The 1945 Reserva R.M., the letters standing for Reserve Medoc as this blend would have included a higher percentage of Cabernet (around 45%). It is a brilliant, timeless wine and remains one of the most astonishing Riojas you will ever drink. Pause to think that according to the estate, this wine was barely drinkable for the first three decades of its life! It is blessed with a riveting Bordeaux-like nose that is more Pauillac than Margaux, a bouquet with a persuasive sense of authority, freshness and vigor. The palate is perfectly balanced with unbelievable fresh black fruit, minerality and filigree tannins. The most astonishing facet of this Rioja is that you find yourself questioning whether it has actually broached its drinking plateau! Surely this is the Rioja response to Mouton-Rothschild in this fabled year? These wines can crop up at auction and on top restaurant lists since the estate has comparatively healthy reserves. Importer: Southern Wine & Spirits; www.southernwine.com