Last night my wife made an Entrecote au Thyme which is a beef tenderloin with some cracked pepper along with a sauce made from port, thyme, beef broth, shallots and some other ingredients. It was one of the most tender pieces of beef I can remember eating and the sauce was delicious. You could literally cut the meat with a butter knife. While I was out shopping, I ran across a Rioja which up until now I could only find in Switzerland - the Ondarre Rioja Reserva. I previously posted the 2004 vintage (EXCELLENT WINE) on 7/31/09. This meal could have been paired with many different wines but I wanted a medium bodied wine that would work with the tender meat and the sauce. This garnet colored Rioja is a blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo. When I first opened the 2002, I thought the nose was lacking but over the next half-hour, it went from a subtle berry aroma to glass of juicy fruits. The lush aromas of plums, raisins and cherries were followed by some light cedar and a little bit of spices. On the palate, there were wonderful layers of cherries, raspberries and cranberries along with a small amount of oak/vanilla and light pepper. It is a relatively dry wine with velvety smooth tannins and a nice finish. I will definitely be picking up alot more of the this vintage for the cellar. This will still drink well for the next 2-3 years. Decanter Magazine gave it their top rating of 5 stars and Robert Parker gave it a 92 point rating. Unfortunately, Wine Spectator rated the Ondarre Rioja Reserva 2002 only 85 points. They really missed the boat on this one. They should try another bottle and repost their score. For $17, this is a great buy. However, I still would pick the 2004 vintage over the 2002.
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