Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased on release. Opened 1 hr before serving.
This wine was singing tonight. Beautiful multifaceted nose, floral, gravelly, with a core of mature red fruits. Complexity carried through across the palate, with a long, varied finish. Drinking well now. Paired well with local grilled lamb loin with fresh thyme/oregano. Last bottle from a case purchased in my early wine buying days. Memorable.
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Slightly lightercolor than other vintages of this wine. Fruit still present but clearly past peak. Still enjoyable. Will drink my last 4 bottles shortly.
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Tasting evening with Bas en Lennart (Zeist): [Not tasted blind as I brought this bottle] Incorrectly identified by the others as an 2000-2005 left bank Bordeaux. Quite tertairy, with ceder, pencil lead, bit of barnyard, leather, cherries, black berries, maggi, green bell pepper and a hint of menthol. Long finish
Clearly a bit past its peak, but very enjoyable nonetheless
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Still very enjoyable. Probably a little past it's peak but these Riojas are made to last. Have several more and am looking forward to drinking them in the near future.
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Popped and poured last nite in Copake with a great roast chicken dinner. Nose of black fruit, tobacco, leather and tar. Palate shows similarly. This wine still has fruit after 25 years, but it mostly showing tertiary notes now. Lots of leather and tobacco, particularly on the back end. Nice long finish exuding earth and that wet soil/mushroom stuff that I enjoy in finely aged older wines. Also, some slightly bitter tannins on the finish. Lovely bottle with lots of complexity still evident.
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With H at home in one of our last days at Sutter Green. Still a very substantial crimson. Legs are a little thin but they are there. Nose still ethereal with iodine, cedar and red fruits. Palate really lovely, tannins gone, good leathery fruit in their place. A touch of menthol. Lengthy finish. Perhaps getting toward the end of it’s plateau, but still kick-ass. 5-14-18-9: 96/100.
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Russk. Another fantastic bottle and vintage of this wine, once a little bit older. Faked us out again making us think that it was a mature Bordeaux. 93-pts.
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Holy shit. Right from first sniff, before even tasting, I knew this would lead to middle 90s score at least. Together with some other older Riojas I have tasted recently, I now believe that these wines are some of the most age-worthy, beautiful, and downright cheap wines for what they deliver compared to other wines--from anywhere. The color is browning, but still plenty red. The nose is out of this world, with lovely rich red fruit aromas. My God this is fabulous on the nose, at 21 years of age. Wow! Very pure, very rich, very attractive. And that carries through to the mouth without missing a beat. It is rich and gentle at the same time, with a silky but substantial mouthfeel. The red fruit lingers on and on in the finish. This wine has few peers in 1996, and precious few in other years. A wine at its peak of perfection, extremely well-made, with awesome raw materials. Simply amazing, and not one single sign that is in any danger of beginning to decline. I would pay a lot of money to experience another bottle like this one. It was a steal at $99. OMG! 4-15-18-9: 96/100.
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A touch dirty and bretty when first opened, although that blew off with some air; The palate actually had lots of pretty red fruits, cigar box and earth notes, with some slightly rustic tannins on the finish; An enjoyable bottle that probably has limited upside from here
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Blinds at Eric's (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. A slightly barnyardy nose, which with vigorous swirling, fortunately dissipated. This wasn't too long in the fruit department, but it did show really nice acidity structure. A bit earthy and dirty, with the tannins a little bitter on the back end, and fairly persistent still. The finish comes off a little bitter, which I didn't find that enjoyable. I wasn't really too confident about placing this (thought Piedmont for a little bit), but did eventually settle on Rioja with a little bit of help.
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Beautiful mature Rioja. Cherry in color. Nice nose of dried flowers, tobacco, cedar and cherry. Balanced and smooth palate of sour cherry, tobacco, plum, earth and tar. No oak. Still has a lot of life.
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10th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, previous notes variable from very good to fine with a clear dip between '07 and '12, deep garnet, some brown on rim; very attractive nose, black fruit with touch of spice and tobacco, complex for rioja; medium full, lovely ripe nuanced fruit, long and very persistent, attractive weight and balance, ready but no rush. Best bottle yet...for rioja VF (18.5).
