WTN: Two meals one wine

Deep garnet red fading to a dark orange-red at the edge. A nose of oak, plums, and a suggestion of strawberries. This full bodied wine has a real smooth midpalate showing nice balance. Showing layers of dark fruit, especially blackberry with overtones of black cherry and nicely integrated oak. A medium to long finish that slides past both sides of the tongue and comes together for a fabulous fruit and smooth tannic grip at the back of the tongue.

Wine was decanted about 1 hour before both meals.

First food match: Slow roasted, barbequed beef brisket. Nice match that enhanced the smoky tastes in the slow roasted beef.

Second food match. Spicy Asian beef stew with a ginger-orange sauce on soba noodles. This food brought out the spicy bramblefruit and hints of pepper in the wine and made it shine! Very good match.

Wine: Muga rioja reserva 2001, 13.5% abv. 70% tempranillo, 20% garnacha, and remainder equal parts mazuelo and graciano. This wine is drinking much smoother and nicer than 18 months ago when it was still a bit over the top as a tannic terror that refused to be tamed by even the most dominant tastes in food.

What an eloquent tasting note! Thanks!

Thanks Brian,

I like my WTN to relate to food so that people know what the wine matches up with. This presents many interesting possibilities for writning the note. The more I can relate it to food the better. Wine is food!