Fantastic Faustino! 97-point rated Spanish Rioja available in BC at bargain price!

It's not everyday you can taste what esteemed experts believe is a near perfect wine - one with a 97 point score out of a possible 100.

And it's almost never that you can do that in British Columbia for less than hundreds or thousands of dollars for that bottle of liquid luxury.  Or buy a wine on the shelf in 2016 that is 15 years old!

Faustino I Gran Reserva 2001 Rioja

So when Britain's The Decanter wine magazine scored the 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva from Spain's Rioja wine region at 97 points, lauded it as the best of its Top 50 Wines of 2013 and had Master of Wine Pedro Ballesteros give it a perfect score - this wine became one of the most sought after in the world.

And lucky us - BC Liquor Stores have over 100 bottles still available in 23 stores across the province, including three in Vancouver - for the amazing price of $35.99 plus taxes!

Needless to say, I already bought and tasted some of this great wine - it deserves all the accolades.

Leather, game, tobacco, dark cherry - you will taste them all in this wine, which is drinking beautifully now but also could last several more years to come - if you can hold out.

That said, not everyone ranked the Faustino I as highly as The Decanter.  The Wine Spectator gave it a surprisingly low 89 points and Robert Parker's The Wine Advocate 88 points - but that's the way wine works.

I'm with The Decanter on this and its three experts who rated the Faustino I as so impressive.

But one thing is clear - you can afford to find out for yourself if you hurry - and at that price you will not be disappointed in the least!  

Cheers!