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A reliable choice, worth buying an extra bottle, serve it without fear           Great gift, would impress your wine-nerd friends, a buy-by-the-case wine           The best efforts as a region, varital, or style, worth a special trip, an in-the-know wine, not a trouphy or cult wine

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Rioja, Spain

Muga
Remelluri
Roda II
      Roda II Reserva Rioja 1998
This red blend is primarily tempranillo and the remainder is grenache.   A very fruit-forward red, with great acidity and smooth tannins.   The palate is spicy with notes of cedar, earth, smoke, and plum.   The finish is light with notes of clove.   The tempranillo in Roda II Reserva Rioja offers spice and the grenache gives the blend a smooth, sultry depth.   Rioja offers wonderful values as far as fruit-foward wines that have interesting notes of spice and structure.
Retail price $15.   Tasted September 25, 2003.   Food friendly, but can also be enjoyed by the glass, ripe and structured earning two out of a possible three .

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      Remelluri 2000 Rioja  comes on like eating ripe wild cherries while sitting in a French herb garden.   The acidity is enchanting as it presents itself as rosehips, rhubarb, and black peppercorns.   The mouthfeel and spice are very subtle and flirty with their smoky, cocoa, paprika presence.   Another great wine to have with a special meal, while it is an event on its own.   This makes a great gift since it is so approachable and easy to open and enjoy readily.  
Retail price $25.   Tasted April 28, 2003.   Deserving of three out of a possible three .

      Muga 2001 Rioja  is spice and fruit with the perfect balance of acid and tannins.   The nose is like an exotic perfum and its mouth-feel is textured.   On the palate the clove, casis, rosehips, and vanilla alternate in your mouth.   This wine would be fun to pair food with as olives, tomato stews, roasted lamb, roasted vegtables, carmalized onions.   I could go on and on.  
Retail price $18.   Tasted April 28, 2003.  
Can't go wrong for the price or the fun, two .

      Muga 2001 Rosé 
I searched for weeks to find an inexpensive rosé for summer.   One was too light, like mineral water, one as too fruity, like drinking Hawaiian Punch, yet another was pretty good, but 50% more than I would pay for it.   The Muga Rosé was just right with its key-lime and clove and floral finish.   It is nice and fruity on the front end and very long and clean on the end with ample acidity to do the job.   The price ain't too bad on the wallet either!
Retail price $10.   Tasted June 4, 2003.   We give this rosé two .

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