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Friday, January 28, 2022 - It’s ccccccold outside, so a hearty Steak & Guinness stew is on the menu. Hmmm, what to pair, what to pair? Turns out I have a lot of wine with a beginning drink date of 2022! I decided on a Rioja, thinking it could stand up to the rich gravy in the stew and I figured at age 10+, this would be ready to go. Popped it open about 5 hrs before dinner and tasted. Beautiful fruit, with the typical blackberry I pick up in a Rioja, and smooth tannins. So I poured out a glass, and let the bottle and glass slow ox in the cellar. As it got air though, a lot of vanilla came out on the nose and palate and pushed the fruit aside. We didn’t notice it much with the stew, but definitely with a glass after dinner. Too much vanilla for our palates. My wife gave me her glass to finish and moved onto something else. Surprising. I like Telmo’s wines generally because he’s more judicious with his use of oak than a lot of other Rioja producers. Aged in a combo of foudre and barrique. Not sure about this vintage, but it tastes like new barriques were in the mix, and possibly American oak. Some people will love this wine. I liked it, but expected it to be better. This was my only bottle, and I feel I should have waited 5 more years to see if the oak would mellow out.

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