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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Drinking window: Drink between 2018 and 2027 (based on 26 user opinions) |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.5 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 276 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by frasoo on 5/11/2024 & rated 86 points: I was mildly disappointed that this wine did not live up to its 94 pt Wine Spectator rating or its status as top 100 wineries by Wine and Spirits. Still great price and holding up well after 14 years. Tannins a tad harsh. Blackberry, plum and hints of tobacco. Not very deep or complex and somewhat harsh on the finish. (73 views) | | | Tasted by kistdg on 8/2/2023 & rated 92 points: PnP after Jackson Browne at REH w Markus Garrison&Beau Diamond. (1048 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 7/13/2023 & rated 92 points: Just a great value. Tannins resolved into a rich cab-Tempranillo blend. Particularly good on day 2. Wish I had more. (953 views) | | | Tasted by K&J on 8/31/2022 flawed bottle: My last bottle seemed to have a flaw in the wine that made it undrinkable. It wasn't like it was corked. Sometimes that can blow off.
But in this case, it didn't even after a few days. The cork looked OK so I don't know what happened. Also, the fruit greatly diminished so I think it is past its peak. This is corroborated by reviewing my scores over time. Peak seams to be in the 2018-2019 time frame. (2215 views) | | | Tasted by Bluecollar on 7/23/2022 & rated 94 points: Wow! this is the embodiment of Ribera Del Duero. 1 hr to breath and it's ready to pour. Full bodied, bursting with dark fruit and spice, accented with earth and leather with sturdy but approachable tannins. Warm mouthfeel and a linger finish of spice an cedar. ready now, but big enough to go many more years (2160 views) | | | Tasted by libero on 5/18/2022 & rated 92 points: Round, smooth, delicious. (2425 views) | | | Tasted by cbajustin on 3/9/2022 & rated 93 points: 12 yrs of age is really making this an incredible QPR! Dry & earthy, the fruit comes through after an hour decant. (2049 views) | | | Tasted by Angies Husband on 12/28/2021 & rated 91 points: Wow, tannins still holding strong with this wine! Slight hint of tar initially, dissipated with a short decant. Fruit and floral notes. Great paired with a meal. (2318 views) | | | Tasted by Chateau du Fey 1994 on 11/11/2021 & rated 92 points: Exceptional find at Costco for C$24. High score based on great QPR. Despite the bottle age there are still plenty of tennis behind this wine. Great, firm structure with good balance and old world characteristics. (1919 views) | | | Tasted by Dfortin9 on 8/30/2021 & rated 91 points: 8/13/21 89 points: Structured and intense delivering sour cherry, riped plum and peppery notes in a full body frame. Well balanced wine with a medium lenght. Good QPR but not an outstanding wine per my humble evaluation. NI:3, FI:21, FC:8, B:4, L:3
8/16/22 Update: Noticed improvement on the nose and finish. Enjoyed it more this time around, increasing from 89 to 91. NI:4, FI:21, FC:8, B:4, L:4 (2079 views) | | | Tasted by Patrivkbow on 8/21/2021: 94 point (1829 views) | | | Tasted by Bluecollar on 8/1/2021 & rated 92 points: Fantastic full bodied wine that will continue to improve for many years. Dark fruit and earth tones with dense tannins that relax after a 2 hr decant. Finish was medium in length. (1787 views) | | | Tasted by FierceRedPanda on 4/18/2021 & rated 90 points: Paired this with lamb loin chops and roasted vegetables. Lots of oak and spice (cinnamon and cloves) on the nose. Palate is similar, with a bit of leather and some black currant. Some tannin, so there might be a bit of life left in it. Reasonably long finish, but a lot of oak here.
