I really liked the seriousness, restraint and balance of the 2017 Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino Tinto, a blend of 76% Tempranillo, 22% Garnacha and 2% white Viura. It combines ripeness and power with elegance and subtleness. The wine feels too young, especially in the palate, with some tannins still to be resolved by some more time in bottle. It's medium to full-bodied and has a dry, serious and long finish. This should evolve toward a quite classical expression of Rioja. 37,950 bottles and some larger formats produced. It was bottled in July 2019.

The top red is the 2016 Finca la Emperatriz Gran Vino Tinto, the finest and most elegant red I remember tasting from the property. It's a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 28% Garnacha and 2% Viura, where Garnacha and the white Viura have an important role to provide some acidity and freshness, even in a cool year when the wines had more natural freshness than in previous vintages. It's a selection from the older vines on sand, gravel and boulder limestone soils from La Emperatriz estate, and it fermented destemmed with some 60% uncrushed grapes in concrete vats and matured in 60% new French barriques and the rest in used American oak barrels for 18 months. It's classical Rioja but with clean and precise aromas and flavors, still young. 41,876 bottles, 660 magnums and some large formats produced. It was bottled in June 2018. It should develop nicely in bottle.