Needed two hours of air in the bottle for the oak to integrate. Nose of plums, cherrries and oak. Palette of plums, cherries, oak and some savory notes. Really nice Rioja.
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Drank beautifully. Brought to restaurant so no formal notes. Has aged extremely well - this bottle was medium to dark red and not showing any age. Cork was perfect. 93-94 range.
Improved since my last tasing in 2016.
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Crazy bottle variation on these, as evidenced by the inconsistent scores. I had a bottle before Christmas that was ok but seemed nowhere near as open as this one. This bottle however was really singing. It's a more elegant vintage of 904 compared to some (e.g. 2005, 2010) but still really delicious. I wish every bottle could be like this one, but it seems to be pot luck.
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Decanted 3-4 hours. Nowhere near as good as a previous bottle of 2004 RA 904 that was tasted by the group. Quite a dumb nose, giving less than the other wines in the tasting. Fruit seemed to be fading and medium finish. Suspect an issue with the bottle as previous examples totally different. (@Tufa, Rioja tasting I 2024).
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Ook deze fles viel zeer in de smaak. Zelfde ervaring als vorige: heeft iets geuze-achtig door vrij hoge zuur-gevoel. Complex, zeer stabiel/ Zelfs resterend glas op dag 4 was nog weinig van zijn charme verloren. 19 jaar op de teller en springlevend. Topwijn en zeer goede P/Q
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Very pure cherry on the nose with supporting nuance from cigar box, coconut, earth, and prune. Medium bodied and fresh with fine tannins. Finishes very long. An excellent 904 in a great spot to drink now but no rush.
WSET Notes:
Medium garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, leather, meat, earth, tobacco, raspberry, prune, cedar and coconut. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, high tannins, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. Slow-O for 2 hours then splash double decant before serving. This was in fine form. Pretty red beries, lovely pencil notes, a touch of tar, floral notes, minerally, elegant and silky, and quite long. Loved it. Ready to go, plenty of time.
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Geaux Tiger’s notes are spot on now. Might be a little past its prime and my earlier notes about aging feel right. It will go longer, but not improve. Doesn’t need much of a decant. Beautifully drinkable right now, but not transcendent. That said, an excellent wine. Drink in one night.
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Perfekt zu trinken. Sehr schön es süße schneidig trotzdem Körper und Druck. Aber einfach ein Gaumen, Schmeichler mittlerer bis langer Abgang. Feine süße großartig elegant, jetzt wunderbar zu trinken.
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Lacked a little of the body it had last year but still a delicious aged Rioja. Will open another at Xmas and see if it was my over decanting or the wine has entered tertiary time.
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Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Min sed. Notable bricking. Gorgeous nose of flowers, red fruits n some spice n min wood. Palate ready to go soft tannins, food friendly. Nice fruit w good complexity. Nice medium body with great balance to it. A joy to drink. Wish I had more.
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Always a great producer, loved trying this one at 19 years. My second and last bottle. Like the first one more. This one seemed more lean and austere. I think it was my palate and not the wine as others didn't perceive this bottle in the same way. Dried cherry, worn leather, dried tobacco, lots of dill.
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This was absolutely stunning. The age is very evident in the color, with dull ruby turning to browning edges. So much going on, I could smell this wine all day long. Leather, spice, sweet cherry, cassis, oak. The palate has more cherry along with tertiary flavors and high acidity. Tannins are mature and resolved. A very memorable experience enjoying this with family.
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Cork crumbled. Deep tawny color. Intense aromas of dark cherry, cassis, spices, cedar, leather. High acidity, resolved tannins. Bold and intense taste of red cherries, dark chocolate. Very long.
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this tannins were fully resolved and the fruit mature, much more mature than expected with a distinct brown tinge at the rim - I would be inclined to drink this soon - maybe an odd bottle?
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2nd of 4 wines I took to Mexico for a friends birthday. Drank the first night. I'd never had this wine with this much age before. Still has several years left in it. oak leather cherry tobacco chocolate blackberry mushroom Delicious with grilled short ribs
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Excellent wine but prefer Imperial Grand Reserva from CUNE to the 904 Gran Reserva. 2004 and 2005 vintages of this wine are similar but have unique subtle differences which may them pleasing to a variety of palates. Prefer this 2004 vs. 2005 but both tremendous wines.
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Very dark red color. This had a good 4 hours of slow-O time. Brooding dark fruits, scorched earth, cassis, black cherry, crushed violets, and lacquer on the nose. The full bodied palate shows similar dark fruits, black cherry, cassis, iron and blood, scorched earth, lacquer, plump tannins and a medium finish. Despite the air this seemed a bit tighter tonight. 92(+)pts.
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Nose of red and dark fruit, American oak, spices, licorice, not unlike a Pomerol from a light vintage. The strength of this wine is its balanced, elegant palate with great freshness on the finish. Burgundian. Drinks well now and will for a long time.
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Little pale, no sediment, great flowery tones upon opening, creamy and after 15 mins cranberies, rooibos, white chocolates pops up. Long aftertaste, excellent.
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Russk. I brought to CDC at Mustang. It was the WOTF (vs the '04 Cune Imperial Reserva and vs the '12 CH Chocopala). It was also a WOTN for most (out of about 22 reds). Elegant and savory.
2 days later it has declined. A bit too much coconut suntan lotion showing.
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Classic, brambly charred earth and berries with tea and leather on the nose. The bright pure core of cherry fruit is really singing right now, but it’s equaled by savory flavors of smoked beef, herbs, rooibos tea.
Seems to have found a marvelous peak, much improved from the 2015 bottle, judging by the notes. Should be steady here for awhile and then decline only slowly for 15-20 years.
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Sharp, edgy and lean on opening. I put the cork back and enjoyed the day after. Fully open, spices, wild strawberry, red Plums, cherries, sweet tobacco, hints initially of liquorice, smoke and really long delicious aftertaste. fresh and penetrating acidity. So much better than previous bottle 5 years ago.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): D\ark red color. PNP, drank a glass over 60 minutes. Black raspberry liqueur, silky texture, nicely layered, lacquer, subtle kirsch, high toned earth and bright spice. The nose sails and the palate is integrating with tons of time left. 93(+)pts.
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So I should note that this may have been heat-affected, but in the sense that it was prematurely aged, not that it was damaged. Honestly whatever the reason, I liked it a lot. Plenty of secondary flavors here, including the usual savory/leather components, cherry, herbs, and American oak, with the fruit nicely mellowed. Instantly identifiable as Rioja.
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Highly complex and in a good place to my taste- this retains a good bit of fruit, the oak is integrating, and some tertiary characteristics are showing up. I like the contrast between the raspberry and plum fruit and the leathery, smoky, savory notes that have developed with age. Will this retain fruit and continue to improve or will it shut down and go tertiary as the 2001 seems to have done? I’ve no idea but don’t hesitate to open one now.
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Garnet/tawny, showing some age. Mellow nose of cedar and tobacco along with some fruit in the background. Got a bit more expressive with air, adding some extra herbs to the mix.
Plush and velvety. Good acidity balanced with fine tannins. Long finish with a bit of plum. Oak is quite well integrated with less vanilla than 2011, which was the last vintage I tried.
Very very good but missing a little something to take it to the next level.
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Consistent with the evolution we've been seeing over the past several bottles - the dill notes continue to transform into something more akin to leather, which is all to the good.
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Drink up! Showing age in the glass. Soft, transparent ruby color. Some bass notes on the palate but shallow compared to what it had been. Still enjoyable but lacking the firepower. Softer, rounder wine now.
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Cork was dried out an crumbly, but it did not affect the wine's development or bottle fill. Decanted 60 minutes and it got a bit better after. Red fruits, including cranberry, some sweet Oak, smooth tannins, nice food acidity. Touches of dried herbs.
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Cru Wines Trade Tasting (Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney): An impression of brooding concentration, red berried fruit, good quality oak, vanilla. In the mouth it’s juicy with medium plus intensity acidity, slight raisins join the red fruits, that vanilla in support, talc textured tannins, long, silky, and supple, very good indeed.
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Burnished mahogany colour with a savoury, umami and balsamic notes with black cherry and an extraordinary length. This is very fine and drinking beautifully now with a lovely soft mouthfill with everything in place. A favourite Rioja which always delivers.
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Very intense and perfumed, with deep red fruits. The oak is front and center, however, and there was too much of that American Oak pickle note for me; at the same time, I can see why some rate this highly.
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Nez intense de cèdre, de bois de santal, de boite à tabac, d'épices...vanille. Les tannins sont soyeux. Un vin gouleyant, fondu, harmonieux aux saveurs de baies mûrs et de griotte (surette), et de boite à épices. Moyenne à longue finale. On dirait un vieux pinot noir de la Bourgogne ! Boire sans tarder.
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Opened it a good 8hrs beforehand. Worked a treat, was singing right out of the bottle. Lots of leather, tobacco, loveliness. No discernible oak. Drank well on the second night too.
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This wonderful bodega seem to perfect their recipe in great vintages and the 2004 vintage is no exception. Stunning aromatic complexity that effortlessly draws you in, leather, spice , dried fruit and tobacco. Deceptively mid weight but with great persistence and structure that builds considerable momentum with a stupendous finish that brings total satisfaction. One of the truly great bargains in the world of fine wine.
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A bit more than two years after the prior. Decanted 3 hours before the dinner into a big carafe. Was quite surprised, the baby fat and the sweet oak notes were gone (this was not so obvious to me when I tasted the last bottle), showing red fruit and sour cherry, first notes of maturity, high acidity, medium bodied and very long finish. Surprisingly elegant and classic, was perfect to the brasato we had, similar to a traditional Barolo. Drink now or within the next 12 years, a long decant is highly recommended in this stage.
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Please refer to my note dated February 25th, 2020, since I have nothing to add to that. One bottle left and, god willing, I will consume by 2024 because the low quality of my cellar doesn't permit any further risk. The rating refers to objective quality more than to my taste preferences. But it is sublime !
Poured into decanter and started drinking. This has transformed and improved significantly since my last bottle merely 12 months ago. Transparent garnet bricking towards the rim. The usual dill particularly on the nose, then very aromatic red fruit, plenty of sweet leather and earthy notes. Tannins still providing good structure. Good length too. A very good wine, suddenly surprisingly developed, for my taste a bit too sweet and leathery but that’s just a matter of personal preference
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Classic Rioja. Bright, tart, and crunchy red berries, pomegranate, rooibos, loam, weathered clay, and noteworthy oak, wholly inline with the style. Medium acid, medium minus tannin. All as it should be, and quite enjoyable, if somewhat underwhelming for a Gran Reserva, from a great house.
No change over all three days. This bottle was not the equal of the one tasted in 2018. No suggestion of flaw. If the acid level has fallen off this quickly, drink sooner than later. 91-92.
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Initially, predominant characters of strawberries and cream laced with vanilla. To complement the sweetness of fruit there is a hint of lemon tea that provides a bite of acidity, some soft ruffled tannins and a whack of leather. Complex and layered, the finish is rather extraordinary and persistent. A very fine wine indeed. 93 pts
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Decanted 1.5 hours. Port-like and sluggish immediately upon opening but that blew-off with air revealing a classic Rioja profile of dark fruit, figs, and with more coaxing, some smoky earthy mushroom notes. Plenty of acid to round things out, too. Similar experience on the palate with red berries wrapped in soil and leather. Very few rough edges with fruit and earth mingling in a lovely way. Just enough tannic bite at the way back for freshness. Terrific package. Paired nicely with roasted duck with a blood orange reduction. Drink now or hold another 2-4 years.
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How interesting to note that the scores a year ago or so Were incredibly higher! I suggest that this wine is so well-made and underestimated that as it goes through a somewhat closed phase where it is slightly out of balance, it will emerge in a couple of years as a powerhouse. The color tonight was on the black side of red, and the unmistakable 904 nose just wafted it out of the glass. The density of fruit was unmistakable, and while it is not a 2001, or as sweet as a 2005, it is a formidable wine that will develop even more . Compared to a year ago, there is less evidence of the secondary and tertiary complexity, a good sign given the fact that the edges were full dark red and the fruit quite intact. If you drink it now, do decant for an hour and a half.
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Really nice rioja and fully ready now. Fruit is smooth and wonderful and wine is in great balance with tannins and acid, of which there was little acid to speak of. This doesn't mean wien has erodes, just that the acid has done what it was there to do; hold the wine together. Of the three wines we had, this one was deemed the best. Think it could last a few years more but it is in a great place for drinking now. Recommended as a great example of an wonderfully aged gran reserva.
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Barb made Catalan inspired Pork Tenderloin in Orange Sauce. Essentially braised in orange juice then cooked in a broth/spice mixture Quick and easy and very good With a cabbage slaw with cranraisins and OJ
From a very good cookbook from a respected author , Penelope Casas
Wine 2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Alc 13%. Still dark color. Inviting nose. Lots of fruit and spice and brush. Little oak showing. Still moderate tannins and primary character. No rush. It did well with the orange notes of the pork
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An amazing nose, that alone could be enjoyed all evening. Taste matched it. Leather, earth, and tobacco blended beautifully with the fruit. No tannins but still think this has 10 more years in it at least. Was paired beautifully with pigeon followed by cheese.
Tasted after the 2001 and before 2005 and 2010. A bit cooler and more elegant, more structure in comparison. Pure fruit, less generous than 2001 or 2005, notes of tobacco, spices, vibrant acidity. Great balance and length. Excellent, but rather youthful. 92-94
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Consistent with previous note, this bottle was firing on all cylinders. Loads of red fruit, good acidity, and some hints of oak and herbs. All nicely in balance and food friendly. Had with homemade paella. Only one bottle left, sadly. It can wait a few years but not sure it will get better. Great stuff.
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Dark cherry and chocolate, a hint of vanilla, a little dusty, musty note too. The palate is smooth with the black cherry and chocolate flavours on entry but a balsamic note coming to the fore too. Just delicious, enveloping wine which defy any red wine drinker to dislike.
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Classic, old-school Rioja that is never disappointing as its other offering Viña Ardanza has always been for me, even with its high ratings. Tempranillo and a touch of Graciano (no Garnacha). really nice nose. velvety texture. light to medium-bodied palate. Dusty, long dry finish
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Spicy nose. Oak and acid on the palate initially and didn’t settle down as much as I hoped it would over 4 hours of drinking. The tannins grip and the whole thing has great structure but lacks character and charm.
Fig and raisin on the fruit side but very muted. I feel that this will be in a better place some years along the line.
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Deep red. Heady bouquet. Intense, balanced, mouth filling. Very long fading with lovely grace. Powerful though with exceptional finesse. Great purity. Entrancing complexity. The graciano's influence seems to be far greater than its reported percentage. Will last 50 years. Will improve (change?). A masterpiece!
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A blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Graciano (10%). Fermented and macerated for 14 days in large oak vats, then moved into stainless steel tanks for MLF. Aged for 4 years (from January 2005 to January 2009) in American oak barrels that are on average 4 years old. Bottled in February 2009. 13% alcohol, 1,2 g/l residual sugar, 6,2 g/l acidity and pH 3,47.
Deep, medium-to-relatively little translucent blackish-red color with a hint of evolved brick-red hue. Surprisingly restrained nose for a 904 with understated yet complex aromas of ripe figs and wizened dark plums, some toasty oak notes, a little bit of vanilla, light lifted notes of sweet VA, smoky and perhaps bretty hints of burnt hair and farmhouse funk and a touch of dill. The wine is dry, firm and medium-bodied on the palate with relatively fresh and slightly funky flavors of black raspberries and ripe figs, meaty or gamey umami, some funky notes of leather saddle and horse stable, a little bit of vanilla, light crunchy notes of sour red plums, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of raisiny fruit. This vintage seems to lack some weight and concentration that were present in the surrounding vintages (2001, 2005) and the overall feel is slightly more funky than is typical for a 904. The overall structure is quite tightly-knit, thanks not only to the atypically high acidity (pH below 3,5!) but also to the medium tannins that at first feel quite resolved and mellow, but slowly pile up on the gums, turning the wine quite grippy. The finish is moderately grippy with slightly reticent flavors that feel both slightly sweeter and more umami-rich than the midpalate. A long aftertaste of ripe figs and raisiny fruit, leather saddle, some gamey meat, a little bit of vanilla, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a hint of tart lingonberry and a smoky touch of cigar. The VA lends a nice touch of balsamic lift to the end of the aftertaste.
At first this 2004 felt an underperformer in out 1989-2010 vertical of 904 Gran Reserva, coming across as lighter in both body and taste. However, it only takes a bit of coaxing to understand that there is more to this vintage than is obvious from the first impression; the wine whispers rather than sings. It is definitely less flashy than 904 normally is - just as Ardanza 2004 was compared to the other vintages - but it is possible that the wine is just in a slump now and needs more years to come around. And while the wine might be a bit lighter in body, it is definitely not lacking in complexity or structure. As a whole, the wine might not be as impressive as 904 normally is, but there's still potential for this wine to improve noticeably with further aging - although I must point out that the wine feels slightly funkier and a bit more volatile to an average 904, so people who are not so keen on these rustic qualities in their wines, you are warned.
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Wat een smaken! Toch iets anders dan wat ik gewoon ben. Heeft meer iets van een heel goede geuze door de complexiteit van smaken en de vrij zuur-zoete ondertoon. Heel lekker, maar voelt zeer jong.
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I have to say the first was a bit clumsy, felt stewed, but the second night the wine was far more refined and in balance. Had lost its stew and felt like the 24 hrs of air had really lifted it. Score is from the second night.
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Sweet cherries, a subtle hint of coconut and a bit of funk too with some rotting vegetal matter. Delightful palate with red and black cherry and delicious smoky notes too and then the vegetal funky stuff comes through on the finish. Long.
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From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 2 hours—it didn't budge; only after another 90 minutes in the glass did it show its true potential. First 3 hours: strong, volatile American oak, sharp red fruit, high-toned acidity (burn baby, burn... don't you just love acid reflux?) 180 minutes after decanting: finally the volatile oak has blown off; the entry is velvet-textured and juicy; darker, more succulent, even strawberry/raspberry fruit notes finally come through on the mid-palate; moreish, vibrant finish. And the previously biting acid is finally in balance. 17 years after the vintage this is still a baby, needing serious decanting time or simply another 5, 10, 20, 40 years in the cellar. Encountering this blind in the first 2-3 hours, I'd have winced, offered a masochistic and grudging 87-89P, wondered why the Ardanza 2004 is so much nicer (and gone to fetch the antacid tablets). But with sufficient air, even now it's clearly worth 91(+)P.
This bottle a little quieter than expected- fully integrated and some of the classic rioja notes but rather muted- neither fruit nor leather, no hint of vanilla. In fact a little anonymous and I had expected more. Still enjoyable and will put this down to bottle variation.
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Decided to try one as CT is showing the drinking window might have come in 2020. Very nice wine. Almost a cherry flavor to this. Cork was stained magenta and held up. Has a barnyard yeasty smell to it, very heady in the glass. I saw no flaw with this wine. Nice acidity as well. Have noticed the price has gone up considerably since I purchased the 2004.
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Same bottle as collector. My bottle. Drinkable but unfortunately evidently slightly corked on first sip. Had opened the bottle in the morning and while this was not obviously corked I smelled the cork twice as I was not sure whether the wine was ok. A reminder again to take your first impression seriously when tasting...
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Seemed a bit shut down. Might need to decant to bring out its full glory. Interesting, but reticent notes of anise, leather, and earth. Nice dark fruit on the front end. Significant tannic grip and pretty nice acid balance. Oak is still readily apparent and will need some air and time to calm down. Nice wine, but needs time and air to show its true elegance.
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Feels young still, elegant with some green whole cluster like notes as I am use to by this Cru. Tannins still need some further resolving. Not scored as the bottle had a slight TCA taint.
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Short decant to remove sediment. Nose of dry soil, raspberries, and a salty soy sauce note. Dusty red cherries, milk chocolate, and dried leaves in the mouth. Tannins resolved. Very enjoyable but lacked a bit of freshness. Seemed at the beginning of its decline. I have 3 more so I will open sooner than later. Nevertheless, a fine drink.
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Lots of leather. Mature. Drink now - 2025. 93 points. Drank side by side with the 2005 Finca Dofi. A more balanced wine than Finca Dofi IMO. Finca Dofi needed food
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Intellectually, I get it. A Rioja Classica. I believe at it’s prime now. Super elegant style. American Oak on the aroma; vanilla and caramel. Nice, blueberries and first season cherries. Light to medium bodied. Very well made. Really, at it’s peak. Soft and just needs the right food. Suckling pig and Carne Asada.
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9 months after my first bottle from an OC, poured a glass from a second bottle using Coravin. Consistent notes. Immediately upon opening there is a strong dill note on the nose. With more air this fades quickly though, and you get more of a whole clusters note, especially on the palate (curious to hear if Rioja Alta and Rioja in general does whole clusters). Otherwise there is good fruit concentration for sure, but the wine feels just a bit tight on Pnp. While this has some upside, I still have my doubts about those 96 points from WA. 91+
Mid mahogany to brick rim. Classic tertiary bouquet of overripe banana, soft-rind cheese, wet earth and joss stick opens further to squashed strawberry, tinned prune and a hint of aged balsamic and continues to develop and show its fabulous complexity to a sweet almost lifted fruit sprinkled in coconut, 5 spice and black truffle. There are evident oak spices still that give a backdrop to the wine. On entry, the acidity is vibrant, the body medium, with a mouth coating richness and sweet dusty almost powder tannins. A long satisfying finish with hint of chocolate wafer biscuit and dark chocolate. A super charming wine with a nose that keeps rewarding and plenty going for it.
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The wine took awhile to open up. I should also note that the cork broke into two pieces while being opened. I do not believe the cork condition affected the wine.
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I think the August bottle was off. Retested today, medium garnet. Aromatic, blackberry, slightly floral, herbal nose. Medium bodied, candy, spice, red and black fruits palate. Good wine, couldn’t go to the RP 96, but very enjoyable and will revisit in a year or so.
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A nice intense complex nose of sweet black fruits, caramel, vanilla, sweet spiced oak. The palate is smooth, rich, more fruits, red and black, with hints of coffee, spices and a lovely freshness. The finish is long, with thick balsamic vinegar, sweet fruits and tingling oak spice. Delightful and perfecto. Me encanta. I bought this on initial release and was £28 now it will cost you nearly double that. A perfect wine to celebrate tempranilloday and one to #giveanewwineago 91 points
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Celebrating the life of our beloved family dog, who was born in 2004, with one of our favorite Rioja wines. Fruit was still completely intact and the oak touch was exactly what I feel it should be for a classic Rioja wine. Nice long finish- this wine is always a joy to drink and you just want another bottle to follow.
R.I.P. Leo Jeffrey. Best dog ever.
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Opened the 2nd bottle. Quite woody and toffee aroma. Bright sour raspberry flavour. The body was lighter than expected, consistent with my 1st bottle. Quite disappointed in terms of 904 because I tasted some great bottles of other vintages before.
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Curiosity got the better of me with this one - after trying the 890 last year, and judging by the weight of the '04 Ardanza, it should have been fairly obvious that this is still a baby and has many, many years ahead of it.
The nose is full of VA and sweet black fruits. The palate is again dominated by black fruits and the unmistakable 2004 density, with much more prominent acidity than the Ardanza of the same vintage, which made it an ideal partner for fatty lamb.
I'll be waiting at least 5 years before opening my next one of these (which is what I should have done in the first place!). Not scored because still all about latent potential.
Classic aged Rioja , this bodega hardly ever put a foot wrong. Lovely secondary flavours with gamey and herbal flavours. Some acidity on the finish but so enjoyable and engaging.
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Worried about my nose & palate with this as I didn’t really enjoy it. RP says 96........ Light/medium garnet, blackberries, dried fruit nose. Bit thin, short finish, some dark fruits on the palate. I was really disappointed with this wine compared to expectations. Possibly a dodgy bottle. 8 left, will revisit in a few weeks.
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Smooth, balanced, still some fruitiness but lots of old leather. Tastes of another time, inviting. Drinking well at the moment but no rush. Did not decant.
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Pronounced and evolved aromas - balsamic notes, soy, vanilla, tobacco and some black fruits. The nose is really about the former (Savory) and not the (fruit) latter.
Medium bodied with lots of flavor intensity especially the soy and Balsamic notes- even a bit of Hoisin sauce. The palate is still quite fresh with decent acidity. The finish is delicious and medium plus. A classic food wine.
Just a touch more oxidization than a bottle drunk about 8 or 9 months ago. May be bottle variation but if representative I would opt to drink up.
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Although the dill is still leading the way, it's noticeably less pronounced than previous bottles have been - so perhaps the answer is cellar time, and lots of it?
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Forward nose of rotting leaves, dark red fruit and herbal notes, palate is forward, strong acidity and some slightly bitter tannins, moderately long finish. Very traditional Rioja, love it.
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First bottle from an OC. Pnp and drank over 2h. A fine medium (-) bodied Rioja, more on the sweet red fruited side, some wood spices, a touch of dill (the 890 we had from the same vintage last year had much stronger dill notes), nicely integrated fine to medium tannins. Fairly muted aromatics on nose and palate but then a finish of good length. Overall I find this just a bit disappointing, and scratching my head upon the 96 points Luis Gutierrez from Wine Advocate gave this (and pretty much any other recent vintage of the 904).
There’s the old school Rioja producers, then the modernists - and then there’s La Rioja Alta, squared right in the middle.
I had a decanter at the ready to give this some air, but upon opening the bottle, it exuded sheer class from the get go.
Fantastic bouquet to a point of sensuality; sweet coconut, dill, humidor, indian/exotic spices with dark, ripe fruits - almost fruitcake-like with cinnamon and cassis hints
The palate was smooth, riveting with a medium-bodied texture. Perhaps a pinch lighter than expected, but mirroring the aroma perfectly.
You could not wish for more, especially not at this price point. A legend for sure.
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From one of the top iconic classic Rioja wineries. Strong and intense oak influence from nose to palate. Developed complex aroma of vanilla, toffee, sour raspberry. High and powerful acidity. Body was OK but relatively weaker than expected, comparing to other vintages. Otherwise would rate higher.
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Spanish pot luck (Chicago, IL): Tasted alongside the 890, and I always wish that I like this bottling as much as the 890, but it never seems to be the case. Although this is the larger-scaled wine, with more outright expressiveness and power, it's not quite as complex as its more prestigious sibling. The fruit is young and quite potent, and the American oak perfume here is very prominent. There's a hint of earthiness that I find quite enjoyable here as well. Overall, the structure on this wine isn't as chiseled as the 890, but in general, I can't say I'd turn my nose up at this wine.
Medium pale with orange color on the rim. Notes of red and black berries, vanilla, butter and leather. Medium acidity and tannins. Silky wine with a long finish.
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D3: svårt att identifiera och sätta ord på dofterna(92-93)
S1: len, läskande syra, intensiva violtoner i finish, pastiller, anis kommer igen, florala drag, ingen nebbiolo känsla (90-91)
S2: Så läcker munkänsla, frisk och vital (93)
Övr: krondill, underbart god, kräftspad, rioja, nästan bäst, 90–tal eller bakåt, bra bärighet, rent och snyggt, man hittar nya grejor varje gång man kommer tillbaka
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Dark cherries, vanilla, a hint of new leather, dill, and chocolate on the nose. Lovely acidity with relatively soft tannins and flavors of plum, cherries, more vanilla, and cedar on the palate. Nice, long finish. Very nice and aging quite slowly. I tasted this about 5 years ago and while it has clearly matured, it still feels young and with a long live ahead.
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Pale ruby and translucent. Nose of black and red cherry, a hint of vanilla. The palate has wonderful umami, savoury, meaty flavours alongside sweet cherry fruit with blackcurrant, spices and a hint of pepper on the very long finish. Medium body but with a great intensity of flavour. This seems fully mature to me but will certainly drink well for a number of years.
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Mid cherry red with a brick red rim. Lifted, heady aromas of wet earth, star anise, overripe banana skin, incense, nutmeg and toasted cinnamon seeds on the nose. Remarkably light to medium-bodied with excellent softness in the mid-palate, rich but deft and light on its feet given the fresh, bright acidity that cuts across the evocative range of flavours: withered raspberry, preserved strawberries, prune, light soy sauce, dried red cherries, ripe banana, spice and coconut. Tannins are resolved, light and fluffy! This is a wine that has an irresistible charm that seems to go on and on.
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Bouquet filled with sour cherries and smoked umami, on the palate dark cherries, meaty savoury sour tones, mint, chocolate, leather and, yes, the dill is still there but at the background as should be, good refreshing acidity, oak and vanilla are finally starting to be integrated and will continue to do so which is positive, attractively elegant and classic style (the -05 is more fruit driven and wide), very good and enjoyable now but will last. It is pretty obvious that 2004 Riojas are very special.
