Marqués de Cáceres Gran Reserva Tempranillo 2004

Drink Wine and Giggle Gals rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

In Rioja Spain, the wine flows--in order of refinement--from Rioja to Crianza to Reserva to Gran Reserva. If you are on the way home from work and want to stop at a tapas bar, you go for the fun, easy-drinking Rioja or Crianza. Reserva is a good choice for a house party. But if you want to impress your date, you order a bottle of Gran Reserva that is only produced with select vintages and must be aged two years in oak and three years in the bottle. The Drink Wine and Giggle Gals splurged a bit when we gave a ourselves a bottle of Gran Reserva based on the YouTube recommendation of a woman who seemed to be expert in deciphering Spanish wine labels. Speaking of experts, a few years ago, with worldwide tastes shifting to robust reds, Spanish wine experts predicted the demise of the elegant Gran Reserva style. The Drink Wine and Giggle Gals are thrilled that Gran Reserva has survived so that we can enjoy its beautiful bouquet reminiscent of a hike through a fruity forest. Like the breath of a lover, the bouquet can be enticing or off-putting or completely overlooked as one dives into the main event. For the winemakers of Rioja, nothing is overlooked: in 1635 a law was passed prohibiting carts from passing through streets near wine cellars lest the vibrations would cause a deterioration in the wine. Marques de Caceres embodies the seductive and subtle character of Gran Reserva, a wine that gave each of the Drink Wine and Giggle Gals un corazón contento, a happy heart.

Hans Johnsen rated this wine as 92/100 with the following review:

Aromas of fruit and leather (and maybe fruit leather) and cigars (plus the box they came in), and some nice spicy notes as well. The opening sip is a bit raw on the tannins, especially if you're impatient like me and drink it before it breathes enough (should have used my Vinturi). After that first note though you are rewarded with a complex flavour profile that matches the nose and bumps up the fruit with some dried cherry. Works very well with food. I matched it with a roast beef with dijon crust and green peppercorn cream cause, which worked quite well, but I think this would go very well with a wide range of food.

Buy a bottle for a good friend (that's how I got mine)!