I’ve been drinking old school Rioja all this week, so I thought that I’d finish off with one of the classics. Marques de Riscal has been around for ages and it is one of the best known Spanish wines. It was also one of the first Spanish wines I tasted, I remember wandering around the narrow street and plazas of Seville eating tapas and drinking bottles of the stuff each night.
The wine is made of grapes from vines that are at least 15 years old and is the classic mix of 90% Tempranillo with the remainder made up of Graciano and Mazuelo. It sees two years in American oak and a further year in bottle before release.
This is clearly the best Marques de Riscal in a long time, it has a great nose of jammy blackberries and dark cherry, and some oak characters like cigar box and mocha coffee. I had decanted it for an hour, but it needs much more time, the wine continually evolved in the glass. The palate shows sour cherry, a bit of liquorice, cinnamon and black pepper on the finish. There is some good structure in the mouth with the tannins making themselves known, but keeping it nice and smooth. Very good now, but I’ll be putting a few away for at least 5 years, maybe 10. 91 Pts.
Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $44 Closure: Conventional Cork
From the Cellar: 2008
That seals it. I am going to touch up Anth for a few bottles. ;]\
GW
I must confess I had another bottle of this during the week. I am ashamed to be drinking the same wine in the space of a week
It is such a good drink.
This wine is everything I would want in a Reserva for under $50 bucks retail.
It is that kind of wine though, you can just drink it and keep drinking it. Good with food or on its own…
BTW I had to sneek into Boccaccio on Friday night while Anth wasn’t there, I think he’s hording them for himself!
I agree Dave,
it is a serious guzzling wine. Pffft living in Sydney. Melbourne is the spanish capital of Australia
I bought 6 of these. I liked the 2000 so I am guaranteed to like this. Keep em coming Shaggosaurus. ;]\
GW
PS. Sydney is the Spanish capital of Australia. We have a specialty Spanish deli just down the road. Newly opened. So pffffffffffffft
You may be a bit surprised by this, best MdR I’ve had. The Baron de Chirel is good too, but it is not in Aus as yet…
Pfftt…Sydney doesn’t know hola from ole
Well why do we have a Spanish quarter in the city and Melbourne does not??? Pfffff. Melbourne does not know Almovar from Almaviva
GW
This is fabulous stuff, well worth hoarding.
Thanks for the comment GollyG. I’ve pick some up for the cellar thats for sure.
Until recently this stuff was only available via personal import, I think this vintage should see the old Marques gain some popularity here in Aus.
Who is the importer? My six arrived today. I love the gold wire.
GW
Importer is Woods Wines in Vic, but I think they are brought in by a company called Toro. Confused? I am and I buy the stuff
The wire is the shizz isn\’t it?
Toro imports in WA from what I\’m lead to believe, I don\’t have any contact details tho (nothing on any of the bottles)
Good to see that \’ is back, I’ve missed it
Tasted this tonight whilst out at dinner. Your note is good my friend but I feel this is a 93 point experience. 2001 Roda II quality I think…only cheaper. Bought 6…could need 12….
GW
Well seems I split the middle:
A typical traditional Rioja in all the good ways. Savoury, well balanced. Full of dried herbs, cigar, mocha, blackberries and well balanced tannins. Last year in Spain, I remember drinking some great Rioja Reserva’s that were cheap (around 4 euro’s a glass) and this wine reminds me exactly of those. 92 points.
We seem to be in the same ball park, its a bloody good wine but I think Roda has a slight egde (I gave the 00 and 01 Roda II 92 points).
I’ll have to have another taste down the track and see how its going. It has the potential to go up a point or two with age.
If the Brett does not sink it…
I didn’t pick up a lot of brett, but the old Marques is a sucker for it.
It’s there. Cool cellar and it should be fine…i.e. not a hot shop for 5 years..
Pffft, brett. Then the hunter is full of it (or should a say fool
)
Margaret River and Coonawarra are statistically the brettiest regions per AWRI – or so I read.
GW
I noticed someone writing about their Spanish Deli. I’m interested in buying authentic Spanish produce in Sydney – can anyone let me know where I can find such a deli or food market.
Delicado just off Blues Point Road in McMahons Point.
GW
I can’t really help for Sydney, but if you are looking for hard to find items try Casa Iberica in Melbourne. They import a lot of stuff and have just about anything you would want.
A lot of the really good stuff (real jamon, good cheese, perserved peppers etc) can’t be imported at present, but I hear that this may be changing in the next 12 months….
Finally was able to get my hands on a bottle. Very good, typical old school Rioja. I’d rate it an 89. A little better than the 1994, but not quite as good as the 1995.
Hi Paul,
I haven’t had the 95, but the last 94 I had was a shocker. I think it had been sitting in a little shop in Seville for about 8 years before I got to it.
I think with time the 01 will be one of the great Marques Reservas.
My all time favorite is the 1925 – a lot of cabernet sauvignon in it back then. Bought for $10 in 1975 from the cellar of a restaurant located in the small village of Villamayor in Asturias.
[...] Eine Liebkosung des Gaumes. Wenn man den Wein wieder aufstößt, ist es, als ob man ihn ein zweites Mal trinkt. Schwarze Beeren, Kakao, Nelken, gedörrte Pflaumen und etwas Grünes im Abgang, was ist das? Wahnsinnig langer Abgang. Absolut runder Wein, beeriges Bouquett, weicher “Mittelschmeck”. Hat etwas von “Pflaumenmus”. Zu altem “Old Dutch Master” – Käse ein Gedicht. “mmmmmhhhhh”. Ganz wichtig: Macht gut gesoffen, aber nicht müde! Mind. 1-2 Stunden vorher atmen lassen und nicht zu kühl genießen. Wir geben stolze 9 Punkte für diesen super tollen Wein. Bald kommt ja auch der Gran Reserva, das wir ein Fest! Wer noch andere Beschreibungen zu diesem Wein sucht: hier z.B. bei tintoyblanco. Und vielleicht hat es ja auch einen Grund, warum man sich als Winzer solch ein Hotel leisten kann: [...]
I received marques de riscal 2001 reserva many years ago and have kept it upright in a cabinet since then. Is it still good? Don’t know much about wines. Are they still selling this and for how much a bottle?