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| Community Tasting Notes (average 93.2 pts. and median of 94 pts. in 33 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by warrenpeace on 5/26/2023 & rated 94 points: At first it was all tannins but after an hour or so in the glass the fruit came through to provide a very balanced glass of wine. Still sailing on and expect it to be at peak for 2-3 years (504 views) | | | Tasted by warrenpeace on 4/2/2022 & rated 94 points: Still has a nice core of fruit enveloped by some good acidity; drink over next 2 years (1268 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 7/7/2021: Similar to the previous bottles (including the crumbling cork, grrr), but again, slowly losing intensity with age. Loganberries and black cherries, with a noticeable spearmint/wintergreen flavor (some might interpret the cherry/mint flavors as cough syrup) and a bit of barnyard on the very long finish. A bit formless and juicy, although tannins became more assertive with time. Having lost some of its intensity and tautness, it's lost something of the magic it had earlier. It is still very good, and by no means dead, just not a stunning wine anymore. (1735 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 8/15/2020: Similar notes as previously, except more muted. Black current and loganberry coulis, licorice, a little leather. Softer than previously, although still structured, and dry on the finish. (2240 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 3/19/2020: <cork rant> My second wine in a row where the cork disintegrated and the remainder fell back into the wine. I basically lost a glass of wine from cork bits, plus fishing out smaller bits from remaining glasses. It pisses me off. <cork rant> Once I could finally settle down into a glass, it was really very, very good. Similar notes as last time: powerful aroma, black raspberry and black current, licorice and an unidentifiable savory note. Still lots of structure with acid and tannin to shape the fruit; for all the sweet fruit at entry, the finish is quite dry. (2388 views) | | | Tasted by Yagil on 9/10/2019 & rated 94 points: Spanish wines tasting (at my home): deep ruby
pronounced aromas intensity of black cherries, red currents, dark cranberries, blueberries, raspberries, forest floor, smoked-meat; oak-vanilla;
developing;
dry, high acidity, high tannins, med abv, full body; pronounced flavours intensity consistent with the aromas; excellent complexity; lingering quality finish;
can drink now - suitable for further aging; (2572 views) | | | Tasted by ChrisR on 3/3/2018 & rated 95 points: Aromas of raspberry and blackberry practically poured from the bottle after opening. Black fruits, leather and spice predominated. Very concentrated and intense, quite structured and still tannic. Other vintages I have tried featured fruits in the red spectrum and were softer, drinking more like garnacha; this was definitely darker and more powerful. Superb. (3061 views) | | | Tasted by Jozefs on 1/3/2018 flawed bottle: Corked (also bad cork: disintegrated on extraction) (2901 views) | | | Tasted by RayOB on 12/15/2017 & rated 95 points: Drank at 67
Fully mature with incredible refined nose and palate, leather, plum, smoke. Wonderful. (2514 views) | | | Tasted by Topper on 11/29/2017 & rated 94 points: Rich, full and voluptuous, with more smoke and leather exposed now than when last tasted 5 years ago. I liked it then and I liked it now. A nice wine to keep your nose in. (2520 views) | | | Tasted by ryonlife on 7/11/2017 & rated 95 points: Poured from a Coravin and had first whiff and taste after 15 minutes in the glass. Not super robust on the nose for me, got some oak but not much fruit. Black cherries and cola on the palate. Medium tannins, high acid. Warm, black peppery finish. Still has a ton of structure and tastes young. After 45 minutes in the glass, had really opened up, more red fruits coming through and tannins much softer and silky. Really drinking well. Not that I wouldn't love to taste this again in 10 years. (1227 views) | | | Tasted by clairenclarence on 5/24/2017 & rated 94 points: decant
nose:deep nose.plum,earth,lots of smoke,tea leaf,slight oak influence
palate:massive of tannins.superb concentration.long finishing.dense.highly commendable acidity support despite the weight of the palate.manage to get layers of flavours with more air.long finishing
notes:intense plum,vanilla,smoky,herbs,black cherry (2804 views) | | | Tasted by Derek Darth Taster on 5/24/2017 & rated 95 points: Artadi Night (Extra Space): Poured into decanter and drank over 3+ hours.