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2004 was a great vintage for Rioja and this wine is from a great producer. I last tried it in 2017 and it has really turned into something special since then. Colour is pale ruby with bricking on the rim. Intense nose of leather, dark cherries, smoked meat. The tannins are almost fully integrated, medium body, and a wonderful high acidity races across the palate. Dry and refreshing. Typical classic Rioja oak notes too to remind you where this is from. If I close my eyes I can imagine drinking this on a warm summer night in Haro with some tapas from the herradura. I had this with grilled lamb tonight. Spectacular wine in a great place right now but it will probably last well into the middle of this decade.
wow wine. So much going on here, leather, balsamic, cherry, herb-notes on the nose, mimicked on the palate with some chocolate savory note as well. every sip reveals something new and exciting. Acidic backbone carries everything with a deft hand.
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This is a worthy last bottle before lent - or in case I won't survive lent, of my life. On day one, the nose was like "If cherries had any smell at all it would be this one", but today (day 2) the fruit was accompanied by a touch of raspberry, less pronounced and associated with some dill, tomato, cassis and black pepper. The palate just wonderfully mirrors the nose and is very well balanced with savoury vegetal notes.
This is just a rough outline and there is more in here, but I do not see the point in endlessly ekeing out the tiniest notes since that obscures the fact that here we have a very noble, but clear and straightforward taste experience nonetheless. Too many aspects of this taste would obscure the experience of unicity and clarity that characterizes this glass.
If one has a good income, one can treat oneself with a case of this every year, IMO. But if you have to make ends meet, honestly, the experience isn't worth a regular buying habit. Half a case of something like this does it.
If I had 2 cases of this, I'd stretch this out into infinity to see how it develops, and I suspect there is very good potential for that here (which could push the rating up - my present one reflects my present experience). But having only 2 further bottles of this and expecting this civilization not to last much longer, I am closing my drinking windown in 2024.
Quintessential Rioja. Strong acidity, great fruit, beautiful vegetal stalkiness that is not a flaw but complements the other parts of the experience. Sour cherry and raspberry core to the bouquet, bright acidity, very dry tannins but not obstructive. Slight barnyard smell that blew off after about a half hour. Meat and leather smells as well. On the palate , sour cherry again, clove, thyme. Significantly undervalued. Score: 93. Relative to expectations: ++
Muted dark fruit nose. Purple brick color. Lovey fruit flavors of dark cherry, cassis, plum, cedar and a touch of vanilla. Nicely balanced fruit with sweet tannins and a mild acidity. In its dinking window now and for another 10 years. Decant for slight sediment.
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As with the 2001 vintage of the 904, this is currently spoiled by the heavy-handed oak treatment. To my palate, the resulting dill notes (and coconut) overwhelm the fruit. Not appealing whatsoever. My track record with LRA hasn’t been very good: I find LRA in general has a lot of dill (the herb, not pickles).
Perhaps in time (years) the oak will integrate, the dill will fade, and this will achieve the lifted profile I love in older Rioja. But I’m not too hopeful.
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Pale intense ruby. Lots of mildly cheesy development on the nose with great lift and charm. Soft and easy. Pretty classic and great. Positively surprised with this bottle, it felt a bit weak anyway after the first half bottle. Decanted 1h 30m before drinking
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Decanted for an hour and drunk over another or more. Evolved nicely within the last two years, very elegant and focussed with sour cherry and just a hint of tertiary notes, mouth watering high acidity, good concentration and medium to long finish. Has the structure for a very long life but is already highly enjoyable, 93 points now with potential for more.
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Effectively pop and pour. Deep blue and red fruits with hints of tertiary elements just starting to show up. The palate offers the same fruits but with a mint-like component. This is evolving into a very nice wine, but I'd recommend holding off for a few more years.
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What a beautiful bottle of wine here; I'm really loving it tonight, and a perfect pairing for our ropa vieja which had been sitting and developing flavors for a few days now, so this was a real treat all around.
Medium garnet color with some transparency. Gorgeous aromatics from the pop and developing in the glass, showing notes of red and transitioning to dark and dark red fruits, cedar, flowers, dill initially and then fading, clove, licorice, orange peel, lemon, vanilla, potpourri, and a bit of earthy funk. Fantastic. Medium body and acid, medium (+) finish, with flavors of cherry, raspberry, bitter red apple skin, lemon, black tea, clove, and an herbal hint. This is incredible. It's drinking great right now but I think it could age at least 2-5 more years as well, and with 2 more of this vintage in holding, I think I'll give the next a few more years and see what happens. I gotta give it up, 95 pts. for me.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of black fruits, balsamic notes, vanilla, pepper, roasted meats and spice. Very complex and compelling.
Medium bodied with medium to medium plus tannin (well integrated) and plenty of acidity to things fresh. Lots of similar flavor characteristics on the palate with a long finish.
Drink now, but this will keep "indefinitely" in a cold cellar- and may gain additional complexity in 5 or 10 years.
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Very nice now. Decanted for a little more than an hour. Dill nose but that moves away pretty quickly. Beautiful dried fruits wrapping dark chocolate almost. Just a very pleasant sense. Mouth filling. Definitely has some years left but I would say not more than five.
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Clear red ruby. Beautifully integrated, layered and earthy red fruits with a touch of vanilla, dill and dusty tannins. On day 2, it had a an almost stewed tomato note that I did not like, but on day 3 that faded and elements of tea and leather that made for a complete package. Reminded me why I need to buy and age more Rioja
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I think this bottle would have rewarded further cellaring, as it came across pretty youthful and a little simple. Rich, smooth nose, lovely silken tannins, but lacked excitement.
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The consummate Rioja! Almost. While never the 890, this vintage of the 904 is singing now. The full throttle Tempranillo clay-wrapped around dark cherry, the tar, smoked peat, mint, moist soil and wet oak, all so mellifluously combined for a bottle that lasts nicely for 90 minutes or more. Slow-oxed fro 3 hours then decanted for 45 minutes. The 2004 has a bit more fruit roundness and less old wood than the legendary 2001, and with a little more time will unfold more complexity--but do not wait.
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Always a well made and balanced wine. Showing a little age with some bricking on the rim, secondary earth flavors. Still bright red fruit, moderate structure, and a nice finish.
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Medium dark red color. Small glass. Great nose, earth, charcoal, warm spices, dark red cherry, pencil. Medium bodied palate, cherry, earth, ash, pencil, wood. Others said they got a lot of dill off this, but for whatever reason, I did not. Drank next to an '05 that was also excdellent and just a bit younger. 93+pts.
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Wrote this one off several years ago as having too much bottle variation and aggressive oak so gave all my bottles away. I was wrong -- beautiful bottle tonight with well integrated oak (a bit forward at first but fell back into the wine after some time), soft and rich red fruit and a nice streak of savory notes. The acidity was notably strong, cutting through all the other flavors to keep you reaching for another glass. This might rival some of the best Rioja Alta vintages of the last couple decades in 5-10 years and I'm annoyed I gave them all up.
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Was somewhat unsure about whether this was ready to drink, but decided to try a bottle at Ruben's. This bottle was excellent and open for business! Plenty of red fruit, with touches of vanilla-oak and some other spices. This was quite smooth and drinking very nicely. And food-friendly too. No hurry on these, but also not much reason to wait. Will drink my remaining 3 over the next few years. Very enjoyable.
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"90% Tempranillo from vines > 40 yrs old grown in the municipalities of Briñas, Labastida, & Villalba, perfectly complemented with 10% Graciano from our Melchorón I & II Vyds in Briones & Rodezno; Alcoholic & malolactic fermentation were normal. In January 2005, the wine was transferred to 4 yr old AM oak barrels made in-house, where it stayed until January 2009. During ageing the wine was racked every 6 mos using traditional barrel-to-barrel methods. The wine has been rounding off in the bottle since February 2009, to further enhance its organoleptic components." 13% ABV, 1.2 g/l R.S., 6.2 g/l T.A., & 3.47 pH;
N: Barnyd, which mostly blows off to notes of oranges, poss cherries, & forest floor
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which, without even remotely losing touch with the init frt, evolves into a LONG, elegantly BALANCED finish with an intriguing tangy/swtness (& POSSIBLE *hints* of a very, VERY slight bitterness) to the unoffensive, firming, very, VERY fine tannins. A *wonderfully* ELEGANT wine for now &, I'd expect, through its 20th! My EXC+, arguably more for QPR *if* one was able to obtain it relatively cheaply. [As of late Jul '19, wine-searcher still shows sources from $70-$135]. 18, 17.5, 16+, & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + NUMEROUS other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
Note: Also tasted on 12/22/2018
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No specific notes. On the palate, red and black fruit with notes of dill, vanilla, and leather, with light tannins and good acidity. For my palate, the 2001 was better. The Cellartracker drinking window looks too short.
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Slow start with cellar dust and wet wood in the nose. Herbs and a hint of light, red fruit in the background. The wine is serious in the nose and seems to be a bit closed. On the palate we can find sandal wood, subtle strawberry and some unripe blueberry. After an hour of aeration it gains depth and strenght, the fruit becomes more intense. I have the impression it is in a good spot now, with some time to breath but there is plenty to come, so don´t drink all bottles at once. For now 91, but there is more to come.
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Coravin: Ruby. Mushroom, mild cedar before sweet fruit on the nose. Soft, red and black fruit, tart, medium bodied. Long finish. Out of bottle: Similar to above, but also prominent buttery notes on the nose and palate. Nice mushroom notes on the palate too. Well-integrated tannins. 90-93.
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Definitely; old school Rioja with a lot of American Oak on the aroma initially. However with more air; tobacco, incense, red fruits and cedar started peaking out. Flavor is lighter bodied; very sleek and elegant. Soft and easy to drink now. I would like more body and less oak. However; that’s the 904 style and/or perhaps the lightness of the 2004 Vintage. I’m buying the 2009 904; hoping for more flesh.. The aromatics on this wine are intriguing!
At La Marcha in Berkeley for Mother'sDday with my wife ans son . PnP. Medium red in color. Interesting nose. No fruit or flowers, but rather cedar, truffle oil and something very incense like. On the palate, there is some red fruit, along with baking spices and tobacco. Nice acidity. Although just medium bodied, the finish seemed quite prolonged. An elegant wine that went well with food.
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Relative to my prior tastings in 2017 and 2015, what used to be disjointed components has melded into much elegance and exceptional depth in the mid-palate. 1-2 hours of decanting helped the wine calm down and taste at its best (my wife was surprised to realize this was LRA's GR 904 from 2004. Earthy notes and notes of wet forest used to overwhelm, not any more. Drinks very well now. Should continue to go strong for a number of years (but no need to hold yourself back any more).
Absolutely spot-on classic Rioja: dark fruits, a bit of dilly oak and some lifted aromatics all wrapped up in a suave and elegant package. Lovely now, it's got years left ahead of it.
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The first 2 consecutive days of Coravin sample was not showing its best. 2 weeks later: Pulled the cork Nose: red cherry, damp earth, orange lozenges, vanilla cream. is complex. Palate: very nice, loved it.
Needs a long time to decant, then you will love it.
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No formal tasting note- drank at BYOW restaurant at Whistler BC (Araxi).
This is mature and elegant Rioja that will go well with a wide range of cuisine. Lots of complex flavors and aromas- dark fruits, coffee, baking spice , cigar ash etc. Lots of acidity to keep things fresh and a long finish. This has definitely improved in the last three or four years.
If cellared properly no reason to believe that this won't last another 5-10 years plus. Overall very well done.
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On the nose, nice earthy and savory leather, with some toasted woodsy notes
Sharp red fruits like dried cranberries cooked in a tagine with baking spices. Definitely some sweetness coming through with the vanilla notes from the oak. Good acidity in the wine. At first the tannins were hardly noticable but interestingly enough got stronger the more I drank.
Absolutely delicious. More elegance than power.
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Uncles Fine Wine Spring BYO (Home): Elegant. Dark, appealing fruit. Leather and tobacco. Fresh and cool. A nice wine. In a fine place right now. Was given some hours in a decanter before serving.
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A lovely ready to drink now or in 10 years wine. Lush tannins, with cherry-tobacco all through the palate and a clean finish. One of my favorite buys in wine for its beauty on its own or with salty-fatty Spanish cheeses and chorizo and/or serrano.
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Drinking perfectly right now. Cinnamon, vanilla, licorice and some dried red fruit. Well balanced and fully integrated. Silky smooth tannins. Nice legs on the glass. Elegant full body. Can’t imagine this will get any better. Wish I had more.
P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish "frt" met by some puckerish astringency which fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG,tangy/swt finish to the very, VERY fine tannins. MAY *still* be on the upswing? For now & likely approaching its 25th? My EXC/EXC+. 18, 17.5, 16+, & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + NUMEROUS other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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Vanilla, spice, cedar, some red fruit. Good mouth feel. Bought like 3 yrs ago at Costco, put away and forgot about be it. Some smoke. We did not decant as others have mentioned. Swirled glass for a full minute to get some results. Too much acid on the back end.
May mellow in 2 more yrs.
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Vanilla notes prominent but not overpowering. nicely balanced but can evolve further. Will try a bottle every couple of years... Prices for this estate have been rising so might want to stock up if you are a fan.
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PnP. Bouquet keeps revealing in 15 mins, from initial sous bois to leather and meat to significant Rioja fruits. Resilient palate and tannin with lingering acidity. Very enjoyable at this moment.
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The wine is yummy and all but it has a bit too much vanilla sweetness. Other than that, I like it quite a lot. I do not, though, think it is going to age all that well because it feels, over the last couple of years, as if the vanilla is becoming more prominent. That’s not helpful.
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I very much enjoyed this bottle but the wife said "meh". Plum colored, usually a bad omen. Very pleasant perfumed nose, complex, dancing, spring flowers. Medium bodied but quite enjoyable reddish blue fruit, refreshing and not overpowering. Long finish.
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From the same bottle tasted using a Coravin in June. Tasted over two days, alongside several quality Bordeaux. Wholly enchanting! Balanced power and elegance. No fan of wood...an there is a lot of it here...I do not really understand my appreciation for this wine, other than its quality. A good friend of mine is known to exclaim: 'Yes to good wine!'...and this certainly qualifies. The acid and substance should keep this spellbinding offering firing on all cylinders through 2034, probably longer. I will make every effort to hold my other bottle for as long as possible. 94-95.
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Entering its drinking wibdow. Needs 3 - 4 hour decant at this stage and could be at prime for 10 years more at least. No need to wait more if given good breathing time span . Smells like aromatic woods, leather, baking spices and black fruit. Many primary and secondary notes. Balanced palate. Will buy more, at current prices is a steal for what it delivers
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Mid garnet to mahogany red rim. Noted development on the bouquet with sweet fig, balsamic, incense, date, ripe banana, wet christmas cake and damp tobacco leaves. There are lightly toasted spices, mincemeat (for mince pies) as wines opens, and even a little antique leather desk. The aromas keeps drawinng you back for more. Very enticing! N: classic ripe banana sweet fig, date, more dried figs, wet Christmas cake, mincemeat and wet tobacco, deep, savoury elements, A medium-bodied wine with fabulous complexity and a sprightly acidity underpinning the array of fruits. Quite firm, chamois leather tannins with pronounced flavours of wet spices, savoury, leather, mincemeat, dried fig and more. Very complex and deep. Still resolving but almost there. Outstanding!
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Moving ahead very nicely and more integrated than before. A great accompaniment to Spanish antipasti( so to speak). Wonderfully dark and showing more smoke and cherry and less oak now, with a deeper, rich sense of tobacco, cherry, wet wood, forest floor, and leather. Never lost its fruit or balance over an hour’s meal. This will undoubtedly evolve and last for another 20 years but is now ready to start enjoying.
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Light plum colour; very pleasant nose of dark fruit and oak, quite complex; taste = pleasant but rather one dimensional. Slightly over-wooded, and already the second glass was showing signs of oxidisation. The bottle came with a 96 label awarded by Robert Parker, and a blurb on the back in English. The wine is clearly intended for the Anglophone market. I would say, caveat emptor. This is an easy-drinking wine. Do not pay too much for it.
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From magnum. A lovely bottle, very balanced and harmonious throughout. Quite open on the nose, lots of depth and quite layered showing notes of sweet dark fruit, spices, tobacco, wood smoke, vanilla, coffee beans. Generous on the palate, the acidity is seamlessly integrated. Soft tannic grip and very fine length. My WOTN. Drink or keep. 93-95
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Glass pour from a Coravin. Shared with good friends, who prepared smoked brisket and blueberry charcuterie salad. A magical pairing. Indeed, as much with the salad as the beef. Testable, and strikingly fresh! Showing minimal if any bricking, and effusive red fruits and berries: pomegranate, tart plum, strawberry, lingonberry, and cranberry in particular. Cured meats, kelp, and wafting hints of rock salt dust back the fruit. Gran Reserva Rioja's signature oak treatment also shows prominently, but it works, offering dill, cut tobacco, herbs, high-pitched umami, red loam, worn leather, and weathered clay notes. The juicy and expansive mouthfeel also features rapier-like acids. Noticed an intriguing gritty to pithy element at the transition from middle to back, where tannins also make a prominent appearance. The multi-faceted finish continually shape shifts from tangy red fruits, to oak imparted umami, to appealing steeliness. This bottle imparted the distinct impression of youth and long-term evolution. Certainly approachable now, but it will improve. Unlikely to enter an optimum drinking window before 2028-2030, and it should last for at least a decade thereafter. 94-96.
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Still going strong. Rustic style with the right amount of red fruits. Drinking really well right now. Not sure how the bottle was cellared except for the past 2 months.
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Regular dinner group (By PvD @ Fitzgerald): Dark berries and chocolate in the bouquet. Same on the palate, mocha, a lot of acidity which is a bit dominating. Off bottle? No score for tonight.
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Wow. This was one terrific wine. Robust but not overwhelming. The complex flavors develop in the mouth, and there is a n ice lingering finish. Wish I had more.
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Showing a little age on the rim - brick orange. Excellent nose with ripe strawberries, slight caramel and fresh lavender. Palate is ripe, rich and well balanced - good acidity giving freshness and vivacity, very fine tannins really well integrated. Fresh strawberries, some herbiness and a little blood orange freshness - showing a little gaminess as well. A very good wine which is certainly into its drinking window. Drink now-2028.
Big spicy oak banana. / ripe. Too heavy. Very oaky. I just can't drink these young. Way to much oak for me. Will it age? the older ones are much better but who knows.
PnP, was a little put off on day 1, was getting a lot of strawberry jam, seemed to lack complexity. But by day 3, fruit subsided and it developed more subtle flavors, and a longer finish, with leather, cocoa. Recommend a long decant, or 5 - 10 years of age.
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We are really digging this wine with it's tart red fruit blend of cherry, red raspberry and strawberry, Spanish bazaar leather, tobacco, pine Forest and a medium dry earthy finish.
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Deep ruby red colour, tart cherry and leather medium nose. Tasted of red fruits, tobacco. a little tart, young, medium body and length Feels lighter than traditional rioja, fresh. the balance and potential show through. will be much better in 5-10 years!
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Alla 2004 rioja är på väg in i sin storhetstid, så även denna som säkert vinner på ytterligare lagring. Betyget hade blivit ännu högre om inte eken varit så dominerade. Men ett utmärkt vin som intas till en oxfilé med gorgonzola.
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Still super young. Even with a 2 hour decant, dill, coconut and oak dominated. Began to loosen up after 4 hours, but still more to go. Remarkably fresh. Will wait several years for next bottle.
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I bought a case of these due to the high scores and apparent great QPR. I guess I'm just not a great fan of fine Rioja. I can totally see why people like it; lots of fruit, quite intense, decent length. For me the acidity is too pronounced though, with the way the fruit feels at the very mature end of the spectrum (and even a bit jammy, not really to my taste) I don't think this will balance out over time. With food these impressions fade of course so I will have the rest of my bottles with some hardy stews and similar I think. Coming back to the slight jamminess of that fruit, I am wondering if it has something to do with the production process, they make this is pretty large quantities; I don't normally mind Tempranillo, in fact I like it a lot in anything from a Ribera del Duero to a good Douro, and I love their Alta Gran Reserva 890 (which is made in smaller batches). So it is tempting to think that this was an off-bottle, but since we had several, which just came out of bond just a week ago it's much more likely I just don't like this style, how disappointing...
A waft of cigar box, moist wood, dark cherry and wet leaves opens the nose, and on the palate the initially thinner, tight Tempranillo package unfolds nicely. The evolutiion since release is encouraging and while this has yet to show the full corps and complexity of the 2001, time may just be needed. A very nicely aged melange of dark forest flavors overlaid by clay- enclosed dark cherry, tobacco, smoke and leather emerges.
Well on its way to being the best QPR on the market. While it is lighter and less serious than the great 890s, it Is also 1/3 the cost.
Now it shines! First night open, there’s still that feeling of tightly wound fruit, coconut oil, dill pickles and vanilla from the oak. But after a night recorked, in the fridge, it’s a completely different animal - a lovely developed nose with all sorts of berries and leather, still some vanilla, but integrated and the wine is rather medium bodied and gives a fresh feel.
Ruby core with a brick edge. Nose of menthol, red cherry cola, barnyard floor, straw, oak, spices. The palate is still primary despite the wines age with intense red cherry fruit, grip on the mid palate, a lick of oak and spice on the finish. This is classy and excellent now but needs more time for the tertiary flavours to come through.
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Blind for G+M: Earth, sweet-sour, chocolate, tobacco leaf, slightly smoky/charred, goo dintensity on the nose, spice (clove and nutmeg), old wood, polished furniture, inner wooden chest, tangy fruit, golden raisin, brushed horse hair, coconut. Old wood, resin, long mid-palate, drying taannins, tangy, very long. Very good
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Extra dry with great acidity and notes of dill, wet forest leaves, earth, and red berries. Very good components that are not yet fully singing together (e.g., limited secondary/tertiary notes), even after few hours of decanting. Some improvement since my May 2015 tasting, but it's still not at its prime. Hold until 2019+. Decant generously if drinking soon.
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Evening with friends: Required lot of air and time to open, decanted three hours before dinner. Classical, very classical and elegant. On the nose ethereous and balsamic, on the palate fresh and very dry (tannic) but also very sustainable. Already great but still very young maybe even too young to drink now but has big potential, will last forever. 94 to 96 points.
Lovely Rioja. The cork on this bottle was super tight and only wet on the very end next to the wine. Notes of cedar, red berries, vanilla and tea. In its drinking window. Some of the other notes suggest either heat damage during shipment or poor storage or some not so good corks. Glad I have more assuming the corks are sound.
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PnP. Clean and medium intensity aroma. Wishfully in her primary stage with vegetal and leather and touch of dried fruits. Decent acidity and good weight. Will try the next bottle in a year.
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Slow-oxed for an hour. In the glass, medium red and slightly cloudy. On the nose, dill and a bit of leather. On the palate, pronounced dill/pickle notes, to the point of nearly overwhelming the fruit and leather notes. We had a bottle of this a few months ago and I had the same experience - I was hoping that was an off bottle, but that's seeming less likely. Not obviously flawed, just not to my taste.
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Great promise but very young! Takes about 4 hours in the glass to open up (no decanter; it's 70ml sample from Coravin; first access). Seems less evolved than the 2005.
This lovely wine reveals massive red fruit, rich leathery tones, dried flowers, a whiff of citrus zest and orange blossom but also sun warm strawberry. The palate reveals a close to perfect integration and a superb vocal texture. The wine is still as cool and elegant as described in my other TNs on this effort. Actually it is worth pointing out again that both elegance as well as the clean impression are thh hallmarks of this effort. Drink now or hold for another couple of years - or perhaps even longer. A lovely wine, well worth trying if given the chance! (score is 94+)
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Uh oh. Major bottle variation with this one tonight.
I've drank 4 of the 2004's to date and all were delicious and very consistent. Tonight's 5th bottle, bought at the same time, from the same wine shop and stored in the same climate controlled cellar at my house, was DOA upon opening.
The cork was fine. I let it warm up from the 56F it was stored at. I aerated it. I let it sit. I revisited it 30, 60 and 90 minutes later in the evening.
Nothing could revive this bottle. The fruit was mostly gone and there was a noticeable chemical smell. This bottle was off.
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2004 LA RIOJA ALTA GRAN RESERVA 904 RIOJA- having had this beauty previously, I was happy to see what the next adventure would hold and it was wroth the wait and ensured it will not be that long before the next visit; this was loaded with flavours including sweet vanilla, spice, dried cranberry and red cherry delivered in a medium body with good length; the bright tannins were barely evident and should be supportive for longevity; made from Tempranillo and Graciano.
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I have owned this for 3 years and was waiting and waiting to open it based on the reviews here. The first bottle, the cork just crumbled and the wine had turned. The second, it seems as if the best days were two years ago. Granted, it was fine, but the 05 is much better and I was humbly suggest drinking the 04 now. The color had turned to almost Brunello. It was not deep and rich. It took about 45 minutes to mute its sour start, and actually settled into a nice wine. Was concerned it had too much air already--but got better despite the coloration. It's a mystery.
Decanted for an hour; no sediment. Deep ruby red color with bricking. Nose of tobacco, red fruit, and vanilla. Medium-bodied, with red fruit and considerable oak on the palate, brightened by lively acids. Tannins appear to be resolved, with the finish pleasing and long. May improve with further aging, and this should still be quite enjoyable at age 20. At $40, a reasonable QPR. Day 2: Seemed even better balanced and without the oak being so obvious. I've upped my score by a point.
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Wanna "Heroic Vineyards"? Visit Lebanon; 6/14/2017-6/18/2017 (Beirut - Lebanon): Shared with Gaston and château Musar enologist. their comments went to acidity, light bodied, slight oaky, elegance, presence of Grenache ... In some aspects remembered as an old Château Musar according with Gaston point of view. I am glad to obtain new vision on Rioja wines. Whats about me? This is excessively young for me but enjoyable right now.
Compartida con Gaston y su enólogo. Sus comentarios fueron para la acidez, el cuerpo ligero, la sensación ligera a roble, la elegancia, la presencia de la garnacha ... En algunos aspectos recordaba a un viejo Chateau Musar según el punto de vista de Gaston. Me alegra tener una nueva visión sobre los vinos de Rioja. ¿Qué pasa conmigo? Esto es excesivamente joven para mí, pero bastante agradable en este momento.
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Consistent with previous bottles, last tasted July, 2016. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity. 13.5% abv.
Purchased for $40US, this wine continues to thoroughly impress. Glad I still have one more bottle left.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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I can't add aything thats not in my 12/16 note except i liked it a little more. This is going to be really special in 5 years but its great right now. Wait?
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A marvellous Rioja, even for me who normally do not drink that much of these wines. This wonderful effort reveals rather substantial but certainly integrated and balanced red fruit, profound tones of saddle leather and dried flowers. After some time in the glass beautiful violets and sun warm strawberries emerge. The palate adds perfectly with a both integration and texture. Still, this effort is very cool and elegant. Everything is here, but nothing is over the top. The elegance and a clean impression are certainly two important keywords here. Very pleasurable tonight but certainly in it for the longer haul too. A lovely wine. (score is 94+)
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Spectacular bottle. Drank 1/2 bottle during a blind tasting, later opened the bottle during the evening (12 hours later) and it was simply spectacular. Smooth, well integrated, very long. What a bargain.
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This is more awkward and rough than the 2001, but still an enjoyable experience. Mixed red and blue fruit with black plum. There is a lot of oak at this point, but somehow it is neutral to me. It does not cover up the rest of the wine, but it also does not enhance it. Probably a hold at this point (or it will never really get to where the 2001 is at).
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Much as previous notes have said, this wine is still quite backward. Certainly compared to the 2001 at a similar point this still has a lot more development yet to come. There's a snapshot of the fruit but it's overlaid with too much oak at this point. I've moved my drinking dates to 2020-2035. Drinking it on the second day is better than the first!
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Too dark to judge the color. Faded cigarette ash and mixed red berries with plum on the nose. Complex and mildly peaty, lots of spices, blackberries and plums on tons of wood.
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A complex nose of rum cake, Sandalwood, cedar and leather. Lengthy finish with nice acidity. This has years left but is quite delicious now. I wish I had a case of this vintage. ...Reminds me of fantastic aromas of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.
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Took a while to come together, but once it did, it's classic 904: Impeccable balance between cherry fruit and spice/tobacco/oak flavors.
Not as dense and silky as the 98; doesn't give me the feeling of maraschino cherries dipped in chocolate, but instead it's light on its feet, aromatic and elegant.
Very young. Next bottle will sleep for a few more years.
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Used Coravin twice, then open and drank over three days. Best glass was the last one. First were ok, but too much oak, etc. The last glass was mahogany, leather, etc. as I want with this wine. Will leave my others for a while.
