There's something vibrantly modern about this Rioja blend from Alvaro Palacios, with its intriguing and complex nose of vanilla, plum, cherry, strawberries bathed in balsamic vinegar, and butter, and if that were it, it would be very good indeed. Unfortunately, what dominates the palette is a tinny, metallic bitterness that is rather unpleasant, and while that bitterness dissipates a great deal by the second day, it never quite leaves the scene. It's all over the place, but it has enough to satisfy, especially with food, particularly for the price.