Hosted a lunch last week for some friends who also happened to be in Logroño, La Rioja. Venue was El Rincon del Vino in the casco viejo, a very short walk from our hotel.
With mains of:
Roasted Lamb Shoulder (1 of 2)…
…and Chuletón (1 of 2).
All from the restaurant’s wine list:
1994 Bodegas Riojanas Monte Real Gran Reserva - Medium bodied at best, Burgundy-reminiscent nose save for the seamlessly intertwined balsamico note. Slightly spicy, refined red berries. Oak very well integrated. Paired best with the lamb.
1994 Bodegas Ontañon Gran Reserva - Halfway between medium and full body. Comparatively/materially more dark fruited, earthy and masculine in profile than the previous wine. Bit of ceps. More licorice. Good focus. Good with the chuletón; but a bit more weight and size would have made for a better pairing.
1995 Marques de Arienzo Gran Reserva - This was the one for the chuletónes. Full-bodied, the heftiest and most ample & minerally of the 3. Relatively soft, loamy dark fruit. Hint of chocolate. Good length.
N.b., Each bottle was only 44€ on the wine list.
My 4 guests visited Bodegas Marques de Riscal after lunch (5pm), and one of them sent me a photo of old barrels of Bodegas Marques de Arienzo (our 3rd red for the lunch). Apparently, Riscal bought it around 9-10 years ago. Nice little coincidence.
¡Salud!