“At this price, you can buy multiple bottles and open one
every year or so and see how they develop with time.”

Click image to enlarge.

My wife and I are longtime Costco members, so whenever we shop there, I make a point of hitting the wine department to see what’s new. There is always something good to be had, and I like to try wines that I’ve either never had before or new vintages of those that I have. Sometimes, the selections are uninspiring and forgettable, but usually, the wines are good enough to review, and occasionally, I find little gems like the one in this report.

We learned to love Rioja back in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, when we went through a lot of Marqués de Riscal. It wasn’t the Reserva that is usually found on shelves around here these days, and it was described on the label as “Rioja Light Red Wine.” It was by no means a “light” red however, as it had good weight and a delicious character from vintage to vintage that we loved. As time passed, we tried other Riojas, and the ones we liked most were various offerings from Bodegas Faustino, which seemed to honor tradition, rather than pander to new world sensibilities. When I saw this one, it was an easy choice to pick one up to try, and I’m not at all sorry that I did. Continue reading →