Special occasion Riojas

These will keep a few years yet, especially the white Rioja (on the left). I first tried it in the '80s and thought it was horrid (like drinking solid oak, if such a thing were possible!) but a student of mine (he is also a wine merchant here in Madrid) changed my attitude towards it by serving me a glass from half a bottle that was left over from a wine-tasting he did 3 months earlier (thank you Andreas!), and the bottle had been open and out of the fridge that long. It was sensational!
These will be familiar to some of our (wealthier and/or aspirational) Iberian membership, I'm sure. They are not my day-to-day regular drinking! The middle one would retail today at well over 100€ a bottle (I just checked; the cheapest on line offer is currently 153€ for the '95 - I used to buy the '68 in 1981 in the UK for £4.50 or thereabouts!)
OK, in for a penny in for a pound, best buys for the others; Muga Prado Enea '06: 45,60€ and the white Tondonia '07; 72,00€. My average bottle spend these days: 4,00€.

grobi358, Denis Croissant, Jenny McIntyre, micritter and 23 other people have particularly liked this photo

47 comments - The latest ones

José Manuel Polo ^club

Andy, fuera aparte los precios esos son vinos categoría. Los dos de la izquierda son de La Rioja y el de la derecha es Rioja alavesa, es decir de Álava. No digo que el de la derecha sea el mejor En general prefiero los de Rioja alavesa. Cuando voy a casa de mi hijo paso por delante de las bodegas Muga. Atento, que en un rato compartiré 2 fotos, en especial para ti.

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to José Manuel Polo ^club

Alava as in pais Vasco. So I'm not surprised, José Manuel!!!!!
My father was a Spanish wine specialist. He held one of the few exclusive licences to sell Vega Sicilia in the UK (In fact I still have a few Unico 1973 and 1976s and a couple of Especiales in his cellar in Cornwall, as well as much else)!

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has added

Muga has always been a favourite bodega of mine. Its Selección Especial and Torre Muga are tops (even the white is good from viura, which is an achievement!)

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Xata ^club has replied to Andy Rodker ^club

Well... once the bloody pandemic is over...

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Xata ^club

I would still need to find the wherewithall to purchase said gems, Isabel!

3 years ago.

Xata ^club has replied to Andy Rodker ^club

Too expensive, Andy, we will try more modest ones, can be very good too if we choose the right year.

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Xata ^club

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear although I have tried!! These are NOT my everyday wines, Isabel. My price range is betwwen 3 and 10 euros and normally the lower end!

3 years ago.

Xata ^club has replied to Andy Rodker ^club

I drink mostly Alentejo wines, excellent ones and same price range as yours. Sometimes I give myself a treat and buy a little more expensive like the ones you saw, but they are about 15 to 25€.

3 years ago.

José Manuel Polo ^club has replied to Andy Rodker ^club

Así es, a mí me sorprende menos mi convencimiento, es mi natural:--)
Pasa que tú estás hablando de vinos ricos solo para ricos y yo de vinos ricos para pobres.
Vega Sicilia sabemos dónde está, mi familia política procede de esas tierras del Duero. Creo que se vendió todo o parte a familia inglesa y también que la nueva dirección se interesó por la Rioja Alavesa y compró allí terrenos para elaborar otras variedades de Vega Sicilia, ahora han creado una bodega en Samaniego, provincia de Álava (País Vasco), por algo será;--)

3 years ago.

José Manuel Polo ^club has added

Samaniego es precisamente el pueblo anterior al de mi hijo, Villabuena de Álava, el municipio de España que tiene más bodegas por habitante.

3 years ago.

José Manuel Polo ^club has replied to Andy Rodker ^club

A mí me gusta mucho Muga, pero aún más Marques del Fiscal, reserva 2015, de Elciego (Álava) Imposible olvidar un cochinillo al horno regado con tal vino en La Alberca (Salamanca)

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Xata ^club

Yes. We are on the same wavelength here, Isabel!

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to José Manuel Polo ^club

La Alberca is lovely but too touristy for my tastes. I liked it but was happier in Miranda del Castañar! Suckling pig and milk fed lamb - I'm afraid don't have enough flavour for me. I am alone here because my sister's family and my girlfriend could eat both twice a day if they could! I prefer the slightly stronger flavours of English or Welsh lamb! But I have had many excellent meals with both and washed down with excellent wines: Rioja, Ribeiro del Duero, Toro, Bierzo, and many others, all appropriate with the meal at the time!

3 years ago.

Jean

Out of my price range I'm afraid but I'm very fond of a good Rioja.

