12 Old Rioja: 1925-1981

This past Wednesday night, a motley group of Rioja-ophiles got together at Tia Pol for an evening of old Rioja. In attendance were Joe Dougherty, John Gilman, Greg dal Piaz, Carlos Hubner-Arteta, Manuel Camblor, Jay Miller, Christine Huang, Jayson Cohen and your humble scribe. I’d recently found a good source for some oldies, but goodies and wanted to try some out with friends that I know love the stuff. The last time we got together for some old Rioja, this past May/June, it unfortunately turned into a night of horrors as maybe half to two thirds of the wines showed poorly, but that sometimes happens with old bottles. This night would be different and very special as most of the wines were clicking as was the food and service at Tia Pol. The only lament is that wines like these, with a couple of notable producer exceptions, really aren’t being made anymore.

• 1964 Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Oloroso Vintage

  Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

  Well, for some reason we started with this rare Sherry. Pretty powerful stuff that should’ve been saved for the cheese course, but Jay was so eager to try it. I’m normally not much of a fan of dry Sherry or anything else made in an oxidative style, but this was pretty special. Loads of VA, so those that are VA averse should avoid, but there’s also delectable toasted hazelnut and almond notes, dry honey and fruitcake flavors and aromas with a touch of herbalness and maybe some old barrel. What I think made this enjoyable for me was the richness the wine showed as well as the extraordinary depth of flavor. The acidity, while there, was not too overstated. This made me want to curl up in a leather chair. The best non-sweet Sherry I’ve had. A-.

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• 1976 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  What’s going on here? I’m liking dry Sherry and now a white Rioja? I normally don’t like white Rioja for the same reason I don’t like Sherry, I find them too oxidative, plus I really don’t like oak in my white wines. However, this is by far the freshest bottle of this wine that I’ve had in about 4-5 tries. Normally the butterscotch, high acidy and oxidative notes kill this wine for me, but there wasn’t any of that in this bottle, perhaps with the exception of the oak, but it was well integrated. Vibrant and clean with light coconut and lemon curd flavors and aromas. With some air, and it should be mentioned this wine spent some time in a decanter, it took on beautiful Ranier cherry flavors and aromas. Vibrant acidity. Lovely. A-.

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• 1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Showing as it should. There’s red cherry, cranberry, earth, tea and leather flavors and aromas. Still showing youthfully, with red cherry dominating the palate and some leather creeping in. Crisp and lithe. No harm to drink now, but it is still on the young side. Solid A-.

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Next up was a fascinating mini-vertical of some of Contino’s earliest wines. Perhaps the first “modernist” winery in Rioja, the texture was certainly different than that of the other wines and they perhaps weren’t as complex as the more traditional wines, but they were a lot of fun to drink. Indeed, one of them was my wine of the night.

• 1978 Bodegas y Viñedos del Contino Rioja Contino Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  The most dissimilar of the three as it showed more of a black fruit character, cocoa and more of an oak presence, but not too overdone. The fruit is rich and plush and there’s a pretty purple flower note going on. It’s just a tad more thickly textured than the ’74 and ’76. Soft and fairly obvious, it’s quite enjoyable, but is a little unfocused. A-/B+.

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• 1976 Bodegas y Viñedos del Contino Rioja Contino Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  Wowsers! I was not expecting this. This wine just bowls you over with its dried roses and ripe red cherry aromatic that are just so intense and seductive. Seductive is a great word to describe this wine overall, in fact, as this is one vixen of a wine. To me it’s one of those rare wines like the ’89 Rayas and ’82 La Mission Haut Brion that just exudes sex appeal. The mouthfeel is just so silky and sexy and the cherry fruit so sweet and delectable. It has that plush texture that all of the Contino’s in this flight have, but this bottle manages to keep itself unburdened and light on its feet. Long, sweet finish with a touch of red/brown earth and light spice. It’s always a real pleasure to capture a wine right when it’s clicking on all cylinders. Solid A and my WOTN.

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• 1974 Bodegas y Viñedos del Contino Rioja Contino Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  This appears to be the ‘76’s less attractive sister. One can clearly see the familial resemblance between the two with their similar texture and profile of red fruit, earth and floral notes, but this wine lacks the intense fruit and silkiness of the ’76 and shows more of an earth and leather profile with slightly higher acid levels. It also is starting to dry out on the finish. Drink up. B+/B.

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

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Quite a bit more vibrant and with greater fruit than a ’70 Viña Real I had recently. Shows typical old school Rioja characteristics of pert acidity and a whiff of volatile acidity, but there’s a beautiful core of cherry fruit to go along with the earth, leather and spicy sandalwood notes. The wine picks up a very nice brambly character towards the finish. A very nice showing and I don’t think it’ll get any better. A/A-.

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• 1973 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Smells a little dirtier than the ’70, with more earth notes, a touch of Brett and more of a lifted note. While younger on the palate, there’s not as much stuffing as in the ’70. It’s also less integrated and coarser with more of a leather and earth personality. Not as complex or layered as the ’70, but I’m making it seem a little worse than it is. It’s just that it’s no ’70. Solid B+.

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

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  I found it surprising to hear a couple of folks calling this their wine of the night as while quite nice, I found it relatively ungenerous and in need of more time. There’s plenty of tart crancherry fruit with a touch of autumn leaves, earth, leather, spiced orange and sandalwood all wrapped up in a perky package, but the flavors are tightly coiled. Excellent now, but it needs just a little more time for it to relax and show all that it has to show. Solid A-.

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• 1970 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Surprisingly, I found the nose richer on the Bosconia, but not as rich on the palate as the Tondonia. Much more brown in character, with earth, leather and tea dominating. Shows a more forceful structure, is perhaps a little out of balance in that regard as it could really use some fruit to help things along. Overall it offers less than the Tondonia, but I’ve had better bottles. B+/B.

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• 1964 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Viña Albina Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  This was the only real disappointment of the evening. From a well-sourced bottle with an excellent fill, there just wasn’t much to the wine. There’s the usual tart red fruit, tea and earth upfront with a touch of dirty barrel, but the wine pulls a Houdini in the mid-palate and finish and goes “poof” and disappears. Now with air it started to fill in a little, but not enough. C+.

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• 1947 Bodegas Palacio Rioja Reserva Especial

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  This was a controversial bottle. Three people thought it was corked, but I found absolutely no trace of TCA and I’m very sensitive to it. What I did get was some initial old bottle mustiness, but that didn’t last long and there were plenty of aromatics and sweet fruit on the palate to clearly suggest in my mind that there was nothing wrong with the wine. Quite an intriguing character that shows black cherry cola, eucalyptus, light mint and spice notes on the nose and palate. There’s a bit of volatile acidity, but par for the course. Good length and sweetness to the fruit with still intact structure, though it is maybe a touch fragile on the finish. Very nice. Solid B+.

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• 1925 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  This wine is 84 years old! 84! I really hope I’m this spry and youthful at that age. It’s a youthful deep garnet in color with no browning at the edges. Richly scented with sweet black and red fruit, baker’s spices, a touch of caramelized sugar and worn wood. Unbelievably rich and lavish on the palate with a flavor profile that mirrors the nose. I’m stunned by the freshness, length and extraction of the wine. I’ve read that there’s a good amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend and that may account for the black fruit, but I’m surprised there’s no real herbal quality present. What a wine! Solid A.

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