If you are looking for a treat yourself or for the wine lover in your life, here is a Spanish red that will surprise and please in equal measure. 

This full bodied wine has the dark fruit flavours of a Mediterranean wine but is beautifully balanced by the naturally high acidity of the Mencia grape, which provides a sense of freshness to the wine. This fascinating blend of five grapes is mostly Mencia which makes up 90% of the wine with the remaining grapes being Brancellao, Mouton, Souson and Garnacha Tintorera. The wine was aged for 12 months in old French oak barrels. 

Spain is known for its wealth of old vines, mostly grown en vaso (in the shape of a vase) and low to the ground to keep them anchored since there is no trellis they can rely on for support.

These sturdy vines have hefty trunks and, impressively, produce grapes even when they are 100 years of age and older. The fruit tends to taste extremely concentrated and is not exactly plentiful on these old vines, which can yield as low as one to 1.5 kgs of grapes per vine but the results are worth retaining these beautiful, noble and commanding old plants. 

Made from 100% Tempranillo fruit aged for 36 months in American oak and held for five years before release and now with some decent age under its belt - what's not to like. Bold and powerful with spicy fruit and mellow tannins Rioja Reservas really are a law unto themselves and given half a chance the oak just melts into the aged tertiary flavours harmoniously.

This wine is made from Tempranillo, Grenache, Mazuelo (Carignan) and Graciano grown on clay-limestone terraces from the Tertiary era, located  on  the slopes of Montes Obarenes and Sierra Cantabria. 

After fermentation with indigenous yeasts in oak vats, the wine is Aged for 26 months, in new French oak barrels made at Muga's own cooperage. The wine is fined with fresh egg whites, bottled and then remains in cellar for at least 18 months for further ageing.

The wine is a deep black cherry colour in the glass. The nose is complex, with aromas of dark fruits and hints of cedar wood, scrub and spice.

The palate is elegant and harmonious with more red fruits than the nose with lovely integration of acid and tannin.

Food pairing This wine will go well with red meats, lamb and all types of game dishes.

The village red 2016 Bellmunt, shows lots of elegance and balance. It seems like 2016 was a great year at the property, and many wines show really well. This is a blend of 65% Garnacha, 30% Carinena and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon from younger vines and deeper soils, and it's a more approachable face of Priorat, with red fruit aromas and a medium-bodied palate with very fine tannins and great balance. This shows great purity, and there is no oak after an elevage of ten months in a mixture of 1,500- and 3,000-liter oak vats and 3,300-liter concrete vats. 

Wine advocate 92 points