Classic Rioja

I've been stacking up on Spanish wines after our trip this summer to Barcelona and San Sebastian, where I tasted multiple bottles of excellent wines a day. (It was a wedding weekend, give me a break).

I recently picked up a few bottles of the Marques de Riscal Reserva 2000, as it is one of the oldest and most respected names in Rioja.  It's exactly what I'd expect of a classic Rioja Reserva.  It has the oakiness you'd expect from the years it spent aging in the barrel, but it is also very juicy and fruity.  Nice long finish, slightly peppery and chocolately in my opinion, with nice tannis for aging.

Here's where you can find this wine.  I paid about $16 + for it, which is a worthy value considering how much I enjoyed it.