Appearance cloudy, deep intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of toasty coconut and vanilla oak, smoky tobacco, earth, leather, dark plums. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), velvety smooth high tannins that firm up on the finish, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of concentrated dark plums, blackberries, black cherries, licorice, dusty earth, leather, coconut, chocolaty oak. Long finish.
Very good quality. Not a subtle wine. Lots of concentration here. Complex. Still a good 5+ years away from the oak integrating.
Very poor QPR. Very pricey. Drink once in the name of education.
Single vineyard, 100% Tempranillo. Top wine from Artadi. (2518 views) | | | Tasted by Papies on 3/23/2017 & rated 91 points: By Coravin,125ml @ 67 Pall Mall.
Dark rich, dense, predictable in a way int he focuss on ripeness and to us had very little charm or complexity. We always fail to understand the hype around this wine. 90-91 at best (2137 views) | | | Tasted by Kmok on 6/28/2016 & rated 83 points: Bright red fruits, a bit closed when undecanted, balanced and structured . (3901 views) | | | Tasted by colin107 on 8/25/2015 & rated 96 points: I wasn't aware that Tempranillo could taste this good. Extremely well balanced and good length. (3580 views) | | | Tasted by Periko on 6/26/2015 & rated 94 points: No formal notes. It was decanted for 2-3 hours. A great wine, very elegant, plenty of fruit but starting to show tertiaries and still some noticiable cedar on a very alluring nose. Velvety but with powerful tannins on palate, it's complex and it still carries red fruit for a long, long finish. Still young but very good now and wish I could retaste in 5-10 years. (2857 views) | | | Tasted by HowardNZ on 2/26/2014 & rated 92 points: Tasted blind against mainly red Burgundies. Huge ripe rich nose of cassis, cherries and other red and black fruit and cedar. On palate, incredibly primary and youthful Tempranillo. Very smooth with huge structure, profound weight and depth and serious intensity on the back palate. Flavours of red and black berries, tending cherry liqueur. Really needs 20 + more years in the cellar. At the moment, it is all sweet tannin (American oak?) and fruit, flirting with sur maturite. Perhaps not my style, but I recognise the quality, 92. (4225 views) | | | Tasted by Tim Heaton on 1/16/2014: A bit of a Tempranillo on steroids, on the nose, anyway. A panoply of aromas, all of them with one main objective: to draw you in to the black hole and keep you there. Medium+ body, with lively acids and harmonious, elegant tannins. This seamless effort is just getting going, and will no doubt hang around (drinking as well or better) for the next decade. A rich treat of Spanish nobility. highly recommended (4463 views) | | | Tasted by bibhau on 12/27/2013 & rated 94 points: Opened, tasted, then decanted for an hour, beautiful tasting wine, dark deep red in color, tannins still very present yet refined, lovely nose, hint of oak, can be cellared for quite some time. (3528 views) | | | Tasted by PeterH on 12/1/2013 & rated 94 points: I'm rating this wine pretty highly while stating that it's just not my style of wine. This is a big, intense, fruit forward bottle of juice. Most of the tannins have been resolved, and it's ready to go. I have no doubt that there are lots of people who will find this wine to be fantastic. I'm not that guy. Too big for me, like when the volume control is set so high that it hurts your head to listen. Got to turn this down a little to see the nuances. (2977 views) | | | Tasted by gotwine on 8/8/2013 & rated 93 points: Glorious nose but palate needs more time - try again in 1 to 2 years (3537 views) | | | Tasted by Topper on 2/5/2012 & rated 95 points: One of my favorite recent wines. Big without being at all overpowering. Rich and dry. Did not seem to be typical temperanillo flavors with perhaps less smoke and leather but beautifully resolved black fruit witha hint of plum. Great mouthfeel. Everything seems in harmony to me now and while it could last longer, this is a great time to drink this one. (3835 views) | | | Tasted by Yagil on 11/8/2011 & rated 95 points: transparent red ruby
rich ripe fruits 'Bordeaux' aroma with start of secondary aroma
