Aged Tempranillo-based wines - Virtual wine tasting
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Tasted Sunday, December 19, 2021 by PSPatrick with 121 views
Introduction
Following a serious of virtual tastings of Châteauneuf-du-Papes, my friend and I decided to switch our focus to Tempranillos. We prepared the samples around noon, and conducted the tasting in late afternoon.
Flight 1 (7 Notes)
Closing
The tasting confirmed that Tempranillo-based, top quality Gran Reservas need at least 25 years to show best, and that wines from Bierzo can age beautifully despite of their reputation of being destined for early drinking. That 1948 Bierzo was a real treat!
1998 Casa Gualda La Mancha Selección C & J 90 Points
Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, La Mancha
Wine 1 of 7: Medium garnet colour. Red and dark fruit, cherry, prune, a meaty aspect, light chocolate, coffee, tobacco, and spices, with medium-level acidity, partly resolved tannin, and good length. Medium-bodied, slightly raisiny and lightly drying but smoothly textured and well-balanced on day one. Lighter-bodied and very integrated on days two and three, with no signs of dryness. Drink now with aeration, or over the next ten years. Good value!
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1998 João Portugal Ramos Aragonês 88 Points
Portugal, Alentejano, Vinho Regional Alentejano
Wine 2 of 7: Medium ruby colour, garnet towards the rim. Undefined, unclean nose. Red fruit, herbaceous notes, light tobacco, leather, light spice, and granite-like mineral notes, with good acidity and partly resolved tannin. Upfront, weak in the middle. Medium- to light-bodied, with moderate concentration and complexity.
Good integration from day two.
Integrated red and dark fruit, red cherry, ripe strawberry, prune, worn leather, light tobacco, light mushroom, spice, clove and balsamic notes on day three.
Benefits from pairing it with food. A good Tempranillo that showed best on day three, should continue to develop for a number of years, and only lacks concentration on the mid-palate.
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2001 Martinez Laorden Rioja La Orbe 91 Points
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Wine 3 of 7: Medium to dark ruby colour. Red and dark fruit, blackberry, blueberry, tobacco, spices, mint, and vanilla, with medium-level acidity, ripe, smooth, partly resolved tannin, and very good length. Well-balanced, with good fruit, and a creamy texture. On day one, the wine reminds me of Pomerols in some ways. On days two and three, it shows more dill, cocoa, coconut, and vanilla notes; and is closer to classic Rioja with a modern, ripe and creamy touch. A riper, more modern, highly drinkable interpretation of Rioja. Good value. Drink or hold.
NB: 6 months in barrique (70% American oak and 30% French oak). 90 on day one, 91 on day two and three.
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2000 Quinta dos Roques Tinta Roriz Dão Flawed
Portugal, Beiras, Dão
Wine 4 of 7: Corked!
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1994 Martinez Bujanda Rioja Gran Reserva 92 Points
Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Wine 5 of 7: Medium to dark garnet colour. Dark fruit, espresso, spices, dill, and light herbaceous notes, with medium-level acidity, partly resolved tannin, and very good length. Good concentration. Well-balanced and smoothly textured.
More intense and on the herbaceous side on day two. Intense and very concentrated, and very integrated on day three.
Still has upside potential. Drink now, or over the next 10+ years. 92+ for now.
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1995 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Gran Reserva Pesquera 93 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
Wine 6 of 7: Medium to dark garnet colour. Dark fruit, dark cherry, prune, dill, charcoal, tobacco, leather, intense spices, and light liquorice, with good acidity, mostly resolved tannin and superb length. Smoothly textured and well-balanced, with great persistence.
Somewhat unclean, but very smooth, with very good concentration and complexity on day two.
Even dirtier on day three, with a lightly dry and lightly bitter finish.
I liked the wine best on day one, and wonder if it is the wine or if the bottle is off? 93 for day one, low 80s on day three. (93)
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1948 Palacio de Arganza Bierzo 95 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo
Wine 7 of 7: A pirate I sneaked in. Bottle in perfect condition. Cork almost completely soaked, but minimal seepage. Medium to dark garnet colour. Upon opening, when preparing the samples around noon, the wine showed dark fruit, dark cherry, blackberry, prune, mushroom, tobacco, light espresso, milk chocolate, and light balsamic notes, with lively, medium(-) acidity, fully resolved tannin, and very good length.
By the time we tasted the wine in late afternoon it was red fruit-driven, with red cherry, light dill, spices, tobacco, and chocolate. Medium- to full-bodied, and very smoothly textured, with good fruit, great concentration and intensity, and nice old age sweetness.
On day two, the remaining sample was very chocolaty, with great integration, lovely balance, and nice old age sweetness.
And on day three, the wine was chocolate- and tobacco-driven and still beautifully balanced if more balsamic and maybe a little less intense.
This good old boy is very alive. And very impressive! I was afraid that it would suffer from being put at the end of the lineup, but the wine knocked it out of the park and outshone all of the prior wines!
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