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Jean

SO COMPLETELY out of my price range too, Jean but I have drunk these at a time when they were VERY cheap in the UK and nostalgia looms large at such times of reminiscing. The word WISTFUL is the one that comes to mind right now.
These three are being held back for major celebration time.
Cure for cancer,
End of all war,
that sort of thing!
(There are still affordable and drinkable Riojas, I'm pleased to say!)

3 years ago.

Fred Fouarge ^club

Proost Andy laat het je smaken
voor mij niet meer sinds mijn been amputatie
en andere woning in de zorg--geen alcohol meer

3 years ago.

Fred Fouarge ^club

Doordat ik medicamenten moet nemen dagelijks
is het alcohol nuttigen niet ongevaarlijk

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Fred Fouarge ^club

I understand completely, I am undergoing medication with similar stringencies and I can't drink alcohol for another 2 weeks but I think I will be able to drink again. We'll see! In the meantime, as I said, I'm with you there, Fred!

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

I didn't know that. Sorry to hear it Fred. I can't drink the quality or quantity I would like due to health and monetary reasons but I can still enjoy a glass or two, in moderation. Fortunately I was never addicted to alcohol. Smoking? Yes. But I was able to give up. Sex? Yes, and I wasn't able to give up. But I tried. Heroin? .. I have to go now... need my next fix ... ... .. . .

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Xata ^club

Oh well, still have a lot to discover about wine ... will I have enough time ahead of me ?
I drink, only with food and with moderation, but fortunately my health has been good till now. Maybe red wine preserves... hehehe (I almost never drink white wine, except in Summer because there is a slightly sparkling wine from Huelva I enjoy...).
Would be nice to arrange for an ipernity meeting around wine !

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

I think you may have a point there, Isabel. But the fact is it would bore the pants off those not interested in wine!
I know for a fact that the 'specials' I bought over time, and are lying in my dad's cellar, .. I won't get a chance to drink them unless my parents live forever, and/or I am able to go there with a van.
I suppose if I didn't want them to end up under an auctoneer's hammer, I would need to specify their direction now! Covid and Brexit have completely screwed these things up!

3 years ago.

PascalL ^club

belles bouteilles

3 years ago.

Jocelyne Villoing ^club

A ta santé Andy, un trésor qui n'a pas de prix !

3 years ago.

Joe, Son of the Rock ^club

That's what I call a nice still-life study, Andy. All the best, Joe

3 years ago.

Ulrich John ^club

Zum Wohle, Andy !

3 years ago.

HappySnapper

I must admit since pandemic has started I have turned to drinking more wine than I normally would but sadly not as good as these, I tend to look along the lower shelves in the supermarket.

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to HappySnapper

Me too, Maurice. These are exceptional bottles. My normal spend per bottle is well undet 10% the price of these!

3 years ago.

Schussentäler ^club

alte Schätze

3 years ago.

Annemarie ^club

buono:)
wish you a happy day:)

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

Pascal,
Jocelyne,
Joe,
Ulrich,
Maurice,
Reinhard,
Annemarie,
Thank you all!

3 years ago.

Jaap van 't Veen ^club

Proost !!!

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Jaap van 't Veen ^club

Cheers, Jaap!

3 years ago.

©UdoSm ^club

Oh Rioja - a good choice...

3 years ago.

Jean-louis Thiaudier… ^club

De beaux trésors Andy!!!

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

Udo,
Jean-louis,
Thank you both!

3 years ago.

╰☆☆June☆☆╮ ^club

Good morning. Lovely shot, well done, and cheers !!!!!
Have a great day ;-)

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to ╰☆☆June☆☆╮ ^club

Thank you, June!

3 years ago.

J.Garcia ^club

To savor with the view..
Nice photo!
Cheers, Andy!!

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to J.Garcia ^club

Many thanks, Judite!

3 years ago.

Rosalyn Hilborne ^club

I'm pleased you have a taste for it now Andy...although at those prices I'm not sure it is a good thing!! Nice shot. I think I'll stick to tonic water and lemon ;-))

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Rosalyn Hilborne ^club

Thank you,
Rosa,
As explained above these are NOT my everyday wines. Possibly once in every three years!!!!

3 years ago. Edited 3 years ago.

Gilbert H ^club

Bonne origine !

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club has replied to Gilbert H ^club

Thank you, Gilbert!

3 years ago.

trester88 ^club

Ungewöhnlich, dass der Weißwein so lange hält. Ist der Weißwein süß und aufgespritet?

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

Thank you, Wilhelm.
None of the above but it is quite heavily oaked. I don't normally like too much oak, but this is different and special. It is designed to keep. Lasts for decades In a cool and dark place.

3 years ago.

Denis Croissant ^club

I'm ashamed to say I've only just tried white Rioja...

3 years ago.

Andy Rodker ^club

No shame in that at all. Denis. I've never eaten oysters but feel no shame in that!

3 years ago.

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