We here at the Duke have been following the improvement in Spanish wines for the last several years. They have been getting a ton of recognition that they really deserve. The price-to-quality ratio is very favorable. Such is the case with the outstanding Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza 2001 Rioja. Here is a wine that is made with incredible attention to detail. Their vines average 60-years old, with some of the oldest nearing the century mark. The carefully harvested clusters are hand-sorted at the winery and separated into "shoulders" and "feet." Only the shoulders are used to make the Ganuza Rioja, resulting in a structured, full-bodied wine. Old vines, careful selection of grapes and impeccable winemaking techniques make this a world-class wine.
Robert Parker thinks so, too. Here is what he had to say before he awarded it a whopping 94 points on his 100-point scale: "The dense ruby/purple-colored 2001 Rioja Reserva exhibits a sweet, intense nose of melted licorice, road tar, truffles, black currants, cherries, and hints of smoky, toasty oak. Dense and medium to full-bodied, with moderately high tannin, it should be cellared for 1-2 years, and drunk over the following decade
."