Marqués de Cáceres Gaudium 2014 Rioja, Spain 75cl

Marqués de Cáceres was founded in 1970 in Cenicero, in the heart of Rioja Alta, when Enrique Forner returned from Bordeaux and brought French thinking to the region, guided in the early years by the renowned oenologist Émile Peynaud. Gaudium, Latin for joy, is the house’s flagship red, made only in the stronger vintages and only from its finest fruit.

The blend is led by Tempranillo with a small share of Graciano, which lends freshness, colour and aromatic lift. The fruit comes from old, low-yielding vines, some more than 70 years old and a few pre-phylloxera survivors past a century, spread across Rioja Alta and the higher terraces of Rioja Alavesa. Low yields and old wood concentrate the fruit and give the wine its depth.

The 2014 growing season was a steadier, more classic Rioja year after a run of difficult vintages. It ripened the grapes fully while holding on to balance, producing firm structure and the kind of poise a wine built for long ageing needs.

Aged around 20 months in French oak barrels, Gaudium shows concentrated dark fruit, sweet spice and a savoury, cedary edge, with polished tannins and a long, layered finish. It rewards decanting, and makes a natural partner for roast lamb, game or a plate of aged hard cheese. It is drinking well now and has the balance to develop over the coming decade.

This is a benchmark of modern Rioja and one of the estate’s most acclaimed reds. If you already enjoy a good Rioja Reserva, Gaudium is a clear step up in depth, concentration and pedigree, and a wine worth saving for the table that matters.