the palate, offering intense black raspberry and cherry compote flavors and a refreshing jolt of white pepper. Rich yet vibrant in style, finishing with supple, late-arriving tannins and a lingering red fruit liqueur note. This sexy wine is pretty delicious already, but it also has the stuffing to age. - Josh Raynolds"
- Antonio Galloni's Vinous (May 2017), 92 pts
Founded in 1995, Bodegas Amaren is the second project of Juan Luís Cañas, owner and manager of Bodegas Luís Cañas.
This ...
Read More