Dinner at Olivia

Fab new tapas place with the wine gang. Food was very good.

• 1997 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Viña Tondonia 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  An interestingly aged rose, this was very decent without quite being a really great wine. The nose still had an edge of coconutty American oak on it, along with drifts of raspeberries and roses. Quite unlike any rose I have ever had. The palate was really dry and structured, almost like a red wine, with a faint suggestion of oak-driven tannins and a spine of fresh, lifted lemon acidity running through red berry flavours with a bit of smoky spice at the edges. The finish was nice and open, with a decent length. Enjoyable without being spectacular - this has the legs to age far longer though.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2014 Dominio do Bibei Ribeira Sacra Lalama 87 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Ribeira Sacra

  Simple, fairly quaffable, but not one I would rush out to buy anytime soon. The nose was nice, if a tad modern - sweet, slightly candied red berries, violet flowers, vanillin oak. The palate was a lot less interesting. Short, light and insubstantial, it dissipated in the mouth with a blush of sweet dark berries and cherries laced with a bit of spice. Fresh, balanced and decently food friendly, but there was just not much going on.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1964 Campo Viejo Rioja Reserva 92 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Lovely mature stuff. The nose started off with a good waft of earthy, meaty funk, before other classic Rioja aromas of black cherries and dark berries, spice and menthol cigarettes started coming out as well. The palate was surprisingly strong on the attack, with a charming burst of dark cherry and dried strawberry fruit that tapered off on the midpalate into notes of herb and spice and plenty of earthy, meaty, umami notes, all this leading into a lovely curl of smoke and some savoury orange peel flavours towards the long, slightly grippy finish. A wine of great charm - with soft velveteen tannins and wonderfully integrated acidity rounding up the package. Maybe just a touch tired, and starting to flag a little, but otherwise very enjoyable.

  Post a Comment / 2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 1998 Gran Clos Priorat Gran Clos 92 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Pretty good. This was rather better than the last time I had it 4 years back. Still a touch modern for my tastes, but this was enjoyable, and had a good bit of character to it. The nose was a complex melange of earthy, meaty aromas along with deep, dark plum and blackberry notes, and then a twist of brambly, spicy, ever so slightly tarry notes that were so very Priorat. The palate had mellowed a bit since the last outing - still big and ripe, with chewy black cherry, blackberry and plum fruit aplenty - but this felt more controlled and less in-your-face. Time has rounded off the puppy fat a bit, and left instead more a sense of depth and power. The balance and structure has come out better too, with fine, powdery tannins and juicy acidity laced through the fruit, and drawing the wine into a long, earthy, spicy, slightly smokey finish. Very enjoyable, even if it did feel like it would benefit from another 4-5 years in the bottle.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

• 2005 Celler de Capçanes Montsant Cabrida 90 Points

  Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant

  This was decently good. The nose had a nose depth and complexity to it, with wafts of blue and blackberries, earth and dried meats, brush herbs and spice. A smashing nose. There was something distinctly Spanish about that for some reason. The palate was nowhere near as impressive, but still showed pretty well, with dark berries infused with a lovely drift of cigarette smoke and spice, all this tied together by fine but firm, slightly drying tannins and bright tingly acidity, which helped the wine dance across the mouth into a more savoury, earthy and slightly minerally finish. Elegant and pleasing stuff. It just lacked a touch of length and conviction on the back-end, and maybe felt a tad straightforward, but otherwise a pretty decent wine that probably still has it best days a couple of years ahead of it.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue