Earthy, truffley, with soft tobacco and vestiges of juicy red fruit, but felt slightly over the hill, with a sadly hollow mid-palate and relatively short finish.
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Limited notes taken. Two hour double decant. Pale ruby in the glass. Wine is developed with a profile of sour cherry, red currant, black plum, tobacco, dill, and dried earth. While still relatively fresh with time on its side and the ability to age for a few more years it is unlikely to improve.
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Medium red with slight brown tinge. Cork was perfect - almost like it was recorked recently. Red currants, dried strawberry, savory notes & sweet tobacco. On palate, still young - tart/sweet cherry with touch of tobacco. Medium+ body, medium acidity and integrated tannins.
Would never guess this wine was from 1999. Tempranillo ages beautifully but this tasted like a 10 year old wine. If it were more expensive I would think foul play - or maybe a beautifully made wine? 92+/-
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Absolutely incredible nose. Very rich and sweet to taste with some alcohol heat. Vanilla/oak, faint sour cherry, slightly bitter on the finish. Short finish with mostly alcohol heat that lingers. For the money it is an interesting wine.
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A: Medium garnet N: Medium (+) intensity of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, fresh lemon rind, - the fruit is dried and some of it fresh- violets, liquorice, dill and red prune, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco, leather, wet leaf, P: Dry, medium acid, medium chalky tannin (others said med +), high alcohol (14.3%), medium (+) intensity and medium (+) finish C: This is finely balanced. The alcohol is beautifully integrated and the fruit concentration balanced well with the tannins. The finish and intensity are superb contributors to the wine and the complexity covers over 5 clusters in primary, secondary, tertiary. The wine is outstanding quality and is at its peak. Insufficient fresh fruit and acid to age this wine. It will keep for a few years but will not improve.
$20/bottle from Costco
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Predominantly Tempranillo with some Graciano as well. Sour cherry and earth. Still quite alert for 1999 - acids in play. Very well-integrated tannin and coating. Baked cherry pie, hint of cola. Really nice.
Okay, this is a nice find, as I just bought a bottle of this retail a few weeks ago as a test bottle. Ruby with still dense core and pale just beginning to brick rim. Relaxed soft vanillins and dill lead the nose, and in a pleasing way, with tobacco leaf, dried cherry, tomato leaf, herbs, kidskin leather. Medium minus body with dried cherry/strawberry/cranberry flavors and marinara notions, still some soft tannins and acid, low alcohol. Hope I can get more of this nicely aged wine as it was a steal at $20. 89-90, drink or hold a couple of years.
Deep garnet turning russet to the edges. Char and meat, truffles and peppercorns on the nose. Closed at first, opening to dark berries, fine tannins. Nice mouthfeel. Nice but not earth-shattering.
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crianza, old cedar, dill and sauerkraut. Celery salt, stewed cherry. Classic style, light and focused palate. Acid med plus, really delivers for the price.
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A: Medium garnet N: Peppercorn, CHARRED wood, leather tobacco, cedar, dried strawberry...after much sniffing. Medium (+) intensity. P: Dry, high acid, medium (+) tannins, full body, pronounced intensity and medium (+) finish. Medium alcohol (13%). C: Drink or lay down.
GUESSES: OW owing to some earthiness, cool to moderate climate (acid and alcohol) N. Rhone, Syrah
MISTAKES: The charred wood was so dominant and the pepper that i was on Syrah. Sadly not. Charred wood is a feature of some Rioja. Agh!
$90/bottle at Oporto
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Grenat plutot léger avec disque briqué. Au nez, nez moyenne,ent expressif sur le tabac, prunes. En bouche, on y retrouve la prune, acidité encore bien présente, tannins souple et plutôt fondus, belle et longue persistance en bouche. Très beau. Excellent RQP.
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Still lots of colour, some fading but no brick Spicy, fruity and mellow, no off notes, tastes about ten years younger than it is Just a little faded at the end but so delicious Lick of tobacco at the end Around £15 crazy price for such a good wine
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Au départ, trop froid. Peu de nez, mais une bouche sur un très beau fruit, note balsamique, assez long, tannins souple et fondu. On y revient un peu plus tard lorsqu'il aura tempéré un peu. -- Au nez , un peu feuilles de tabac, fruits discrets mais présent. La bouche est superbe, avec du beau fruits, des tanins completement fondu, longueur moyenne. Un excellent RQP.
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Etonnant de jeunesse pour un vin de 17 ans. Encore du fruits au nez,un peu de tabac et de violette, mais aussi légère vanille. Bouche ample, équilibré sans toutefois être d'une grande complexité ni longueur. Les tannins sont fondus.
Encore une preuve de la longévité des vins de la Rioja. Un crianza de 17 ans à 30 dollars. Incroyable. Peut tenir encore plusieurs annees. Très légèrement briqué et peu de notes tertiaires.