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Eric's note below is spot-on. I thought this wine to be very elegant, and low in oak, which I appreciated, and thought surprising given that this is young Rioja. Nice dried spices and good brightness to the lifted palate. Very nice. Amali with James and Fernando.
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This showed a truly classic and highly expressive bouquet of dried flowers, dark earth, undergrowth, dried cherry, herbs and leather. On the palate, it seemed to envelope the senses in silky textures and then delivered an array of flavor sensations, as vibrant acidity continually refreshed the senses. Dried cherry, fall leaves, soil, tobacco, balsamic notes and hints of bitters all came forward and lasted long into the finish. To say I loved this wine would be an understatement.
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The Traveling Brisket and Helmet Show: easily WOTN today. earth, soy, vanilla, old leather, funky. just amazing to sit and smell this wine. the mid is lovely with red fruit and earth. still young - showing a good tannic grip. hints of tar and tobacco. great example of a producer mixing the modern touches with the classical. simply excellent
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Medium-dark rosewood color. Nose of mocha, shoe polish, mesquite and acetone. On the palate, this is full-bodied and concentrated, coming across as somewhat hot. The tannins still retain tightness on the finish, despite two hours of decanting. This has both fruit and structure to last another 5-10 years in the cellar.
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Son's High School Graduation (Downtown Cleveland): First bottle from a case bought for my son's birth year. I have had other bottles with brett issues, so I was concerned. This was perfect. Pop and pour, it was better after a couple hours. Purple in color. Slight ruby. On the nose, cherries, dark cherries, tobacco, slight earthiness and some pencil lead. Full bodied. Not young, but doesn't seem at peak yet. Lush texture. Black cherries and plums with some cigar tobacco and fin tannins. Nice balance. food friendly. Long finish. Hope all the bottles show this well.
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Outstanding bottle. Decanted for 2 hours (perfect amount of time). Still very vibrant with excellent structure and well integrated. Will last another 5-10 years.
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Color: Ruby with slight bricking Smell: earth, leather, smoke, dried red fruits, and celery salt Taste: subtle, soft, dried red fruits, clove, and cured meats Overall: outstanding! A wine that is more about subtle nuances than flashy fruit.
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WCC Rioja Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Opened about 2 hours before drinking.] Muted slate and cherry nose. Complex, long, tarry. Best wine so far. Really stands out. My #3 wine by a close margin.
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Traditional v Modern Rioja (28-50, London): Seems a little darker; though denserthe fruit is redder. Red fruited, more linear, less plush than the 01, so again, hope. Really quite decent. ***1/2
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Fairly classic profile showing a lot of tart cherry and cranberry fruit up front and a dimension of stable/saddle leather and cooked veggies too. Some oak, spice, cedar tones emerge but not much of the delicate perfume I was hoping for. Very good, but I don't like this as much as others have, seemingly on the modern end of the spectrum showing substantial oak. While this is showing some maturity, I'd guess its got a lot of distance left and maybe time will help transform this into a beauty?
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Blind at The Medlar 2 (The Medlar, London): Very dark, dense almost purple red. Quick sniff and slurp and this has modern Rioja written all over it. Remirez de G 94? Ha! Time to retire. Not my style, but **(**)
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Decanted 1 hour. Drank with Nat and Matt. Dark red. Stunning nose of black fruits, plum, leather, minerals, lead pencil and smoke. Intensely concentrated and intense in the mouth. Similar flavor profile to the nose with some intriguing peppery notes. Long finish. I love this stuff.
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A brilliant bottle from one of my favorite Rioja producers (Heredia being the other). Popped and poured. Dark cherry in color. Slightly off nose at first smelling of band-aid. After half hour, off smell disipates replaced by plum, leather, earth and cedar. Super palate that was slightly bolder than I anticipated. Harmonious and balanced flavors of sour cherry, sweet plum, earth, mineral and a hint of oak. Slight sediment. Just perfect with stuffed, roasted, skinless and boneless duck breast at Paloma, a great Philly BYOB. Although not noted in the designation of any other Remirez entries in CT, beyond Reserva, the label on my bottle stated old vines and unfiltered.
