Luis Cañas Rioja Reserva Selección de la Familia 2006

The 2006 Luis Cañas Reserva Selección de la Familia is an artful blend comprised of 85% Tempranillo and 15% other legal Rioja varieties, presumably Graciano, Garnacha, and perhaps Mazuelo as well. This is a deeply flavored, sophisticated Rioja Reserva that exhibits a fine array of black cherry, cranberry, wild strawberry, sandalwood, white pepper, and dark chocolate flavors. Balanced, beautiful and silky smooth with a patina of polished and well-integrated oak from 20 months in new French and American oak, the 2006 Luis Cañas Reserva Selección de la Familia epitomizes the essence of Rioja Reserva. Although completely captivating now, this rich, personality filled Rioja will undoubtedly continue to improve for up to a decade. The 2006 Luis Cañas Reserva Selección de la Familia is about as fine of a Rioja as one can find. Afford this monumental Rioja Reserva an hour in a decanter before serving, and you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!

Great wine shines in the face of fine food, and a wine as sophisticated and flavorful as the 2006 Luis Cañas Reserva Selección de la Familia deserves the best one can bring to table. That doesn’t mean one has to spend days preparing the meal or sauce to accompany this wine. In fact, the simpler the food the better, but only the highest quality ingredients should apply. Considering the 2006 Reserva de la Familia’s status, it really doesn’t need an elaborate dish to shine. Consequently, we recommend the best free range chicken and the finest cuts of beef, lamb, and pork to serve with this wine. Chicken Marengo, a simple but flavorful dish that was created by Napoleon Bonaparte’s chef after the battle of Marengo, suitably fits the bill. It accentuates all the sophisticated flavors in the wine and in turn the dish is enhanced by the wine. A Crown Roast of Lamb or Pork provides another excellent accompaniment to the 2006 Reserva Selección de la Familia as do Chateaubriand and a well-aged filet mignon. Duck, goose, quail and venison provide other good bets to serve with Luis Cañas’ much heralded Rioja Reserva. For those who prefer a vegetarian option, a perfectly cooked Shitake Mushroom Tart offers an excellent meatless accompaniment. Enjoy!

Luis Cañas has been one of Rioja’s traditional purveyors of classic Rioja since 1928. The present bodega is located in the Rioja Alavesa, the sub-region of Rioja renowned for producing the appellation’s fullest, richest wines. For many years, our tasting panels tasted and enjoyed this illustrious bodega’s rich, classic Rioja wines, but we were always left searching in vain for Luis Cañas’ legendary Reserva Selección de la Familia – the bodega’s flagship offering

While in Spain last June, a number of us had the opportunity to have lunch with the folks from Luis Cañas and taste through the bodega’s extensive and inspiring portfolio. At the end of that four hour affair, the Holy Grail of Rioja appeared at the table in the form of the latest release of Reserva Selección de la Familia. However, the wine’s identity was not revealed to us until after we had tasted the wine. Without knowing what we had consumed, and in short order I might add, we were all nearly prostrate at the table begging for more of this powerful, seductive elixir. With that said, we should allow the Bodegas Luis Cañas and the soon to be legendary 2006 Reserva Selección de la Familia to speak for themselves.