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Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah Drunk over multiple days. Clear, deep, glowing ruby garnet color. Clean, very intense, fully developed nose with aromas of tobacco, leather, spices, red fruit, red, raw meat, some barnyard. The scent is noticeable even if the glass is standing in front of me on the table. Fantastic! Dry, medium+ /high acidity, medium+, very fine and elegant tannin. Acidity and tannin are perfectly integrated. Pleasantly low alcohol (13% abv), medium body with medium+ intense flavors. Cool, elegant aromas, red fruit, salty minerality, spices, herbs, tobacco, oak. Wonderful, long and lingering. Maybe the only restriction is the note of lovage. But anyway, I really like this wine and its exceptional PQR! It is certainly starting its peak. If it’s already at its pinnacle? Don’t think so. Will drink nicely for the next 10 years. Beautiful wine.
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Darker ruby color. Same btl as R&Rler. Better than my October 2015 btl but still drinking very young and primary. Still dominated by its oak on the nose and palate both and in much need of further integration, for my palate. Oak is still masking the Rioja terroir and Tempranillo character. Right now, this taste more like modern winemaking craft than Rioja. I only bought one btl myself back in 2015 and not sure I'd want to own more of these. That said, this may end up rocking in 3+ years if its fruit can climb out from beneath its oak. 90+/91-
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WTDS at Tilia: Rhones Among Others (3/2/17): Dark red color. Drank 1 glass over 75 minutes. While still showing plenty of youthful dill notes on the both the nose and palate, there is so much going on here that balances everything out. The mouthwatering acidity, sweet red fruit, delicious, medium full bodied, with finesse and nice concentration, very long. This is just really coming into its own and with another couple years that oak is going to fold in further.
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Drank bottle over a month or so using Coravin, which worked, albeit with some slight ageing I would say, need to perfect my technique! Less oak this time than I remember from my last, more classic 904 palate.
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Nose: The nose was balanced and fragrant with dill, sour red cherries, leather, herbs, strawberries, and earth tones. There is excellent depth with this showing the class one would expect from a Gran Reserva.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The acidity has some punch with the tannins showing some chewiness. The feel is well balanced with sour red cherries, leather tones, strawberries, dill, and some herbs.
Overall: This is a lovely and young Gran Riserva. Yes, it is open and drinking quite well, but there is much more that this can give.
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The American oak jumps out of the glass from the get-go, with dill and coconut aromas that have plenty of Rioja typicity; With air, the palate becomes quite complex, with a melange of spicy red fruit, leather, tobacco and dried herbs; This clearly needs time for the American oak to settle, but it's still quite delicious in its current form
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Deep red with orange rim and clear in the glass. Bright cherry, clove, eucalyptus, and coconut on the nose and palate. Also some orange peel on the palate. Really wonderful mid-palate feel. Melted tannins and mouth-watering acidity. Medium length cherry, eucalyptus finish. Delicious. 93-94.
I've got one more 750 left and will hold at least 5 yrs. Not that it's not drinking well now. It is. But I want to see where this goes.
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From Magnum. After an hour in a decanter it was coming round. Wonderful spice and layers of red fruits, but it is clear the wine has a long way to go before hitting full stride in this format.
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Light, translucent color. Great nose. Saddle leather, cigar box and some faint cherry flavors. The tannins have really calmed down since I last tried it 18 months ago. Starting to add some complexity and wait if you can but a good wine now.
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A Thursday night at Rich's (Chez Nanda): Nose: The nose is balanced and aromatic with vanilla, spice tones, sour red cherries, raspberries, licorice, red florals, and dill tones.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it with the tannins having a chewiness. The feel is refined with vanilla, spice tones, sour red cherries, raspberries, red florals, and dill notes.
Overall: This is still showing fairly young, but with a refined sense to it.
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Served double blind and this one was easy to peg as young Rioja. The nose just screams American Oak with intense (and currently off-putting) dill pickle notes that are not yet integrated with the rich, earthy cherry notes. Palate has a similar unpleasantly dill flavor profile. The wine does have good concentration and structure. I think this wine will come around just fine as the American Oak integrates -- but for now it's not pleasant. Hold for at least 5 years, and probably closer to 10 years.
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Honey Butter Fried Chicken and blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind. I had barely had a chance to stick my nose into the glass before Phil called LRA on this. And boy, is it true to form. Coconut, vanilla, and dill. For days. But this is a very good example, with ample fruit and acid, and good balance, so long as you can tolerate the American oak. This is still quite fresh, and despite its youth, the tannins aren't too ornery.
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As lovely as during previous tastings. This wonderful effort exhibits massive but still balanced and integrated red fruit, rich saddle leather, dried flowers with tones of violets and last but not least lovely sun warm strawberry. The palate adds wonderfully to the first experience with a lovely integration and a superb texture. But do not be mistaken, it is still as cool and elegant as one would expect. The elegance and a clean impression are two major features of this effort. It is exactly the same as during my last tasting. No difference. There is no reason to hold off drinking as the wine is true pleasure tonight too, but age will do this effort further justice - I am utterly confident. A lovely wine, well worth seeking out. (score is 94+)
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Always hard to place a finger on the complex body of the 904s. Tasted cigar box, coconut and suntan oil. I think "beach" when I drank this wine as strange as that may sound. With some more cellar time this wine should be a 93 or so.
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DTC 90 - 100 Parker Points wines (@ PvdB): Beautiful bouquet with creamy red berries, vanilla, some smoke and farmyard flavors. On the palate juicy dark berries, chocolate, beautiful oak and toast, beautiful acidity and tannin with a good future. Overall a beautiful wine with good freshness, perfectly dosed oak and very harmonious. So much better than the bottle I had in 2015. Beautiful and classical wine with still a good future until well into the 2020’s.
Lovely wine, fresh herb and cedar on the nose. Medium body, medium fruit, vegetal finish, some rosemary and a littel bit of dill, (the 2005 has pronounced dill, this previous vintage is much less).
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Red with orange rim. Cherry, plum, cedar, eucalyptus and clove on the nose and palate. This wine has softened and lost some intesnity, relative to the bottles I had a couple of years ago. It hasn't become more complex with age. (88-89).
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Steak wines @ Lurra (Lurra, London): Very plush and smooth. A little warm (temp). Dark fruited with good acidity. Enjoyable now in its youth, but best left a few years for the purist's palate. All there. ***(*)
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First bottle popped of a case so no rating just now. Classic dill on the palate - love my old style Riojas. Quite drinkable PNP but certainly better after a day. Pleasant dried fruits and just so drinkable. Well liked by my big California cab friends, as it always is. And so why are they paying twice as much or more for their bottles? Drank 2004 Vina Ardanza in the same week (see those notes). This has more depth and will go longer. No way that the VA is a better wine.
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This is a wine which delivers some discussion. It is beautiful in the nose, nice complexity. On the palate the complexity continues however it seems to be a bit too old at this point. So it does not finish in nice way.
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Friskere, lengre, mere tobakk, rødbær. Bedre balanse. (sammenliknet med 2005). Man skal ikke være allergisk mot fat her. Mye av alt, men likevel godt montert sammen og fint balansert uten å bli for rikt. Frisk og lang. 91
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This wine is very tight - it improved vastly with two hours' decanting and was even better after almost 8 hours in the decanter. It has an elegant nose of violet, mineral, and mushroom with just a hint of red fruit. I suspect the wine is in a closed state and will be more accessible in about two years or so.
I drank a 1995 Mondavi reserve Cab before we opened this. This had a nose of roasted coconut and the the flavor of roasted coconut with milk chocolate. It smelled like a Mounds candy Bar wrapper. I assume because our palate was changed from the 95 Mondavi. But I love Mounds Bars!
This was very light and easy to drink. I love wines that are 13% abv. Great for hot Naples Fl nights.
Glass: Schott Zwiesel Burgundy One glass poured with Coravin. Clear medium garnet color. Wonderful, intense, developing complex Rioja nose. Dry, fine-grained medium+ tannin and medium+ acidity, both perfectly integrated. Silky, elegant mouthfeel, fruit, oak, smoke. Long finish. Very enjoyable now, but will certainly improve a bit more and will stay at this level for at least a decade. Great PQR!
Seemed to be a bit more fruity and with higher accidity than 2001. Nice barnyardy, red berries nose. Went so well with fatty kebab. Very very good, a classic.
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Popped and poured. Clear ruby (no real bricking, but certainly not as dark as your usual tempranillo), no sediment. A little closed at first, but this wine got going after an hour or so. Dark cherry gave way to tart cherry, with complex aromas of plum, wood spice, earth, aged meat, toasted oak and a whiff of farmyard. Medium body, firm but velvety tannins and a pleasant, medium(+) finish. This is a clean, well-made wine, which I am hoping will improve even more over the next few years - although by all means drink now with a decant. Looking forward to opening my next bottle in a year or two.
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Decanted for 2 hours and paired with grilled salmon (paired very well). Drank very well - didn't take formal notes. This has improved from my last tasting in 12/2015 - could be bottle variation or just getting better with time....
92+/- Will buy more.
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This is gorgeous. Right after opening I smelled fresh-from-the-cow milk (yeah, there's cows around, so I know the smell). Irritating, but it was just closed. Opened up during the meal which consisted of bone aged Irish filet mignon with grilled asparagus and home made chimichurri. Pairing worked. After a while the 904 develops nose qualities somewhere between aged bordeaux and burgundy. Very intriguing. Both a bit tart and generously sweet, long. A wine with attitude and 'una manera de honra muy particular'. Will stock up, this is not going to get any worse, only better.
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Consistent with previous bottles. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity. 13.5% abv.
Purchased for $40US, this wine continues to thoroughly impress. Glad I bought more of them.
I have no idea how to rate this as its My first Rioja. This one has older musty, dusty notes like an older cab or Bordeaux. Acidic and tart on the finish. tasted like an over the hill Beringer private reserve or Mondavi reserve from the 90's. It wasn't bad just not a wow wine
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Loved this. Herbal, oregano, menthol, black cherry, vanilla. Great with food but could drink this on its own. Great balance and complexity. Best Rioja I've had, amazing finish. Will be adding more bottles to the cellar. Score!
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A brilliant effort exhibiting massive red fruit, leather, dried violets and lovely sun warm strawberry. The palate is not leaving anything behind either. With a lovely integration and a superb texture, but still cool and elegant, it certainly adds to the overall impression in a positive way. Elegance and a clean impression are two relevant keywords. The wine is enjoyable tonight but I am confident it will continue to develop along a very pleasant trajectory. There is no reason to hold off drinking, but age will do this effort justice. Overall impression is very positive.
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Lovely wine. Already opening up with ripe fruit, spice, and some leather. Good fruit on the palate, silky, but with a noticeable tinge of tartness at the end that makes it demand food. Good, just not as complete as the 2001. Still a baby.
Decanted 3+ hours. An elegant Rioja with finesse, layers of flavor and superb balance. The tart, brambly cherry and cranberry fruit is still youthful and interplays splendidly with the clove and anise spice, tobacco and leather. Love the earthy finish. This wine was perfect with our marinaded lollipop lamb chops.
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Already extraordinary, with many years of maturing ahead. Decanted for an hour, but could wait no longer. Purple body, with light ruby edges. The aromas are phenomenal – rich, deep, full, robust, exotic spices married to ripe dark fruits. So muscular, it belies the lithe lightness of the body. For the first few hours, the palate was an afterthought. Quite nice, but not spectacular. On day two, the acidity has dropped away and a lush suave texture caresses the tongue while bountiful berries and cedar afternotes tantalize the tongue. The finish lingers for minutes. Buenissimo!
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A Wet Spanish Wine Wednesday (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. Splash double decanted, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. It was really interesting to see this side by side with the '04 La Rioja Arana. There are so many similarities between the two wines. The conversation for the first 30 minutes was that we liked the Arana better than the 904 and that it was such an incredible value. It was apparent from the start that the 904 was not as open and ready to go, but gradually it built and emerged to show why it is the better wine. Always built to age, this just needed to get its feet under it. By 60-90 minutes it was clear where this was going and it continued to improve over 3 hours. Complex and wonderfully balanced, on the nose there is a perfume of wood, wood spice, flowers, cedarbox, leather, cherry fruit, pencil shavings. The palate is dusty, cherry, tangy, graphite, nice tannins, long finish, and later a rather prominent and classic dill note emerges on the nose and palate. Drinking well now with significant air, will benefit from an additional 3 years of cellaring. My and group #2 WOTN. 92+(+)pts
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Beautiful Rioja with great depth and finesse, but in need of many more years in bottle and a long decant if you decide to open it now. The plum and strawberry fruit is highly pure and perfumed with lots of layered savoury herbaceous notes beneath. Moreish acidity and fine tannins balance everything out. Finish felt a little short, but I think that's because this is quite young at the moment. Potential is great.
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This was good, but even after a 3 hour decant I felt that it needed more. That being said, 3-5 years in the cellar would be the best option. This has incredible potential.
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Young, but accessible. Great refreshing acidity and juiciness. Firm, but by no means rough tannins. Classic high level traditional rioja profile on aromas; complex but on the primary side.
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Decanted for about an hour, which probably wasn't enough. I was in the minority in the group thinking this was way too oaky...I couldn't get past it, both on the nose and the palate. Maybe just needs more time...a lot more.
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Decanted two hours. Enjoyed by all with grilled burgers and after dinner. Very nice but still very young. Big oak. Will be another 5 years or so before hitting its prime.
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The wine was medium garnet in colour and offered a great, complex, intoxicating nose of red fruit, cucumber, coconut, chocolate, leather, tobacco, spices, vanilla, cinnamon and clove. On the palate the medium-bodied, balanced and complex wine showed red fruit, red cherry, black raspberry, cucumber, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, spices vanilla and clove, with fresh, lively, medium-plus acidity, medium-level tannin and incredible length. The tannin still seemed a little harsh and still need some time. A truly great Rioja that will drink well for decades!
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Decanted for an hour and not sure that was needed as it was drinking great with no signs it needed help softening. Cherry and black raspberry and an incredible smoothness. Clearly in its drinking window.
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This was delicious. On initial opening, a lot of cherry and fruit. Decanted and after an hour, nice leather and plum, moderate tannins, with a candycane note on the finish, which was moderate in length. Very enjoyable and pairs very well with some jamon and spaghetti with tomato.
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Never disappoints. Will age, but drinks so well now. A bit more weight than the 05. Will drink this up before touching 05s. Ripe cherry, Indian spices, cedar, cigar tobacco, underbrush. awesome.
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Raspberries, cherries, leather and hints of chocolate on the nose. Sour cherries on the palate with dark chocolate notes. A little chewy on the finish but this was long and sweet. Nicely balanced, medium-full bodied. Drinking well.
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Gorgeous! Balanced red fruits, tea, green herbs, leather. Taste is medium bodied, very elegant, very long. The definition of Classic rioja. Will easily last another decade, as it still comes out very Young.
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Color: deep/dark ruby core -> medium deep ruby/garnet rim. Really nice bouquet of saddle leather, tar, tobacco and yeah, a little balsamic reduction. Full bodied palate drinking perfectly now IMO; cured meats, cranberries, vanilla and toasty American oak make this quite the stylish, enticing wine. Great acid and a nice, long finish complete it; drink now and for quite a few years to come. Delicious stuff and wishing I had more!
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Somehow I was struggling with this wine. On one side it was delicate (eg 13%) and on the other side I had the feeling it was completely overdone with oak.
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Bright red and some juicy black fruit, balslamic, black tea, leather, oak. Oak starting to integrate. Deep and layered this is young and delicious. This will be fantastic in a few years imo.
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Extremely good. Strong aromas of tar, mushrooms, cured meat, wild blackberry, balsamic vinegar, tobacco, and oak. This is one of those rare wines that's more fun to smell than to drink. It's classic rioja in the mouth, full of juicy, citrusy acidity with interwoven oaky tannins. The wine has a pronounced wild element that is reminiscent of a Belgian lambic. The finish includes minerality, leathery tannins, and citrus.
This is a very special wine that won't be a crowd pleaser but will please fans of savory, complex, non-fruit-forward wines. There is no better wine to display the positive influences of aging in American oak.
Consistent with previous bottle. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity.
Purchased for $40US, this wine blew me away tonight. Served pnp, it was the WOTN enjoyed with friends at a local BYOB. Wow, this is an absolutely delicious bottling.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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I like this wine the first time I tried it a couple of months back and decided to get a couple for Christmas dinner with the family. Double decanted about 5 hours prior to serving, all three bottles we had were absolutely stunning, and I am upping my score from previously 92 to 95. This is in a great place now with the decant and drinking so well, such great balance and finesse, almost weightless. Great QPR.
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Väri syvän tiilen punainen, kaunis Tuoksu: mahtava. Nahkaa tähtianista, kenkälaatikko, kypsän hedelmäinen Maku: paksu, suklainen, bäysenmarjaa, pehmeät tanniinin, lakritsia, inkivääriä. Ryhdikäs ja voimakas Valmis nautittavaksi mutta varmasti kestää hyvin ikäännyttämistä.
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Se presenta sin sorpresas: de expresión franca y muy tradicional - muchos puntos en común con la cosecha del 2000. Aromas iniciales de orden dulzoso a frutos rojos maduros, cascarilla de naranja, tabaco Virginia, toffee, melaza y un apunte de ebanistería de fondo (tung, lacas). Impecablemente perfilado, elegante y abierto, infusionado en vainilla, equilibrado, sin parafernalia inecesaria. Aquí no sobra nada. Reconocible de principio a fin como 904. Da la impresión de ser un vino menos abultado que el 2001, más pausado, aunque con una necedidad evidente de guarda en botella para comenzar a ganar en matices. Lo tiene todo para que así sea. El tiempo lo dirá...
En boca se muestra enérgico, dotado de una acidez intensa que acrecienta la sensación inicial de sequedad. Vivo, lleno, aportando un tanino algo marcado, aún por pulir. El conjunto ya es notable, sabroso, muy frutoso, con ese matiz de dulcedumbre, tan de La Rioja Alta, adornado de tostados, especiados, amargosos... Larguísimo, con dni riojano. Gran trabajo de la bodega aunque aún es pronto para valorarlo en plenitud. Hay quien afirma que se pueda detectar un cierto cambio de estilo, algunos matices que no solían darse anteriormente... En todo caso, es complicado estar seguro. Ha gustado y mucho.
- - - Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 90% tempranillo, 10% graciano. 13.5% vol. - La tempranillo proviene de los viñedos propios más viejos ubicados en subzona de la Rioja Alta, principalmente de los municipios de Briñas, Labastida y Villalba. El resto de la uva es originaria de las fincas Melchorón I y II de Briones y Rodezno. Todos los viñedos tienen una edad superior a 40 años. La fermentación alcohólica se desarrolló en 12 días, descubándose cinco días después. La fermentación maloláctica se desarrolló en depósitos de acero inoxidable de forma natural. En enero de 2.005 los vinos pasaron a criarse en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros de fabricación propia, con una media de edad de 4 años. Sometido a trasiegos manuales de forma periódica cada 6 meses por el método tradicional de barrica a barrica, a la luz de la vela. Filtrado muy suave antes de ser embotellado en febrero de 2.009. Un mínimo de 60 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Decanted for 1 hour and served with grilled Salmon (nice pairing). Needs 2-3 more years. No movement overnight either. Dried cherry, tart cherry, earthy on nose. Medium body with cranberry, tart cherry, dill on palate. medium+ acidity & long finish. 91-92 today with room for improvement in 3-5 more years. Enjoyable but not at prime time today. Will buy some more bottles to cellar but won't drink until 2017+
Tasted blind. Very earthy, with fine tannins and sweet red and black fruit. Notes of plums, beef stew and laced with acidity. Too young and rather overt at the moment, I think a couple more years would do it justice.
Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity.
Purchased for $40US, this wine blew me away tonight. Served pnp, it continued to get better throughout the 60 minutes it was open during dinner. Wow, this is an absolutely delicious bottling.
(Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2015) :: Rich palate and complexity, showing leather, balsam, cloves, cherries. Wonderfully integrated tannins, leaving an elegant, full and poised mouthfeel on a long finish. Excellent.
Less impressed this time compared to a year ago. More coconut oil and vanilla on the nose and the fruit while balanced and clean and lovely did not show as many interesting layers. At the same time, this is a very good wine that is versatile and delicious.
Raw meat, chocolate, vanilla. blueberries and blackberries. Good finnish with soft tannins. Oily and bloody texture and feel. It's drinkable pnp right now, but should improve with age when oak will integrate even better and the wine calms down a bit.
What a difference 6 months can make! The wine is now really starting to come together and the two- point jump may be one of two in time. The soft tobacco, clay, sweet dark cherry and tar nose was followed by a dark earthy clay, oak- soaked dark cherry, smokey flavor-- but just beginning. This will never rise,of course, to the depth and complexity level of the 890, and I suspect that these 904s will have some of the same variability that the wonderful 2001s displayed. Having said that, my initial skepticism, or at least question about this otherwise wonderful vintage, was allayed. The next 3 years will tell if the complexity and depth are added. I suspect they will be. A great investment QPR.
Wife says, "Whatever this is, I give it a 10" (that's 10/10 on a 1-10 scale). Decanted for about 3 hours. My novice assessment: great fruit on the nose, a bit of earth but prominent red fruit on the palate. Quite tannic even after the decant. Good finish, although you have to fight through the tannins to appreciate it. This ought to improve with another 5-15 years, but certainly enjoyable now with a prolonged decant.
PNP, starting drinking an hour in. Its amazing how young this is drinking at 11yrs in. The biggest issue is the masking vanilla from the oak. The tannins are smooth but this is fairly one dimensional at this stage. Needs at least 3 more years if not 5. Happily, I only grabbed one. I have a buddy who thinks Rioja is a better value than Burgundy. I'm sorry, I don't agree. Many Riojas need a couple decades to integrate the oak. On the surface it seems admirable that its being released with 10yrs btl age but this has miles to go before we will ever know its real potential. I'd rather pay $47 for a village Burg. 87- 89pt experience right now. Hopefully this will shine with 3-5 more years. Not sure I want load up based on where it is, right now with 11yrs under its belt.
Hello this is my first tasting note and thank you for allowing me to join. I'am afraid I can not give you a lot of metaphoric terms for this wine only what I taste . Opened left for 1 hour around 17 degrees on pouring nice fruity smell from bottle not alcoholic at all . On tasting first initial taste was fruity then dying into the middle of the mouth into a jammy sensation around the top palate . Was it worth £25 quid , no. Will try 1994 to compare and let you know.
We sipped with Mark et al of Kerry Wines at The Hong Kong Golf Open! Cheers, matey, a hole in one!!!
Luvly light red colour on the eye. Outstanding aromas of toasty oak, spices, a touch of leather, slightly meaty, chocolate and espresso. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert all in one nose. Medium-bodied, fairly simple palate with subtle tannins. Perhaps too young? Or not enough breathing? The aromas are so commanding that we think the palate is overwhelmed. Not necessarily a bad thing, but the nose geared us up while the palate brought us back to reality...albeit a very nice landing in a voluptuous venue! Think Beyonce on the nose, slightly bigger Bruno Mars on the palate...
Decanted two hours. A wonderfully complex foresty leathery spicy nose that had me studying it for half an hour before tasting: charcuterie and dried cherry complete it. The mouth was equally complex, with dried strawberry, cigar box, and cherry notes. Good finish, but not quite as stunning as the rest of the wine. I was worried I was opening it too young; the decant may have done the trick, or it could be ready now even with less decanting time.
Holy moly. The beauty of the wines from this producer never fails to impress me. This is rich, deep, dark red, voluptuous and full of acid (med-high), with perfect oaking and a v long finish. This is a complete delight now but has even better things ahead of it. 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano. $62.
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For the reviews noting Dill on the nose. You’re not giving the wine sufficient time to breath. Its been sleeping for over a decade give it a few hours to open. Nose high toned with wet wood, macerated dried fruit of red plum and cherry, hints of raw unburnt myrrh and old worn leather. Lively palate, fresh, well integrated tannins, woodsy cranberry, dried sour cherry, almost comes across burgundian. Everything about this wine improved on day two. It doesn’t live up to all the hyped scores of mid 90’s. As an alternative at half the price, 2001 Faustino Gran Reserva. Purchased from retail store and served at 65-75 and enjoyed with grilled pork. Drinking window now – 15 years…Na zdrowie
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A lots of dark fruits, vanilla, coffee and tabac. I am not a big fan of this kind of wine, but anyway I give him 92 points beacuse of his performance a strongness. It should be decanted for at least 1 hour in advance.
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #102; Rioja (By CvR): The bouquet is quite mature with barnyard, nuts, espresso and toasted oak. On the palate not so much fruit left, some dark berries, sweet spices, herbs, vanilla, firm acidity and completely melted tannin. This bottle was on the edge of being too old, so I have my questions about how it has been stored. In the group it was a “discussion” wine. My score for tonight was 90.
You don't forget this one. Evolves over time, each incarnation interesting: when you think you have it figured out, it offers new pleasures. I have initially dismissed it due to high acidity but that was a mistake; soon I have discovered its milky honey as a counter. It's a demanding wine, I don't think I would recommend it for anyone not already looking for something different. Needs 2h of air before drinking.
Voldsomt fatpreg ved åpning, med luft kommer frukten frem. Lær, tobakk, bjørnebær på nese. Følger opp i munn. Frisk, skikkelig strukturert og lang, men fin balanse. Mye fatpreg trekker litt ned, men til lammelår og rotgrønnsaker kommer vinen til sitt fulle. 90-91
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DHWine. Nose: sherry, leather. Light wine which starts as slightly sharp with notes of spice and vanilla (tasted with blue cheese, sun-dried peppers, Spanish tortilla, ham and cured meat sausage).
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delicious and exciting/confusing because the fruit is big and pretty dark but all the acid makes it so bright and mouthwatering. I don't know how more reviews don't mention the dill though- the American oak is very noticeable and probably overdone, I don't know if that gets better with time but it's very dilly to me, I keep thinking like there's a splash of pickle juice in it. Better in every way after a couple days, tannins which are pretty strong really mellowed out. Don't have enough experience with Rioja to opine on how much better this might get w time
still young and quite firm but there is so much potential for this wine. Somehow you can sense that in 3-5 years this is likely to bloom into something rather wonderful
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Arrrrrrrrr. The sound of a man returning to good Rioja. 2 years back I had a 2001 of this wine that was all oak and tomato and I vowed to stay away. Well, this sorted it out - a great wine with balance, depth and balance without ever reverting into the overtly drying oaky notes. There is a touch of oak of course but the brilliance of the fruit and complexity on the nose really elevates this wine. Good now, superb in 10 years.
Medium, brick red in colour. Complex and layered on the nose - plums, raisins, spices, iodine, leather, cured meat, chocolate, smoke, slightly floral, too. Really beautiful. On the palate full-bodied, fresh and grippy with good, slightly sweet fruit, powdery tannins. Surprisingly expressive and accessible. Wonderful length. Amazing, especially considering its price tag. Great future. 93-94+
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Really very good. Quite high alcohol on the nose, but a lovely mix of modern strong Syrah richness, matched with some old school deeper wood/cedar. Great palette too. And what great value for a wine of this finesse/complexity. Like it a lot.
To be honest we expected a lot more from this wine and could well be a function of youth and hence it has not developed yet. Light sweet notes, coffee, chocolate, ripe , decent acidity but a bit uninspiring at this stage. Good wine but no music here . 89
Quite approachable for a young gran reserve. Dark ruby color and clear. Fragrant nose. On the palate, ripe red fruit, silky texture, not too oaky, with some bright acidity. Enjoyable now, but should continue to improve.
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A gorgeous bouquet of red fruits, tobacco, cedar wood, smoke and vanilla. Medium to full bodied. Silky texture and tannins. It exhibits a good level of acidity follow by stewed red fruits, graphites, tar and cedar wood. In addition, there is a sweetness as well. Chocolaty finish and some warmness. A great food wine and starting to drink well.
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Took to MO'COOL picnic in Michigan. Mahogany color. Fig or prune on the nose. Raspberry, leather and earthiness on the palate--not quite into the "funky" category. I have two more bottles and I think I will cellar them for two or three more years.
Fantastic old style gran reserva Rioja. Just as I like it: well-aged, loaded with dark cherries, leather, pencil lead, cedar, and a tinge of acidity. Aroma is just beautiful. Tannins and oak are beautifully integrated. On day 1, this was amazing. I held back about 1/3 bottle (recorked and stuck in the fridge) and tried the remainder the next day. Still nice, but seems to have lost something. A bit thinner, but still glorious. I would suggest finishing a bottle in one sitting. The drinking window is probably a bit tighter than some reviews would suggest. I'd drink up by 2020 at the latest.
