Ready or not…

MY LOVE AFFAIR with Rioja began when i visited the region in the late 1980s. i brought a few bottles home, mainly 1978 and 1982 gran reservas, and regrettably drank them far too early. since then, all Riojas i buy are stored for several years before opening.

Last year, a friend bought me a gran reserva from majestic for my 70th birthday. He mentioned my name to the manager, who, when i next visited, wished me a happy birthday and handed me a mystery bottle, saying: ‘you will drink it, won’t you?’ (it was a standing joke between us that i never drank what i bought.)

i did: it was a 1995 gran reserva. the next time i visited, the manager asked me what i’d thought of it. ‘wonderful,’ i said, thanking him, ‘but it still wasn’t ready.’ we both had a good laugh! Peter Belben, Harrogate, North Yorkshire