full body, powerful, savory, fine balanced acidity & bitterness, harmonious, soft round tannins, smooth and velvet feeling, very elegant, long excellent aftertaste. can age further 13-20 years. (3763 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/14/2011 & rated 93 points: Artadi tasting. The son of the producer came over to join us. (@ WB): Pity.Again I did not make so many notes about this wine. But what I wrote down this time tells me that my ageing potential doubts I had in 2007 were wrong. This is beautiful juice now with licorice and depth. The tannin is beautiful and although the wine is in a beautiful drinking stage now it has enough power to last for another 4+ years. (1661 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Viñedos Lacalle y Laorden Producer websiteTempranillo Varietal character (Appellation America) | TAPAS: Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society
Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero region in Spain. Tempranillo's aromas and flavors often combine elements of berryish fruit, herbaceousness, and an earthy-leathery minerality. Being low in acidity and sugar content, it is commonly blended with Carignan (Mazuela), Grenache (Garnacha), Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
WineAccess
The varietal is at its best in top Riojas, where oak aging is employed to generate increased complexity and harmony. From the best sites, these wines can be remarkably concentrated with great aging potential. New wines from this region are darker, and more robust, with more dynamic primary fruit flavors than traditionally styled examples. These wines seem to reflect the influence of Spain's other key region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero. Regardless of style, Riojas tend to be medium bodied wines, with more acid than tannins. These wines generally feature Tempranillo blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. For these wines, there are three quality levels, which will appear on the label. Everyday drinking wines fall under the category of "Crianza", "Reserva" denotes more complex and concentrated wines, and "Gran Reserva" refers to the most intense wines, made only in the best years.
The same labeling scheme applies to wines from Ribera del Duero, which, like Rioja, is dominated by Tempranillo and shares similar blending grapes. Again, Ribera del Duero wines are generally darker and more powerful than the most traditional Riojas. These wines also generally see less oak treatment than Riojas. From Rioja, we like wines from Allende, Marqués de Cáceres, Montecillo, and Cune. In Ribera del Duero, consider Dominio de Pingus, Emilio Moro, Convento San Francisco, and Pesquera.
Pair older-style Rioja with simple meats like chicken, leg of lamb, and pork loin. However, the newer style of Rioja and Ribera del Duero works especially well with bolder meat dishes or an aged Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal. 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.La Rioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
Map on weinlagen-infoRioja Consejo Regulador DOC Rioja - Control Board of the D.O.Ca. Rioja
HISTORY
The wine region of La Rioja in Spain was first demarcated by the area's governing body, the Consejo Regulador, in 1926. The region extends for approximately 120 kilometres along both sides of the Ebro River and is, at its widest point, bounded by mountains on either side. In fact, the word 'Rioja' is a derivation of the two words 'Rio' (River) and 'Oja (the name of a tributary of the Ebro that runs right through La Rioja creating a series of microclimates and providing much needed water for the vines).
La Rioja has always been a vital part of Spain's history. Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and finally, medieval Crusaders have all played a part in the area's history. The Romans, however, made wine a part of their culture wherever they travelled, and La Rioja was no exception. Ancient sites of Roman wineries still exist in and around the area today.
After the Romans came the Moors, and winemaking all but ceased. It wasn't until after the famous 'El Cid' liberated Spain, and medieval Christianity brought trade via the Crusaders through the region, that it flourished again. The Benedictine monks of Cluny in Burgundy, known for their viticulture, helped to establish three monasteries in the area. The vines they planted were mostly white grapes. In the fourteenth century, English traders acquired a taste for a local Rioja wine, which was a blend of white and red wines called Blancos Pardillos. Over time, development of lighter reds came about satisfying eighteenth century English and French courts.
