Asturias, Spain
Bodegas Numanthia
Numanthia Toro Tempranillo 2009
Peaking right now, don’t wait: amber bricking on edge, black & red fruit - deep reservoir of ripe intense aromas & flavors, baking spices, worn leather, licorice, mineral - so expressive, massive on palate, beautifully balanced, tamed from so many years in bottle. Perfect accompaniment to my Saturday night T-Bone — 23 days ago
R. López de Heredia
Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Blanco Malvasia Viura 2006
Served with Fisherman’s Pasta - sablefish, mussels, saffron gnocchetti pasta, fennel, fresh baguette toast. If there is one thing constant about every Lopez de Heredia Blanco that I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying, it’s that they are never boring. The 2006 delivers on that with notes of dates, dried apricot, German candied nuts, marshmallows, cumin, dill and toasted coconut. Dry with fantastic acid and the texture is waxy. One of my favorite white wines on earth. Will probably live for another 20 years easy. — 3 days ago
Descendientes de José Palacios
Pétalos Bierzo Mencía 2021
Since moving to Barcelona, I’ve been looking for wines that dare to use varietals that are not the same handful of French clones one sees all over the world. I’m also looking for lighter wines, which my wife prefers. This fit the bill perfectly: 100% Mencía @ 13.5% ABV and highly recommended by the botiga in my barri. Delicate and earthy. Hints of ripe plums and peppercorns. — 3 days ago
Campo Viejo
Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2015
Claudia/Amadeu - Mar/2024
Álcool 14,0%. - Gran Reserva — 3 days ago
Bodegas Muga
Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2019
First time in a while with the Muga Reserva, one of the region’s most ubiquitous wines – and often one of its great bargains, too. Of the various vintages that I’ve had, I can’t say I notice a consistent style, but the quality is there more often than not. The 2019 is a polished, suave affair but a little over-extracted for my taste. Though there is some savoury quality on the palate, I wouldn’t say the wine is very demonstrative of this region’s appeal. That said, it is very harmonious throughout, and the wines of Muga age well, so I look forward to seeing how this fares in another five years. — 23 days ago
Will Stanley
A gift from my old man for my thirtieth birthday this year. My last experience with this wine was the 2001, enjoyed around ten years ago. I described then how the wine lived up to its popular reputation. Happy to reaffirm that feeling with this 1994, that is an absolutely gorgeous, captivating wine that ticks every box one may have for older Rioja. It marries sweet with sour in that way that the best wines from this region do, a medley of ripe blueberries with sour cherry; bitter orange, coconut, balsamic, tobacco and cranberry. The finish is long, with flecks of sweetness that beg you for another sip. I would imagine that Faustino produce in excess of a million bottles of this stuff, given the size of their holdings, which only impresses me even more that it turns out so well. — 10 days ago