Two Rioja Wines

[wondersofwine]

2005 Muga Reserva
13.5% alcohol I paid $28.99 plus tax at The Wine Merchant, Raleigh. Opaque dark purple with ruby rim. Plummy and blackberry aromas and flavors. Drinking pretty smoothly at this young age although another reviewer says a few more years would help mellow it. I'd like to purchase another bottle of this and also of the Muga Seleccion Especial which I had earlier this month to taste them side by side and see which I like better.

2004 Merus 4 Tempranillo Edicion Limitada, Rioja 9000 bottles Produced and bottled by Lar de Paula. Imported by Turner Wine Imports, Morrisville, NC 14.5% abv
Deep crimson in some lighting; more purple in other lighting. Blackberry and cassis flavors following a dark fruit/floral nose. Strong mid-palate; slight pucker on the finish. Juicy, yes, but also some layers and complexity. Probably in a modern style. More expensive the the Lar de Paula Tempranillo Old Vines I reported on earlier, but also higher quality. I had the first pour with a chunk of Gouda cheese and it wasn't a great match. The next evening I had a couple glasses without food and enjoyed it that way. It might be suitable for pairing with steak or even a nice hamburger but I've been eating fish, chicken and meatless meals lately so haven't tried it with beef. For me this truly is a wine that invites more and more mouthfuls. I'm pretty sure this was purchased from Carolina Wine Company and I will have to look for another source since they are out of business. I would rate this in the 90's.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 01-29-2010).]