Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 | Finding Value in Spain

I initially tried the Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 after picking it up during a Wines Til Sold Out flash sale offering and was shocked at the quality considering I paid less than $23. I even brought this to a blind tasting where it competed with a few other Rioja’s from respected producers and it’s victory was unanimous – and quite tasty!

Some time had passed since I had seen this again but WTSO recently offered it and I’ve also seen that it’s available at Total Wine so I thought I’d share this character-laden, well-aged Spanish bargain from Casado Morales with you guys…

Appearance: A deep garnet red with hints of brown – some early signs of bricking.

Nose: The nose is quite perfumed with smoky yet high-toned aromas of black cherry, roses, leathery tobacco and cool menthol.

On the palate: The Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva is medium to full-bodied with a juicy, dense mid-palate defined by cherries, smoke, loam, graphite and lead pencil notes framed by undertones of tobacco and cedar. It finishes with fine powdery tannin and good lifting acidity. A harmonious package with wonderful purity, texture and balance. This has some life left ahead of it though I think it is drinking well now with a solid decant.

Varietal Composition: Tempranillo

Vintage: 2004

Origin: Rioja, Spain

Value Rating:  5 / 5

Where I got it: Wines Til Sold Out

Price: $22.99 (Also widely available ~$35 according to Wine-searcher)

Score: 94

Should you buy? Paying only $23 for the Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 is akin to paying for a coach-class ticket and getting a free upgrade. Ladies and gentleman this is first class wine at coach class pricing.

Value Proposition – Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva 2004

It’s tough to find a wine that is this well-made, complex, age-worthy and immensely drinkable, both with or without food, for under $23. If you break it down to price per glass, it works out to about the same pricing for your average happy hour glass of wine – and I can guarantee you this is far more interesting!

If you’re thinking… “Well it’s no longer available at that price through WTSO”, then please follow me on social media. I will send out an update when wines like this pop up that are deserving of your attention – and hopefully the Casado Morales Rioja Gran Reserva 2004 will make another appearance. Until then, if you’d like to try this Rioja, $35 is still a very fair, albeit less compelling price.