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Rioja through the Decades (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Dark red. Deep red. 90% tempranillo. Fruit fwd with a sweet core (almost too sweet). Modern, with oak notes. Very well structured but it could have been from anywhere. No typicity. Still among the favorites of the group
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Simply outstanding! Deep colour, almost black. Red fruits and cigar on the wonderfully complex nose. Thick and structured on the palate. Had an almost Bordeaux First Growth quality to it. Bigger wine than any other Rioja I have had but in perfect balance. One of the best wines I have had this year. Wow! www.advinetures.ca
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4/20/2024 - pipegarcia Likes this wine: 96 Points
Perfect drinking now. Superb
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1/13/2024 - winenut15 wrote: flawed
Wine has turned. Unfortunate but not unexpected.
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4/24/2022 - Ben F Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dinner at home, Mill Valley, CA. From 750ml purchased on release. Opened 1 hr before serving.
This wine was singing tonight. Beautiful multifaceted nose, floral, gravelly, with a core of mature red fruits. Complexity carried through across the palate, with a long, varied finish. Drinking well now. Paired well with local grilled lamb loin with fresh thyme/oregano. Last bottle from a case purchased in my early wine buying days. Memorable.
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2/1/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still some fruit but past peak.
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1/10/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank the wine over 2 days. Still has fruit but has lost some power. Have 2 bottles left-will drink them soon.
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1/10/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Slightly lightercolor than other vintages of this wine. Fruit still present but clearly past peak. Still enjoyable. Will drink my last 4 bottles shortly.
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1/7/2022 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fruit still present but power is much reduced. Drank it over 2 days-it did not change much
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11/27/2021 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasting evening with Bas en Lennart (Zeist): [Not tasted blind as I brought this bottle] Incorrectly identified by the others as an 2000-2005 left bank Bordeaux. Quite tertairy, with ceder, pencil lead, bit of barnyard, leather, cherries, black berries, maggi, green bell pepper and a hint of menthol. Long finish
Clearly a bit past its peak, but very enjoyable nonetheless
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6/26/2021 - Easter Everywhere Likes this wine:
superb
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3/24/2021 - Vascular46 wrote: 93 Points
Still very enjoyable. Probably a little past it's peak but these Riojas are made to last. Have several more and am looking forward to drinking them in the near future.
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2/21/2021 - cephomer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured last nite in Copake with a great roast chicken dinner. Nose of black fruit, tobacco, leather and tar. Palate shows similarly. This wine still has fruit after 25 years, but it mostly showing tertiary notes now. Lots of leather and tobacco, particularly on the back end. Nice long finish exuding earth and that wet soil/mushroom stuff that I enjoy in finely aged older wines. Also, some slightly bitter tannins on the finish. Lovely bottle with lots of complexity still evident.
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9/3/2020 - Vascular46 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Has aged well. fruit still present and a bit if leather on the finish
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8/23/2020 - liber wrote: 90 Points
11th of 12, opened 45 minutes, perfect cork and level, brown rimmed, attractive if tiring, still quite elegant, drink up. VGI (17).
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8/6/2020 - Hoopsguy wrote: flawed
Wine was bad 8/6/20 at IOP, cork showed a leak
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11/23/2019 - rraaffaa wrote:
Fruit is mostly gone, lots of tobacco and leather,
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10/20/2019 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 96 Points
With H at home in one of our last days at Sutter Green. Still a very substantial crimson. Legs are a little thin but they are there. Nose still ethereal with iodine, cedar and red fruits. Palate really lovely, tannins gone, good leathery fruit in their place. A touch of menthol. Lengthy finish. Perhaps getting toward the end of it’s plateau, but still kick-ass. 5-14-18-9: 96/100.
