On Friday, May 6, 2016 at 4:56:43 PM UTC+2, Mark Lipton wrote:
> On 5/4/16 9:00 PM, Michael Nielsen wrote:
> >
> > 2001 La Rioja Alta "Viña Ardanza" Reserva Especial Rioja *****+
> >
> > OMG. that says it all.
>
> I'm jealous. I've had a couple version of the Ardanza Reserva, which I
> liked quite a lot, but the 904 is also quite fine.
>

I always only read about that La Rioja Alta was supposed to be on par with Tondonia, but I never tried them. At the airport I found Grand reserva 940 2004. They had one 2001 which I just only saw, but someone else was too fast and grabbed it while I saw it. So I bought the 2004.


>
> Many of the Italians I know (reading this, Mike?) prefer Iberico to most
> Prosciutto (and also prefer olive oil from Spain to most of the Tuscan
> output).
>

The Italians there thought parma was still better than the iberico and thought maybe we didnt get the best parma in trieste. They said the parma isnt as dry, but then I said I prefer the iberico especially because it is more leathery. Like I also prefer salami thats dry. My mother in law is also always annoyed when I eat iberico instead of Italian prosciutto. But the market I get iberico in Trieste has 9 differnt grades of parma/ san danielle, and then also iberico. I tried the best italian they had and iberico is still much better. Tehy are all cut to order form the big leg.

To me its Serrano < parma < iberico.