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Double decanted beforehand. Garnet in color with tawny rim. Complex nose with vanilla and fruits. Medium body with vanilla, blueberry, red fruits and hints of coffee. High acidity at the begining, it turned to be more balance after a while. Good structure and tannin almost resolved. Sweet finish.
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Fantastically dense, complex spicy nose. Palate is welcoming and full of berry fruits with a vanilla-oak backing chorus. Medium bodied; tannins gained confidence with 2 hrs in decanter. Drinking well now.
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I had low expectations when opening this wine, expecting the usual oak and vanilla cliché, but this really is a very good wine that is ageing very well. Very much a Rioja, but with more charm than the more modern styles. A mix of sweet, aromatic fruit and austere elements work well together to provide excellent balance of acidity, tannins and maturing fruit. A touch of farmyard, some earthy aromas then almost crisp firm tannins to freshen up the finish. Very much a wine that compliments food very well rather than dominating it. Surprisingly good, verging on excellent.
Edit: 2 hours later the sweetness of the fruit comes to the fore giving this a more rounded edge. Very good - has time on its side
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Wow!! Aromas of raisins, vanilla and nutty coffee. You can tell when you smell it that this is going to be lovely and it really doesnt disappoint. Cherry, raspberry and dates cover your tongue with a thick layer of flavour that slowly fades leaving Christmas pudding and cream. Superb.
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8/9/2021 - CWilliam wrote:
Continues to drink well. 90-91 range.
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5/30/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 89 Points
Earthy, truffley, with soft tobacco and vestiges of juicy red fruit, but felt slightly over the hill, with a sadly hollow mid-palate and relatively short finish.
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4/25/2021 - gsmfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drink now! This last bottle was just amazing.
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9/8/2020 - gsmfan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drinks very well right now - no point in waiting on this one.
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8/23/2020 - paintinginacave wrote: 84 Points
Limited notes taken. Two hour double decant. Pale ruby in the glass. Wine is developed with a profile of sour cherry, red currant, black plum, tobacco, dill, and dried earth. While still relatively fresh with time on its side and the ability to age for a few more years it is unlikely to improve.
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8/20/2020 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
PNP.
Medium red with slight brown tinge. Cork was perfect - almost like it was recorked recently. Red currants, dried strawberry, savory notes & sweet tobacco. On palate, still young - tart/sweet cherry with touch of tobacco. Medium+ body, medium acidity and integrated tannins.
Would never guess this wine was from 1999. Tempranillo ages beautifully but this tasted like a 10 year old wine. If it were more expensive I would think foul play - or maybe a beautifully made wine? 92+/-
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8/2/2020 - PDD wrote: 90 Points
Absolutely incredible nose. Very rich and sweet to taste with some alcohol heat. Vanilla/oak, faint sour cherry, slightly bitter on the finish. Short finish with mostly alcohol heat that lingers. For the money it is an interesting wine.
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3/22/2020 - Heynetty wrote:
A: Medium garnet
N: Medium (+) intensity of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, fresh lemon rind, - the fruit is dried and some of it fresh- violets, liquorice, dill and red prune, vanilla, chocolate, tobacco, leather, wet leaf,
P: Dry, medium acid, medium chalky tannin (others said med +), high alcohol (14.3%), medium (+) intensity and medium (+) finish
C: This is finely balanced. The alcohol is beautifully integrated and the fruit concentration balanced well with the tannins. The finish and intensity are superb contributors to the wine and the complexity covers over 5 clusters in primary, secondary, tertiary. The wine is outstanding quality and is at its peak. Insufficient fresh fruit and acid to age this wine. It will keep for a few years but will not improve.
$20/bottle from Costco
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4/18/2019 - Joe Kane wrote:
Very fresh, stewed red fruit, wine always shows well. Seems young. Balanced palate, super good for price.
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3/13/2019 - MarcEBeaudoin wrote:
Predominantly Tempranillo with some Graciano as well. Sour cherry and earth. Still quite alert for 1999 - acids in play. Very well-integrated tannin and coating. Baked cherry pie, hint of cola. Really nice.
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2/9/2019 - MindMuse wrote: 90 Points
Okay, this is a nice find, as I just bought a bottle of this retail a few weeks ago as a test bottle. Ruby with still dense core and pale just beginning to brick rim. Relaxed soft vanillins and dill lead the nose, and in a pleasing way, with tobacco leaf, dried cherry, tomato leaf, herbs, kidskin leather. Medium minus body with dried cherry/strawberry/cranberry flavors and marinara notions, still some soft tannins and acid, low alcohol. Hope I can get more of this nicely aged wine as it was a steal at $20. 89-90, drink or hold a couple of years.
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1/5/2019 - bp888 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Deep garnet turning russet to the edges. Char and meat, truffles and peppercorns on the nose. Closed at first, opening to dark berries, fine tannins. Nice mouthfeel. Nice but not earth-shattering.