The real improvements to Rioja's viticulture began around 1780 when the need to prolong wine during transport brought about experimentation with different woods and preservatives. Studies were made of the techniques used by great chateaux in Bordeaux. With the outbreak of the Peninsular War, progress was halted until 1852, when the Bordelais came south to Rioja seeking vines because their vineyards had been blighted with oidium. French winemaking methods were eagerly taken up by great rivals the Marques de Murrieta and Marques de Riscal (who both claim to have been the first in Rioja to make wine in the Bordeaux fashion).
When phylloxera devastated Bordeaux in the 1870s and the French influence really took hold in Rioja, many of the region's finest bodegas started production on what we now consider as the great wines of Rioja. It’s important to remember that Bordeaux winemaking methods then were very different to those employed today in France, and involved long ageing in barrel, a factor that the Riojans took up enthusiastically. So enthusiastically in fact that to this day there are a number of Bodegas that still make their wine in a surprisingly similar fashion to that of the Bordelais in the later part of the 1800s and this also explains why oak ageing is such an important part of Riojan winemaking.
USE OF OAK
Pronounced vanilla flavours in the wines are a trademark of the region though some modern winemakers are experimenting with making wines less influenced by oak. Originally French oak was used but as the cost of the barrels increased many bodegas began to buy American oak planks and fashion them into barrels at Spanish cooperages in a style more closely resembling the French method. This included hand splitting the wood, rather than sawing, and allowing the planks time to dry and 'season' in the outdoors versus drying in the kiln. In recent times, more bodegas have begun using French oak and many will age wines in both American and French oak for blending purposes.
In the past, it was not uncommon for some bodegas to age their red wines for 15-20 years or even more before their release. One notable example of this is Marqués de Murrieta which released its 1942 vintage Gran Reserva in 1983 after 41 years of ageing. Today most bodegas have shifted their winemaking focus to wines that are ready to drink sooner with the top wines typically ageing for 4-8 years prior to release though some traditionalists still age longer. The typical bodega owns anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 oak barrels.
The use of oak in white wine has declined significantly in recent times when before the norm was traditionally 2-5 years in oak. This created slightly oxidised wines with flavours of caramel, coffee, and roasted nuts that did not appeal to a large market of consumers. Today the focus of white winemakers has been to enhance the vibrancy and fruit flavours of the wine.
WINE CLASSIFICATION
Most Riojan Bodegas believe that the ageing of a wine should be the responsibility of the producer rather than that of the consumer, and this is why much Rioja is more mature than wines from other countries. Rioja red wines are classified into four categories. The first, simply labelled 'Rioja', or 'Sin Crianza' (meaning 'without ageing') is the youngest, spending less than a year in oak. A "Crianza" is wine aged for at least two years, at least one of which is in oak. 'Reserva' is aged for at least three years, of which at least one year is in oak. Finally, 'Gran Reserva' wines have been aged at least two years in oak and three years in bottle. Reserva and Gran Reserva wines are not necessarily produced each year. Also produced are wines in a semi-crianza style, those that have had a couple of months of oak influence but not enough to be called a full crianza. The designation of Crianza, Reserva or Gran Reserva might not always appear on the front label but may appear on a neck or back label in the form of a stamp designation known as Consejo.
SUB REGIONS
Rioja Alta
Located on the western edge of the region, and at higher elevations than the other areas, the Rioja Alta is known for more fruity and concentrated wines which can have very smooth texture and mouth feel.
Rioja Alavesa
Despite sharing a similar climate as the Alta region, the Rioja Alavesa produces wines with a fuller body and higher acidity. Vineyards in the area have a low vine density with large spacing between rows. This is due to the relatively poor conditions of the soil with the vines needing more distance from each other and less competition for the nutrients in the surrounding soil.
Rioja Baja
Unlike the more continental climate of the Alta and Alavesa, the Rioja Baja is strongly influenced by a Mediterranean climate which makes this area the warmest and driest of the Rioja. In the summer months, drought can be a significant viticultural hazard, though since the late 1990s irrigation has been permitted. Temperatures in the summer typically reach 95°F. Twenty percent of the vineyards actually fall within the Navarra appellation but the wine produced from the grapes is still allowed to claim the Rioja designation. The predominant grape here is the Garnacha which prefers the hot conditions, unlike the more aromatic Tempranillo. Consequently Baja wines are very deeply coloured and can be highly alcoholic with some wines at 18% alcohol by volume. The wines typically do not have much acidity or aroma and are generally used as blending components with wines from other parts of
the Rioja.