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drunk from Coravin at Quality Chop House Gorgeous wine, so much ripe red fruit Layers of tobacco, cedar with a hint of walnut. So smooth, limpid and well-balanced Truly a thing of beauty
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Dark red fruit on the nose, fresh, fragrant with hints of graphite. Plums and cherries on the palate. Sweet. Fine tannins. Taught, nicely balanced. Developing some secondary characteristics. Delicious, long finish.
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Deep red with slight amber hue and clear. Wonderful and exotic with blackberry, vanilla, cedar, and coconut notes on the nose and palate. As well balanced as it was complex. Velvety structure and not a rough edge to be found. Outstanding wine. 94-95pts.
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Russk. Pablo brought to Leftovers at Chef JP. My WOTN. Nose of Am Oak, coconut and dill. Mouth of the same plus tomato and orange peel. Medium bodied and great balance . Great food wine, even with white fish. Long finish. Buy more. 92+
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Very enjoyable wine - with good acidity and balance, they certainly did not try to overdo anything here, "only" 13% alcohol, making this a good contrast to so many heady wines nowadays produced, almost a Burgundian feel to it.
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Decanted for about an hour before having with grilled steak. Nice aroma of tobacco and black raspberry. Taste has more of a red raspberry flavor, and has a good level of acidity. This just seems like a really well balanced wine that drinks very well now. I have no experience to know how long this will last, but I'll keep my other bottle for a few years.
Still plenty of fruit though muted over 11 years. Tannins present but softened. Thin'ish on the mouth but the balance of the above makes it amazing Rioja that has cellared well.
I occasionally run across a Rioja that makes me wonder why I don't have cases of them in my cellar. This is one such. A vivid wine that demands attention. Everything about it is snappy and alive. A bright red fruit nose with a bit of menthol and vanilla. In the mouth, bright acidity, fine tannins, mature tart cherry. A long, long finish carried by snappy red fruit and acidity, finally disappearing like the Cheshire cat - leaving only the grin. It plainly has a long life ahead of it but will be extremely difficult to lay off since it is so compelling now.
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Good wine. I feel like I opened it 10 years too early. It needs to lay off some baby fat. It'll be great a decade or two from now. Store it well. Be patient.
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No decant (but i will next time). Pretty good wine, maybe better with more air. Im sure it will improve with a few years in the bottle. I will try another bottle before i give a rating.
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Exotic, deep, oaky Rioja. Immediately impressive even if the oak is currently over the top because there is flavour and substantial depth of fruit here. Breathe the wine for a while and the oak does integrate somewhat, though this is no substitute for years in the cellar.
Higher point when older.
13.5% ABV. Sealed with cork.
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Tegelröd inre kant, tydliga vanilj och ektoner. Härligt mjuk välbalanserad rioja, medium body. Lite tunn och platt först men öppnar upp dig ordentligt efter en halvtimme i glaset, levererar djup och längd. Något spritig, tårar i glaset. Subtila tanniner, kan nog utvecklas ytterligare några år. Arketypen för en välgjord Rioja.
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Very bright nose of tart cherries, sandalwood, and basalmic. Tastes are very similar to the nose, with some sweet herbs and menthol/eucalyptus surfacing. Then the acidity really kicks in and lets you know it's there. Medium and very dry finish after the acidity is predominately the tart cherries again. Complex and playful for the most, but I found the acidity a little overbearing.
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Intense medium-red in the glass. Pouring from the bottle into the decanter, revealed prominent amber hues. No sediment in bottle. Cherry, eucalyptus, clove, chocolate, and smoke on the nose. Same notes on the palate. Wonderfully balanced, integrated, and complex. Long cherry, balsamic finish with chalky tannins. Another great bottle of 904. Paired well with grilled Ribeye and garlic-tarragon mashed potatoes.
This one did take a few hours in the decanter to settle down. Immediately after opening, it was quite oaky. Time to breathe helped with that.
Just a wonderful wine. I continue to find Rioja's quite variable, even from the same winery and vintage. This bottle was on the best side of the distribution. It had a little funk on the nose just after the bottle was popped. I love this old school flavor as it mingles with the bright, full fruit of the Tempranillo. There were no edges on this wine. It was big, bold, and round from beginning to end, and closed with a long memorable finish.
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4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): Crimson color with notes of herbs, black fruit, tobacco and cedar. Medium tannins and softened acidity with flavors of mixed berries, cherry, tobacco and sandalwood. 90+ pts.
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Dark ruby color turning crimson at the rim with an exotic nose that epitomizes Rioja Alta earth, tobacco, leather, dried meat, smoke and red brick. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acidity that gives it a crisp, silky texture. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, potpourri, vanilla, scorched cedar and spice form the core. This wine is very elegant, and pairs well with oxtail stew. Finishes long and spicy with hints of vanilla. This is delicious. Just a notch lower than the 2001. Drink now until 2024.
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This is a remarkable example of an Old World wine that easily beats many Napa cabs (even though one would argue it's akin comparing apples and oranges). This wine is full of energy, with 10+ years of life ahead. At this age, it requires patience and generous decanting. Upon opening, notes of cherry, dirt, mushroom and light barnyard on the palate. After 3+ hours of decanting, notes got more complex, with chocolate and added lightness on the palate. Very long finish. Tannins are clearly there but reasonably well integrated. Plenty of great, balanced acidity.
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Deep brick red with brown tinges. Black fruits on the nose along with leather. Also some great acidity and tannins. This is a really nice wine now with the ability to develop further for a number of years.
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Starts off with plum and tobacco, heavy and ripe, then building up flowery notes of rosehip, violet, and cherry fruit, shifting gears. Medium to plus on the palate, with fierce acidity and grainy tannins, red fruit, tobacco, ethereal flowers. Still very young but the layers of complexity are there. With aeration it determinedly builds strength and impact in the glass. Keep. 91+
Fantastic. Core of candied cherry with balanced tannins and acidity. Deceptively approachable now but still very very tight. Needs a good decade of cellar time to relax and come into its own. Its all there. Drank over the course of a whole day and it got more expressive as it reached its 10th hour in the decanter.
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The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and prune. It tastes like plum. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium.
After drinking recently the 2001 Bin 890, which remains the best Rioja, new or old style, I have tasted, and several times the 2001 Bin 904, a lesser, inconsistent but wonderful old style powerhouse, I was disappointed by the 2004. It may just be that it needs more age.
This wine has more corpulence, some stewed red and black fruit in the center, but less of the Classic clay ring and tawny color/ taste of the La Rioja style. Tobacco, leather, cherry and earth were all there, so I am hoping to revisit this in a few years. While the 2001 904 is ready, the 890 from that excellent vintage is just beginning to open. So the 2004, another fine vintage , may develop yet.
Wonderfully old-fashioned, gentle, satiny, raspberries and plums, touch of vanilla from the American oak, hint of VA on the nose, spices, cedar, leather, impeccable balance, soft tannins, excellent length. Fully mature but will last a long time. In the Fortnum & Mason Bar, Heathrow T5.
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Seductive nose of candied fruits, woody spices, sweet incense, vanilla and some subtle meaty notes. Light to medium bodied with remarkably silky smooth tannins. The soft fruits, subtle sweet spices, notes of cigar box and leather are well integrated and showing beautifully on the palate. It seems to charm me over and over again to smell and taste more of it. This wine is superb at this price point and yet it will still improve further with more age.
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The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, strawberry jam, plum, mineral, forest floor and coconut. The body is medium/full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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Dinner with Tim, Elliott, and Roger (San Francisco): Ruby with a bit or bricking; complex animalistic nose with meaty, gamey, black fruits; palate is medium bodied, rustic, black fruit, great acidity and freshness; finish is medium length. Very nice for the price. 91-92
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Rating a Rioja highly is a delicate subject. Other note captured it: "elegant, fruit, balance, finish, hints of wood". Well worth the $45 I paid for it.
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Indeed a GRAND Gran Reserva - rich plump fruit, and all the wood has integrated just so, leaving behind a richness, but with all the requisite elegance and charm... If only, if only... this is how Rioja should be... fat chance.
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Well, not too many notes on this wine as i was just enjoying it. The nose is really really good with many different notes, first on the palate t was very sour cherry´s, but then over the evening it opens up and became more "neutral" not as sour cherry. I think i should have had it in a decanter for maybe 3-4 hours before having it. Then i am sure my rating would have been a bit higher.
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Rustic is right. So traditional. So old world. I could have picked this out in a Blind tasting. Sour cherry. Vanilla. Cranberry. Leather. Soy. Light bodied. Very tannic. american oak punch in the faCe. Needs 2 years. The 2001 is better. This is a classic though.
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A Matter of Taste tasting (London, Saatchi Gallery): Just very limited notes. Beautiful and rustic wine with some barnyard, really very beautiful acidity and good tannin. Very well balanced and elegant wine entering its maturity stage now. It can easily last until 2020.
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Clear garnet in color. Lots of red fruits, vanilla and hints of smoke on nose when popped in the morning. It becomes more expressive after seven hours in bottle. Good structure with light-medium body. Burgundian red fruits comes up front, together with massive sour red cherry, cranberry and hints of herbs. Very sharp acidity without any black fruits. This is a very traditional “old” wine in character. Not really my cup of tea.
Clear garnet in color. Lots of red fruits, vanilla and hints of smoke on nose when popped in the morning. It becomes more expressive after seven hours in bottle. Good structure with light-medium body. Burgundian red fruits comes up front, together with massive sour red cherry, cranberry and hints of herbs. Very sharp acidity without any black fruits. This is a very traditional “old” wine in character. Not really my cup of tea.
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Drinking perfectly right now. Classy notes of old wood, (especially dill), along with vermouth on the nose. The palate is perfectly balanced with soft velvety redcurrant fruit backed with delicate drying tannin.
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Ruby red and clear in the glass. Black cherry, cedar, vanilla and leather on the nose. Cherry, vanilla, menthol on the palate. Long powdery cherry finish.
This Rioja is particularly pleasing due to the fine chalky tannins that are present.
2/14/15: 2nd bottle: Same as first. Almost as good as the 2001 890. Considering cost, I would much rather have three bottles of the 04 904 than one bottle of 01 890..... Anyway, this is a fantastic wine. LRA does a magnificent job at many aspects of wine-making, but one area that deserves mention is the almost zero bottle-to-bottle variation. I am amazed by how good AND consistent their wines are, vintage-to-vintage and bottle-to-bottle.
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New years eve at home: classic, fresh, sloeberry and leathery rioja that is still in its youth. good value, great with the grilled leg of lamb we served as a main course.
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Elegant, mushroomy, muted berries and balsamic notes. Oak/acidity nicely balanced - pleasantly austere classic Rioja style. Looking forward to tasting again in 5 years.
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presented by my father-in-law over Christmas. Very young so difficult to score but bags of potential. Nice thick unctuous feel in the mouth and good legs in the glass demonstrated the alcohol. I found the oak to be in balance and there was a tannic structure. What was perhaps lacking was the clear fruit or complexity in the finish. I would keep for at least a few years
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Light to medium-bodied, slightly jammy, some nice tobacco and sunburned leather tones, very well balanced, at perfect drinking age; this is so poised, with delicate intensity, lift, liveliness and a slightly creamy characteristic that I find very welcome. A lovely example of a mature Rioja firing on all cylinders. 94+pts.
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Not for me. Tons of vanilla, could easily be mistaken for a spoofed CA wine from the grocery. I've liked other releases of LRA, including the Ardanza Reserva, so I hope this was an aberration.
Nice nose of sweet red and black fruit, pepper, cedar and touch of mustard seed. Earth, cassis and strawberry in the mouth. Round and well balanced. Medium finish. Good Value.
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Yes, lovely Rioja, with some elegance and purity At £25, perfectly decent, without being anything grander On the soft side, very well balanced and tasty.
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2004 Rioja Tasting Nov-14: medium strawberry nose and gamey aroma. Nice bright fruits, cassis - nervy and fresh. medium body and length, light complexity. Not big. Not sure why experts love this, but it may be its lightness and "differentness" from other big riojas of the vintage. Excellent value for money!!
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(Tasted at Berry's Spain 2014): A perfume of red cherries, balsam, tobacco leaf, some clove. High acidity and beautifully sweet, integrated tanins. Built to last. This is elegant, well balanced and complex juice.
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The wine is clear and bright with a pale garnet colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium(+) intensity aromas of cedar, almonds, coffee, tobacco, prunes and dry figs. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium(+) soft tannins and a medium alcohol. It has a medium body and medium(+) intensity flavours of cedar, almonds, coffee, tobacco, prunes and dry figs. The finish is medium(+).
It is a very good quality wine. It has a nice fruit concentration and a quite decent finish, and it shows the typicity of a classic style Rioja, however it could have more structure. Can drink now, but it is already in an advanced state of development and showing some hints of premature oxidation, anyway it has enough flavour concentration and some tannic structure to develop some more tertiary aromas in the next 3-5 years.
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Very nice wine. Beginning to show some complexity of ageing. Lovely, soft fruit - cherry, red fruits, pomegranite - slightly tart from nice acidity - cedar, tobacco. A little tight, a little light, especially in the mid-palate. This is very nice but a fairly large step behind the 2001 which is just terrific and beautiful.
Reminds me of the 94 at the same stage of development. Compared to the 01, this is slightly more ripe, round, and forward, making it a better wine to drink now while the 01 sleeps, though for my own palate I'd let them both sleep another ten years. This has all the classic 904 notes you want; the leather, the iron, the spices, the sense of transporting you to a dusty old Spanish town. It's putting a pretty big smile on my face.
Leather, cherry, smooth mouthfeel with sweet-tart strawberries; light caramel, coffee, coconut; intense, beautiful, poised, but still needs another decade to optimize. Purchased at winery, drank in France with duck confit.
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90% Tempranillo from over 40 year old vines grown around Briñas, Labastida and Villalba, with the addition of 10% of Graciano from estate vineyards in Briones and Rodezno. Aged in 4 year old American barrels for 48 months. Garnet colour with opulent layers of dried berries along with tea leaves and undercurrents of leather. Focused and caressing with flavours intensifying by the alluring finish.
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This is beautiful Rioja Gran Reserva, ready to drink now, or twenty years from now. We took it to dinner at Stanbury and enjoyed it with bone marrow, and ribeye covered in charred Brussels. The wine has matured nicely in bottle and is an excellent late release. The pairing was perfect. Alongside of this beauty we enjoyed a RA Vina Ardanza 2004 Reserva and had quite an enjoyable time comparing the two.
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4/28/2024 - Mleh Likes this wine: 90 Points
Needed two hours of air in the bottle for the oak to integrate. Nose of plums, cherrries and oak. Palette of plums, cherries, oak and some savory notes. Really nice Rioja.
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4/26/2024 - Slaz wrote: flawed
My last bottle and admittedly compromised---stewed fruit and little acidity. Argh.
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4/26/2024 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 94 Points
Silky, elegant, has turned into a charming wine.
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4/15/2024 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Drank beautifully. Brought to restaurant so no formal notes. Has aged extremely well - this bottle was medium to dark red and not showing any age. Cork was perfect. 93-94 range.
Improved since my last tasing in 2016.
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4/6/2024 - Nonvintage Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ready to go on a pop and pour. In a great place.
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3/22/2024 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted alongside the Murrieta Gran Reserva 2004 and this just edged it. Elegant, medium bodied with a plenty savoury tertiary flavours.
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3/9/2024 - Geoffy Likes this wine: 94 Points
Excellent on opening, outstanding on night 2
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2/27/2024 - SoleModel23 Likes this wine:
In a vertical of La Rioja Alta 904 Tasting of 2004, 2005, & 2015
2005 & 2015 were SO similar the whole night, with the prettiest nose from opening of the bottles! ..... 'til about the hour mark
2004 began to steal the show after about 1.5 hours of being opened. Just beautiful. We all agreed that 2004 was the winner that night!
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2/24/2024 - mikelikewine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Crazy bottle variation on these, as evidenced by the inconsistent scores. I had a bottle before Christmas that was ok but seemed nowhere near as open as this one. This bottle however was really singing. It's a more elegant vintage of 904 compared to some (e.g. 2005, 2010) but still really delicious. I wish every bottle could be like this one, but it seems to be pot luck.
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2/23/2024 - Too much practice. Likes this wine: 88 Points
It’s fading. But this was in much better health than the last bottle. It’s refined, balanced, gentle. Distilled and soft now. It’s losing muscle.
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2/18/2024 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still medium ruby at age 19 or so with very little lightening.
Classic rioja aromas of black fruits, balsamic notes, violet and spice. Very precise and fresh aromatics.
Medium bodied with plenty of structure and flavor concentration. The finish is long and savory.
I don't have a lot of experience with these wines but this showing suggests another decade of life if stored properly.
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2/16/2024 - Too much practice. wrote: 85 Points
Fading fast. The bottle soured by the following evening. So disappointed.
On this shaking I really would drink up.
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1/30/2024 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with previous tasting note.
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1/8/2024 - CWRF wrote: flawed
Decanted 3-4 hours. Nowhere near as good as a previous bottle of 2004 RA 904 that was tasted by the group. Quite a dumb nose, giving less than the other wines in the tasting. Fruit seemed to be fading and medium finish. Suspect an issue with the bottle as previous examples totally different. (@Tufa, Rioja tasting I 2024).
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12/27/2023 - hdn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ook deze fles viel zeer in de smaak. Zelfde ervaring als vorige: heeft iets geuze-achtig door vrij hoge zuur-gevoel. Complex, zeer stabiel/ Zelfs resterend glas op dag 4 was nog weinig van zijn charme verloren.
19 jaar op de teller en springlevend. Topwijn en zeer goede P/Q
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11/20/2023 - Irish_Wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very pure cherry on the nose with supporting nuance from cigar box, coconut, earth, and prune. Medium bodied and fresh with fine tannins. Finishes very long. An excellent 904 in a great spot to drink now but no rush.
WSET Notes:
Medium garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, leather, meat, earth, tobacco, raspberry, prune, cedar and coconut. Developing.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. Medium body, medium alcohol, high acidity, high tannins, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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11/12/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. Slow-O for 2 hours then splash double decant before serving. This was in fine form. Pretty red beries, lovely pencil notes, a touch of tar, floral notes, minerally, elegant and silky, and quite long. Loved it. Ready to go, plenty of time.
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11/12/2023 - ppandian Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking well. Notes of vanilla on the nose, fine tannins and red berries.
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11/10/2023 - adbdorset Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fabuuulous
Did not decant
45 minutes open before drinking
Room temp which was cool
Delicious absolutely ápoint.
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11/4/2023 - jdporter3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Geaux Tiger’s notes are spot on now. Might be a little past its prime and my earlier notes about aging feel right. It will go longer, but not improve. Doesn’t need much of a decant. Beautifully drinkable right now, but not transcendent. That said, an excellent wine. Drink in one night.
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11/3/2023 - Isobel goudi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfekt zu trinken. Sehr schön es süße schneidig trotzdem Körper und Druck. Aber einfach ein Gaumen, Schmeichler mittlerer bis langer Abgang. Feine süße großartig elegant, jetzt wunderbar zu trinken.
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10/29/2023 - NapaGuy69 wrote: 89 Points
drank 10/28/23, bought it from the winery last year, slightly past peak, still has a good acidity, balanced, fruit still bright
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10/21/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Give this a few more years. It's delicious with an hour decant but not yet fully mature. You've waited this long, so what's another 3-5?
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10/12/2023 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 94 Points
3 hr double decant. Dark reddish black core with almost clear (slight red) bricking.
Old soul nose, classic Rioja! Saddle leather, caramel, butterscotch, cherry, dry earth, just an ever so slight hint of dill, some smoke.
On the palate, strawberry, red cherry, hint of citrus on a really long finish.
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10/1/2023 - Hoots Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lacked a little of the body it had last year but still a delicious aged Rioja. Will open another at Xmas and see if it was my over decanting or the wine has entered tertiary time.
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8/19/2023 - Whine-oh Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted 2 hours before drinking. Min sed. Notable bricking. Gorgeous nose of flowers, red fruits n some spice n min wood. Palate ready to go soft tannins, food friendly. Nice fruit w good complexity. Nice medium body with great balance to it. A joy to drink. Wish I had more.
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8/17/2023 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 93 Points
At the start of its drinking window. Yes, amazing as that sounds.
Classy.
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8/13/2023 - tedcholl wrote: 91 Points
Always a great producer, loved trying this one at 19 years. My second and last bottle. Like the first one more. This one seemed more lean and austere. I think it was my palate and not the wine as others didn't perceive this bottle in the same way. Dried cherry, worn leather, dried tobacco, lots of dill.
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7/1/2023 - td1836 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was absolutely stunning. The age is very evident in the color, with dull ruby turning to browning edges. So much going on, I could smell this wine all day long. Leather, spice, sweet cherry, cassis, oak. The palate has more cherry along with tertiary flavors and high acidity. Tannins are mature and resolved. A very memorable experience enjoying this with family.
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6/27/2023 - Livonietisr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Cork crumbled. Deep tawny color. Intense aromas of dark cherry, cassis, spices, cedar, leather. High acidity, resolved tannins. Bold and intense taste of red cherries, dark chocolate. Very long.
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6/25/2023 - NickM wrote: 91 Points
Enjoyed this. Fully mature. Seems to have developed faster than some reservas. Bit good drinking now. Nice tertiary flavours.
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6/16/2023 - tcarter Likes this wine:
Ana really liked this rioja
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6/16/2023 - hargy Likes this wine: 90 Points
this tannins were fully resolved and the fruit mature, much more mature than expected with a distinct brown tinge at the rim - I would be inclined to drink this soon - maybe an odd bottle?
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4/17/2023 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 93 Points
2nd of 4 wines I took to Mexico for a friends birthday. Drank the first night. I'd never had this wine with this much age before. Still has several years left in it. oak leather cherry tobacco chocolate blackberry mushroom Delicious with grilled short ribs
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4/13/2023 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 93 Points
Briefly decanted, then spectacular
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3/4/2023 - Cmellison Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent wine but prefer Imperial Grand Reserva from CUNE to the 904 Gran Reserva. 2004 and 2005 vintages of this wine are similar but have unique subtle differences which may them pleasing to a variety of palates. Prefer this 2004 vs. 2005 but both tremendous wines.
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2/15/2023 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Very dark red color. This had a good 4 hours of slow-O time. Brooding dark fruits, scorched earth, cassis, black cherry, crushed violets, and lacquer on the nose. The full bodied palate shows similar dark fruits, black cherry, cassis, iron and blood, scorched earth, lacquer, plump tannins and a medium finish. Despite the air this seemed a bit tighter tonight. 92(+)pts.
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2/5/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Nose of red and dark fruit, American oak, spices, licorice, not unlike a Pomerol from a light vintage. The strength of this wine is its balanced, elegant palate with great freshness on the finish. Burgundian. Drinks well now and will for a long time.
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12/25/2022 - franm Likes this wine: 93 Points
cheers - a great wine from an excellent vintage....wish I had more as this is aging very well
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12/11/2022 - Winnje Likes this wine: 92 Points
Little pale, no sediment, great flowery tones upon opening, creamy and after 15 mins cranberies, rooibos, white chocolates pops up. Long aftertaste, excellent.
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12/10/2022 - fozzibaer Likes this wine: 94 Points
So delicious right now, this won against Kollwentz Steinzeiler 12, Pavie Macquin 11 and Grattamacco 11.
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12/5/2022 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. I brought to CDC at Mustang. It was the WOTF (vs the '04 Cune Imperial Reserva and vs the '12 CH Chocopala). It was also a WOTN for most (out of about 22 reds). Elegant and savory.
2 days later it has declined. A bit too much coconut suntan lotion showing.
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11/18/2022 - pgm wrote: 95 Points
Classic, brambly charred earth and berries with tea and leather on the nose. The bright pure core of cherry fruit is really singing right now, but it’s equaled by savory flavors of smoked beef, herbs, rooibos tea.
Seems to have found a marvelous peak, much improved from the 2015 bottle, judging by the notes. Should be steady here for awhile and then decline only slowly for 15-20 years.
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11/17/2022 - Radboy wrote: 92 Points
Crushed flowers, dust, soil, cherry fruit. Delicious!
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10/29/2022 - Geoffy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good on opening, excellent on night 2
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10/28/2022 - CES911 wrote: 90 Points
Still showing its power but fading. Open and drink it up. Lovely wine
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9/24/2022 - northpolewine wrote: 93 Points
Sharp, edgy and lean on opening. I put the cork back and enjoyed the day after. Fully open, spices, wild strawberry, red Plums, cherries, sweet tobacco, hints initially of liquorice, smoke and really long delicious aftertaste. fresh and penetrating acidity. So much better than previous bottle 5 years ago.
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9/6/2022 - galewskj wrote: 93 Points
Rioja (Rincon 38): This is a super-solid Rioja that has done well over multiple vintages and tasting.
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8/28/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): D\ark red color. PNP, drank a glass over 60 minutes. Black raspberry liqueur, silky texture, nicely layered, lacquer, subtle kirsch, high toned earth and bright spice. The nose sails and the palate is integrating with tons of time left. 93(+)pts.
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8/14/2022 - ilcalmo wrote: 92 Points
So I should note that this may have been heat-affected, but in the sense that it was prematurely aged, not that it was damaged. Honestly whatever the reason, I liked it a lot. Plenty of secondary flavors here, including the usual savory/leather components, cherry, herbs, and American oak, with the fruit nicely mellowed. Instantly identifiable as Rioja.
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8/8/2022 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Highly complex and in a good place to my taste- this retains a good bit of fruit, the oak is integrating, and some tertiary characteristics are showing up. I like the contrast between the raspberry and plum fruit and the leathery, smoky, savory notes that have developed with age. Will this retain fruit and continue to improve or will it shut down and go tertiary as the 2001 seems to have done? I’ve no idea but don’t hesitate to open one now.
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8/6/2022 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened c.8hrs pre drinking which meant the first night really sang. On the second night, it was slightly tired.
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7/5/2022 - Bob23 Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a great spot, but likely with many years to go.
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6/24/2022 - mjohn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very flimsy cork, as usual.
Garnet/tawny, showing some age. Mellow nose of cedar and tobacco along with some fruit in the background. Got a bit more expressive with air, adding some extra herbs to the mix.
Plush and velvety. Good acidity balanced with fine tannins. Long finish with a bit of plum. Oak is quite well integrated with less vanilla than 2011, which was the last vintage I tried.
Very very good but missing a little something to take it to the next level.
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6/24/2022 - jshufelt wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with the evolution we've been seeing over the past several bottles - the dill notes continue to transform into something more akin to leather, which is all to the good.
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6/15/2022 - brianakrin wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful as usual! Drinking well.
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6/7/2022 - CES911 wrote: 90 Points
Drink up! Showing age in the glass. Soft, transparent ruby color. Some bass notes on the palate but shallow compared to what it had been. Still enjoyable but lacking the firepower. Softer, rounder wine now.
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5/29/2022 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork was dried out an crumbly, but it did not affect the wine's development or bottle fill. Decanted 60 minutes and it got a bit better after. Red fruits, including cranberry, some sweet Oak, smooth tannins, nice food acidity. Touches of dried herbs.
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5/10/2022 - chatters wrote:
Cru Wines Trade Tasting (Bentley Bar & Restaurant, Sydney): An impression of brooding concentration, red berried fruit, good quality oak, vanilla. In the mouth it’s juicy with medium plus intensity acidity, slight raisins join the red fruits, that vanilla in support, talc textured tannins, long, silky, and supple, very good indeed.
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4/30/2022 - Papies wrote: flawed
A beautiful magnum killed by TCA. What a shame..
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4/30/2022 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Burnished mahogany colour with a savoury, umami and balsamic notes with black cherry and an extraordinary length. This is very fine and drinking beautifully now with a lovely soft mouthfill with everything in place. A favourite Rioja which always delivers.
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4/25/2022 - MemorialWineFan wrote: 91 Points
Excellent!
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4/6/2022 - JCGuthrie wrote:
Very intense and perfumed, with deep red fruits. The oak is front and center, however, and there was too much of that American Oak pickle note for me; at the same time, I can see why some rate this highly.
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4/2/2022 - David J Cooper wrote: 94 Points
Clear medium red. Intense nose of plums, black berry, vanilla and dried figs. Dry fig, plum and dill flavours and a long dry tannic finish.
The intense fruit nose hid the American oak very well. It only came through in the finish.
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3/26/2022 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nez intense de cèdre, de bois de santal, de boite à tabac, d'épices...vanille. Les tannins sont soyeux. Un vin gouleyant, fondu, harmonieux aux saveurs de baies mûrs et de griotte (surette), et de boite à épices. Moyenne à longue finale. On dirait un vieux pinot noir de la Bourgogne ! Boire sans tarder.
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3/20/2022 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened it a good 8hrs beforehand. Worked a treat, was singing right out of the bottle. Lots of leather, tobacco, loveliness. No discernible oak. Drank well on the second night too.