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5/1/2019 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
Russk. Another fantastic bottle and vintage of this wine, once a little bit older. Faked us out again making us think that it was a mature Bordeaux. 93-pts.
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11/19/2017 - MicklethePickle Likes this wine: 96 Points
Holy shit. Right from first sniff, before even tasting, I knew this would lead to middle 90s score at least. Together with some other older Riojas I have tasted recently, I now believe that these wines are some of the most age-worthy, beautiful, and downright cheap wines for what they deliver compared to other wines--from anywhere. The color is browning, but still plenty red. The nose is out of this world, with lovely rich red fruit aromas. My God this is fabulous on the nose, at 21 years of age. Wow! Very pure, very rich, very attractive. And that carries through to the mouth without missing a beat. It is rich and gentle at the same time, with a silky but substantial mouthfeel. The red fruit lingers on and on in the finish. This wine has few peers in 1996, and precious few in other years. A wine at its peak of perfection, extremely well-made, with awesome raw materials. Simply amazing, and not one single sign that is in any danger of beginning to decline. I would pay a lot of money to experience another bottle like this one. It was a steal at $99. OMG! 4-15-18-9: 96/100.
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9/30/2017 - eluebchow wrote: 90 Points
A touch dirty and bretty when first opened, although that blew off with some air; The palate actually had lots of pretty red fruits, cigar box and earth notes, with some slightly rustic tannins on the finish; An enjoyable bottle that probably has limited upside from here
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9/30/2017 - acyso wrote: 88 Points
Blinds at Eric's (Chicago, IL): Served double blind. A slightly barnyardy nose, which with vigorous swirling, fortunately dissipated. This wasn't too long in the fruit department, but it did show really nice acidity structure. A bit earthy and dirty, with the tannins a little bitter on the back end, and fairly persistent still. The finish comes off a little bitter, which I didn't find that enjoyable. I wasn't really too confident about placing this (thought Piedmont for a little bit), but did eventually settle on Rioja with a little bit of help.
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9/21/2017 - cos82 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful mature Rioja. Cherry in color. Nice nose of dried flowers, tobacco, cedar and cherry. Balanced and smooth palate of sour cherry, tobacco, plum, earth and tar. No oak. Still has a lot of life.
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9/25/2016 - liber Likes this wine: 95 Points
10th of 12, pnp, perfect cork and level, previous notes variable from very good to fine with a clear dip between '07 and '12, deep garnet, some brown on rim; very attractive nose, black fruit with touch of spice and tobacco, complex for rioja; medium full, lovely ripe nuanced fruit, long and very persistent, attractive weight and balance, ready but no rush. Best bottle yet...for rioja VF (18.5).
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12/22/2015 - Pknut wrote:
Eric's note below is spot-on. I thought this wine to be very elegant, and low in oak, which I appreciated, and thought surprising given that this is young Rioja. Nice dried spices and good brightness to the lifted palate. Very nice. Amali with James and Fernando.
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8/15/2015 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Excellent, but somewhat thin in the mid palate.
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6/8/2015 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 96 Points
This showed a truly classic and highly expressive bouquet of dried flowers, dark earth, undergrowth, dried cherry, herbs and leather. On the palate, it seemed to envelope the senses in silky textures and then delivered an array of flavor sensations, as vibrant acidity continually refreshed the senses. Dried cherry, fall leaves, soil, tobacco, balsamic notes and hints of bitters all came forward and lasted long into the finish. To say I loved this wine would be an understatement.
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6/5/2015 - Mlermontov wrote: 96 Points
The Traveling Brisket and Helmet Show: easily WOTN today. earth, soy, vanilla, old leather, funky. just amazing to sit and smell this wine. the mid is lovely with red fruit and earth. still young - showing a good tannic grip. hints of tar and tobacco. great example of a producer mixing the modern touches with the classical. simply excellent
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5/17/2015 - awineo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Starting to fade.
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6/13/2014 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium-dark rosewood color. Nose of mocha, shoe polish, mesquite and acetone. On the palate, this is full-bodied and concentrated, coming across as somewhat hot. The tannins still retain tightness on the finish, despite two hours of decanting. This has both fruit and structure to last another 5-10 years in the cellar.
