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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€.
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45 comments

José Manuel Polo said:

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.
4 years ago ( translate )

Andy Rodker replied to José Manuel Polo:

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)!
4 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Andy Rodker:

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!)
4 years ago

Fred Fouarge said:

Proost Andy laat het je smaken
voor mij niet meer sinds mijn been amputatie
en andere woning in de zorg--geen alcohol meer
4 years ago ( translate )

Fred Fouarge said:

Doordat ik medicamenten moet nemen dagelijks
is het alcohol nuttigen niet ongevaarlijk
4 years ago ( translate )

Andy Rodker replied to Fred Fouarge:

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!
4 years ago

Andy Rodker said:

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 ... ... .. . .
4 years ago

Xata said:

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 !
4 years ago

Xata replied to Andy Rodker:

Well... once the bloody pandemic is over...
4 years ago

Andy Rodker replied to Xata:

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

Andy Rodker said:

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!
4 years ago

PascalL said:

belles bouteilles
4 years ago ( translate )

Jocelyne Villoing said:

A ta santé Andy, un trésor qui n'a pas de prix !
4 years ago ( translate )

Joe, Son of the Rock said:

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

Ulrich John said:

Zum Wohle, Andy !
4 years ago