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3/13/2022 - stkilda Likes this wine: 96 Points
This wonderful bodega seem to perfect their recipe in great vintages and the 2004 vintage is no exception. Stunning aromatic complexity that effortlessly draws you in, leather, spice , dried fruit and tobacco. Deceptively mid weight but with great persistence and structure that builds considerable momentum with a stupendous finish that brings total satisfaction. One of the truly great bargains in the world of fine wine.
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3/11/2022 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
A bit more than two years after the prior. Decanted 3 hours before the dinner into a big carafe. Was quite surprised, the baby fat and the sweet oak notes were gone (this was not so obvious to me when I tasted the last bottle), showing red fruit and sour cherry, first notes of maturity, high acidity, medium bodied and very long finish. Surprisingly elegant and classic, was perfect to the brasato we had, similar to a traditional Barolo. Drink now or within the next 12 years, a long decant is highly recommended in this stage.
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3/10/2022 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 89 Points
As last tasting note.
Still drinking well.
I think that it should continue to drink well for 3-5 years.
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2/28/2022 - Soteriologist Likes this wine: 94 Points
Please refer to my note dated February 25th, 2020, since I have nothing to add to that. One bottle left and, god willing, I will consume by 2024 because the low quality of my cellar doesn't permit any further risk. The rating refers to objective quality more than to my taste preferences. But it is sublime !
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2/10/2022 - burgburgburg Likes this wine: 93 Points
PnP. At her peak now. So balanced and delicious. Wonderful fruit and acidity. I can easily finish a bottle on my own without any foods.
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2/5/2022 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 93 Points
Poured into decanter and started drinking. This has transformed and improved significantly since my last bottle merely 12 months ago. Transparent garnet bricking towards the rim. The usual dill particularly on the nose, then very aromatic red fruit, plenty of sweet leather and earthy notes. Tannins still providing good structure. Good length too.
A very good wine, suddenly surprisingly developed, for my taste a bit too sweet and leathery but that’s just a matter of personal preference
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1/31/2022 - Motz wrote: 92 Points
Tasted over three days.
Classic Rioja. Bright, tart, and crunchy red berries, pomegranate, rooibos, loam, weathered clay, and noteworthy oak, wholly inline with the style. Medium acid, medium minus tannin. All as it should be, and quite enjoyable, if somewhat underwhelming for a Gran Reserva, from a great house.
No change over all three days. This bottle was not the equal of the one tasted in 2018. No suggestion of flaw. If the acid level has fallen off this quickly, drink sooner than later. 91-92.
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1/24/2022 - mogulmike Likes this wine: 97 Points
Very earthy and full robust.
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1/15/2022 - platpeeps Likes this wine: 93 Points
Initially, predominant characters of strawberries and cream laced with vanilla. To complement the sweetness of fruit there is a hint of lemon tea that provides a bite of acidity, some soft ruffled tannins and a whack of leather. Complex and layered, the finish is rather extraordinary and persistent. A very fine wine indeed. 93 pts
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1/11/2022 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. Port-like and sluggish immediately upon opening but that blew-off with air revealing a classic Rioja profile of dark fruit, figs, and with more coaxing, some smoky earthy mushroom notes. Plenty of acid to round things out, too. Similar experience on the palate with red berries wrapped in soil and leather. Very few rough edges with fruit and earth mingling in a lovely way. Just enough tannic bite at the way back for freshness. Terrific package. Paired nicely with roasted duck with a blood orange reduction. Drink now or hold another 2-4 years.
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1/8/2022 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
How interesting to note that the scores a year ago or so Were incredibly higher! I suggest that this wine is so well-made and underestimated that as it goes through a somewhat closed phase where it is slightly out of balance, it will emerge in a couple of years as a powerhouse. The color tonight was on the black side of red, and the unmistakable 904 nose just wafted it out of the glass. The density of fruit was unmistakable, and while it is not a 2001, or as sweet as a 2005, it is a formidable wine that will develop even more . Compared to a year ago, there is less evidence of the secondary and tertiary complexity, a good sign given the fact that the edges were full dark red and the fruit quite intact. If you drink it now, do decant for an hour and a half.
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12/25/2021 - Scamber Likes this wine:
Oak and acidity pronounced — fruit is fresh but not altogether harmonious night 1.
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12/24/2021 - tanvirkhan77 wrote: 88 Points
Even though I hear ppl call it balanced, I find the acidity way too high, which makes it not balanced for me.
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12/21/2021 - burgburgburg wrote: 91 Points
Balanced, elegant, and at its' peak. Love the fruits, herbs and acidity. The is no sign of decline and should still drinking well in coming years.
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12/17/2021 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really nice rioja and fully ready now. Fruit is smooth and wonderful and wine is in great balance with tannins and acid, of which there was little acid to speak of. This doesn't mean wien has erodes, just that the acid has done what it was there to do; hold the wine together. Of the three wines we had, this one was deemed the best. Think it could last a few years more but it is in a great place for drinking now. Recommended as a great example of an wonderfully aged gran reserva.
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11/28/2021 - ssouth Likes this wine: 93 Points
Barb made Catalan inspired Pork Tenderloin in Orange Sauce. Essentially braised in orange juice then cooked in a broth/spice mixture
Quick and easy and very good
With a cabbage slaw with cranraisins and OJ
From a very good cookbook from a respected author , Penelope Casas
Wine 2004 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904
Alc 13%. Still dark color. Inviting nose. Lots of fruit and spice and brush. Little oak showing. Still moderate tannins and primary character. No rush. It did well with the orange notes of the pork
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11/23/2021 - Mid Palate Tingle wrote:
Drinking very well with an hour decant.
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11/6/2021 - danielbleier Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine felt a bit faded, with dried berry and smoky afternotes. Lovely but a bit overwhelmed by the other wines of the wine.
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10/31/2021 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I am an idiot! Second night much better, like my last note. Should have opened well ahead of drinking.
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10/16/2021 - CYclingmad555 Likes this wine: 94 Points
An amazing nose, that alone could be enjoyed all evening. Taste matched it. Leather, earth, and tobacco blended beautifully with the fruit. No tannins but still think this has 10 more years in it at least. Was paired beautifully with pigeon followed by cheese.
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9/16/2021 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after the 2001 and before 2005 and 2010. A bit cooler and more elegant, more structure in comparison. Pure fruit, less generous than 2001 or 2005, notes of tobacco, spices, vibrant acidity. Great balance and length. Excellent, but rather youthful. 92-94
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9/14/2021 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Consistent with previous note, this bottle was firing on all cylinders. Loads of red fruit, good acidity, and some hints of oak and herbs. All nicely in balance and food friendly. Had with homemade paella. Only one bottle left, sadly. It can wait a few years but not sure it will get better. Great stuff.
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9/5/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark cherry and chocolate, a hint of vanilla, a little dusty, musty note too. The palate is smooth with the black cherry and chocolate flavours on entry but a balsamic note coming to the fore too. Just delicious, enveloping wine which defy any red wine drinker to dislike.
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8/30/2021 - DDicaprio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic, old-school Rioja that is never disappointing as its other offering Viña Ardanza has always been for me, even with its high ratings. Tempranillo and a touch of Graciano (no Garnacha). really nice nose. velvety texture. light to medium-bodied palate. Dusty, long dry finish
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8/21/2021 - cugel_saga wrote: 88 Points
Decanted for a couple of hours
Spicy nose. Oak and acid on the palate initially and didn’t settle down as much as I hoped it would over 4 hours of drinking.
The tannins grip and the whole thing has great structure but lacks character and charm.
Fig and raisin on the fruit side but very muted. I feel that this will be in a better place some years along the line.
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8/5/2021 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep red. Heady bouquet. Intense, balanced, mouth filling. Very long fading with lovely grace. Powerful though with exceptional finesse. Great purity. Entrancing complexity. The graciano's influence seems to be far greater than its reported percentage. Will last 50 years. Will improve (change?). A masterpiece!
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7/26/2021 - jshufelt wrote: 89 Points
Largely consistent with last year's bottle, and headed in the right direction...
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7/26/2021 - Pubu Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nice standard rioja
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7/26/2021 - ProfByron wrote: 90 Points
Too young! Lashings of oak tight fruit. Gran Reserva in a top vintage, seems to mean that 17 years old and it’s barely walking.
Cork, 13.5%
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6/19/2021 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
A blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Graciano (10%). Fermented and macerated for 14 days in large oak vats, then moved into stainless steel tanks for MLF. Aged for 4 years (from January 2005 to January 2009) in American oak barrels that are on average 4 years old. Bottled in February 2009. 13% alcohol, 1,2 g/l residual sugar, 6,2 g/l acidity and pH 3,47.
Deep, medium-to-relatively little translucent blackish-red color with a hint of evolved brick-red hue. Surprisingly restrained nose for a 904 with understated yet complex aromas of ripe figs and wizened dark plums, some toasty oak notes, a little bit of vanilla, light lifted notes of sweet VA, smoky and perhaps bretty hints of burnt hair and farmhouse funk and a touch of dill. The wine is dry, firm and medium-bodied on the palate with relatively fresh and slightly funky flavors of black raspberries and ripe figs, meaty or gamey umami, some funky notes of leather saddle and horse stable, a little bit of vanilla, light crunchy notes of sour red plums, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of raisiny fruit. This vintage seems to lack some weight and concentration that were present in the surrounding vintages (2001, 2005) and the overall feel is slightly more funky than is typical for a 904. The overall structure is quite tightly-knit, thanks not only to the atypically high acidity (pH below 3,5!) but also to the medium tannins that at first feel quite resolved and mellow, but slowly pile up on the gums, turning the wine quite grippy. The finish is moderately grippy with slightly reticent flavors that feel both slightly sweeter and more umami-rich than the midpalate. A long aftertaste of ripe figs and raisiny fruit, leather saddle, some gamey meat, a little bit of vanilla, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a hint of tart lingonberry and a smoky touch of cigar. The VA lends a nice touch of balsamic lift to the end of the aftertaste.
At first this 2004 felt an underperformer in out 1989-2010 vertical of 904 Gran Reserva, coming across as lighter in both body and taste. However, it only takes a bit of coaxing to understand that there is more to this vintage than is obvious from the first impression; the wine whispers rather than sings. It is definitely less flashy than 904 normally is - just as Ardanza 2004 was compared to the other vintages - but it is possible that the wine is just in a slump now and needs more years to come around. And while the wine might be a bit lighter in body, it is definitely not lacking in complexity or structure. As a whole, the wine might not be as impressive as 904 normally is, but there's still potential for this wine to improve noticeably with further aging - although I must point out that the wine feels slightly funkier and a bit more volatile to an average 904, so people who are not so keen on these rustic qualities in their wines, you are warned.
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6/12/2021 - hdn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wat een smaken! Toch iets anders dan wat ik gewoon ben. Heeft meer iets van een heel goede geuze door de complexiteit van smaken en de vrij zuur-zoete ondertoon. Heel lekker, maar voelt zeer jong.
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6/12/2021 - BButts Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great right out of the bottle.
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5/29/2021 - Burgundynick Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious and very old school. 91 points
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5/10/2021 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I have to say the first was a bit clumsy, felt stewed, but the second night the wine was far more refined and in balance. Had lost its stew and felt like the 24 hrs of air had really lifted it. Score is from the second night.
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5/2/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sweet cherries, a subtle hint of coconut and a bit of funk too with some rotting vegetal matter. Delightful palate with red and black cherry and delicious smoky notes too and then the vegetal funky stuff comes through on the finish. Long.
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4/30/2021 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork, decanted 2 hours—it didn't budge; only after another 90 minutes in the glass did it show its true potential. First 3 hours: strong, volatile American oak, sharp red fruit, high-toned acidity (burn baby, burn... don't you just love acid reflux?) 180 minutes after decanting: finally the volatile oak has blown off; the entry is velvet-textured and juicy; darker, more succulent, even strawberry/raspberry fruit notes finally come through on the mid-palate; moreish, vibrant finish. And the previously biting acid is finally in balance. 17 years after the vintage this is still a baby, needing serious decanting time or simply another 5, 10, 20, 40 years in the cellar. Encountering this blind in the first 2-3 hours, I'd have winced, offered a masochistic and grudging 87-89P, wondered why the Ardanza 2004 is so much nicer (and gone to fetch the antacid tablets). But with sufficient air, even now it's clearly worth 91(+)P.
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4/29/2021 - HPringle Likes this wine: 88 Points
This bottle a little quieter than expected- fully integrated and some of the classic rioja notes but rather muted- neither fruit nor leather, no hint of vanilla. In fact a little anonymous and I had expected more. Still enjoyable and will put this down to bottle variation.
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4/24/2021 - NickM Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. Drinking well; but I’m sure will last another 10 years or so. Beautifully integrated, no sharp edges.
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4/19/2021 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decided to try one as CT is showing the drinking window might have come in 2020. Very nice wine. Almost a cherry flavor to this. Cork was stained magenta and held up. Has a barnyard yeasty smell to it, very heady in the glass. I saw no flaw with this wine. Nice acidity as well. Have noticed the price has gone up considerably since I purchased the 2004.
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4/17/2021 - pavel_p wrote: flawed
Same bottle as collector. My bottle. Drinkable but unfortunately evidently slightly corked on first sip. Had opened the bottle in the morning and while this was not obviously corked I smelled the cork twice as I was not sure whether the wine was ok. A reminder again to take your first impression seriously when tasting...
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4/17/2021 - Big Bad Voodoo Daddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Further along than I would have expected. Still good and enjoyable.
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4/16/2021 - malbrecht wrote: 91 Points
Seemed a bit shut down. Might need to decant to bring out its full glory. Interesting, but reticent notes of anise, leather, and earth. Nice dark fruit on the front end. Significant tannic grip and pretty nice acid balance. Oak is still readily apparent and will need some air and time to calm down. Nice wine, but needs time and air to show its true elegance.
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4/16/2021 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
Feels young still, elegant with some green whole cluster like notes as I am use to by this Cru. Tannins still need some further resolving. Not scored as the bottle had a slight TCA taint.
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4/11/2021 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short decant to remove sediment. Nose of dry soil, raspberries, and a salty soy sauce note. Dusty red cherries, milk chocolate, and dried leaves in the mouth. Tannins resolved. Very enjoyable but lacked a bit of freshness. Seemed at the beginning of its decline. I have 3 more so I will open sooner than later. Nevertheless, a fine drink.
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3/20/2021 - NBouras915 wrote: 93 Points
Lots of leather. Mature. Drink now - 2025. 93 points.
Drank side by side with the 2005 Finca Dofi. A more balanced wine than Finca Dofi IMO. Finca Dofi needed food
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2/27/2021 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nicely matured. No more oak, good leather/ tobacco.
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2/23/2021 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intellectually, I get it. A Rioja Classica. I believe at it’s prime now. Super elegant style. American Oak on the aroma; vanilla and caramel. Nice, blueberries and first season cherries. Light to medium bodied. Very well made. Really, at it’s peak. Soft and just needs the right food. Suckling pig and Carne Asada.
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2/17/2021 - pavel_p wrote:
9 months after my first bottle from an OC, poured a glass from a second bottle using Coravin. Consistent notes. Immediately upon opening there is a strong dill note on the nose. With more air this fades quickly though, and you get more of a whole clusters note, especially on the palate (curious to hear if Rioja Alta and Rioja in general does whole clusters). Otherwise there is good fruit concentration for sure, but the wine feels just a bit tight on Pnp. While this has some upside, I still have my doubts about those 96 points from WA. 91+
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2/2/2021 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
Rich, rustic, robust Rioja. The terroir sings through the nose and palate, proclaiming its earth full of flint minerals and volcanic soils.
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1/30/2021 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mid mahogany to brick rim. Classic tertiary bouquet of overripe banana, soft-rind cheese, wet earth and joss stick opens further to squashed strawberry, tinned prune and a hint of aged balsamic and continues to develop and show its fabulous complexity to a sweet almost lifted fruit sprinkled in coconut, 5 spice and black truffle. There are evident oak spices still that give a backdrop to the wine. On entry, the acidity is vibrant, the body medium, with a mouth coating richness and sweet dusty almost powder tannins. A long satisfying finish with hint of chocolate wafer biscuit and dark chocolate. A super charming wine with a nose that keeps rewarding and plenty going for it.
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1/28/2021 - jhw425 wrote: 92 Points
Drank really well. In that perfect spot between funky but not overly so
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12/28/2020 - GARDEN Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine took awhile to open up. I should also note that the cork broke into two pieces while being opened. I do not believe the cork condition affected the wine.
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12/14/2020 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think the August bottle was off.
Retested today, medium garnet.
Aromatic, blackberry, slightly floral, herbal nose.
Medium bodied, candy, spice, red and black fruits palate.
Good wine, couldn’t go to the RP 96, but very enjoyable and will revisit in a year or so.
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12/5/2020 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious Classic Rioja. Noticeable American oak signature. Cedar, leather.
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11/8/2020 - Burgundynick Likes this wine: 91 Points
A nice intense complex nose of sweet black fruits, caramel, vanilla, sweet spiced oak. The palate is smooth, rich, more fruits, red and black, with hints of coffee, spices and a lovely freshness. The finish is long, with thick balsamic vinegar, sweet fruits and tingling oak spice. Delightful and perfecto. Me encanta. I bought this on initial release and was £28 now it will cost you nearly double that. A perfect wine to celebrate tempranilloday and one to #giveanewwineago
91 points
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10/30/2020 - putter520 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Celebrating the life of our beloved family dog, who was born in 2004, with one of our favorite Rioja wines. Fruit was still completely intact and the oak touch was exactly what I feel it should be for a classic Rioja wine. Nice long finish- this wine is always a joy to drink and you just want another bottle to follow.
R.I.P. Leo Jeffrey. Best dog ever.
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10/25/2020 - Lemmy-W wrote: 93 Points
Lovely Rioja with that vanilla nose
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10/17/2020 - dimdic wrote: 91 Points
Opened the 2nd bottle. Quite woody and toffee aroma. Bright sour raspberry flavour. The body was lighter than expected, consistent with my 1st bottle. Quite disappointed in terms of 904 because I tasted some great bottles of other vintages before.
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10/11/2020 - Tannatastic Likes this wine:
Curiosity got the better of me with this one - after trying the 890 last year, and judging by the weight of the '04 Ardanza, it should have been fairly obvious that this is still a baby and has many, many years ahead of it.
The nose is full of VA and sweet black fruits. The palate is again dominated by black fruits and the unmistakable 2004 density, with much more prominent acidity than the Ardanza of the same vintage, which made it an ideal partner for fatty lamb.
I'll be waiting at least 5 years before opening my next one of these (which is what I should have done in the first place!). Not scored because still all about latent potential.
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10/9/2020 - stkilda Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic aged Rioja , this bodega hardly ever put a foot wrong. Lovely secondary flavours with gamey and herbal flavours. Some acidity on the finish but so enjoyable and engaging.
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9/26/2020 - foyfrcs wrote: 85 Points
Worried about my nose & palate with this as I didn’t really enjoy it.
RP says 96........
Light/medium garnet, blackberries, dried fruit nose.
Bit thin, short finish, some dark fruits on the palate.
I was really disappointed with this wine compared to expectations. Possibly a dodgy bottle. 8 left, will revisit in a few weeks.
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8/29/2020 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Oak has faded now, lots of leather, tobacco and some fruit remains.
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8/22/2020 - danchaq Likes this wine:
Smooth, balanced, still some fruitiness but lots of old leather. Tastes of another time, inviting. Drinking well at the moment but no rush. Did not decant.
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8/3/2020 - Vancouver wrote: 93 Points
Pale ruby in appearance going to tawny.
Pronounced and evolved aromas - balsamic notes, soy, vanilla, tobacco and some black fruits. The nose is really about the former (Savory) and not the (fruit) latter.
Medium bodied with lots of flavor intensity especially the soy and Balsamic notes- even a bit of Hoisin sauce. The palate is still quite fresh with decent acidity. The finish is delicious and medium plus. A classic food wine.
Just a touch more oxidization than a bottle drunk about 8 or 9 months ago. May be bottle variation but if representative I would opt to drink up.
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7/26/2020 - jshufelt wrote: 87 Points
Although the dill is still leading the way, it's noticeably less pronounced than previous bottles have been - so perhaps the answer is cellar time, and lots of it?
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7/23/2020 - BoyBacchus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Raw meat, cedar and prunes on the nose. Very herbaceous with notes of sage, oregano and thyme. Elegant. Drinking well right now.
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6/28/2020 - Milos Likes this wine: 91 Points
Forward nose of rotting leaves, dark red fruit and herbal notes, palate is forward, strong acidity and some slightly bitter tannins, moderately long finish. Very traditional Rioja, love it.
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6/14/2020 - pavel_p wrote: 91 Points
First bottle from an OC. Pnp and drank over 2h. A fine medium (-) bodied Rioja, more on the sweet red fruited side, some wood spices, a touch of dill (the 890 we had from the same vintage last year had much stronger dill notes), nicely integrated fine to medium tannins. Fairly muted aromatics on nose and palate but then a finish of good length.
Overall I find this just a bit disappointing, and scratching my head upon the 96 points Luis Gutierrez from Wine Advocate gave this (and pretty much any other recent vintage of the 904).
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6/14/2020 - ccn wrote: 91 Points
Still in a lovely place, very approachable with great length, depth, grip, complexity ... and another 15+ years ahead of it
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6/12/2020 - Wineoptics Likes this wine: 94 Points
There’s the old school Rioja producers, then the modernists - and then there’s La Rioja Alta, squared right in the middle.
I had a decanter at the ready to give this some air, but upon opening the bottle, it exuded sheer class from the get go.
Fantastic bouquet to a point of sensuality; sweet coconut, dill, humidor, indian/exotic spices with dark, ripe fruits - almost fruitcake-like with cinnamon and cassis hints
The palate was smooth, riveting with a medium-bodied texture. Perhaps a pinch lighter than expected, but mirroring the aroma perfectly.
You could not wish for more, especially not at this price point. A legend for sure.
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6/10/2020 - dimdic wrote: 93 Points
From one of the top iconic classic Rioja wineries. Strong and intense oak influence from nose to palate. Developed complex aroma of vanilla, toffee, sour raspberry. High and powerful acidity. Body was OK but relatively weaker than expected, comparing to other vintages. Otherwise would rate higher.
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6/4/2020 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fresh sappy cherries and sweet american oak. Drinking very well now but many years ahead.
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5/30/2020 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Spanish pot luck (Chicago, IL): Tasted alongside the 890, and I always wish that I like this bottling as much as the 890, but it never seems to be the case. Although this is the larger-scaled wine, with more outright expressiveness and power, it's not quite as complex as its more prestigious sibling. The fruit is young and quite potent, and the American oak perfume here is very prominent. There's a hint of earthiness that I find quite enjoyable here as well. Overall, the structure on this wine isn't as chiseled as the 890, but in general, I can't say I'd turn my nose up at this wine.
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5/24/2020 - bigop Likes this wine: 93 Points
Amazing value for money.
Excellent poise, long and playful.
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5/24/2020 - cch1966 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Medium pale with orange color on the rim. Notes of red and black berries, vanilla, butter and leather. Medium acidity and tannins. Silky wine with a long finish.
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5/21/2020 - Markus IWC Likes this wine: 92 Points
5. D1: Lätt nösa, florala toner, återhållsam, anis, (91-92)
D2:
D3: svårt att identifiera och sätta ord på dofterna(92-93)
S1: len, läskande syra, intensiva violtoner i finish, pastiller, anis kommer igen, florala drag, ingen nebbiolo känsla (90-91)
S2: Så läcker munkänsla, frisk och vital (93)
Övr: krondill, underbart god, kräftspad, rioja, nästan bäst, 90–tal eller bakåt, bra bärighet, rent och snyggt, man hittar nya grejor varje gång man kommer tillbaka
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5/14/2020 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark cherries, vanilla, a hint of new leather, dill, and chocolate on the nose. Lovely acidity with relatively soft tannins and flavors of plum, cherries, more vanilla, and cedar on the palate. Nice, long finish. Very nice and aging quite slowly. I tasted this about 5 years ago and while it has clearly matured, it still feels young and with a long live ahead.
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5/8/2020 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pale ruby and translucent. Nose of black and red cherry, a hint of vanilla. The palate has wonderful umami, savoury, meaty flavours alongside sweet cherry fruit with blackcurrant, spices and a hint of pepper on the very long finish. Medium body but with a great intensity of flavour. This seems fully mature to me but will certainly drink well for a number of years.
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5/7/2020 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mid cherry red with a brick red rim. Lifted, heady aromas of wet earth, star anise, overripe banana skin, incense, nutmeg and toasted cinnamon seeds on the nose. Remarkably light to medium-bodied with excellent softness in the mid-palate, rich but deft and light on its feet given the fresh, bright acidity that cuts across the evocative range of flavours: withered raspberry, preserved strawberries, prune, light soy sauce, dried red cherries, ripe banana, spice and coconut. Tannins are resolved, light and fluffy! This is a wine that has an irresistible charm that seems to go on and on.
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4/25/2020 - Lype Likes this wine:
Bouquet filled with sour cherries and smoked umami, on the palate dark cherries, meaty savoury sour tones, mint, chocolate, leather and, yes, the dill is still there but at the background as should be, good refreshing acidity, oak and vanilla are finally starting to be integrated and will continue to do so which is positive, attractively elegant and classic style (the -05 is more fruit driven and wide), very good and enjoyable now but will last. It is pretty obvious that 2004 Riojas are very special.
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4/17/2020 - streethawk wrote: 96 Points
2004 was a great vintage for Rioja and this wine is from a great producer. I last tried it in 2017 and it has really turned into something special since then. Colour is pale ruby with bricking on the rim. Intense nose of leather, dark cherries, smoked meat. The tannins are almost fully integrated, medium body, and a wonderful high acidity races across the palate. Dry and refreshing. Typical classic Rioja oak notes too to remind you where this is from. If I close my eyes I can imagine drinking this on a warm summer night in Haro with some tapas from the herradura. I had this with grilled lamb tonight. Spectacular wine in a great place right now but it will probably last well into the middle of this decade.
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4/4/2020 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 94 Points
wow wine. So much going on here, leather, balsamic, cherry, herb-notes on the nose, mimicked on the palate with some chocolate savory note as well. every sip reveals something new and exciting. Acidic backbone carries everything with a deft hand.
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3/27/2020 - Enzo D wrote: 94 Points
Had intended to wait another year but decided to open before coronavirus gets us all. Glad I did. Drinking perfectly. Just a quick decant.
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2/25/2020 - Soteriologist Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a worthy last bottle before lent - or in case I won't survive lent, of my life. On day one, the nose was like "If cherries had any smell at all it would be this one", but today (day 2) the fruit was accompanied by a touch of raspberry, less pronounced and associated with some dill, tomato, cassis and black pepper. The palate just wonderfully mirrors the nose and is very well balanced with savoury vegetal notes.
This is just a rough outline and there is more in here, but I do not see the point in endlessly ekeing out the tiniest notes since that obscures the fact that here we have a very noble, but clear and straightforward taste experience nonetheless. Too many aspects of this taste would obscure the experience of unicity and clarity that characterizes this glass.
If one has a good income, one can treat oneself with a case of this every year, IMO. But if you have to make ends meet, honestly, the experience isn't worth a regular buying habit. Half a case of something like this does it.
If I had 2 cases of this, I'd stretch this out into infinity to see how it develops, and I suspect there is very good potential for that here (which could push the rating up - my present one reflects my present experience). But having only 2 further bottles of this and expecting this civilization not to last much longer, I am closing my drinking windown in 2024.
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2/10/2020 - olalar wrote: 94 Points
So much going on here. Yet great harmony. Best rioja I have had. 2004 magic. Perfect window now. Does it have more to offer?
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2/1/2020 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Quintessential Rioja. Strong acidity, great fruit, beautiful vegetal stalkiness that is not a flaw but complements the other parts of the experience. Sour cherry and raspberry core to the bouquet, bright acidity, very dry tannins but not obstructive. Slight barnyard smell that blew off after about a half hour. Meat and leather smells as well. On the palate , sour cherry again, clove, thyme. Significantly undervalued.
Score: 93. Relative to expectations: ++
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1/27/2020 - djarcara Likes this wine: 92 Points
Muted dark fruit nose. Purple brick color. Lovey fruit flavors of dark cherry, cassis, plum, cedar and a touch of vanilla. Nicely balanced fruit with sweet tannins and a mild acidity. In its dinking window now and for another 10 years. Decant for slight sediment.
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1/19/2020 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent. More depth to body then Heredia 2006.
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12/26/2019 - sunnylea57 Does not like this wine: 83 Points
As with the 2001 vintage of the 904, this is currently spoiled by the heavy-handed oak treatment. To my palate, the resulting dill notes (and coconut) overwhelm the fruit. Not appealing whatsoever. My track record with LRA hasn’t been very good: I find LRA in general has a lot of dill (the herb, not pickles).