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6/2/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 96 Points
Son's High School Graduation (Downtown Cleveland): First bottle from a case bought for my son's birth year. I have had other bottles with brett issues, so I was concerned. This was perfect. Pop and pour, it was better after a couple hours. Purple in color. Slight ruby. On the nose, cherries, dark cherries, tobacco, slight earthiness and some pencil lead. Full bodied. Not young, but doesn't seem at peak yet. Lush texture. Black cherries and plums with some cigar tobacco and fin tannins. Nice balance. food friendly. Long finish. Hope all the bottles show this well.
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2/27/2014 - KenPlace Likes this wine: 95 Points
Outstanding bottle. Decanted for 2 hours (perfect amount of time). Still very vibrant with excellent structure and well integrated. Will last another 5-10 years.
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4/20/2013 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: Ruby with slight bricking
Smell: earth, leather, smoke, dried red fruits, and celery salt
Taste: subtle, soft, dried red fruits, clove, and cured meats
Overall: outstanding! A wine that is more about subtle nuances than flashy fruit.
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1/31/2013 - kenv Likes this wine: 93 Points
WCC Rioja Blind (Dorato's Resturant, Guilderland, NY): [Opened about 2 hours before drinking.] Muted slate and cherry nose. Complex, long, tarry. Best wine so far. Really stands out. My #3 wine by a close margin.
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3/2/2012 - SimonG wrote: 90 Points
Traditional v Modern Rioja (28-50, London): Seems a little darker; though denserthe fruit is redder. Red fruited, more linear, less plush than the 01, so again, hope. Really quite decent. ***1/2
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11/13/2011 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
Fairly classic profile showing a lot of tart cherry and cranberry fruit up front and a dimension of stable/saddle leather and cooked veggies too. Some oak, spice, cedar tones emerge but not much of the delicate perfume I was hoping for. Very good, but I don't like this as much as others have, seemingly on the modern end of the spectrum showing substantial oak. While this is showing some maturity, I'd guess its got a lot of distance left and maybe time will help transform this into a beauty?
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10/31/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Blind at The Medlar 2 (The Medlar, London): Very dark, dense almost purple red. Quick sniff and slurp and this has modern Rioja written all over it. Remirez de G 94? Ha! Time to retire. Not my style, but **(**)
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10/5/2011 - short and confused wrote: 96 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Drank with Nat and Matt. Dark red. Stunning nose of black fruits, plum, leather, minerals, lead pencil and smoke. Intensely concentrated and intense in the mouth. Similar flavor profile to the nose with some intriguing peppery notes. Long finish. I love this stuff.
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9/21/2011 - cos82 wrote: 93 Points
A brilliant bottle from one of my favorite Rioja producers (Heredia being the other). Popped and poured. Dark cherry in color. Slightly off nose at first smelling of band-aid. After half hour, off smell disipates replaced by plum, leather, earth and cedar. Super palate that was slightly bolder than I anticipated. Harmonious and balanced flavors of sour cherry, sweet plum, earth, mineral and a hint of oak. Slight sediment. Just perfect with stuffed, roasted, skinless and boneless duck breast at Paloma, a great Philly BYOB. Although not noted in the designation of any other Remirez entries in CT, beyond Reserva, the label on my bottle stated old vines and unfiltered.
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6/21/2011 - Papies wrote: 87 Points
Rioja through the Decades (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Dark red. Deep red. 90% tempranillo. Fruit fwd with a sweet core (almost too sweet). Modern, with oak notes. Very well structured but it could have been from anywhere. No typicity. Still among the favorites of the group
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9/14/2010 - Stirling wrote: 97 Points
Simply outstanding! Deep colour, almost black. Red fruits and cigar on the wonderfully complex nose. Thick and structured on the palate. Had an almost Bordeaux First Growth quality to it. Bigger wine than any other Rioja I have had but in perfect balance. One of the best wines I have had this year. Wow! www.advinetures.ca
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