I have to concur with other reviewers that this doesn't live up to the 94 that WS gave it. To call it "bad" would be preposterous, but I expected more. Quite a bit more, actually. Possibly this has to do with personal preference; mine has been running towards Grenache- and Sangiovese-based wines for a while now (and somewhat away from Tempranillo), and all I can think about is how I would rather be drinking a Priorat right now. (2391 views) | | | Tasted by Mike1369 on 1/24/2021 & rated 91 points: Good wine, not tasting the 94 from WS. Fruity , oaky, but not seeming to mature. Feel like it could but we are 10 years in. Nonetheless it was a value buy and I’ll check back on this in another year. (9566 views) | | | Tasted by vandal16 on 1/10/2021 & rated 91 points: Interesting Ribera Del Duero blend of Tempranillo (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (20%). Earthy organics of leather and tobacco on the nose and light blackberry fruit on the pallet. A bit light in color and body (especially considering the Cabernet Sauvignon in the Blend) but silky and soft tannins and finish. Oak dominates a bit at first but it does blow off. Give this one a good decant. (2507 views) | | | Tasted by elevwine on 1/3/2021 & rated 92 points: Seldom does one find much consistency in CT reviews and that is true for this wine. Are we all drinking the same wine or is there bottle variation or are tases just that different? To me, this was more fruit-forward than many Spanish wines. A bit tannic at PNP, but within an hour turned velvety smooth. Rich cherry, some white pepper and brambles and a touch of mocha. Just another very good Spanish wine value (2573 views) | | | Tasted by K&J on 12/29/2020 & rated 91 points: Continuing my thought about a mood thing from a year ago...this is a well made wine but I don't think it has a wow factor to it. Perhaps I expect more fruit. I dunno. (2398 views) | | | Tasted by Drusus on 12/24/2020 & rated 87 points: I would say that Hover Low nails the review on this. It exists. It is not bad, but the WS score is overblown. I do not see that it has the content to improve much more with time, so drink them when you wish. (1871 views) | | | Tasted by BMWclarinet on 12/12/2020 & rated 91 points: Nose: Forrest floor, coconut flesh, vanilla/oak, grilled pineapple, slightly decomposed wood, damp cellar, stewed black cherry, mushroom, prune.
Palate: tannic, cola, burnt sugar, rooibos tea, baked edges of a cherry/raspberry cobbler, a Rioja viewed through dark sunglasses. (1618 views) | | | Tasted by Laz4wine on 12/4/2020 & rated 88 points: It's Ok, have to agree with Hover Low assessment, nice enough to sip if one enjoys chewing through barrel staves in a humidor, but does not carry depth or complexity to warrant the accolades. (1788 views) | | | Tasted by shaw on 6/22/2020 & rated 93 points: Best WPR ever. (4091 views) | | | Tasted by mats13 on 6/13/2020 & rated 89 points: Very little of interest. Nose is shy, palate is notable for its lack of anything to note. (3747 views) | | | Tasted by Hover low 64 on 5/22/2020 & rated 89 points: Our party of three agreed: we just don’t understand the stratospheric WS score. A meek wine with thin mouthfeel and flavors that seem to be afraid to emerge. Granted this wine is still on the young side based on some stout tannins. But after having several bottles over the past few years, it’s not really showing any improvement with time. Drink ‘em now or later, it won’t make much difference. (4093 views) | | | Tasted by capscapscaps on 5/15/2020 & rated 91 points: Better than the last bottle. Decant for 1 hour+. Before the decant, everything is out of balance - ripe fruit, heavy oak, strong tannins. But after some good air, everything integrates really well and the wine sings. Medium body, dark cherry and raspberry, oak but not overpowering. Recommend with tomato-based food and/or meat. We initially had it with scallops and it didn’t pair so well. (3893 views) | | | Tasted by mitiman2003 on 5/3/2020 & rated 92 points: A tasty blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon. Dense purple color in the glass. Rich spicy aromas of black currants, blackberries, cinnamon and spice. Blackberries, plums, spice and mellow oak flavors. Beautiful structure, tannic when opened, but perfectly balanced after decanting for thirty minutes. Delicious served with grilled ribeye steak and Caesar salad. (4017 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Bodegas Balbas Producer websiteTempranillo BlendTempranillo is the backbone of wines made ihvhhcn the best well-known Spanish regions Rioja and Ribera del Duero, but is also grown as far afield as Mexico and Australia.
As a flavor profile, red fruits like strawberries and cherries can predominate - but with a rustic edge. The Many wines made from Tempranillo will spend a few years in barrel and bottle before reaching the consumers . Many Tempranillo-based wines see a few years of oak - add that to a few years of bottle and the wine can give a subtle - and occasionaly not-so-subtle - leathery mouthfeel. The combination of the tart fruit and tannins make this wine very food friendly.Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.Castilla y León Castilla y León Wine (Turismo Castilla y León )Ribera del Duero El Corazón del Duero - The Heart of Duero (Consejo Regulador de la D.O. Ribera del Duero) |
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