Perhaps in time (years) the oak will integrate, the dill will fade, and this will achieve the lifted profile I love in older Rioja. But I’m not too hopeful.
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12/10/2019 - RED AND BLACK wrote: 91 Points
Pale intense ruby. Lots of mildly cheesy development on the nose with great lift and charm. Soft and easy. Pretty classic and great. Positively surprised with this bottle, it felt a bit weak anyway after the first half bottle. Decanted 1h 30m before drinking
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11/16/2019 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour and drunk over another or more. Evolved nicely within the last two years, very elegant and focussed with sour cherry and just a hint of tertiary notes, mouth watering high acidity, good concentration and medium to long finish. Has the structure for a very long life but is already highly enjoyable, 93 points now with potential for more.
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11/9/2019 - Nipperu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear medium ruby
Black cherry, raisins, black plum
Ripe strawberries
Juicy ripe cranberries
Fresh fruit
Vanilla, spice, dusty?
Dry
Med+ tannins
Med acid
Med+ alcohol, 13.5%?
Med finish
Med body
Fruit still fresh: more black fruit than red
Very good
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11/1/2019 - alexide wrote: 94 Points
With an hour or two in the decanter, I reckon this is just starting to enter its window of enjoyment. Happy days
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10/27/2019 - RussK wrote: 93 Points
Russk. WOTN at my wizards tasting. Great day 2 too.
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10/25/2019 - prof b wrote: 93 Points
Effectively pop and pour. Deep blue and red fruits with hints of tertiary elements just starting to show up. The palate offers the same fruits but with a mint-like component. This is evolving into a very nice wine, but I'd recommend holding off for a few more years.
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10/14/2019 - studleytrey Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a beautiful bottle of wine here; I'm really loving it tonight, and a perfect pairing for our ropa vieja which had been sitting and developing flavors for a few days now, so this was a real treat all around.
Medium garnet color with some transparency. Gorgeous aromatics from the pop and developing in the glass, showing notes of red and transitioning to dark and dark red fruits, cedar, flowers, dill initially and then fading, clove, licorice, orange peel, lemon, vanilla, potpourri, and a bit of earthy funk. Fantastic. Medium body and acid, medium (+) finish, with flavors of cherry, raspberry, bitter red apple skin, lemon, black tea, clove, and an herbal hint. This is incredible. It's drinking great right now but I think it could age at least 2-5 more years as well, and with 2 more of this vintage in holding, I think I'll give the next a few more years and see what happens. I gotta give it up, 95 pts. for me.
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10/1/2019 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
Medium garnet appearance.
Pronounced and evolved aromas of black fruits, balsamic notes, vanilla, pepper, roasted meats and spice. Very complex and compelling.
Medium bodied with medium to medium plus tannin (well integrated) and plenty of acidity to things fresh. Lots of similar flavor characteristics on the palate with a long finish.
Drink now, but this will keep "indefinitely" in a cold cellar- and may gain additional complexity in 5 or 10 years.
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9/21/2019 - TheSauerKraut Likes this wine:
Proper Rioja.
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9/17/2019 - HPringle wrote: 93 Points
Short decant and this was quickly into its stride. Wonderfully savoury, with restrained vanilla from the oak. Very fine.
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9/9/2019 - jdporter3 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very nice now. Decanted for a little more than an hour. Dill nose but that moves away pretty quickly. Beautiful dried fruits wrapping dark chocolate almost. Just a very pleasant sense. Mouth filling. Definitely has some years left but I would say not more than five.
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9/2/2019 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clear red ruby. Beautifully integrated, layered and earthy red fruits with a touch of vanilla, dill and dusty tannins. On day 2, it had a an almost stewed tomato note that I did not like, but on day 3 that faded and elements of tea and leather that made for a complete package. Reminded me why I need to buy and age more Rioja
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8/25/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think this bottle would have rewarded further cellaring, as it came across pretty youthful and a little simple. Rich, smooth nose, lovely silken tannins, but lacked excitement.
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8/18/2019 - galewskj wrote: 92 Points
Annual Summer wine event featuring Brisket (Steve and Jennie's): This wine was a little pickley. Other than that, wonderfuly balance and savory. These traditional Spanish producers are real gems.
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8/17/2019 - Sotto325 wrote: 94 Points
The consummate Rioja! Almost. While never the 890, this vintage of the 904 is singing now. The full throttle Tempranillo clay-wrapped around dark cherry, the tar, smoked peat, mint, moist soil and wet oak, all so mellifluously combined for a bottle that lasts nicely for 90 minutes or more. Slow-oxed fro 3 hours then decanted for 45 minutes. The 2004 has a bit more fruit roundness and less old wood than the legendary 2001, and with a little more time will unfold more complexity--but do not wait.
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8/17/2019 - Grenik Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always a well made and balanced wine. Showing a little age with some bricking on the rim, secondary earth flavors. Still bright red fruit, moderate structure, and a nice finish.
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8/10/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Medium dark red color. Small glass. Great nose, earth, charcoal, warm spices, dark red cherry, pencil. Medium bodied palate, cherry, earth, ash, pencil, wood. Others said they got a lot of dill off this, but for whatever reason, I did not. Drank next to an '05 that was also excdellent and just a bit younger. 93+pts.
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7/23/2019 - Varchas wrote: 94 Points
Wrote this one off several years ago as having too much bottle variation and aggressive oak so gave all my bottles away. I was wrong -- beautiful bottle tonight with well integrated oak (a bit forward at first but fell back into the wine after some time), soft and rich red fruit and a nice streak of savory notes. The acidity was notably strong, cutting through all the other flavors to keep you reaching for another glass. This might rival some of the best Rioja Alta vintages of the last couple decades in 5-10 years and I'm annoyed I gave them all up.
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7/21/2019 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 94 Points
Leather, vanilla, raspberries, wood and earth. Medium plus finish. LOVE La 'rioja wines and the 2004 vintage is stellar.
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7/21/2019 - SpoochMan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Was somewhat unsure about whether this was ready to drink, but decided to try a bottle at Ruben's. This bottle was excellent and open for business! Plenty of red fruit, with touches of vanilla-oak and some other spices. This was quite smooth and drinking very nicely. And food-friendly too. No hurry on these, but also not much reason to wait. Will drink my remaining 3 over the next few years. Very enjoyable.
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7/20/2019 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whites, 8 Reds, & 10 *shared* bottles] from 07/19/19 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): Jeff, this was TRULY a *treat*! :)
"90% Tempranillo from vines > 40 yrs old grown in the municipalities of Briñas, Labastida, & Villalba, perfectly complemented with 10% Graciano from our Melchorón I & II Vyds in Briones & Rodezno; Alcoholic & malolactic fermentation were normal. In January 2005, the wine was transferred to 4 yr old AM oak barrels made in-house, where it stayed until January 2009. During ageing the wine was racked every 6 mos using traditional barrel-to-barrel methods. The wine has been rounding off in the bottle since February 2009, to further enhance its organoleptic components." 13% ABV, 1.2 g/l R.S., 6.2 g/l T.A., & 3.47 pH;
N: Barnyd, which mostly blows off to notes of oranges, poss cherries, & forest floor
P: LM, poss Med, body; RNDISH entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by astringent pucker which, without even remotely losing touch with the init frt, evolves into a LONG, elegantly BALANCED finish with an intriguing tangy/swtness (& POSSIBLE *hints* of a very, VERY slight bitterness) to the unoffensive, firming, very, VERY fine tannins. A *wonderfully* ELEGANT wine for now &, I'd expect, through its 20th! My EXC+, arguably more for QPR *if* one was able to obtain it relatively cheaply. [As of late Jul '19, wine-searcher still shows sources from $70-$135]. 18, 17.5, 16+, & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + NUMEROUS other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
Note: Also tasted on 12/22/2018
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7/18/2019 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Light and refreshing. Medium bodied, red/cherry fruit. Paired with pasta.
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7/14/2019 - RichardP wrote: 92 Points
No specific notes. On the palate, red and black fruit with notes of dill, vanilla, and leather, with light tannins and good acidity. For my palate, the 2001 was better. The Cellartracker drinking window looks too short.
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7/10/2019 - Christian von Dresky Likes this wine: 91 Points
Slow start with cellar dust and wet wood in the nose. Herbs and a hint of light, red fruit in the background. The wine is serious in the nose and seems to be a bit closed. On the palate we can find sandal wood, subtle strawberry and some unripe blueberry. After an hour of aeration it gains depth and strenght, the fruit becomes more intense. I have the impression it is in a good spot now, with some time to breath but there is plenty to come, so don´t drink all bottles at once. For now 91, but there is more to come.
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6/20/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 91 Points
Coravin: Ruby. Mushroom, mild cedar before sweet fruit on the nose. Soft, red and black fruit, tart, medium bodied. Long finish.
Out of bottle: Similar to above, but also prominent buttery notes on the nose and palate. Nice mushroom notes on the palate too. Well-integrated tannins. 90-93.
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6/9/2019 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
Russk. A little bit off, showing some reductive notes. But still good.
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6/8/2019 - Alexroy wrote: 93 Points
Pepper, red fruit on nose. Smooth, red fruit, long.
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6/1/2019 - Winemaker51 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Definitely; old school Rioja with a lot of American Oak on the aroma initially. However with more air; tobacco, incense, red fruits and cedar started peaking out. Flavor is lighter bodied; very sleek and elegant. Soft and easy to drink now. I would like more body and less oak. However; that’s the 904 style and/or perhaps the lightness of the 2004 Vintage. I’m buying the 2009 904; hoping for more flesh.. The aromatics on this wine are intriguing!
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5/27/2019 - MWiking wrote: 93 Points
I love this Rioja, even better now then a few years ago!
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5/24/2019 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 88 Points
This was good with burgers. Earthy fruit.
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5/18/2019 - Barnaby33 wrote:
A hot mess of coconut and dill. Brought to Vintage for the, "wines you used to like but no longer do Friday theme." It fit the bill perfectly!
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5/12/2019 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
At La Marcha in Berkeley for Mother'sDday with my wife ans son . PnP. Medium red in color. Interesting nose. No fruit or flowers, but rather cedar, truffle oil and something very incense like. On the palate, there is some red fruit, along with baking spices and tobacco. Nice acidity. Although just medium bodied, the finish seemed quite prolonged. An elegant wine that went well with food.
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5/11/2019 - Slaz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Relative to my prior tastings in 2017 and 2015, what used to be disjointed components has melded into much elegance and exceptional depth in the mid-palate. 1-2 hours of decanting helped the wine calm down and taste at its best (my wife was surprised to realize this was LRA's GR 904 from 2004. Earthy notes and notes of wet forest used to overwhelm, not any more. Drinks very well now. Should continue to go strong for a number of years (but no need to hold yourself back any more).
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4/27/2019 - MLipton wrote:
Absolutely spot-on classic Rioja: dark fruits, a bit of dilly oak and some lifted aromatics all wrapped up in a suave and elegant package. Lovely now, it's got years left ahead of it.
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4/27/2019 - dlcass Likes this wine: 90 Points
I'm not sure about this. Smoked green pepper; floral notes. Not that great as a wine without food.
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4/25/2019 - Swirling Likes this wine: 92 Points
The first 2 consecutive days of Coravin sample was not showing its best.
2 weeks later:
Pulled the cork
Nose: red cherry, damp earth, orange lozenges, vanilla cream. is complex.
Palate: very nice, loved it.
Needs a long time to decant, then you will love it.
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4/21/2019 - bering8 wrote: 88 Points
It was a bit too late and last moment for drinking. I have tasted this wine better before.
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4/14/2019 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal tasting note- drank at BYOW restaurant at Whistler BC (Araxi).
This is mature and elegant Rioja that will go well with a wide range of cuisine. Lots of complex flavors and aromas- dark fruits, coffee, baking spice , cigar ash etc. Lots of acidity to keep things fresh and a long finish. This has definitely improved in the last three or four years.
If cellared properly no reason to believe that this won't last another 5-10 years plus. Overall very well done.
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3/20/2019 - One more Likes this wine:
Decanted for a few hours
Light to medium red color in the glass
On the nose, nice earthy and savory leather, with some toasted woodsy notes
Sharp red fruits like dried cranberries cooked in a tagine with baking spices. Definitely some sweetness coming through with the vanilla notes from the oak. Good acidity in the wine. At first the tannins were hardly noticable but interestingly enough got stronger the more I drank.
Absolutely delicious. More elegance than power.
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3/15/2019 - Torchy wrote: 91 Points
Uncles Fine Wine Spring BYO (Home): Elegant. Dark, appealing fruit. Leather and tobacco. Fresh and cool. A nice wine. In a fine place right now. Was given some hours in a decanter before serving.
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2/13/2019 - SonnyChiba wrote: 92 Points
Very tasty. Smooth, complex, elegant wine. Good amount of oak. Drinks fine right now. Not sure how much better it can get.
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2/1/2019 - portman63 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A lovely ready to drink now or in 10 years wine. Lush tannins, with cherry-tobacco all through the palate and a clean finish. One of my favorite buys in wine for its beauty on its own or with salty-fatty Spanish cheeses and chorizo and/or serrano.
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1/9/2019 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
Dark, deep, rich, robust, plush, pert, and fabulous in every way.
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12/24/2018 - winecadence Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly right now. Cinnamon, vanilla, licorice and some dried red fruit. Well balanced and fully integrated. Silky smooth tannins. Nice legs on the glass. Elegant full body. Can’t imagine this will get any better. Wish I had more.
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12/22/2018 - srh Likes this wine:
Winebar [8 HIGH end Reds & 10 Shared Bottles] from 12/21/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): N: Slightly closed; Smoke, toast, poss coconut? Intensity lurking
P: LM body; NICE, almost swtish "frt" met by some puckerish astringency which fairly seamlessly transitions into a very LONG,tangy/swt finish to the very, VERY fine tannins. MAY *still* be on the upswing? For now & likely approaching its 25th? My EXC/EXC+. 18, 17.5, 16+, & 16.5/20 Jancis Robinson, + NUMEROUS other solid reviews listed on wine-searcher's "Tasting Notes" pg.
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12/21/2018 - CIAgrad86 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Vanilla, spice, cedar, some red fruit. Good mouth feel. Bought like 3 yrs ago at Costco, put away and forgot about be it.
Some smoke. We did not decant as others have mentioned.
Swirled glass for a full minute to get some results.
Too much acid on the back end.
May mellow in 2 more yrs.
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11/25/2018 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still too much oak for me, but enjoyable nonetheless.
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11/24/2018 - heymamalow wrote:
Drank it at #jalan wedding.
Vanilla notes prominent but not overpowering. nicely balanced but can evolve further. Will try a bottle every couple of years... Prices for this estate have been rising so might want to stock up if you are a fan.
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11/24/2018 - burgburgburg Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Bouquet keeps revealing in 15 mins, from initial sous bois to leather and meat to significant Rioja fruits. Resilient palate and tannin with lingering acidity. Very enjoyable at this moment.
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11/14/2018 - PourSomeRed wrote: 91 Points
This is in a good place. Well balanced.
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11/10/2018 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very good wine. Had with pork, rice, and pigeon peas
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10/28/2018 - randyjc wrote: 90 Points
The wine is yummy and all but it has a bit too much vanilla sweetness. Other than that, I like it quite a lot. I do not, though, think it is going to age all that well because it feels, over the last couple of years, as if the vanilla is becoming more prominent. That’s not helpful.
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10/24/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I very much enjoyed this bottle but the wife said "meh". Plum colored, usually a bad omen. Very pleasant perfumed nose, complex, dancing, spring flowers. Medium bodied but quite enjoyable reddish blue fruit, refreshing and not overpowering. Long finish.
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10/19/2018 - teemuskogberg wrote:
Nomad jäsenillassa sokkopullona vedetty
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10/19/2018 - greedy wrote: 78 Points
Not good. High acidity with no fruit to back it up. Short finish.
Said it before, Faustino much better and way cheaper.
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10/13/2018 - Motz wrote: 95 Points
From the same bottle tasted using a Coravin in June. Tasted over two days, alongside several quality Bordeaux. Wholly enchanting! Balanced power and elegance. No fan of wood...an there is a lot of it here...I do not really understand my appreciation for this wine, other than its quality. A good friend of mine is known to exclaim: 'Yes to good wine!'...and this certainly qualifies. The acid and substance should keep this spellbinding offering firing on all cylinders through 2034, probably longer. I will make every effort to hold my other bottle for as long as possible. 94-95.
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9/22/2018 - pablor Likes this wine: 94 Points
Entering its drinking wibdow. Needs 3 - 4 hour decant at this stage and could be at prime for 10 years more at least. No need to wait more if given good breathing time span . Smells like aromatic woods, leather, baking spices and black fruit. Many primary and secondary notes. Balanced palate. Will buy more, at current prices is a steal for what it delivers
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9/21/2018 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mid garnet to mahogany red rim.
Noted development on the bouquet with sweet fig, balsamic, incense, date, ripe banana, wet christmas cake and damp tobacco leaves. There are lightly toasted spices, mincemeat (for mince pies) as wines opens, and even a little antique leather desk. The aromas keeps drawinng you back for more. Very enticing!
N: classic ripe banana sweet fig, date, more dried figs, wet Christmas cake, mincemeat and wet tobacco, deep, savoury elements,
A medium-bodied wine with fabulous complexity and a sprightly acidity underpinning the array of fruits. Quite firm, chamois leather tannins with pronounced flavours of wet spices, savoury, leather, mincemeat, dried fig and more. Very complex and deep. Still resolving but almost there. Outstanding!
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9/17/2018 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coravin used. Continues to improve balance, with oak retreating, but still too present for me. At this point though, very enjoyable.
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9/9/2018 - Marc André Gagnon wrote: 91 Points
Beau boisé, bois de santal. Délicieux. Mature.
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7/23/2018 - Sotto325 wrote: 93 Points
Moving ahead very nicely and more integrated than before. A great accompaniment to Spanish antipasti( so to speak). Wonderfully dark and showing more smoke and cherry and less oak now, with a deeper, rich sense of tobacco, cherry, wet wood, forest floor, and leather. Never lost its fruit or balance over an hour’s meal. This will undoubtedly evolve and last for another 20 years but is now ready to start enjoying.
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6/10/2018 - vide wrote: 90 Points
Light plum colour; very pleasant nose of dark fruit and oak, quite complex; taste = pleasant but rather one dimensional. Slightly over-wooded, and already the second glass was showing signs of oxidisation. The bottle came with a 96 label awarded by Robert Parker, and a blurb on the back in English. The wine is clearly intended for the Anglophone market. I would say, caveat emptor. This is an easy-drinking wine. Do not pay too much for it.
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6/6/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
From magnum. A lovely bottle, very balanced and harmonious throughout. Quite open on the nose, lots of depth and quite layered showing notes of sweet dark fruit, spices, tobacco, wood smoke, vanilla, coffee beans. Generous on the palate, the acidity is seamlessly integrated. Soft tannic grip and very fine length. My WOTN. Drink or keep. 93-95
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6/3/2018 - Motz wrote: 94 Points
Glass pour from a Coravin. Shared with good friends, who prepared smoked brisket and blueberry charcuterie salad. A magical pairing. Indeed, as much with the salad as the beef. Testable, and strikingly fresh! Showing minimal if any bricking, and effusive red fruits and berries: pomegranate, tart plum, strawberry, lingonberry, and cranberry in particular. Cured meats, kelp, and wafting hints of rock salt dust back the fruit. Gran Reserva Rioja's signature oak treatment also shows prominently, but it works, offering dill, cut tobacco, herbs, high-pitched umami, red loam, worn leather, and weathered clay notes. The juicy and expansive mouthfeel also features rapier-like acids. Noticed an intriguing gritty to pithy element at the transition from middle to back, where tannins also make a prominent appearance. The multi-faceted finish continually shape shifts from tangy red fruits, to oak imparted umami, to appealing steeliness. This bottle imparted the distinct impression of youth and long-term evolution. Certainly approachable now, but it will improve. Unlikely to enter an optimum drinking window before 2028-2030, and it should last for at least a decade thereafter. 94-96.
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5/31/2018 - ZachF88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going strong. Rustic style with the right amount of red fruits. Drinking really well right now. Not sure how the bottle was cellared except for the past 2 months.
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5/27/2018 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 92 Points
Rich, robust, scintillating and satisfying in every way.
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5/20/2018 - MemorialWineFan wrote: 87 Points
Not one of the better bottles I have had from this maker. Strong Vanilla smell which surprised me.
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5/12/2018 - Zweder wrote:
Regular dinner group (By PvD @ Fitzgerald): Dark berries and chocolate in the bouquet. Same on the palate, mocha, a lot of acidity which is a bit dominating. Off bottle? No score for tonight.
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5/11/2018 - tcarter Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great stuff. Earthy and rustic. Drinking well--really approachable and mature--I would've pegged it for at least ten years older than it is.
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4/13/2018 - brucegolfer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow. This was one terrific wine. Robust but not overwhelming. The complex flavors develop in the mouth, and there is a n ice lingering finish. Wish I had more.
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4/7/2018 - GNBB wrote: 93 Points
Showing a little age on the rim - brick orange. Excellent nose with ripe strawberries, slight caramel and fresh lavender. Palate is ripe, rich and well balanced - good acidity giving freshness and vivacity, very fine tannins really well integrated. Fresh strawberries, some herbiness and a little blood orange freshness - showing a little gaminess as well. A very good wine which is certainly into its drinking window. Drink now-2028.
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3/29/2018 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Traditional style Rioja that is drinking beautifully at this point. Smooth, balanced, complex. Excellent QPR
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3/11/2018 - Seth Rosenberg Does not like this wine:
Big spicy oak banana. / ripe. Too heavy. Very oaky. I just can't drink these young. Way to much oak for me. Will it age? the older ones are much better but who knows.
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2/8/2018 - Mountain Mark G Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, was a little put off on day 1, was getting a lot of strawberry jam, seemed to lack complexity. But by day 3, fruit subsided and it developed more subtle flavors, and a longer finish, with leather, cocoa. Recommend a long decant, or 5 - 10 years of age.
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2/3/2018 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 91 Points
We are really digging this wine with it's tart red fruit blend of cherry, red raspberry and strawberry, Spanish bazaar leather, tobacco, pine Forest and a medium dry earthy finish.
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1/28/2018 - Turn Likes this wine: 94 Points
A decent wine, very enjoyable, not too alcoholic.
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1/28/2018 - jseal@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby red colour, tart cherry and leather medium nose. Tasted of red fruits, tobacco. a little tart, young, medium body and length Feels lighter than traditional rioja, fresh. the balance and potential show through. will be much better in 5-10 years!
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1/28/2018 - Rixon Likes this wine: 90 Points
Alla 2004 rioja är på väg in i sin storhetstid, så även denna som säkert vinner på ytterligare lagring. Betyget hade blivit ännu högre om inte eken varit så dominerade. Men ett utmärkt vin som intas till en oxfilé med gorgonzola.
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1/21/2018 - Scamber Likes this wine:
Still super young. Even with a 2 hour decant, dill, coconut and oak dominated. Began to loosen up after 4 hours, but still more to go. Remarkably fresh. Will wait several years for next bottle.
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1/21/2018 - JFI wrote: 89 Points
Past peak
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1/6/2018 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very nice Rioja, really comes together after 2 hours. Corked the bottle but it had fallen apart by the next day.
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1/6/2018 - MrBrege wrote: 89 Points
I bought a case of these due to the high scores and apparent great QPR. I guess I'm just not a great fan of fine Rioja. I can totally see why people like it; lots of fruit, quite intense, decent length. For me the acidity is too pronounced though, with the way the fruit feels at the very mature end of the spectrum (and even a bit jammy, not really to my taste) I don't think this will balance out over time. With food these impressions fade of course so I will have the rest of my bottles with some hardy stews and similar I think. Coming back to the slight jamminess of that fruit, I am wondering if it has something to do with the production process, they make this is pretty large quantities; I don't normally mind Tempranillo, in fact I like it a lot in anything from a Ribera del Duero to a good Douro, and I love their Alta Gran Reserva 890 (which is made in smaller batches). So it is tempting to think that this was an off-bottle, but since we had several, which just came out of bond just a week ago it's much more likely I just don't like this style, how disappointing...
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12/30/2017 - TomOfCT Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good, not great. Brown around the edges. Perhaps past prime. Disappointing for a GR.
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12/28/2017 - Sotto325 wrote: 93 Points
A waft of cigar box, moist wood, dark cherry and wet leaves opens the nose, and on the palate the initially thinner, tight Tempranillo package unfolds nicely. The evolutiion since release is encouraging and while this has yet to show the full corps and complexity of the 2001, time may just be needed. A very nicely aged melange of dark forest flavors overlaid by clay- enclosed dark cherry, tobacco, smoke and leather emerges.
Well on its way to being the best QPR on the market. While it is lighter and less serious than the great 890s, it Is also 1/3 the cost.
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12/28/2017 - Omar Khayyam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Now it shines! First night open, there’s still that feeling of tightly wound fruit, coconut oil, dill pickles and vanilla from the oak. But after a night recorked, in the fridge, it’s a completely different animal - a lovely developed nose with all sorts of berries and leather, still some vanilla, but integrated and the wine is rather medium bodied and gives a fresh feel.
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12/23/2017 - gresch wrote:
Slightly cheese-y nose. Definitely a step up from their lower bottlings, but I'm probably not that into their style.
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12/20/2017 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Ruby core with a brick edge. Nose of menthol, red cherry cola, barnyard floor, straw, oak, spices. The palate is still primary despite the wines age with intense red cherry fruit, grip on the mid palate, a lick of oak and spice on the finish. This is classy and excellent now but needs more time for the tertiary flavours to come through.
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11/20/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Bordeaux like, okay finish, some subtle barnyard.
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11/12/2017 - Bearbus wrote:
Blind for G+M: Earth, sweet-sour, chocolate, tobacco leaf, slightly smoky/charred, goo dintensity on the nose, spice (clove and nutmeg), old wood, polished furniture, inner wooden chest, tangy fruit, golden raisin, brushed horse hair, coconut. Old wood, resin, long mid-palate, drying taannins, tangy, very long. Very good
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10/6/2017 - Slaz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Extra dry with great acidity and notes of dill, wet forest leaves, earth, and red berries. Very good components that are not yet fully singing together (e.g., limited secondary/tertiary notes), even after few hours of decanting. Some improvement since my May 2015 tasting, but it's still not at its prime. Hold until 2019+. Decant generously if drinking soon.
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10/6/2017 - gdfthr2 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Completely agree with Mikecu6. Showing some age but not in an offensive way with a fantastic mouth feel. Drinking very weel right now.
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9/30/2017 - Mikecu6 wrote: 92 Points
Think its in its prime drinking window. A touch of oxidation, but nice nose and supple mouthfeel
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9/22/2017 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Evening with friends: Required lot of air and time to open, decanted three hours before dinner. Classical, very classical and elegant. On the nose ethereous and balsamic, on the palate fresh and very dry (tannic) but also very sustainable. Already great but still very young maybe even too young to drink now but has big potential, will last forever. 94 to 96 points.
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9/15/2017 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely Rioja. The cork on this bottle was super tight and only wet on the very end next to the wine. Notes of cedar, red berries, vanilla and tea. In its drinking window. Some of the other notes suggest either heat damage during shipment or poor storage or some not so good corks. Glad I have more assuming the corks are sound.
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8/19/2017 - burgburgburg wrote: 89 Points
PnP. Clean and medium intensity aroma. Wishfully in her primary stage with vegetal and leather and touch of dried fruits. Decent acidity and good weight. Will try the next bottle in a year.
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8/17/2017 - ryonlife wrote: 91 Points
Pomegranate and cedar, leather tobacco. Tasting really prime and delicious right now.
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8/14/2017 - jshufelt wrote: 83 Points
Slow-oxed for an hour. In the glass, medium red and slightly cloudy. On the nose, dill and a bit of leather. On the palate, pronounced dill/pickle notes, to the point of nearly overwhelming the fruit and leather notes. We had a bottle of this a few months ago and I had the same experience - I was hoping that was an off bottle, but that's seeming less likely. Not obviously flawed, just not to my taste.
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8/8/2017 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine:
Great promise but very young! Takes about 4 hours in the glass to open up (no decanter; it's 70ml sample from Coravin; first access). Seems less evolved than the 2005.
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7/23/2017 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. So lovely. So balanced. So elegant. That said, it was out shown that night by its older brother the 2001 LRA 904.
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7/22/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This lovely wine reveals massive red fruit, rich leathery tones, dried flowers, a whiff of citrus zest and orange blossom but also sun warm strawberry. The palate reveals a close to perfect integration and a superb vocal texture. The wine is still as cool and elegant as described in my other TNs on this effort. Actually it is worth pointing out again that both elegance as well as the clean impression are thh hallmarks of this effort. Drink now or hold for another couple of years - or perhaps even longer. A lovely wine, well worth trying if given the chance! (score is 94+)
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7/22/2017 - guss wrote: flawed
Two bottles flawed. Vinegar. What a pity,
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7/17/2017 - cuffthis wrote: flawed
Uh oh. Major bottle variation with this one tonight.
