help with wine ratings

[dananne]

If it was the Reserva, and goes for about $45, then I tried a glass at a tasting at a local shop about a month or so ago. If memory serves (and it's the first thing to go -- or the second, depending on who you're talking to), it was a blockbuster made from old vines. Very dense and concentrated. It was a little steep for what I had to spend that afternoon, so I didn't bring it home, but if I had, I probably wouldn't touch it for at least 5 years.

If you're wanting to do some more immediate experimentation with Rioja and the Tempranillo grape, first give the Spanish Wines thread on this site a look-see over the past year. Also, some recommendations from me on some Rioja that can be cracked open now, but are at (for me) frendlier price points, give any one of these a try: Bodegas Muga '97 or '98 Reserva (about $16), Artadi Vinas de Gain Crianza '00 (about $15), Remelluri '99 (about $19), and Finca Allende '99 (about $15). Also, at a very friendly price point, you could try the Marques de Murrieta Neonato '00 at about $10.

Happy drinking, and check back often -- and let us know if you try anything how you liked it!