I have always loved the wines from the Rioja region in Spain for their complexity and versatility. We recently added López de Haro 2016 Reserva to our Spanish section at Surdyk's. It is an incredible value, especially given its location in San Vincente de la Sonsierra within the prestigious La Rioja Alta region. This area has grown wine grapes for over 2000 years, and today the vineyards are farmed organically with the utmost respect for the environment, utilizing farming techniques of hand pruning and hand harvesting. This minimal intervention philosophy extends to the winery, where they use only natural yeasts to begin fermentation in open-top concrete fermenters. The wine is aged in used French and American oak barrels for 20-24 months and cellared in bottle for 2 additional years before being released for shipping. The grape varietals for the 2016 vintage are 85% Tempranillo and 15% Graciano. The aromas are a beguiling combination of earth, cedar, ripe black fruits, and tobacco. These notes carry over to the palate, with the dark fruit showing first, followed by the tobacco, cedar, and dried herbs. I find that wines that capture my attention often show this dual nature of combining old world and new world wine characteristics, balanced by acidity and enough tannins to leave a memorable finish. This style will perfectly pair with Easter dinners of roasted leg of lamb, smoked ham, and turkey. - Drew Fuller, Wine Consultant