I didn’t manage to see all of Stage 7, but I did watch with amazement as Juan Ayuso reinvented himself as leader of the peloton, if just for a day. After his disappointing performance in Stage 6, I figured the leadership controversy within UAE Team Emirates had solved itself. Now? It’s anyone’s guess.

Here are the highlights from Ayuso’s miraculous stage victory, with some feel-good news of Torstein Traeen’s red jersey feat, as he leads the overall classification by 2’33”:

Saturday we move southwest, from Monzón Templario to Zaragoza, on a flat course that will make the sprinters smile. Hey, grab it while you can, guys!

Our departure city is famous for a castle originally built by the Moors that was taken over by the Templars of Aragon.

Along the way we skirt the Ebro River, which runs right through the fabled vineyards of Rioja. We end in Zaragoza, birthplace of the painter Francisco José de Goya y Lucientes whose portraits dominate the walls of Madrid’s Museo del Prado. His masterpiece El Tres de Maio depicts the brutal execution of Spanish rebels by French soldiers during the Peninsular War, symbolizing their futile struggle for freedom.

The Lazaro-Galdiano Museum in the Salamanca neighborhood of Madrid features several of his pinturas negras, smaller works with supernatural, haunting themes. I remember both quite well from my first visit to Madrid and highly recommend them.

Vuelta Vaso de Vino Recommendation: 2018 Bodegas del Medievo Rioja Gran Reserva ($30; 13.5% abv)

How long has it been since I last sipped a Rioja Gran Reserva? Waaaayyyy too long. This wine, a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha, was pure deliciousness! Fruit came from old vines (30+ years) planted at high altitude and was manually harvested. The wine was aged in a mix of American (70%) and French (30%) oak for 24 months, followed by 36 months in bottle.

Tasting Note

Deep ruby/purple color, with a slight tint of garnet at the edge. On the nose there’s ripe black cherry, blackberry, leather, vanilla, tobacco, and dried strawberry; upon opening, there is mint and eucalyptus, even a touch of dried lavender. On the palate this wine is smooth! Fruit reflects the nose, but the ripeness is checked by the still-tangy acidity and silky tannins. Perfectly balanced (and with the oak perfectly integrated), the Medievo Gran Reserva was a real pleasure to drink. And at this price point, it tastes like genius! Definitely need to buy more of this one.

Pairing

Succotash with Sausage and Shrimp, from the New York Times Cooking App was a lovely match with this wine. The spice in the sausage was just enough to bring out the spice-box flavors in the wine. And the berry-cherry flavors elevated the earthiness of the beans, while the wine’s ample acidity kept everything fresh. Gabe and I agreed that we’ll put these two together again!

Hope you enjoy Stage 8 and the wines of Rioja. See you tomorrow with a preview of Stage 9 and another yummy wine to sip as you watch!