January 10, 2024 - Most likely an issue with my bottle, but I was extremely disappointed. No cork or any fault I could identify, but despite the enticing leathery nose, everything else was either average or bad. The alcohol didn't feel fully integrated, there was no balance, the fruit was slightly hidden. First tasted with Coravin, then opened and decanted -- nothing helped. Siri, play Sadness by Enigma. No rating as, again, most likely just a local problem.
April 28, 2023 - A pair of Nebby twins walk into a tapas Bar (Eric&Megan's, Chicago IL): This needed about 15 minutes to wake up. And wake up it did! It was all systems go with about as classic of a Rioja as it gets. The nose is deep and layered with sour cherries, raspberries, licorice, vanilla, dried herbs, violets, cedar, red currants, and spice notes. The Medium/full bodied feel is poised, lengthy, and refined with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins that have really integrated. Whooooo baby! This was all that I could've wanted in that moment. This was an absolute beauty and a wine that I will be thinking about for a while to come.
October 9, 2022 - Sunday hangout (Chicago, IL): Distinctively LRA with a very intense dill note on the palate. The nose comes off more leathery than anything else, and I would have liked to have a little more fruit and polish there. The palate has an intense green dill note with a slight creaminess that evokes a sour cream dip. Otherwise, this is quite refined and resolved, and drinking very nicely now, though given the track record of aging for LRA, I'm sure this will be plenty fine many decades from now too.
September 24, 2022 - Upon opening, it seemed it didn’t really need decanting. Not a surprise for a 1998 vintage! A very nice wine with a pronounced nose and taste of oak and dill (classic La Rioja Alta)! I gave it a total of 5 hours and it took on a completely different personality! The oak and dill seemed to have dissipated and was just a plain and simple VERY fine wine with a fabulously long finish. In my honest opinion, I think it still needs more time! Yes, I think this will be at his best in about 5 to 10 years. Amazing for a 24-year-old wine!
June 10, 2022 - Brought by FC to Lorne. Quite youthful still, primary dark fruit, notes of chocolate, mint, medium/full bodied, quite rich, soft tannins, balanced acidity, some rtobacco notes emerging, drinkable buyt will improve and show more character with time.
May 28, 2022 - 醒酒两个半小时，中宝石红色，闻香浓郁奶油，草莓红果，一点点植物味，入口酸度高，酒液咸，收口微甜，单宁紧致，颗粒细腻，美桶的椰奶味，新鲜红果，奶香漂亮，带着一点植物气息收尾，余味是红果奶油。虽然橡木桶影响很明显，但酒体感觉并不笨重，结构漂亮，口感鲜活，同时有着华丽的美桶香气，优雅而有平衡，风格特点确实非常鲜明，1998年的酒远没有达到巅峰，还有非常长的陈年潜力。
February 15, 2022 - Tasted blind. Opened 2 hours prior to tasting. I had no problem nailing the winery - always so distinctive. Notes of vanilla and wet earth, couple with high acidity and freshness, red fruit compote, delicious.
December 5, 2020 - Lovely wine. Much better than the last bottle a year ago. Some oak on the nose. Dark fruits, Rich, ripe. Good mouthfeel. Tannins definitely softening.
July 30, 2020 - This is quite dark in the glass and stern, masculine, and brooding. This is less about fruit (though there’s a bit of tart black cherry) and more about secondary and tertiary flavors of smoke, cloves, tobacco, dried fig, and blood sausage. This is definitely a singular experience and must be close to peak as there is still enough fruit here to balance all of the savory elements and the dill notes that can overwhelm this wine have largely faded.
April 12, 2020 - Deep brick color. Fragrant perfumed nose of roses and cinnamon. Flavors of dark cherry, plum, clove, fig, mushrooms, and cedar. Medium body. Mild silky tannins. Vibrant. Elegant. This is a fine example of traditional Rioja. Fabulous. Has another 10 years left to it.