La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza Reserva 2004

Rioja Alta clearly my favorite Rioja, very consistently excellent, a blend of older style and newer style Rioja, which means (to me) not too much oak that overwhelms the fruit. This one is 20% grenache which melds beautifully with the tempranillo to yield a wine of complexity, grace, a lovely spicy blueberry/blackberry. Medium body, soft tannin, bit of cocoa/coffee. Excellent value on a restaurant wine list, tonight with former students and RA's and now friends, Morgan Dibble and Lauren Martens. Ate charcuterie at Estadio, a really outstanding Spanish place on 14th St near Logan Circle with a superb Spanish wine list. I'd give this one 92+ points.

WA: 93 points. The 2004 Vina Ardanza is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from 30-year-old vines in Fuenmayor and Cenicero. It is aged for 36 months in four-year-old American oak. It has a very enticing bouquet with dark cherry, Christmas cake, dried fig and espresso with fine delineation and bags of exuberance. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins, underpinned by a keen citric thread that cuts through the licorice-tinged, dark berry and allspice-tinged fruit with style. It is simply delicious on the bittersweet finish. Drink now-2020+ 

Giscours 2000

94 points. Amazingly dark and young looking--hardly any brick edge. Medium-full body, long spicy finish. Vanilla, blackberry. Pine, tar. Not a lot of Margaux perfume--still a bit young and restrained. Yet after 20 minutes more sweet perfume came out but much more promised. I'm afraid I don't have any more bottles; this would have to be one of the best 2000 Bordeaux I've had.

Some skimpy notes for the record: Giscours 2000; Bon Pasteur 2005; Andrew Will 2007 Ciel du Cheval

Had Bon Pasteur 2005 and Andrew Will '07 C.d.Cheval last night with Connie and Hans. Both performed great. This was first Bon P. I've had for 3 years or so, and it was smashing. Has matured and softened into a totally pleasing, round, complex blueberry and blackberry and black cherry fruit with cocoa and vanilla overtones and a long finish. Tannins have really receded though still there. 94 seems a good score.

The Andrew Will from Wash State is composed of St Emilion mix of Cab Franc with merlot and cab sauv. Really fresh, vibrant, spicy balanced wine. 92+.

Giscours 2000 had this in DC, if I recall properly, earlier in May. Absolutely wonderful with the Margaux perfume at the peak of maturity right now. Everything in fine balance giving pleasure with aromas and tastes. 93+