2005 - Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva, Rioja

There's no Prado Enea until the 2019 vintage, which will be released next year, so we retasted the 2005 Prado Enea Gran Reserva, which seems to be evolving at a glacial pace. It does have a much more developed nose than the rest of the wines I tasted with it; it's a lot more tertiary, with notes of truffles and forest floor, smoky and spicy with a touch of cured meat, iodine and brick dust. It's full-bodied with an earthy touch (the brick dust I was referring to), and its tannins are not fully resolved yet. It should continue aging effortlessly for years.

(80% tempranillo, with garnacha, mazuelo and graciano; aged in large oak vats for 16 months, followed by another 36 months in small oak barrels and then another 3 years in bottle before release): Deep ruby. Heady, mineral-tinged red fruit and rose scents are complemented by star anise, vanilla and woodsmoke. Supple, seamless and concentrated, offering intense raspberry, cherry and rose pastille flavors underscored by zesty minerality. Shows uncommon finesse for its power and finishes sweet, focused and extremely long. For the money, this is a crazy value.

80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.Chocolate, black fruit, poised and broad; has the physique of a boxer but the balance of an acrobat. Traditional Rioja flavours with serious structure. (RH)