D Michael Miller's Wines

Superb wine. At Wine Expo in Santa Monica it is flying out the door at $44.95. The style of this wine is not traditional in the Heredia mold but it is not exactly international either. We had it with a meal and it followed a 1999 Chandon de Briailles Ile des Vergelesse Les Vergelesse, a famous 1st Cru Burgundy that was going into its peak. The Don Jacobo show as its equal if slightly heavier, and like traditional Riojas often compared to Burgundys it had a very similar taste profile. An elegant Gran Reserva just going into its prime. 92 pts.

I paid $32 for this bottle in 2009 from FWI and see they have raised their price to $37.50. This might be the finest Rhone I have ever had at this price point. Coate also rates it in his "finest" category, incidentally. Thus I loved it and will give it five glasses--for the price, of course, but even on an absolute scale it is very, very good. You will have to spend a great deal more to match it.