Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Saturday, December 8, 2018 - This is a special lot that was kept separately to be released on the 100th birthday of the winery, hence the name "Centenario 1890-1990". A blend of Tempranillo (85%), Mazuelo, Graciano and Viura. First fermented and aged for 24 months in large oak vats. Then aged for 120 months (10 years) in old (18-20 yo) oak barriques. Bottled in 1986 and released in 1990, after a minimum of 42 months of bottle-aging. 12.4% alcohol. Bottle #4826.

Developed pomegranate color that permits some light through. The nose feels big and developed with complex and somewhat sweet-toned aromas of tobacco leaf, wizened red cherries, cedary wood, some mocha pastries, a little bit of sweet raisiny fruit, light plummy tones, a hint of smoke and a touch of meat consommé. No noticeable vanilla character typical of LRA here. The wine is full-bodied, complex and beautifully textural on the palate with wizened yet relatively fresh flavors of wizened dark fruits, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of red plummy fruit, light chocolatey mocha tones, a little bit of raisiny character, a hint of prune and a fragrant touch of cinnamon. The wine is wonderfully high in acidity with resolved, gently grippy medium tannins. The finish is complex, gently grippy and very lenghty with dry flavors of raisiny and somewhat pruney fruit tones, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of savory earth, light minty green tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of meat consommé.

A beautiful, harmonious and complex LRA red that is all about developed, layered Rioja fruit flavors with none of that vanilla character LRA is so known for. Although quite developed and pretty tertiary now, at the age of 45 years, this classically built Rioja wine is still surprisingly fresh and enormously enjoyable. An outstanding effort and among the best LRA wines I've tasted. Highly recommended.

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