The current group of Side by Side Riojas – with beautiful labels of hunting dogs painted by artist David Lanier – are by far the best we’ve tasted. And this Gran Reserva is of course the cream of the crop. (Or should I say “pick of the litter?”)
The name “Side by Side” comes from what we used to call double barrel shotguns. (My grandad loved Parkers, so I have a soft spot for these.)
These are traditional Riojas, but with a depth of flavor, rich, plush textures and deeply defined character we very seldom see.
And because they’re bottled in Rioja specially for the NC importer/distributer, they’re simply incredible values for their quality.
There are a lot of Rioja Gran Reservas that sell for $50 to $75 (and up) that aren’t as good as this.