Valencia, Spain

Bodegas Muga

Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2022

2022 vintage. Lean and mean currently with a thoroughly poor attitude and rejecting any and all authority figures. Needs a 2 year boot camp to set/improve on personal goals and to stop displacing. Could see this going 9.2 in 2028/2029. Pretty minimal oak treatment (for Muga) which gives this a fighting chance of future success. Price is nice. Just have to look past the constant insults and wait for that juvenile record to be expunged. 8.5.26. — 14 days ago

Dave, Barny and 11 others liked this
Dave

Dave

Damn kids.
Tom Casagrande

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🤣🤣🤣

Alvaro Palacios

Camins del Priorat Grenache Blend 2023

ESF
9.2

oh yeah baby, we're back - couple of ho hum vintages but this was fantastic! Delicate feminine expression, florals & red fruit & spice - med bodied, well integrated flavors, acidity & tannins... — 18 days ago

Dave, Dawn and 11 others liked this

La Rioja Alta

Viña Alberdi Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2020

From the Wise Ox. Delicious with steak. — 12 days ago

Dave, Sagee and 4 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Blanco Malvasia Viura 2005

Just when you think it’s going to Thelma & Louise, it spawns wings and lifts off. - at Franklin PT — 13 days ago

Daniel, Scott@Mister and 6 others liked this

R. López de Heredia

Viña Cubillo Crianza Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2015

Upon opening, VERY bitter and strong. Have to let this one open. Upon opening got pretty good. Similar flavour to the previous rioja I’ve had many times that I love, but this is just more of it and much stronger and more flavourful. Not sure that I want that out of a wine, pretty sure I’m not willing to pay more for it. Not sure if I should attribute that to the wine or its age (oldest bottle I have yet tried).

Lighter and easier drinking reds are my preference at the moment. Maybe I will feel differently and prefer the stronger flavours once I am more seasoned into wines as I’ve become with scotch.

Definitely will return to this bottle if that becomes the case, otherwise prefer other favorites or to try new wines at the price.

It’s really not a bad wine. A lot of flavour and a lot going on.… I highly suspect I just am not able to fully appreciate what it is giving me at this point in my wine journey.
— 19 days ago

Bodegas Muga

Reserva Unfiltered Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2044

At a night we were all having fun.
If I had to nitpick… a touch oaky for me.
Not the best red ever. But lovely
— 2 months ago

Dave, Jose and 1 other liked this

Baron de Ley

Reserva Rioja Tempranillo 2020

I had this a few months ago, and grabbed another because it's very good. Decanter says 94 points, which is too generous, but it's a solid Rioja.
Listening to Vince Guaraldi
— 7 days ago

Brian, Anthony and 24 others liked this

Bodegas y Viñedos Vega Sicilia

Unico Ribera del Duero Tempranillo Blend 1976

Opened about an hour prior to service; enjoyed over the course of two days. Fairly consistent throughout but maybe even a touch better on Day 2? The 1976 “Unico” pours a garnet color with a slightly orange rim and a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with intoxicating notes of cassis, black cherry, red plum, dried flowers, coffee (for dayz), tobacco, leather, sandalwood, some organic earth and a mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with gorgeous texture. This bottle came across remarkably young and supremely elegant. So much so, that I thought it was an inspired decision by one of our brothers-in-wine to include it in this particular lineup. We had a little leftover for the next day and it continued to show well. Brilliant stuff. Drink now through 2046+ — 2 days ago

Matt, Joel and 11 others liked this
Somm David T

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You’ve been on a nice run!
Jay Kline

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@Somm David T Just wait, there’s more. I’m only about halfway through the dinner 😅
ESF

ESF

👀

Dominio de Pingus

PSI Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2023

John Howard
9.4

One of the best RDD wines we have had. Excellent balance. Just the right amount of oak. Super elegant. 13.5%. Very nice! — 10 days ago

Dave, Scott@Mister and 18 others liked this
ESF

ESF

👌
Jay Kline

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Silly value

Descendientes de José Palacios

Pétalos Bierzo Mencía 2018

See my previous note in February 2026. Very similar to now. This is fulsome and savoury at once - black cherry and raspberry. Very easy to like. Like a hypothetical blend of Syrah and Merlot. The herbal savouriness of Syrah with the softness of a supple Merlot. Made by Alvaro Palacios. Love the flamboyant Spanish label. — a month ago

Doug, Tom and 15 others liked this
Jamie Lauder

Jamie Lauder

Petalos is the wine that introduced me to Alvaro Palacios and the magic he creates.
I buy wines from his portfolio as often as I can.
Bob McDonald

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@Jamie Lauder A good man to follow I would think.

Martín Códax

Rías Baixas Albariño 2024

Good stone fruit with pineapple and honey in the nose. Lemon grass with a dash of pepper over a pallet of pineapple, melon, and green apple dripped with honey. Limestone finish. — a month ago

Bodegas Borsao

Tres Picos Campo de Borja Garnacha 2022

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET
9.0

Such a welcoming change from the way it used to be. much less oak. better quality fruit, better oak integration, fresher, spicier. this is actually good. This is quality #Garnacha love it. #campodeborja — 2 months ago

Jose, Bob and 1 other liked this

Bodegas Muga

Selección Especial Rioja Tempranillo 2020

2020 vintage. Last tasted 11.19.25 (9.1). Medium-heavy bod. Better spice components circulating/wafting about the assembled masses. I don't know what it is I like about you but I like it a lot. Less whole lotta oak, whole lotta oak. There's nothing more that I can say but on a day like today, I pass the time away and walk a quiet mile with you. 8.5.26. — 14 days ago

Ruud, Barny and 19 others liked this

Bodegas Alto Moncayo

Campo de Borja Garnacha

Decanted for 2 hours!
100% old vine Garnacha.
So wonderful nose with big bold Garnacha fruits, ripe cherries, blackberries, flowers, spices, forest floor, smoke, vanilla, fine cedar wood.
Full bodied on the palate with lovely ripe expressive layers of dark fruit flavors, vanilla, herbs, complex, smooth ripe tannin, already a fine balance! Long delicious aftertaste ! 95 DSP
— 11 days ago

Dave, Peter and 9 others liked this

C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España)

Imperial Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2019

Beautiful expression of Rioja. A bit young and will age nicely but even now it’s drinking well. I had it with a nice grilled ribeye and it was perfect! — 17 hours ago

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Tempranillo Blend 2012

Upon opening, this seemed a bit disjointed, with muted fruit flavors and strong herbal notes. Decanting didn’t seem to help much, but day 2 it finally opened up nicely, with nice complexity and intensity on the palate. Cherry, raspberry, cassis, bay leaf, dried Italian herbs, anise, cloves, vanilla, cedar, earth, and balsamic notes all come through. Really tasty, but maybe a bit too intense. I can see this improving with a few more years of aging so the flavors coalesce and soften a bit more. — a month ago

Dave, Barny and 9 others liked this
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

Ever try vintage 2010 for this particular?
Joel Lara

Joel Lara

No I haven’t. This is actually the my first Lopez de Heredia. Have you tried it?
Tegan Marriott

Tegan Marriott

I have tried their bosconia & cubillo. Haven't tried the tondonia reserva, but do have the 2010 in my cellar.

R. López de Heredia

Viña Tondonia Rioja Rosé Blend 2012

Blood orange and cloves as well as cherries in the nose. A bit of vanilla as it opens up. Tastes of tangerine and clove with a sweet cherry after taste. — 10 days ago

Ameztoi

Getariako Txakolina Hondarrabi Zuri

This was extremely good. — a month ago

Dave liked this