I've drank 4 of the 2004's to date and all were delicious and very consistent. Tonight's 5th bottle, bought at the same time, from the same wine shop and stored in the same climate controlled cellar at my house, was DOA upon opening.
The cork was fine. I let it warm up from the 56F it was stored at. I aerated it. I let it sit. I revisited it 30, 60 and 90 minutes later in the evening.
Nothing could revive this bottle. The fruit was mostly gone and there was a noticeable chemical smell. This bottle was off.
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7/16/2017 - TanPaulLoong wrote: 87 Points
Way passed its prime...drink up now
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7/7/2017 - Blake Brown Likes this wine: 94 Points
2004 LA RIOJA ALTA GRAN RESERVA 904 RIOJA- having had this beauty previously, I was happy to see what the next adventure would hold and it was wroth the wait and ensured it will not be that long before the next visit; this was loaded with flavours including sweet vanilla, spice, dried cranberry and red cherry delivered in a medium body with good length; the bright tannins were barely evident and should be supportive for longevity; made from Tempranillo and Graciano.
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7/3/2017 - BigGDaddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
I have owned this for 3 years and was waiting and waiting to open it based on the reviews here. The first bottle, the cork just crumbled and the wine had turned. The second, it seems as if the best days were two years ago. Granted, it was fine, but the 05 is much better and I was humbly suggest drinking the 04 now. The color had turned to almost Brunello. It was not deep and rich. It took about 45 minutes to mute its sour start, and actually settled into a nice wine. Was concerned it had too much air already--but got better despite the coloration. It's a mystery.
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7/3/2017 - BigGDaddy wrote: flawed
Cork was soft. Wine was vinegar
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6/16/2017 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour; no sediment. Deep ruby red color with bricking. Nose of tobacco, red fruit, and vanilla. Medium-bodied, with red fruit and considerable oak on the palate, brightened by lively acids. Tannins appear to be resolved, with the finish pleasing and long. May improve with further aging, and this should still be quite enjoyable at age 20. At $40, a reasonable QPR.
Day 2: Seemed even better balanced and without the oak being so obvious. I've upped my score by a point.
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6/15/2017 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:
Wanna "Heroic Vineyards"? Visit Lebanon; 6/14/2017-6/18/2017 (Beirut - Lebanon): Shared with Gaston and château Musar enologist.
their comments went to acidity, light bodied, slight oaky, elegance, presence of Grenache ... In some aspects remembered as an old Château Musar according with Gaston point of view.
I am glad to obtain new vision on Rioja wines.
Whats about me? This is excessively young for me but enjoyable right now.
Compartida con Gaston y su enólogo.
Sus comentarios fueron para la acidez, el cuerpo ligero, la sensación ligera a roble, la elegancia, la presencia de la garnacha ... En algunos aspectos recordaba a un viejo Chateau Musar según el punto de vista de Gaston.
Me alegra tener una nueva visión sobre los vinos de Rioja.
¿Qué pasa conmigo? Esto es excesivamente joven para mí, pero bastante agradable en este momento.
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6/13/2017 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes first.
Consistent with previous bottles, last tasted July, 2016. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity. 13.5% abv.
Purchased for $40US, this wine continues to thoroughly impress. Glad I still have one more bottle left.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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6/13/2017 - De Simone Likes this wine:
Nao daria 92 pontos
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6/5/2017 - Skip4wine wrote: 93 Points
I can't add aything thats not in my 12/16 note except i liked it a little more. This is going to be really special in 5 years but its great right now. Wait?
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5/31/2017 - yayinski wrote: 94 Points
Cigar, sweet vanilla, sour cherries, spice and red citrusy notes. Silky with a lovely toasted oak character. Regal rusticity.
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5/26/2017 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
A marvellous Rioja, even for me who normally do not drink that much of these wines. This wonderful effort reveals rather substantial but certainly integrated and balanced red fruit, profound tones of saddle leather and dried flowers. After some time in the glass beautiful violets and sun warm strawberries emerge. The palate adds perfectly with a both integration and texture. Still, this effort is very cool and elegant. Everything is here, but nothing is over the top. The elegance and a clean impression are certainly two important keywords here. Very pleasurable tonight but certainly in it for the longer haul too. A lovely wine. (score is 94+)
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5/9/2017 - KenPlace wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular bottle. Drank 1/2 bottle during a blind tasting, later opened the bottle during the evening (12 hours later) and it was simply spectacular. Smooth, well integrated, very long. What a bargain.
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5/7/2017 - Grenik Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is more awkward and rough than the 2001, but still an enjoyable experience. Mixed red and blue fruit with black plum. There is a lot of oak at this point, but somehow it is neutral to me. It does not cover up the rest of the wine, but it also does not enhance it. Probably a hold at this point (or it will never really get to where the 2001 is at).
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5/7/2017 - AJPHopson Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much as previous notes have said, this wine is still quite backward. Certainly compared to the 2001 at a similar point this still has a lot more development yet to come. There's a snapshot of the fruit but it's overlaid with too much oak at this point. I've moved my drinking dates to 2020-2035. Drinking it on the second day is better than the first!
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5/5/2017 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 92 Points
Too dark to judge the color. Faded cigarette ash and mixed red berries with plum on the nose. Complex and mildly peaty, lots of spices, blackberries and plums on tons of wood.
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4/15/2017 - gkentm Likes this wine: 93 Points
A complex nose of rum cake, Sandalwood, cedar and leather. Lengthy finish with nice acidity. This has years left but is quite delicious now. I wish I had a case of this vintage. ...Reminds me of fantastic aromas of the Spice Bazaar in Istanbul.
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4/2/2017 - CondorKhan wrote: 92 Points
Took a while to come together, but once it did, it's classic 904: Impeccable balance between cherry fruit and spice/tobacco/oak flavors.
Not as dense and silky as the 98; doesn't give me the feeling of maraschino cherries dipped in chocolate, but instead it's light on its feet, aromatic and elegant.
Very young. Next bottle will sleep for a few more years.
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3/26/2017 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Used Coravin twice, then open and drank over three days. Best glass was the last one. First were ok, but too much oak, etc. The last glass was mahogany, leather, etc. as I want with this wine. Will leave my others for a while.
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3/25/2017 - Romol Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Good wine but it needs a few more years.
91 pts at the moment.
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3/10/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Drunk over multiple days.
Clear, deep, glowing ruby garnet color. Clean, very intense, fully developed nose with aromas of tobacco, leather, spices, red fruit, red, raw meat, some barnyard. The scent is noticeable even if the glass is standing in front of me on the table. Fantastic!
Dry, medium+ /high acidity, medium+, very fine and elegant tannin. Acidity and tannin are perfectly integrated. Pleasantly low alcohol (13% abv), medium body with medium+ intense flavors. Cool, elegant aromas, red fruit, salty minerality, spices, herbs, tobacco, oak. Wonderful, long and lingering. Maybe the only restriction is the note of lovage. But anyway, I really like this wine and its exceptional PQR! It is certainly starting its peak. If it’s already at its pinnacle? Don’t think so. Will drink nicely for the next 10 years. Beautiful wine.
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3/2/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 91 Points
Darker ruby color. Same btl as R&Rler. Better than my October 2015 btl but still drinking very young and primary. Still dominated by its oak on the nose and palate both and in much need of further integration, for my palate. Oak is still masking the Rioja terroir and Tempranillo character. Right now, this taste more like modern winemaking craft than Rioja. I only bought one btl myself back in 2015 and not sure I'd want to own more of these. That said, this may end up rocking in 3+ years if its fruit can climb out from beneath its oak. 90+/91-
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3/2/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
WTDS at Tilia: Rhones Among Others (3/2/17): Dark red color. Drank 1 glass over 75 minutes. While still showing plenty of youthful dill notes on the both the nose and palate, there is so much going on here that balances everything out. The mouthwatering acidity, sweet red fruit, delicious, medium full bodied, with finesse and nice concentration, very long. This is just really coming into its own and with another couple years that oak is going to fold in further.
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2/20/2017 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good Rioja. I will wait a couple of years to try again.
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2/19/2017 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank bottle over a month or so using Coravin, which worked, albeit with some slight ageing I would say, need to perfect my technique! Less oak this time than I remember from my last, more classic 904 palate.
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2/10/2017 - sooper65 wrote: 93 Points
This was a very tasty bottle!
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1/30/2017 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank alongside the 2004 890, very similar at this stage, delicious, so well made and offering oodles of pleasure
93
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1/25/2017 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: The nose was balanced and fragrant with dill, sour red cherries, leather, herbs, strawberries, and earth tones. There is excellent depth with this showing the class one would expect from a Gran Reserva.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The acidity has some punch with the tannins showing some chewiness. The feel is well balanced with sour red cherries, leather tones, strawberries, dill, and some herbs.
Overall: This is a lovely and young Gran Riserva. Yes, it is open and drinking quite well, but there is much more that this can give.
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1/25/2017 - eluebchow wrote: 92 Points
The American oak jumps out of the glass from the get-go, with dill and coconut aromas that have plenty of Rioja typicity; With air, the palate becomes quite complex, with a melange of spicy red fruit, leather, tobacco and dried herbs; This clearly needs time for the American oak to settle, but it's still quite delicious in its current form
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1/22/2017 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 93 Points
Much better than bottle on 11/24/16
Deep red with orange rim and clear in the glass. Bright cherry, clove, eucalyptus, and coconut on the nose and palate. Also some orange peel on the palate. Really wonderful mid-palate feel. Melted tannins and mouth-watering acidity. Medium length cherry, eucalyptus finish. Delicious. 93-94.
I've got one more 750 left and will hold at least 5 yrs. Not that it's not drinking well now. It is. But I want to see where this goes.
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1/19/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
From Magnum. After an hour in a decanter it was coming round. Wonderful spice and layers of red fruits, but it is clear the wine has a long way to go before hitting full stride in this format.
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12/25/2016 - Skip4wine wrote: 92 Points
Light, translucent color. Great nose. Saddle leather, cigar box and some faint cherry flavors. The tannins have really calmed down since I last tried it 18 months ago. Starting to add some complexity and wait if you can but a good wine now.
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12/22/2016 - KeithAkers wrote: 90 Points
A Thursday night at Rich's (Chez Nanda): Nose: The nose is balanced and aromatic with vanilla, spice tones, sour red cherries, raspberries, licorice, red florals, and dill tones.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and medium+ tannins. The structure still has some youth to it with the tannins having a chewiness. The feel is refined with vanilla, spice tones, sour red cherries, raspberries, red florals, and dill notes.
Overall: This is still showing fairly young, but with a refined sense to it.
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12/22/2016 - Nanda wrote:
Served double blind and this one was easy to peg as young Rioja. The nose just screams American Oak with intense (and currently off-putting) dill pickle notes that are not yet integrated with the rich, earthy cherry notes. Palate has a similar unpleasantly dill flavor profile. The wine does have good concentration and structure. I think this wine will come around just fine as the American Oak integrates -- but for now it's not pleasant. Hold for at least 5 years, and probably closer to 10 years.
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12/22/2016 - acyso wrote: 90 Points
Honey Butter Fried Chicken and blinds (Chicago, IL): Served double-blind. I had barely had a chance to stick my nose into the glass before Phil called LRA on this. And boy, is it true to form. Coconut, vanilla, and dill. For days. But this is a very good example, with ample fruit and acid, and good balance, so long as you can tolerate the American oak. This is still quite fresh, and despite its youth, the tannins aren't too ornery.
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12/17/2016 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 94 Points
As lovely as during previous tastings. This wonderful effort exhibits massive but still balanced and integrated red fruit, rich saddle leather, dried flowers with tones of violets and last but not least lovely sun warm strawberry. The palate adds wonderfully to the first experience with a lovely integration and a superb texture. But do not be mistaken, it is still as cool and elegant as one would expect. The elegance and a clean impression are two major features of this effort. It is exactly the same as during my last tasting. No difference. There is no reason to hold off drinking as the wine is true pleasure tonight too, but age will do this effort further justice - I am utterly confident. A lovely wine, well worth seeking out. (score is 94+)
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12/17/2016 - Elvis1969 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mycket klassisk Rioja. Mogen, bra.
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12/16/2016 - MemorialWineFan wrote: 90 Points
Always hard to place a finger on the complex body of the 904s. Tasted cigar box, coconut and suntan oil. I think "beach" when I drank this wine as strange as that may sound. With some more cellar time this wine should be a 93 or so.
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12/14/2016 - Mr. Mustard Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice easy drinker, moderate herb notes, less dill than the 2005, which is a dill bomb (but good).
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12/9/2016 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
DTC 90 - 100 Parker Points wines (@ PvdB): Beautiful bouquet with creamy red berries, vanilla, some smoke and farmyard flavors. On the palate juicy dark berries, chocolate, beautiful oak and toast, beautiful acidity and tannin with a good future. Overall a beautiful wine with good freshness, perfectly dosed oak and very harmonious. So much better than the bottle I had in 2015. Beautiful and classical wine with still a good future until well into the 2020’s.
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11/25/2016 - Mr. Mustard wrote: 89 Points
Lovely wine, fresh herb and cedar on the nose.
Medium body, medium fruit, vegetal finish, some rosemary and a littel bit of dill, (the 2005 has pronounced dill, this previous vintage is much less).
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11/24/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well now. Medium bodied, not too much acid. Perhaps will put on some weight in the bottle over the next years.
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11/24/2016 - texanoblues wrote: 89 Points
Red with orange rim. Cherry, plum, cedar, eucalyptus and clove on the nose and palate. This wine has softened and lost some intesnity, relative to the bottles I had a couple of years ago. It hasn't become more complex with age. (88-89).
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11/13/2016 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 90 Points
More oak than I remember from the 2001. Still ok though.
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10/27/2016 - SimonG wrote: 93 Points
Steak wines @ Lurra (Lurra, London): Very plush and smooth. A little warm (temp). Dark fruited with good acidity. Enjoyable now in its youth, but best left a few years for the purist's palate. All there. ***(*)
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10/14/2016 - greedy wrote: 88 Points
Nothing special.
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10/3/2016 - jdporter3 Likes this wine:
First bottle popped of a case so no rating just now. Classic dill on the palate - love my old style Riojas. Quite drinkable PNP but certainly better after a day. Pleasant dried fruits and just so drinkable. Well liked by my big California cab friends, as it always is. And so why are they paying twice as much or more for their bottles? Drank 2004 Vina Ardanza in the same week (see those notes). This has more depth and will go longer. No way that the VA is a better wine.
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9/17/2016 - Joram wrote:
This is a wine which delivers some discussion. It is beautiful in the nose, nice complexity. On the palate the complexity continues however it seems to be a bit too old at this point. So it does not finish in nice way.
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9/16/2016 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 91 Points
Friskere, lengre, mere tobakk, rødbær. Bedre balanse. (sammenliknet med 2005). Man skal ikke være allergisk mot fat her. Mye av alt, men likevel godt montert sammen og fint balansert uten å bli for rikt. Frisk og lang. 91
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9/9/2016 - MVO Wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
This wine is very tight - it improved vastly with two hours' decanting and was even better after almost 8 hours in the decanter. It has an elegant nose of violet, mineral, and mushroom with just a hint of red fruit. I suspect the wine is in a closed state and will be more accessible in about two years or so.
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9/1/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine: 90 Points
I drank a 1995 Mondavi reserve Cab before we opened this. This had a nose of roasted coconut and the the flavor of roasted coconut with milk chocolate. It smelled like a Mounds candy Bar wrapper. I assume because our palate was changed from the 95 Mondavi. But I love Mounds Bars!
This was very light and easy to drink. I love wines that are 13% abv.
Great for hot Naples Fl nights.
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9/1/2016 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Glass: Riedel Vinum Syrah
Consistent with my last note. Fantastic PQR, potential for 5-10 more years of improvement.
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8/27/2016 - Eags25 wrote: 90 Points
Excellent but very tight. Needs time.
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8/20/2016 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 93 Points
Glass: Schott Zwiesel Burgundy
One glass poured with Coravin.
Clear medium garnet color. Wonderful, intense, developing complex Rioja nose.
Dry, fine-grained medium+ tannin and medium+ acidity, both perfectly integrated. Silky, elegant mouthfeel, fruit, oak, smoke. Long finish. Very enjoyable now, but will certainly improve a bit more and will stay at this level for at least a decade. Great PQR!
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8/12/2016 - Tbird13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Excellent Rioja. Decant before. Still early in drinakbiliry window
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7/29/2016 - Geaux Tigers wrote: 90 Points
Needed air and did not get it. PnP, cherries, dill, oak, light acidic fruit. Against better judgment I let it go without air. Big mistake.
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7/25/2016 - AV2012 wrote: 92 Points
Seemed to be a bit more fruity and with higher accidity than 2001. Nice barnyardy, red berries nose. Went so well with fatty kebab. Very very good, a classic.
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7/2/2016 - muehlemann wrote: 90 Points
Awesome. Good value for money.
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6/30/2016 - ozyloy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Clear ruby (no real bricking, but certainly not as dark as your usual tempranillo), no sediment. A little closed at first, but this wine got going after an hour or so. Dark cherry gave way to tart cherry, with complex aromas of plum, wood spice, earth, aged meat, toasted oak and a whiff of farmyard. Medium body, firm but velvety tannins and a pleasant, medium(+) finish. This is a clean, well-made wine, which I am hoping will improve even more over the next few years - although by all means drink now with a decant. Looking forward to opening my next bottle in a year or two.
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6/26/2016 - seckhart Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellent but seems at its peak. Not sure many years left in it.
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6/25/2016 - Vancouver Likes this wine: 93 Points
Informal tasting note- drank with a BBQ chicken dinner.
Pale ruby color.
Fresh great acidity and seems much younger than 12 years. Great food wine .
With some time, aromas got very complex- black fruits, but also smoked meats spice etc.
Medium to medium + body and a great finish.
Drink now or age for the next 2 decades in a cold cellar.
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6/20/2016 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for 2 hours and paired with grilled salmon (paired very well). Drank very well - didn't take formal notes. This has improved from my last tasting in 12/2015 - could be bottle variation or just getting better with time....
92+/- Will buy more.
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6/7/2016 - greedy Likes this wine: 89 Points
I didn't enjoy this bottle as much as the last one. Needs at least two hour decant.
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6/4/2016 - mattdathan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Luscious, smooth and very elegant.
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6/3/2016 - oliverrix Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really good, full Rioja, enjoyed with topside of beef.
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6/1/2016 - NNV Likes this wine: 91 Points
I enjoyed 2001 better. Needs some time in glass. Classic Rioja but kept waiting for it to open a bit and give some more.
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5/29/2016 - pcwoz Likes this wine: 92 Points
lovely classic style. Vanilla, spice, red fruits, smoke. Lovely developing wine
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5/21/2016 - sooper65 wrote: 93 Points
lovely purity and intensity to this other worldly Rioja
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5/21/2016 - mikita77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is gorgeous. Right after opening I smelled fresh-from-the-cow milk (yeah, there's cows around, so I know the smell). Irritating, but it was just closed. Opened up during the meal which consisted of bone aged Irish filet mignon with grilled asparagus and home made chimichurri. Pairing worked. After a while the 904 develops nose qualities somewhere between aged bordeaux and burgundy. Very intriguing. Both a bit tart and generously sweet, long. A wine with attitude and 'una manera de honra muy particular'. Will stock up, this is not going to get any worse, only better.
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5/14/2016 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 30 minutes first.
Consistent with previous bottles. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity. 13.5% abv.
Purchased for $40US, this wine continues to thoroughly impress. Glad I bought more of them.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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5/13/2016 - Lemmy-W wrote: 92 Points
Ruby colour, slightly turning into brown. A bit of "thin" on first sip, feels weak tannins at first, but improves with air.
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5/8/2016 - floridawinedrkr Likes this wine:
I have no idea how to rate this as its My first Rioja. This one has older musty, dusty notes like an older cab or Bordeaux. Acidic and tart on the finish. tasted like an over the hill Beringer private reserve or Mondavi reserve from the 90's. It wasn't bad just not a wow wine
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5/2/2016 - nyccto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pros:
Balanced
Finish
Complex
Cons:
Price
Loved this. Herbal, oregano, menthol, black cherry, vanilla. Great with food but could drink this on its own. Great balance and complexity. Best Rioja I've had, amazing finish. Will be adding more bottles to the cellar. Score!
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4/29/2016 - greedy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great wine. Touch better than 2001 faustino. But a tad expensive. Not sure it is twice as good as faustino??
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4/16/2016 - Christoffer78 Likes this wine: 95 Points
A brilliant effort exhibiting massive red fruit, leather, dried violets and lovely sun warm strawberry. The palate is not leaving anything behind either. With a lovely integration and a superb texture, but still cool and elegant, it certainly adds to the overall impression in a positive way. Elegance and a clean impression are two relevant keywords. The wine is enjoyable tonight but I am confident it will continue to develop along a very pleasant trajectory. There is no reason to hold off drinking, but age will do this effort justice. Overall impression is very positive.
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4/7/2016 - wineordeath Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely wine. Already opening up with ripe fruit, spice, and some leather. Good fruit on the palate, silky, but with a noticeable tinge of tartness at the end that makes it demand food. Good, just not as complete as the 2001. Still a baby.
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4/1/2016 - Bob in NC Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted 3+ hours. An elegant Rioja with finesse, layers of flavor and superb balance. The tart, brambly cherry and cranberry fruit is still youthful and interplays splendidly with the clove and anise spice, tobacco and leather. Love the earthy finish. This wine was perfect with our marinaded lollipop lamb chops.
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4/1/2016 - Bowmanifesto wrote: 93 Points
Already extraordinary, with many years of maturing ahead. Decanted for an hour, but could wait no longer. Purple body, with light ruby edges. The aromas are phenomenal – rich, deep, full, robust, exotic spices married to ripe dark fruits. So muscular, it belies the lithe lightness of the body. For the first few hours, the palate was an afterthought. Quite nice, but not spectacular. On day two, the acidity has dropped away and a lush suave texture caresses the tongue while bountiful berries and cedar afternotes tantalize the tongue. The finish lingers for minutes. Buenissimo!
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3/30/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
A Wet Spanish Wine Wednesday (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Dark red color. Splash double decanted, drank 2 glasses over 2 hours. It was really interesting to see this side by side with the '04 La Rioja Arana. There are so many similarities between the two wines. The conversation for the first 30 minutes was that we liked the Arana better than the 904 and that it was such an incredible value. It was apparent from the start that the 904 was not as open and ready to go, but gradually it built and emerged to show why it is the better wine. Always built to age, this just needed to get its feet under it. By 60-90 minutes it was clear where this was going and it continued to improve over 3 hours. Complex and wonderfully balanced, on the nose there is a perfume of wood, wood spice, flowers, cedarbox, leather, cherry fruit, pencil shavings. The palate is dusty, cherry, tangy, graphite, nice tannins, long finish, and later a rather prominent and classic dill note emerges on the nose and palate. Drinking well now with significant air, will benefit from an additional 3 years of cellaring. My and group #2 WOTN. 92+(+)pts
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3/28/2016 - depechemoroder Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful Rioja with great depth and finesse, but in need of many more years in bottle and a long decant if you decide to open it now. The plum and strawberry fruit is highly pure and perfumed with lots of layered savoury herbaceous notes beneath. Moreish acidity and fine tannins balance everything out. Finish felt a little short, but I think that's because this is quite young at the moment. Potential is great.
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3/28/2016 - PourSomeRed wrote: 90 Points
This was good, but even after a 3 hour decant I felt that it needed more. That being said, 3-5 years in the cellar would be the best option. This has incredible potential.
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3/20/2016 - Monsieur le Comte wrote: 95 Points
Perfect with duck..
as you would expect; leather, cherry, tar, minerality..
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3/13/2016 - Iceman611 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderfully dry and complex. Medium
Body. Leathery on the front end with good acidity and some fruit. Excellent with pork.
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3/12/2016 - pauljenson Likes this wine: 97 Points
Wow, absolutely phenomenal! Showing complex bouquet and opened up further over the course of the night.
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3/4/2016 - dlcass Likes this wine: 93 Points
Needs some time in the glass/ decanter for integration. Interesting wine with notes of blackberry.
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2/24/2016 - Mr. Mustard Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious and round, with a good vegetal/herbal note at the end. Deeelicious.
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2/21/2016 - EirikM wrote: 91 Points
Young, but accessible. Great refreshing acidity and juiciness. Firm, but by no means rough tannins. Classic high level traditional rioja profile on aromas; complex but on the primary side.
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2/18/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great.
Coravin sample.
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2/13/2016 - nittanyjack wrote:
Decanted for about an hour, which probably wasn't enough. I was in the minority in the group thinking this was way too oaky...I couldn't get past it, both on the nose and the palate. Maybe just needs more time...a lot more.
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2/13/2016 - Enzo D wrote: 93 Points
Decanted two hours. Enjoyed by all with grilled burgers and after dinner. Very nice but still very young. Big oak. Will be another 5 years or so before hitting its prime.
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2/7/2016 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
The wine was medium garnet in colour and offered a great, complex, intoxicating nose of red fruit, cucumber, coconut, chocolate, leather, tobacco, spices, vanilla, cinnamon and clove. On the palate the medium-bodied, balanced and complex wine showed red fruit, red cherry, black raspberry, cucumber, coffee, chocolate, cocoa, spices vanilla and clove, with fresh, lively, medium-plus acidity, medium-level tannin and incredible length. The tannin still seemed a little harsh and still need some time. A truly great Rioja that will drink well for decades!
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2/7/2016 - Mr. Mustard Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent, tasting as noted prior. Benefits from decanting about 1.5 hrs.
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1/31/2016 - Geaux Tigers Likes this wine: 95 Points
Decanted for 5 hrs. Great wine. No notes taken, but really liked it and so did fellow drinkers. WOTN.
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1/29/2016 - bluesnjazz535 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
Very heavily oaked with what seemed like fading fruit. Disappointing.
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1/25/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal note.
Great wine. Will keep.
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1/24/2016 - Lazerlar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour and not sure that was needed as it was drinking great with no signs it needed help softening. Cherry and black raspberry and an incredible smoothness. Clearly in its drinking window.
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1/15/2016 - Mr. Mustard Likes this wine: 90 Points
This was delicious. On initial opening, a lot of cherry and fruit.
Decanted and after an hour, nice leather and plum, moderate tannins, with a candycane note on the finish, which was moderate in length.
Very enjoyable and pairs very well with some jamon and spaghetti with tomato.
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1/11/2016 - TerroirHunter wrote: 92 Points
Never disappoints. Will age, but drinks so well now. A bit more weight than the 05. Will drink this up before touching 05s. Ripe cherry, Indian spices, cedar, cigar tobacco, underbrush. awesome.
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1/10/2016 - vincemcd61 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice flavor. Had with saffron tomato soup and Gruyere grilled cheese sandwiches
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1/10/2016 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Raspberries, cherries, leather and hints of chocolate on the nose. Sour cherries on the palate with dark chocolate notes. A little chewy on the finish but this was long and sweet. Nicely balanced, medium-full bodied. Drinking well.
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1/9/2016 - Blauweiss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gorgeous! Balanced red fruits, tea, green herbs, leather. Taste is medium bodied, very elegant, very long. The definition of Classic rioja. Will easily last another decade, as it still comes out very Young.
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1/4/2016 - BVal wrote: 93 Points
Color: deep/dark ruby core -> medium deep ruby/garnet rim. Really nice bouquet of saddle leather, tar, tobacco and yeah, a little balsamic reduction. Full bodied palate drinking perfectly now IMO; cured meats, cranberries, vanilla and toasty American oak make this quite the stylish, enticing wine. Great acid and a nice, long finish complete it; drink now and for quite a few years to come. Delicious stuff and wishing I had more!
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1/3/2016 - Vertigo wrote:
Somehow I was struggling with this wine. On one side it was delicate (eg 13%) and on the other side I had the feeling it was completely overdone with oak.
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12/30/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright red and some juicy black fruit, balslamic, black tea, leather, oak. Oak starting to integrate. Deep and layered this is young and delicious. This will be fantastic in a few years imo.
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12/27/2015 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 96 Points
Extremely good. Strong aromas of tar, mushrooms, cured meat, wild blackberry, balsamic vinegar, tobacco, and oak. This is one of those rare wines that's more fun to smell than to drink. It's classic rioja in the mouth, full of juicy, citrusy acidity with interwoven oaky tannins. The wine has a pronounced wild element that is reminiscent of a Belgian lambic. The finish includes minerality, leathery tannins, and citrus.
