France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Massive disappointment. I wonder if this bottle was correct, but there were no distinctly recognizable flaws. Nutty, oaky, some sweet citrus and stone fruit, but it's all pretty subdued and the wine just disappears on the back end of the mid-palate and finish.
An ex-bodega bottle. Very musty when first poured, like old library books. That blew off a bit, and it showed a lot of cedar and pencil lead, almost like a left-bank Bordeaux. Quite mature and tertiary, the blackish fruit is in the background here and the remaining structure cuts the finish just a bit. Mid-weight and more elegant with lots of acid, a different style from the Unicos tasted next, but without their power or longevity. Good but I think this might have been better several years ago and it suffered bit from the comparisons in this lineup.
A blend of the 1968 and 1970 vintages, bottled in 1990. This spent 20+ years in oak and it shows. Lots and lots of caramel, some spice and dill, not showing much fruit aromatically. Classy in the mouth but with a woody, caramel flavor and without the depth and concentration of the younger Unicos on the table. Someone made an analogy to 25-year-old scotch that tastes too much like the wood and that's accurate.
Incredibly young for a 24-year-old wine. Intense black fruit, some tobaccoey/cigar notes, hints of well-integrated oak. The fruit very concentrated and still sweet and primary, and there's lots of structure and acid here holding it together. Tremendous wine that will last for decades.
Not yet commercially released. A huge wine, with incredibly ripe and concentrated sweet black fruit and tons of acid/tannic structure underneath it. Very unusual for me to see a wine where the fruit is this ripe without being too sweet and with that much structure. This is a baby and I imagine it will ultimately be fantastic but judging by how young the 89 tastes right now it's going to take a long, long time to get there.
Ordered at a restaurant, popped and poured. Probably not the best way to serve this. Incredibly ripe and concentrated, intense, lots and lots of sweet black plummy/raisiny fruit, but it's all a bit disjointed and the spirit shows a lot.
2010 Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Corton-Charlemagne 86 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
Massive disappointment. I wonder if this bottle was correct, but there were no distinctly recognizable flaws. Nutty, oaky, some sweet citrus and stone fruit, but it's all pretty subdued and the wine just disappears on the back end of the mid-palate and finish.
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1982 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Janus Gran Reserva Pesquera 89 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
An ex-bodega bottle. Very musty when first poured, like old library books. That blew off a bit, and it showed a lot of cedar and pencil lead, almost like a left-bank Bordeaux. Quite mature and tertiary, the blackish fruit is in the background here and the remaining structure cuts the finish just a bit. Mid-weight and more elegant with lots of acid, a different style from the Unicos tasted next, but without their power or longevity. Good but I think this might have been better several years ago and it suffered bit from the comparisons in this lineup.
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NV Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único Reserva Especial 1968, 1970 (1990 Release) 88 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
A blend of the 1968 and 1970 vintages, bottled in 1990. This spent 20+ years in oak and it shows. Lots and lots of caramel, some spice and dill, not showing much fruit aromatically. Classy in the mouth but with a woody, caramel flavor and without the depth and concentration of the younger Unicos on the table. Someone made an analogy to 25-year-old scotch that tastes too much like the wood and that's accurate.
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1989 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 94 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Incredibly young for a 24-year-old wine. Intense black fruit, some tobaccoey/cigar notes, hints of well-integrated oak. The fruit very concentrated and still sweet and primary, and there's lots of structure and acid here holding it together. Tremendous wine that will last for decades.
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2004 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Único 92 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Not yet commercially released. A huge wine, with incredibly ripe and concentrated sweet black fruit and tons of acid/tannic structure underneath it. Very unusual for me to see a wine where the fruit is this ripe without being too sweet and with that much structure. This is a baby and I imagine it will ultimately be fantastic but judging by how young the 89 tastes right now it's going to take a long, long time to get there.
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1994 Fonseca Porto Vintage
Portugal, Douro, Porto
Ordered at a restaurant, popped and poured. Probably not the best way to serve this. Incredibly ripe and concentrated, intense, lots and lots of sweet black plummy/raisiny fruit, but it's all a bit disjointed and the spirit shows a lot.
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