Marques de Riscal Reserva 2002

Iv'e been wanting to try this wine for some time, almost getting a bottle last christmas, but finally managed to see it at Annandale.

After decanting for about an hour, the wine had a superb bouquet of black cherries, red currant, licorice, coffee beans, chocolate, vanilla, white and black pepper, cola, cedar and mineral. On the palate it had rich black fruits over wonderfully soft and powdery tannis, which kept refining down to a creamy velvety mouthfeel. The length was long and lasting, and the finish elegant. This was a superbly crafted rioja, and left me craving for more as it kept refining itself. Would work well with food, but really deserves to be drunk for itself, and potentially would cellar well. Certainly worth the $50 I paid, but can be had a little cheaper. Un vino magnífico.
50+4+14+18+9 = 95/100