This is a very special wine that won't be a crowd pleaser but will please fans of savory, complex, non-fruit-forward wines. There is no better wine to display the positive influences of aging in American oak.
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12/26/2015 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity.
Purchased for $40US, this wine blew me away tonight. Served pnp, it was the WOTN enjoyed with friends at a local BYOB. Wow, this is an absolutely delicious bottling.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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12/24/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 95 Points
I like this wine the first time I tried it a couple of months back and decided to get a couple for Christmas dinner with the family. Double decanted about 5 hours prior to serving, all three bottles we had were absolutely stunning, and I am upping my score from previously 92 to 95. This is in a great place now with the decant and drinking so well, such great balance and finesse, almost weightless. Great QPR.
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12/24/2015 - teemuskogberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Väri syvän tiilen punainen, kaunis
Tuoksu: mahtava. Nahkaa tähtianista, kenkälaatikko, kypsän hedelmäinen
Maku: paksu, suklainen, bäysenmarjaa, pehmeät tanniinin, lakritsia, inkivääriä. Ryhdikäs ja voimakas
Valmis nautittavaksi mutta varmasti kestää hyvin ikäännyttämistä.
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12/21/2015 - Vinomane wrote:
Too young, of course -- used as an introductory reference at a tasting of much older Riojas. Woody, alcoholic; needs 5 years to settle down.
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12/12/2015 - elledeca wrote:
La Rioja Alta GR 904 (Brussels): Still closed, darker, coffee, strawberry yoghurt
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12/9/2015 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 91 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2015/12/la-rioja-alta-904-gran-reserva-2004.html
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De color rojizo granatoso de capa media-alta, extraído, cubierto, muy oscuro. Reflejos granadinos y anaranjados, refulgente, limpio, sin el mínimo asomo de precipitados. Fuerte sensación de juventud respecto a otras añadas. Borde ligeramente cobrizo, estrecho, diferenciado del exterior menisco.
Se presenta sin sorpresas: de expresión franca y muy tradicional - muchos puntos en común con la cosecha del 2000. Aromas iniciales de orden dulzoso a frutos rojos maduros, cascarilla de naranja, tabaco Virginia, toffee, melaza y un apunte de ebanistería de fondo (tung, lacas). Impecablemente perfilado, elegante y abierto, infusionado en vainilla, equilibrado, sin parafernalia inecesaria. Aquí no sobra nada. Reconocible de principio a fin como 904. Da la impresión de ser un vino menos abultado que el 2001, más pausado, aunque con una necedidad evidente de guarda en botella para comenzar a ganar en matices. Lo tiene todo para que así sea. El tiempo lo dirá...
En boca se muestra enérgico, dotado de una acidez intensa que acrecienta la sensación inicial de sequedad. Vivo, lleno, aportando un tanino algo marcado, aún por pulir. El conjunto ya es notable, sabroso, muy frutoso, con ese matiz de dulcedumbre, tan de La Rioja Alta, adornado de tostados, especiados, amargosos... Larguísimo, con dni riojano. Gran trabajo de la bodega aunque aún es pronto para valorarlo en plenitud. Hay quien afirma que se pueda detectar un cierto cambio de estilo, algunos matices que no solían darse anteriormente... En todo caso, es complicado estar seguro. Ha gustado y mucho.
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90% tempranillo, 10% graciano. 13.5% vol.
- La tempranillo proviene de los viñedos propios más viejos ubicados en subzona de la Rioja Alta, principalmente de los municipios de Briñas, Labastida y Villalba. El resto de la uva es originaria de las fincas Melchorón I y II de Briones y Rodezno. Todos los viñedos tienen una edad superior a 40 años. La fermentación alcohólica se desarrolló en 12 días, descubándose cinco días después. La fermentación maloláctica se desarrolló en depósitos de acero inoxidable de forma natural. En enero de 2.005 los vinos pasaron a criarse en barricas de roble americano de 225 litros de fabricación propia, con una media de edad de 4 años. Sometido a trasiegos manuales de forma periódica cada 6 meses por el método tradicional de barrica a barrica, a la luz de la vela. Filtrado muy suave antes de ser embotellado en febrero de 2.009. Un mínimo de 60 meses de guarda en botellero en los calados de la bodega antes de ser comercializado.
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12/6/2015 - CWilliam wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 1 hour and served with grilled Salmon (nice pairing). Needs 2-3 more years. No movement overnight either. Dried cherry, tart cherry, earthy on nose. Medium body with cranberry, tart cherry, dill on palate. medium+ acidity & long finish. 91-92 today with room for improvement in 3-5 more years. Enjoyable but not at prime time today. Will buy some more bottles to cellar but won't drink until 2017+
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11/24/2015 - Rani Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasted blind. Very earthy, with fine tannins and sweet red and black fruit. Notes of plums, beef stew and laced with acidity. Too young and rather overt at the moment, I think a couple more years would do it justice.
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11/23/2015 - SlimShaney Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Has some redeeming characteristics after being opened for an hour but the sour and sharp upper mid palate is rather unpleasant.
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11/21/2015 - cuffthis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Vivid crimson in color, this wine (90% Tempranillo/10% Graciano) reveals intense and focused aromas of new saddle leather, vanilla bean and dried cranberries on the nose. The mouth feel brought smoky elements, more dried fruits and an exotic spicy feel. The finish was 45+ seconds of succulent dried red fruits, leather and perfect levels of acidity.
Purchased for $40US, this wine blew me away tonight. Served pnp, it continued to get better throughout the 60 minutes it was open during dinner. Wow, this is an absolutely delicious bottling.
Imported by Skurnik Wines, New York, NY.
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11/21/2015 - Phenol73 wrote: 93 Points
(Decanter Fine Wine Encounter 2015) :: Rich palate and complexity, showing leather, balsam, cloves, cherries. Wonderfully integrated tannins, leaving an elegant, full and poised mouthfeel on a long finish. Excellent.
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11/20/2015 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 89 Points
Less impressed this time compared to a year ago. More coconut oil and vanilla on the nose and the fruit while balanced and clean and lovely did not show as many interesting layers. At the same time, this is a very good wine that is versatile and delicious.
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11/14/2015 - asvendsen wrote: 92 Points
Raw meat, chocolate, vanilla. blueberries and blackberries. Good finnish with soft tannins. Oily and bloody texture and feel. It's drinkable pnp right now, but should improve with age when oak will integrate even better and the wine calms down a bit.
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11/6/2015 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine. Nice balance. Dill, coconut. Concentrated and long. Everything is in balance. This needs 5+ years to develop into a beauty.
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11/5/2015 - Sotto325 wrote: 93 Points
What a difference 6 months can make! The wine is now really starting to come together and the two- point jump may be one of two in time. The soft tobacco, clay, sweet dark cherry and tar nose was followed by a dark earthy clay, oak- soaked dark cherry, smokey flavor-- but just beginning. This will never rise,of course, to the depth and complexity level of the 890, and I suspect that these 904s will have some of the same variability that the wonderful 2001s displayed. Having said that, my initial skepticism, or at least question about this otherwise wonderful vintage, was allayed. The next 3 years will tell if the complexity and depth are added. I suspect they will be. A great investment QPR.
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11/1/2015 - bobadopolis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wife says, "Whatever this is, I give it a 10" (that's 10/10 on a 1-10 scale). Decanted for about 3 hours. My novice assessment: great fruit on the nose, a bit of earth but prominent red fruit on the palate. Quite tannic even after the decant. Good finish, although you have to fight through the tannins to appreciate it. This ought to improve with another 5-15 years, but certainly enjoyable now with a prolonged decant.
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10/31/2015 - chablis28 wrote: 89 Points
PNP, starting drinking an hour in. Its amazing how young this is drinking at 11yrs in. The biggest issue is the masking vanilla from the oak. The tannins are smooth but this is fairly one dimensional at this stage. Needs at least 3 more years if not 5. Happily, I only grabbed one. I have a buddy who thinks Rioja is a better value than Burgundy. I'm sorry, I don't agree. Many Riojas need a couple decades to integrate the oak. On the surface it seems admirable that its being released with 10yrs btl age but this has miles to go before we will ever know its real potential. I'd rather pay $47 for a village Burg. 87- 89pt experience right now. Hopefully this will shine with 3-5 more years. Not sure I want load up based on where it is, right now with 11yrs under its belt.
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10/31/2015 - beach663@btinternet.com wrote: 85 Points
Hello this is my first tasting note and thank you for allowing me to join. I'am afraid I can not give you a lot of metaphoric terms for this wine only what I taste . Opened left for 1 hour around 17 degrees on pouring nice fruity smell from bottle not alcoholic at all . On tasting first initial taste was fruity then dying into the middle of the mouth into a jammy sensation around the top palate . Was it worth £25 quid , no. Will try 1994 to compare and let you know.
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10/29/2015 - jww wrote: 92 Points
excellent huge nose fruit forward
taste the same smooth and fruity but structured and complex
a real treat a nd incredible value
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10/25/2015 - BuzzzzOff Likes this wine: 91 Points
We sipped with Mark et al of Kerry Wines at The Hong Kong Golf Open! Cheers, matey, a hole in one!!!
Luvly light red colour on the eye. Outstanding aromas of toasty oak, spices, a touch of leather, slightly meaty, chocolate and espresso. Breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert all in one nose. Medium-bodied, fairly simple palate with subtle tannins. Perhaps too young? Or not enough breathing? The aromas are so commanding that we think the palate is overwhelmed. Not necessarily a bad thing, but the nose geared us up while the palate brought us back to reality...albeit a very nice landing in a voluptuous venue! Think Beyonce on the nose, slightly bigger Bruno Mars on the palate...
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10/24/2015 - pgm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted two hours. A wonderfully complex foresty leathery spicy nose that had me studying it for half an hour before tasting: charcuterie and dried cherry complete it. The mouth was equally complex, with dried strawberry, cigar box, and cherry notes. Good finish, but not quite as stunning as the rest of the wine. I was worried I was opening it too young; the decant may have done the trick, or it could be ready now even with less decanting time.
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10/23/2015 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark cherry, spices, cedar, and nutmeg on the palate. Medium+ tannins, which are well integrated. Long finish. Excellent wine and value.
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10/17/2015 - Benj wrote: 94 Points
Holy moly. The beauty of the wines from this producer never fails to impress me. This is rich, deep, dark red, voluptuous and full of acid (med-high), with perfect oaking and a v long finish. This is a complete delight now but has even better things ahead of it. 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano. $62.
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10/17/2015 - Oechsle Likes this wine: 92 Points
90% Tempranillo
10% Graciano
For the reviews noting Dill on the nose. You’re not giving the wine sufficient time to breath. Its been sleeping for over a decade give it a few hours to open. Nose high toned with wet wood, macerated dried fruit of red plum and cherry, hints of raw unburnt myrrh and old worn leather. Lively palate, fresh, well integrated tannins, woodsy cranberry, dried sour cherry, almost comes across burgundian. Everything about this wine improved on day two. It doesn’t live up to all the hyped scores of mid 90’s. As an alternative at half the price, 2001 Faustino Gran Reserva. Purchased from retail store and served at 65-75 and enjoyed with grilled pork. Drinking window now – 15 years…Na zdrowie
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10/15/2015 - Dusan Santa wrote: 92 Points
A lots of dark fruits, vanilla, coffee and tabac. I am not a big fan of this kind of wine, but anyway I give him 92 points beacuse of his performance a strongness. It should be decanted for at least 1 hour in advance.
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10/14/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #102; Rioja (By CvR): The bouquet is quite mature with barnyard, nuts, espresso and toasted oak. On the palate not so much fruit left, some dark berries, sweet spices, herbs, vanilla, firm acidity and completely melted tannin. This bottle was on the edge of being too old, so I have my questions about how it has been stored. In the group it was a “discussion” wine. My score for tonight was 90.
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10/13/2015 - Snowryeder Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprised that is drinking so well for being relatively young. Ripe fruits & vanilla. Nice acidity and good finish.
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10/12/2015 - Adrian Chmielarz Likes this wine: 91 Points
You don't forget this one. Evolves over time, each incarnation interesting: when you think you have it figured out, it offers new pleasures. I have initially dismissed it due to high acidity but that was a mistake; soon I have discovered its milky honey as a counter. It's a demanding wine, I don't think I would recommend it for anyone not already looking for something different. Needs 2h of air before drinking.
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10/8/2015 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 91 Points
Voldsomt fatpreg ved åpning, med luft kommer frukten frem. Lær, tobakk, bjørnebær på nese. Følger opp i munn. Frisk, skikkelig strukturert og lang, men fin balanse. Mye fatpreg trekker litt ned, men til lammelår og rotgrønnsaker kommer vinen til sitt fulle. 90-91
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10/2/2015 - The Count Likes this wine: 98 Points
Drinking fabulously.
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9/29/2015 - sooper65 wrote: 90 Points
solid
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9/23/2015 - gmtaylor wrote: 92 Points
DHWine. Nose: sherry, leather. Light wine which starts as slightly sharp with notes of spice and vanilla (tasted with blue cheese, sun-dried peppers, Spanish tortilla, ham and cured meat sausage).
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9/18/2015 - sp4388 Likes this wine: 92 Points
delicious and exciting/confusing because the fruit is big and pretty dark but all the acid makes it so bright and mouthwatering. I don't know how more reviews don't mention the dill though- the American oak is very noticeable and probably overdone, I don't know if that gets better with time but it's very dilly to me, I keep thinking like there's a splash of pickle juice in it. Better in every way after a couple days, tannins which are pretty strong really mellowed out. Don't have enough experience with Rioja to opine on how much better this might get w time
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9/15/2015 - belfast taxman wrote: 90 Points
still young and quite firm but there is so much potential for this wine. Somehow you can sense that in 3-5 years this is likely to bloom into something rather wonderful
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9/10/2015 - pjaines Likes this wine:
Arrrrrrrrr. The sound of a man returning to good Rioja. 2 years back I had a 2001 of this wine that was all oak and tomato and I vowed to stay away. Well, this sorted it out - a great wine with balance, depth and balance without ever reverting into the overtly drying oaky notes. There is a touch of oak of course but the brilliance of the fruit and complexity on the nose really elevates this wine. Good now, superb in 10 years.
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9/6/2015 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Medium, brick red in colour. Complex and layered on the nose - plums, raisins, spices, iodine, leather, cured meat, chocolate, smoke, slightly floral, too. Really beautiful. On the palate full-bodied, fresh and grippy with good, slightly sweet fruit, powdery tannins. Surprisingly expressive and accessible. Wonderful length. Amazing, especially considering its price tag. Great future. 93-94+
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9/5/2015 - Hermosabritdad Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really very good. Quite high alcohol on the nose, but a lovely mix of modern strong Syrah richness, matched with some old school deeper wood/cedar. Great palette too. And what great value for a wine of this finesse/complexity. Like it a lot.
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8/28/2015 - BradE wrote:
Three Nights In San Juan; 8/27/2015-8/29/2015: From a restaurant list. Drank very well, and is a very nice value.
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8/26/2015 - Papies wrote: 89 Points
To be honest we expected a lot more from this wine and could well be a function of youth and hence it has not developed yet. Light sweet notes, coffee, chocolate, ripe , decent acidity but a bit uninspiring at this stage. Good wine but no music here . 89
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8/25/2015 - Iceman611 wrote: 93 Points
Way too much tanin to drink alone. With rich Catalan salami this wine is perfect. Perhaps the best Rioja I've tried.
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8/23/2015 - wgoelen wrote: flawed
corked
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8/22/2015 - CHINACAT wrote: 92 Points
Quite approachable for a young gran reserve. Dark ruby color and clear. Fragrant nose. On the palate, ripe red fruit, silky texture, not too oaky, with some bright acidity. Enjoyable now, but should continue to improve.
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8/17/2015 - NickM Does not like this wine: 85 Points
I found this to be a bit of an oaky mess at this stage. I'm sure it will come good, I've enjoyed older vintages ....
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8/16/2015 - Wardyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
A gorgeous bouquet of red fruits, tobacco, cedar wood, smoke and vanilla. Medium to full bodied. Silky texture and tannins. It exhibits a good level of acidity follow by stewed red fruits, graphites, tar and cedar wood. In addition, there is a sweetness as well. Chocolaty finish and some warmness. A great food wine and starting to drink well.
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8/15/2015 - wondersofwine Likes this wine: 89 Points
Took to MO'COOL picnic in Michigan. Mahogany color. Fig or prune on the nose. Raspberry, leather and earthiness on the palate--not quite into the "funky" category. I have two more bottles and I think I will cellar them for two or three more years.
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8/14/2015 - Cristi8a Likes this wine: 94 Points
Manolo. Cumple gcot familiar. Mas suave de lo q esperaba. Olor a madera suave. Baja suave. Sorprendentemente bueno.
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8/13/2015 - Raja Likes this wine: 92 Points
Agree with others here. It is a gorgeous wine. Wonderful nose, bright acid on the palate which was balanced with dinner.
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8/12/2015 - Haggis Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic old style gran reserva Rioja. Just as I like it: well-aged, loaded with dark cherries, leather, pencil lead, cedar, and a tinge of acidity. Aroma is just beautiful. Tannins and oak are beautifully integrated. On day 1, this was amazing. I held back about 1/3 bottle (recorked and stuck in the fridge) and tried the remainder the next day. Still nice, but seems to have lost something. A bit thinner, but still glorious. I would suggest finishing a bottle in one sitting. The drinking window is probably a bit tighter than some reviews would suggest. I'd drink up by 2020 at the latest.
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8/12/2015 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
drunk from Coravin at Quality Chop House
Gorgeous wine, so much ripe red fruit
Layers of tobacco, cedar with a hint of walnut.
So smooth, limpid and well-balanced
Truly a thing of beauty
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8/8/2015 - iobtoel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red fruit on the nose, fresh, fragrant with hints of graphite. Plums and cherries on the palate. Sweet. Fine tannins. Taught, nicely balanced. Developing some secondary characteristics. Delicious, long finish.
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8/5/2015 - sethboy23 wrote: 94 Points
Really impressed. Opened up after 1 hr. True deal
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8/3/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
Deep red with slight amber hue and clear. Wonderful and exotic with blackberry, vanilla, cedar, and coconut notes on the nose and palate. As well balanced as it was complex. Velvety structure and not a rough edge to be found. Outstanding wine. 94-95pts.
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8/2/2015 - Coachron13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Earthy and smoky. Fruit is there but not pronounced. Easy to drink, paired well with our Spanish tapas meal.
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8/1/2015 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
Russk. Pablo brought to Leftovers at Chef JP. My WOTN. Nose of Am Oak, coconut and dill. Mouth of the same plus tomato and orange peel. Medium bodied and great balance . Great food wine, even with white fish. Long finish. Buy more. 92+
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7/28/2015 - BenBlu Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very enjoyable wine - with good acidity and balance, they certainly did not try to overdo anything here, "only" 13% alcohol, making this a good contrast to so many heady wines nowadays produced, almost a Burgundian feel to it.
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7/25/2015 - Crispin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fabulous. Brick red. Nice mouthfeel. Fruit in tact and well defined. Long and well structured.
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7/17/2015 - Wine Sparty wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about an hour before having with grilled steak. Nice aroma of tobacco and black raspberry. Taste has more of a red raspberry flavor, and has a good level of acidity. This just seems like a really well balanced wine that drinks very well now. I have no experience to know how long this will last, but I'll keep my other bottle for a few years.
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7/15/2015 - Allagashme Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still plenty of fruit though muted over 11 years. Tannins present but softened. Thin'ish on the mouth but the balance of the above makes it amazing Rioja that has cellared well.
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7/13/2015 - randyjc wrote: 94 Points
I occasionally run across a Rioja that makes me wonder why I don't have cases of them in my cellar. This is one such. A vivid wine that demands attention. Everything about it is snappy and alive. A bright red fruit nose with a bit of menthol and vanilla. In the mouth, bright acidity, fine tannins, mature tart cherry. A long, long finish carried by snappy red fruit and acidity, finally disappearing like the Cheshire cat - leaving only the grin. It plainly has a long life ahead of it but will be extremely difficult to lay off since it is so compelling now.
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7/11/2015 - DoubleMagnum Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good wine. I feel like I opened it 10 years too early. It needs to lay off some baby fat. It'll be great a decade or two from now. Store it well. Be patient.
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7/9/2015 - sooper65 wrote: 90 Points
this bottle didn't sing, but the missus adored it... "gorgeous" she says
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7/8/2015 - Kuperman wrote: 91 Points
Smooth, dark fruit, smokey, dry on the back end. Very good.
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7/4/2015 - Romol Likes this wine:
No decant (but i will next time). Pretty good wine, maybe better with more air. Im sure it will improve with a few years in the bottle.
I will try another bottle before i give a rating.
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7/2/2015 - jww Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep ruby color powerful nose of berries
Big flavor fruity well balanced nice finish classic Rioja reserva
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6/30/2015 - ProfByron Likes this wine: 92 Points
Exotic, deep, oaky Rioja. Immediately impressive even if the oak is currently over the top because there is flavour and substantial depth of fruit here. Breathe the wine for a while and the oak does integrate somewhat, though this is no substitute for years in the cellar.
Higher point when older.
13.5% ABV. Sealed with cork.
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6/27/2015 - Markus IWC wrote: 91 Points
Tegelröd inre kant, tydliga vanilj och ektoner. Härligt mjuk välbalanserad rioja, medium body. Lite tunn och platt först men öppnar upp dig ordentligt efter en halvtimme i glaset, levererar djup och längd. Något spritig, tårar i glaset. Subtila tanniner, kan nog utvecklas ytterligare några år. Arketypen för en välgjord Rioja.
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6/25/2015 - pmilne wrote: 90 Points
Very bright nose of tart cherries, sandalwood, and basalmic. Tastes are very similar to the nose, with some sweet herbs and menthol/eucalyptus surfacing. Then the acidity really kicks in and lets you know it's there. Medium and very dry finish after the acidity is predominately the tart cherries again. Complex and playful for the most, but I found the acidity a little overbearing.
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6/19/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine:
Intense medium-red in the glass. Pouring from the bottle into the decanter, revealed prominent amber hues. No sediment in bottle. Cherry, eucalyptus, clove, chocolate, and smoke on the nose. Same notes on the palate. Wonderfully balanced, integrated, and complex. Long cherry, balsamic finish with chalky tannins. Another great bottle of 904. Paired well with grilled Ribeye and garlic-tarragon mashed potatoes.
This one did take a few hours in the decanter to settle down. Immediately after opening, it was quite oaky. Time to breathe helped with that.
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6/13/2015 - EricLi wrote: 92 Points
Good. Oaky, juice and long. Very tasty.
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6/12/2015 - IcemanUK wrote: 97 Points
Outstanding nose, well integrated oak, vegetal notes. One of the best Riojas I have had
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6/7/2015 - up4wine wrote: 93 Points
Just a wonderful wine. I continue to find Rioja's quite variable, even from the same winery and vintage. This bottle was on the best side of the distribution. It had a little funk on the nose just after the bottle was popped. I love this old school flavor as it mingles with the bright, full fruit of the Tempranillo. There were no edges on this wine. It was big, bold, and round from beginning to end, and closed with a long memorable finish.
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5/25/2015 - sooper65 wrote: 92 Points
properly pure and correct.
This IS how Rioja should taste!
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5/23/2015 - AllRed wrote: 90 Points
4th Saturday Group brown bagger (M/M thelostverse): Crimson color with notes of herbs, black fruit, tobacco and cedar. Medium tannins and softened acidity with flavors of mixed berries, cherry, tobacco and sandalwood. 90+ pts.
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5/20/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 96 Points
Dark ruby color turning crimson at the rim with an exotic nose that epitomizes Rioja Alta earth, tobacco, leather, dried meat, smoke and red brick. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acidity that gives it a crisp, silky texture. Flavors of red cherry, raspberry, potpourri, vanilla, scorched cedar and spice form the core. This wine is very elegant, and pairs well with oxtail stew. Finishes long and spicy with hints of vanilla. This is delicious. Just a notch lower than the 2001. Drink now until 2024.
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5/16/2015 - Slaz Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a remarkable example of an Old World wine that easily beats many Napa cabs (even though one would argue it's akin comparing apples and oranges). This wine is full of energy, with 10+ years of life ahead. At this age, it requires patience and generous decanting. Upon opening, notes of cherry, dirt, mushroom and light barnyard on the palate. After 3+ hours of decanting, notes got more complex, with chocolate and added lightness on the palate. Very long finish. Tannins are clearly there but reasonably well integrated. Plenty of great, balanced acidity.
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5/10/2015 - benjaminbilliard Likes this wine:
Very pleasing but may be lacking a touch of complexity... If i can i will wait to see how it develops. 92
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5/2/2015 - Border Boss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep brick red with brown tinges. Black fruits on the nose along with leather. Also some great acidity and tannins. This is a really nice wine now with the ability to develop further for a number of years.
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4/29/2015 - Timbalimba wrote: 91 Points
Starts off with plum and tobacco, heavy and ripe, then building up flowery notes of rosehip, violet, and cherry fruit, shifting gears. Medium to plus on the palate, with fierce acidity and grainy tannins, red fruit, tobacco, ethereal flowers. Still very young but the layers of complexity are there. With aeration it determinedly builds strength and impact in the glass. Keep. 91+
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4/26/2015 - cristian_m wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic. Core of candied cherry with balanced tannins and acidity. Deceptively approachable now but still very very tight. Needs a good decade of cellar time to relax and come into its own. Its all there.
Drank over the course of a whole day and it got more expressive as it reached its 10th hour in the decanter.
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4/25/2015 - Sallus Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks inky colored. The legs are slow. There is light sediment in the bottle. It smells like blackberry, black currant (cassis) and prune. It tastes like plum. The body is medium/full. The wine has round texture. The wine finishes medium.
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4/24/2015 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Old World style with funk, cranberries, raspberries, smoke and wood. Medium to long finish and complex. Should age nicely for another decade.
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4/12/2015 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
After drinking recently the 2001 Bin 890, which remains the best Rioja, new or old style, I have tasted, and several times the 2001 Bin 904, a lesser, inconsistent but wonderful old style powerhouse, I was disappointed by the 2004. It may just be that it needs more age.
This wine has more corpulence, some stewed red and black fruit in the center, but less of the Classic clay ring and tawny color/ taste of the La Rioja style. Tobacco, leather, cherry and earth were all there, so I am hoping to revisit this in a few years. While the 2001 904 is ready, the 890 from that excellent vintage is just beginning to open. So the 2004, another fine vintage , may develop yet.
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4/10/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
Wonderfully old-fashioned, gentle, satiny, raspberries and plums, touch of vanilla from the American oak, hint of VA on the nose, spices, cedar, leather, impeccable balance, soft tannins, excellent length. Fully mature but will last a long time. In the Fortnum & Mason Bar, Heathrow T5.
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4/8/2015 - Wardyn Likes this wine: 95 Points
Seductive nose of candied fruits, woody spices, sweet incense, vanilla and some subtle meaty notes. Light to medium bodied with remarkably silky smooth tannins. The soft fruits, subtle sweet spices, notes of cigar box and leather are well integrated and showing beautifully on the palate. It seems to charm me over and over again to smell and taste more of it. This wine is superb at this price point and yet it will still improve further with more age.
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4/6/2015 - Daniel Markoff Likes this wine: 88 Points
The wine looks purple colored. The legs are medium. There is light sediment in the bottle. It tastes like blackberry, red currant, strawberry jam, plum, mineral, forest floor and coconut. The body is medium/full. The wine has leathery texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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4/4/2015 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Dinner with Tim, Elliott, and Roger (San Francisco): Ruby with a bit or bricking; complex animalistic nose with meaty, gamey, black fruits; palate is medium bodied, rustic, black fruit, great acidity and freshness; finish is medium length. Very nice for the price. 91-92
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3/23/2015 - Allagashme Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rating a Rioja highly is a delicate subject. Other note captured it: "elegant, fruit, balance, finish, hints of wood". Well worth the $45 I paid for it.
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3/23/2015 - sooper65 wrote: 94 Points
Indeed a GRAND Gran Reserva - rich plump fruit, and all the wood has integrated just so, leaving behind a richness, but with all the requisite elegance and charm...
If only, if only... this is how Rioja should be... fat chance.
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3/20/2015 - FDP wrote: 90 Points
Well, not too many notes on this wine as i was just enjoying it.
The nose is really really good with many different notes, first on the palate t was very sour cherry´s, but then over the evening it opens up and became more "neutral" not as sour cherry.
I think i should have had it in a decanter for maybe 3-4 hours before having it.
Then i am sure my rating would have been a bit higher.
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3/17/2015 - Vinophiliac559 wrote: 94 Points
Showing great right now
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3/10/2015 - jeffreylubowski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Rustic is right. So traditional. So old world. I could have picked this out in a Blind tasting. Sour cherry. