There are so many different wines in the world and I have been making an effort to get out of my California and Chile wine comfort zone and branch out and try more Spanish, Italian and French wines. I had a earlier vintage of Marqués de Riscal Reserva several years ago, but it took a trip to Cambodia this past February to rediscover this wonderful wine. As we were sitting in a restaurant in Siem Reap and trying to find a nice wine, I spotted the 2005 Marqués de Riscal Reserva and we decided to go with that one. The wine was wonderful and I made a point to buy a bottle of it when I got back to the United States.
Marqués de Riscal Reserva wines are predominantly made from grapes from Tempranillo vines over 15 years of age, grown in the best clay-limestone soils of the Rioja Alavesa. This variety withstands oak and bottle ageing well thanks to its good balance of acidity and fine tannin. Riscal Reservas spend around two years in American-oak casks, producing a wine which corresponds to the classic Rioja style: fresh, fine, elegant and very suitable for laying down for many years.
According to the winemaker’s notes, “This wine has a dark cherry color with good depth. Balsamic aromas with hints of ripe fruit, complex and spicy. The finish proves persistent with some reminders of toasted oak.” The Wine Advocate gave it 90 points and said, “The 2005 Reserva is medium purple-colored with an excellent nose of cedar, Asian spices, violets, balsamic, and black cherry. Dense and layered on the palate, it is a powerful offering from an excellent vintage that will benefit from another 5-7 years of cellaring and which should drink well through 2030. It is a great value as well as an ideal introduction to traditional Rioja. ” This price range on this wine is $17-$20.
As I write this post, I’m excited to drink this bottle of wine again when we go out to a Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner. Salud!
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