Various Reds: Drink Now? Later?

[dananne]

With the way the wineries bottle age before release, many of the Spanish wines are ready to go upon release, even though many benefit from further aging.

The Murrieta Castello Ygay Gran Reserva 1994 is drinking wonderfully right now -- probably the best wine I've had in over a year. The 96 Murrieta (not the Ygay) is also drinking well right now. So, not having had your 95, I'd guess that it is drinking well, but like the 94 Ygay could wait a bit too. I'm planning on drinking my 94s through 06 or so (I'm guessing I'll run out before the wine really turns downhill).

I'd hold the Caceres from 2-5 years.

Vina Alarba is a great $ value wine that is great right now. It's old vine grenache, and unlike many low-priced grenache, may have stuffing to bottle age a bit, but I don't think much about that when I've spent $6 on a bottle that is drinking well out of the gate.