Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja

Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario
Tasted Saturday, February 8, 2014 by Dave Canada with 531 views

Introduction

Andrew focused on the two best traditional producers of Rioja CVNE and Lopez Heredia and picked the best vintages of the last 50 years to give us a sense of when these wines drink the best. The food at Langdon Hall was, as always, spectacular and the Red Room added a sense of weight to the event that I always enjoy.

Flight 1 - Paired with Foie Gras stuffed Crustini mushrooms (2 Notes)

  • 2000 Recaredo Cava Turo d'en Mota 93 Points

    Spain, Cava

    All indigenous varieties with an oaked base wine and zero dosage. 100 months on lees.
    Nose of salted lemon, mineral, lime, roasted nuts, ginger, and apple. The nose is so rich.
    Palate is really nice....so rich, round and complex with flavours of brioche, lemon, mineral, hazelnuts and both obvious autolysis and oak treatment.
    The finish is very long.....with lingering salted caramel, brioche, lime and mineral notes.

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  • 2001 Recaredo Cava Reserva Particular de Recaredo Gran Reserva Brut Nature 91 Points

    Spain, Cava

    This was a much sharper wine than the 2000 Mota served alongside.
    Nose of ripe apple, cinnamon, apple crumble, petrol, slate, lime zest and saline. This is almost riesling-esque. It is a touch reduced at the outset but that does blow off.
    Plate is quite complex....lemon, apple spice, pepper, oyster, slate, saline, petrol...very unique flavours with good balance and structure.
    The finish is medium+ with the smallest bit of alcohol hanging out that detracts a bit from the wines overall quality.

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Flight 2 - Paired with Crab & Scallop with Sweet Onion Cider Blanquette, Crustacean Oil, Delicate Herbs (2 Notes)

  • 1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 92 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Very pretty nose.....really put together with wet wool, salted caramel, mushroom, flowers, burnt butter, wax, honey and melon.
    The palate displayed lemon, nuts, caramel, saline, white flowers, wax, honey and earth. Really rich.
    The finish is medium+ and quite complex....very nice wine.

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  • 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Very powerful nose....salted caramel, honey, dill, wax, beeswax, nutmeg, burnt plastic (in a good way....LOL)...
    The palate was just so inviting.....honey, beeswax, caramel, saline nets, dill, tarragon, spice, vanilla and great balancing acidity.
    Finish is long...really long and so complex. Great wine.

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Flight 3 - Paired with Wild Flower Smoked Pigeon with Langdon Honey, Wild Cranberry, Pigeon Vinaigrette (4 Notes)

Flight 4 - Paired with Muskox Tartare; Marinated Ox Tenderloin, Sheep’s Milk Cheese, Truffle (4 Notes)

  • 1970 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Gran Reserva 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Nose of sweat, soy, blood....very salty with pure cherry fruit, cedar, leather, spice, and earth...very bordeaux like.
    The palate showed similar pure dark fruit, cedar and spice. Really surprised this is 40 years old...in such great shape.
    Long, layered ad textured finish. Great wine.

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  • 1970 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 97 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Very northern rhone-esque nose......creosote, cherry, blueberry, florals....nose takes me to a theoretical mix of Rayas and Chave.
    The palate is powerful...black cherry, campfire, flowers, minerals, olive, and spice.
    Finish is long, balanced and pure. Monumental backend on this wine. Top 3 wines I have had this past year for sure.

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  • 1970 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Nose is quite complex showing pure spice, cherry, earth, mushroom, and float notes.
    The palate is a bit more "dirty", but in a good way, with some schtank as one person put it. Coming through this is nice cherry, strawberry, leather, nutmeg, dried flowers and mushroom notes. The acid is lively but not distracting.
    The finish is medium+ and quite complex....very feminine wine.

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  • 1973 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 92 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    This is quite dusty but really complex. Coconut, sweat, mushroom, strawberry, cranberry and dark cherry flavours. The palate shows a strange lactic note that borders on yogurt and egg yolk which is a bit distracting but in the end, flavours of earth, mushroom, cherry, sweat, herbs, leather and cedar round this wine out and make it quite enjoyable. The finish is medium+ with moderate complexity but is really earthy which is just so captivating.

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Flight 5 - Paired with Venison with Parsley Root, Double Smoked Bacon, Pecan, Brussels and Pepper Game Jus (4 Notes)

Flight 6 - Cheese Course (2 Notes)

  • 1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 90 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    This wine is just way too young
    Nose of plum cherry, spice and tar. It is a touch reduced as well.
    The palate shows savoury sweat, stink, earth, cherry, plum and tar with a medium+ finish.
    This will become something very nice but drinking it now is surely infanticide.

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  • 1994 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 90 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    This was a bit reduced initially but it blew off to show sandalwood, spice, cherry, tar, strawberry, leather and cedar.
    The palate showed cherry, nutmeg, minerals, tar, earth and cedar but there was a lingering note of rubber that I found a bit distracting.
    The finish was persistent but a touch simple in my mind.
    Like the Lopez Heredia that we drank beside it, it needs 10 years in my mind to really strut its stuff. be patient.

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Closing

This was so educational. The 1994 wines seemed like babies and still, after 20 years, in need of another 10 -20 years. My mantra moving forward with these two producers is "best at 40+ years"
Such an educational tasting Andrew...many thanks.

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