I’ve always wanted to do something like this and had some fun putting it together. Couple weeks ago had 13 friends come over and everyone took part in a cost share. $125 a person. I bought half dozen pizzas and set up 29 bottles of Rioja. For a few of the Bodegas I bought two bottles as 13 people makes the pour a bit limited. I bought what I think was a great range of wines showcasing some of the good vintages, inexpensive wines and high RP scores. Below is a list of what we had with how much I paid for each of them. The WOTN in my opinion was the 2007 Marques de Murrieta “Castillo Yqay” Gran Reserva Especial for $70 with a RP of 95. Excellent value for the quality of the wine. The disappointment was the 2004 Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva - it was too hot and in a bad phase. La Rioja Alta 904 never disappoints whatever the vintage it seems and the 2007 was singing. A surprise was the Lealtanza White Rioja. For $13 this was an amazing QPR. Here is the list:
1 2016 1 Lealtanza White Rioja $12.99 NA
2 2016 1 Lealtanza White Rioja $12.99 NA
3 2012 1 Bodega Classica Rioja Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva $14.99 NR
4 2014 1 Lealtanza Crianza Rioja $19.99 NA
5 2013 1 Bodegas Muga - Rioja Reserva $28.99 NA
6 2012 1 Baigorri Crianza Rioja $23.99 RP 88
7 2010 1 La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Alberdi Reserva $19.99 RP 91
8 2005 1 Bodegas Puelles Gran Reserva $19.99 RP 90
9 2009 1 C.V.N.E. Rioja Gran Reserva Imperial $69.99 RP 93
10 2012 1 C.V.N.E. Rioja Reserva Imperial $44.99 RP 92
11 1970 1 Martinez Lacuesta Reserva Especial $119.99 RP 93
12 2009 1 La Rioja Alta “Vina Arana” Reserva $24.99 RP 90
13 2010 1 Bodegas Lan Vina Lanciano Reserva $24.99 RP 91
14 2011 1 Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild & Vega Sicilia $59.99 RP 92
15 2014 1 Bodegas Luis Canas - Rioja Crianza $16.99 RP 91
16 2010 1 La Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri Reserva $36.99 RP 95
17 2010 1 La Granja Nuestra Senora de Remelluri Reserva $36.99 RP 95
18 2007 1 Marques de Murrieta “Castillo Yqay” Gran Reserva Especial $69.99 RP 95
19 2009 1 Senorio de P. Pecina Gran Reserva $44.99 RP 94
20 2008 1 La Rioja Alta Rioja Vina Ardanza Reserva $33.99 RP 93
21 2007 1 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva $64.99 RP 96
22 2007 1 La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva $64.99 RP 96
23 2005 1 Club Lealtanza Rioja $59.99 RP 95
24 2014 1 Olivier Riviere “Ganko” Rioja $39.99 RP 94
25 2012 1 Marques de Murrieta Reserva Rioja $19.99 JS 95
26 2004 1 R. Lopez de Heredia Rioja Tondonia Reserva $34.99 RP 94
27 2010 1 Contino Reserva Rioja $39.99 RP 93
28 2004 1 Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva $170.00 RP 98
29 2004 1 Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva $170.00 RP 98
Nice post! Like your list of Riojas. What were the best pizza pairings? Asking because I tend to drink Rioja with things like Paella and BBQ. Had not really considered pizza before.
Years ago many considered Rioja a “pizza” wine. In other words they considered it plonk that could only go with pizza to wash it down. I was just having some fun with that idea as Rioja is so good these days. Rioja like many wine back in the day was always plonk because they shipped it over in containers that weren’t temperature controlled. It baked on the way over. Now with the revamping of dozens of bodegas they are producing great juice. Personally I think Paella is the best pairing as well.
Doug, did you decant these wines in advance? Im tempted to try both Ygay and LRA 904 from 2007, but have been reading that they need more time for the oak to integrate.
Good question and an appropriate comment. These wines need a lot of time and if one is to open them now, decanting well in advance of drinking is highly recommended.
I decanted the 904 and the Sierra Cantabria Gran Reserva. I agree on the decanting - would have done more but space was limited. Although I did open all the bottles two hours before everyone arrived.
Totally understand your situation. Again, you did a great job at wine selection. I did not mean to steal your answer Doug. I have many of these wines and have sampled a first bottle to determine where they are and how long to leave them at rest.
Yeah, that comment was more a disservice to pizza than the original post was a disservice to Rioja. That said, I seldom drink Rioja with pizza purely because I have so many Italian wines that I put to that task, and lately always seem to be reaching for Sicilian wines with pizza.
2004 Sierra Cantabria at $170.00 per bottle?!? WTF!?! Where did you buy that? At a restaurant? I paid $28.49 a couple years ago, and thought it was “good.” Truth be told, I had forgotten that I’d even had it until I went to CT to check the pricing for it. That is absolutely insane for that bottle.
NOSE: quite oaky — sawdust, old timber, and dill pickle; old flowers; expressive; a black cherry licorice aroma emerges a couple hours after opening, and the oak recedes a bit, too.
BODY: violet-garnet color of medium-deep to deep depth; full bodied.
TASTE: very oaky; plush; fine-grained tannins are still a bit drying; touch of heat (14% alc. labeled); decent acidity; non-descript muddled fruits — perhaps raspberry/cherry; hint of prune; a touch sweet; fruit comes forward and the oak recedes somewhat after 2.5 hours open; I’d continue to Hold for a few more years.
Sorry for the confusion - Ha! I thought I overpaid for the quality but at least I paid in the range of what others have. It wasn’t the Reserva. It was the 2004 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Amancio