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9/15/2018 - AMeatWithVino Likes this wine:
Beautiful wine... still going strong and has some years to go.
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5/31/2018 - Joe Kane wrote:
crianza, old cedar, dill and sauerkraut. Celery salt, stewed cherry. Classic style, light and focused palate. Acid med plus, really delivers for the price.
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5/7/2018 - Heynetty wrote:
Wine Dojo - Week 9 - Blindfolds At The Ready (Rick's Place): Tasted Blind
A: Medium garnet
N: Peppercorn, CHARRED wood, leather tobacco, cedar, dried strawberry...after much sniffing. Medium (+) intensity.
P: Dry, high acid, medium (+) tannins, full body, pronounced intensity and medium (+) finish. Medium alcohol (13%).
C: Drink or lay down.
GUESSES: OW owing to some earthiness, cool to moderate climate (acid and alcohol) N. Rhone, Syrah
MISTAKES: The charred wood was so dominant and the pepper that i was on Syrah. Sadly not. Charred wood is a feature of some Rioja. Agh!
$90/bottle at Oporto
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2/21/2018 - jorivesud Likes this wine: 90 Points
Grenat plutot léger avec disque briqué.
Au nez, nez moyenne,ent expressif sur le tabac, prunes.
En bouche, on y retrouve la prune, acidité encore bien présente, tannins souple et plutôt fondus, belle et longue persistance en bouche. Très beau. Excellent RQP.
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11/16/2017 - henrygjeffreys wrote:
Still lots of colour, some fading but no brick
Spicy, fruity and mellow, no off notes, tastes about ten years younger than it is
Just a little faded at the end but so delicious
Lick of tobacco at the end
Around £15 crazy price for such a good wine
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6/4/2017 - jorivesud Likes this wine:
Au départ, trop froid. Peu de nez, mais une bouche sur un très beau fruit, note balsamique, assez long, tannins souple et fondu. On y revient un peu plus tard lorsqu'il aura tempéré un peu.
--
Au nez , un peu feuilles de tabac, fruits discrets mais présent.
La bouche est superbe, avec du beau fruits, des tanins completement fondu, longueur moyenne. Un excellent RQP.
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4/29/2017 - Thefatbastard wrote:
Etonnant de jeunesse pour un vin de 17 ans. Encore du fruits au nez,un peu de tabac et de violette, mais aussi légère vanille. Bouche ample, équilibré sans toutefois être d'une grande complexité ni longueur. Les tannins sont fondus.
Encore une preuve de la longévité des vins de la Rioja. Un crianza de 17 ans à 30 dollars. Incroyable. Peut tenir encore plusieurs annees. Très légèrement briqué et peu de notes tertiaires.
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4/1/2017 - Nico P. Likes this wine:
13%. Smooth and round. Still fresh tasting. Would not have guessed that this was 18 years old.
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12/14/2015 - tendring Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Education Service - Rioja Reservas and Gran Reservas (LSE): Aging and translucent.
A quite attractive nose, mature with oaky notes.
Delicious almost treacly attack, balanced, silky, full, long.
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9/21/2014 - Shags wrote: flawed
Corked!!
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6/30/2014 - Ivan Ma wrote: 89 Points
Double decanted beforehand. Garnet in color with tawny rim. Complex nose with vanilla and fruits. Medium body with vanilla, blueberry, red fruits and hints of coffee. High acidity at the begining, it turned to be more balance after a while. Good structure and tannin almost resolved. Sweet finish.
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5/18/2014 - Will Devize wrote: 91 Points
Fantastically dense, complex spicy nose. Palate is welcoming and full of berry fruits with a vanilla-oak backing chorus. Medium bodied; tannins gained confidence with 2 hrs in decanter. Drinking well now.
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5/17/2013 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
n -tobacco,
very ripe fruit
very long
superb
tried at wine show hence brief note
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4/17/2011 - pjaines wrote:
I had low expectations when opening this wine, expecting the usual oak and vanilla cliché, but this really is a very good wine that is ageing very well. Very much a Rioja, but with more charm than the more modern styles. A mix of sweet, aromatic fruit and austere elements work well together to provide excellent balance of acidity, tannins and maturing fruit. A touch of farmyard, some earthy aromas then almost crisp firm tannins to freshen up the finish. Very much a wine that compliments food very well rather than dominating it. Surprisingly good, verging on excellent.
Edit: 2 hours later the sweetness of the fruit comes to the fore giving this a more rounded edge. Very good - has time on its side
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3/15/2011 - christhewino Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wow!! Aromas of raisins, vanilla and nutty coffee. You can tell when you smell it that this is going to be lovely and it really doesnt disappoint. Cherry, raspberry and dates cover your tongue with a thick layer of flavour that slowly fades leaving Christmas pudding and cream. Superb.
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