Marqués de Riscal reserva review
15.90 Euros, a 9.5/10 for us
What a fantastic bottle of wine. We had saved it for New Year’s eve, serving it with a thick juicy steak with a side of potatoes and beans. It was perfect.
Marqués de Riscal reserva is produced by Herederos del Marqués de Riscal, SA, located in the town of Elciego in the Basque Country. Despite being just across the Ebro river from the Autonomous Community of La Rioja, it falls under the Rioja “Qualified Designation of Origin”, the highest category in Spanish wine regulation. The region produces some of Spain’s most famous wines.
Description: A deep, fruity, well-balanced wine with character. Full and tasty, it has a smooth finish. It has good intensity but it is not overpowering in any respect (I don’t know if I would have it on its own. As I mention up top, it was perfect with meat). Just a beautiful bottle of wine. PS. I didn’t even decant the bottle.
Note: Spanish wines are differentiated by aging. You’ll often see “Crianza” wines and “Reserva” wines. What’s the difference? Crianza wines require aging of at least 1 year in oak barrels and at least another year in the bottle. Reserva wines require 1 year in the barrel but 2 years minimum in the bottle (that makes Reserva wines more “finished” and also more expensive). Gran Reserva wines are the top of the line, requiring at least 18 months of aging in a barrel and a total of 5 years of aging (barrel and bottle combined).
Value: For 15.90 Euros, this is at the high end of our budget. As daily wine drinkers it is outside our budget for day-to-day drinking but for special occasions this is our new go-to wine. If I had my own castle I’d be drinking this every night.
For a different opinion, see the Wine Searcher review
Click to go back to the main page of The Un-Snobby Review Guide of Spanish Wines
