2011 Bodegas Escudero Solar de Becquer Gran Reserva Rioja 750 ml

The plate of thin chops came piled high, glistening and charred from the grill, and our friend Hugh gave us a wink.

“This is how we lunch in Soho,” he declared, reaching into his bag for a bottle.

We’d stopped over in London for a few days after Wine Paris, and lunch with Hugh was a must. He pulled out a bottle and popped the cork, but hid the label with his hand. “Try this,” he said, eyes smiling, “I think you’ll like it quite a bit.”

It was clearly classic, maturing Rioja. Clearly Gran Reserva based on the quality of the nose, which offered layers of dried cherry, blackcurrant, and plum interwoven with notes of leather, tobacco, cedar, and vanilla from extended oak aging. On the palate, it was full-bodied and elegant, with velvety tannins and flavors of dark fruit, cocoa, and a trace of savory mushroom. But despite its age, the wine remained bright and vibrant, while the long, refined finish left lingering notes of spice, oak, and dried fruit. We wrote “wow” in our notebook.

It was a beauty—and we said as much—as Hugh turned the bottle around to reveal the 2011 Bodegas Escudero Solar de Becquer Gran Reserva. He casually mentioned it recently scored 95 points from Wine Enthusiast, as well.

“Now, I broker this bottle here in the UK, but I happen to know that a pallet just left for the States last week,” he declared. “I bet if you contact the importer now, you might be able to put your name on it…and you’ll be stunned at the price.”

We did, we were, and we nabbed it for Wine Access members.