The Riojans are master blenders (as they have to be because there are relatively few single estates in the area, the norm being to blend from a wide variety of vineyards and wine areas). Consequently they are able to reduce vintage variation by careful blending and many of the best wines vary relatively little between vintages.
VITICULTURE & GRAPES
Rioja wines are normally a blend of various grape varieties, and can be either red (tinto), white (blanco) or rosé (rosado). Rioja has a total of 57,000 hectares cultivated, yielding 250 million litres of wine annually, of which 85% is red. The harvest time for most Rioja vineyards is September-October with the northern Rioja Alta having the latest harvest in late October. The soil here is clay-based with a high concentration of chalk and iron (which provides the redness in the soil that may be responsible for the region's name, Rioja, meaning red). There is also significant concentration of limestone, sandstone and alluvial silt.
Among the Tintos, the best-known and most widely-used variety is Tempranillo. Other grapes used include Garnacha Tinta, Graciano, and Mazuelo. A typical blend will consist of approximately 60% Tempranillo and up to 20% Garnacha, with much smaller proportions of Mazuelo and Graciano. Each grape adds a unique component to the wine with Tempranillo contributing the main flavours and ageing potential to the wine; Garnacha adding body and alcohol; Mazuelo adding seasoning flavours and Graciano adding additional aromas.
With Rioja Blanco, Viura is the prominent grape (also known as Macabeo) and is sometimes blended with some Malvesia and Garnacha Blanca. In the white wines the Viura contributes mild fruitness, acidity and some aroma to the blend with Garnacha Blanca adding body and Malvasia adding aroma. Rosados are mostly derived from Garnacha grapes. The 'international varieties' of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have gained some attention and use through experimental plantings by some bodegas but their use has created wines distinctly different from the typical Rioja.
Some of the most sought after grapes come from the limestone/sandstone based 'old vine' vineyards in the Alavesa and Alta regions. These 40 year old plus vines are prized due to their low yields and more concentrated flavours. A unique DO regulation stipulates that the cost of the grapes used to make Rioja must exceed by at least 200% the national average of wine grapes used in all Spanish wines.
VINTAGE CHART
Rioja (Red) Year %
2004 Superb vintage, classic wines Drink or Hold 94
2003 Hot, dry year, long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 91
2002 Smallest vintage in 10 years. Variable quality.
Keep to top names Drink or Hold 87
2001 Excellent year for long ageing Reservas
and Gran Reservas Drink or Hold 94
2000 A generally good vintage with fine Reservas Drink or Hold 89
1999 Smaller vintage of good quality Drink or Hold 88
1998 Good vintage Drink or Hold 97
1997 Unexciting so far, but quaffable Drink or Hold 84
1996 Good year, plenty of ageing potential Drink or Hold 89
1995 Very good vintage, Reservas now showing excellent fruit Drink or Hold 92
1994 Outstanding, some great long-ageing wines Drink or Hold 94
1993 Lesser wines, apart from best-known names Drink 77
1992 Rather light vintage Drink 80
1991 Still improving, average quality Drink or Hold 85
1990 Fairly ordinary but quaffable Drink 84
1989 Good, firm structure Drink 88
Rioja Reserva & Gran Reserva – Vintages of the Eighties Year %
1989 Goodish vintage, well balanced Drink 88
1988 Fairly good vintage, well balanced wines Drink 88
1987 Very attractive vintage, now at peak Drink 90
1986 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1985 Average year, now drinking well Drink 87
1984 Disappointing, with problem weather Avoid 80
1983 Don't keep it any longer Drink 86
1982 Now past its best Drink 83
1981 Superb wines, finest will keep longer Drink 90
1980 Average vintage, don't keep any longer Drink 86
More vintage charts
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