It had been a while since I had a Spanish red wine and Costco had a couple in the bins that looked interesting. The first was a Tempranillo from an unfamiliar region and we did not find it very blog worthy. The other was Siglo Rioja Gran Reserva, 2009. I first noted the 2009 vintage of the wine. While 10 and a half years since harvest is a long time for a wine found on store shelves, it is not rare for a Rioja Gran Reserve. The minimum requirement for a Rioja Gran Reserva is 2 years in oak and 3 years in the bottle, but because these are the best grapes, the winemaker will often age the wine as long as needed to achieve his desired end result.
I note some cherry and spice on the nose and the flavors began with cherry and blueberry, finishing with darker berries and spice. We really enjoyed this wine on the first night, and enjoyed it only sightly less on the second night as we finished up the bottle.
Wine and Spirits rated this wine at 93 points while Wine Enthusiast rated it 88 points. I am more enthusiastic than Wine Enthusiast. The retail price of this wine is $40. You can find it online for $28 but Costco has it for $17.99. This wine seems to be rotating around to different Costco warehouses and it may not be available everywhere.
SC Wine Joe rating = 90 points
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