$50+ and 10 Year Old Plus Spanish Blind Tasting

I didn't expressly say it because I felt it would be moot, but Spain with the age requirements I expected lots of Gran Reserva.

Ramonet is pretty decent, why did I not buy these?

• 2016 Jean-Claude Ramonet Chardonnay Bourgogne

  France, Burgundy, Bourgogne

  Brighter yellow green; great nose, expressive, salted butter, mineral, Dauvissat-like punch, lees, ripe, honey, some oak influence new or not I cannot tell, complex, long, serious, not super long but a great showing and worth that top tier distinction; final verdict: really delicious.

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• 2020 Envinate Taganan

  Spain, Canary Islands, Tenerife, Tacoronte-Acentejo

  Cloudy light yellow; lemon zest, cider to a degree, touch natty, good intensity; a bit softer on the nose, quite savory even though there's such sweet almost candied fruit, unique and tasty, probably needs some food...why do I want al pastor tacos?

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Blind

• 2004 Merum Priorat Ardiles

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Dark core, cloudy violet rim; violets, ash, tobacco, dried red and dark fruit, in a 2ry phase, almost a jamminess, aged, nutty, luxurious texture, balm, mineral, plush tannins, still going strong and very good; 45% Grenache, 34% Carinena, 18% Syrah, 3% Cab Sauv; should have gone there but was not thinking this age- well preserved and showing really well- owner swears best showing yet, bravo.

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• 2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Dark maroon core with larger crimson orange rim; creamy, strawberries and cherries, orange oil, leather, orange Pledge, dusty, leather, herbs, aged but still fresh and probably in a holding pattern (plateau), really elegant and delicious; this also showed its best right out of the gate as it got more cedary the more air it saw.

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• 2011 Aventino Ribera del Duero 200 barrels

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Dark cloudy core with dull maroon rim; chocolate, sweet aged dark fruit, slightly stewed quality, herbs, blackberry, herbaceous, dried leaves, nicely balanced though, tasty overall; apparently the barrels used are from Vega.

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• 2009 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Dull aged maroon crimson, semitransparent, thinner brick rim; lots of singed herb on the nose, musk, age, some sweet and dried cranberry, fruitcake and spice, oak influenced but not dominating, really balanced; probably has more age on it than you think- '09 Prado Enea?; style of this wine seems to be improving as the oak is less at the forefront?, maybe I'm a secret admirer of American oak and am almost ready to share it with the world...?

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• 2010 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Gran Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  Cloudy violet, darker core; smoked meat, sweet fruit, crushed violet, mahogany, headier fruit with plums raspberries tart berries and liquor soaked cherries, exotic, fresh and juicy, youthfully structured and poised to make very old bones, wow this is so young!; very good but bury these if you have them.

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• 2007 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Dark maroon core with larger dull rim; touch of VA and incense, raisin, holds the ripeness well, creamy, balm, licorice, coconut, oak tannin, lacks a little focus on the palate but the youthful acids sizzle, still so young and not worried that this will probably mature and get focused with time, you can sense the magic is brewing.

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

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Dull amber crimson see through with large brick rim, old; so much truffle on the nose it's gaudy, tanned leather, soy and late cooked fruit, juicy and fresh acid for the amount of age- assuming, sandalwood, so complex and noble, seemingly ageless, smoked meat, elegant, earthen, old and noble, has to be Rioja but where's the oak?; WOTN by a long way because this was just so well aged and in a perfect place, could have been older in a way but it seems so hard to gauge that with classically styled Gran Reserva; good enough to have won a mondo event; do I need to stash some of these away too?; person who brought this and owned it since release said it perfectly that this is why we age wine and it is so true- I live for these experiences- the hard way but the best way in an era of wine assassins and big game hunters killing pups.

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Wow, this blasted all expectation! I do feel that context (one of my most crucial words for thoughtful wine appreciation) had a lot to do with this tasting's success, but damn look at that lineup. Some real stunners strutting their stuff and showing the evolution of these misunderstood and mistreated wines. May have been tougher with more neutrally oaked wines because of the back and forth like a normal non-themed tasting.
Side Note: the evolution of Rioja especially Gran Reserva level is not too far from that of Musar's which (shh) is a wildy overperforming wine. These are probably at their best 20+ years old in the best years. Also not far from Bordeaux's 25+.
The tasting also had mucha comida rica. Lamb shank with roasted veg and dill rice, crazy brisket sliders with pickled purple onion, rotisserie chicken tacos, chorizo dip, octopus, potatoes, and jamon wrapped figs and almond.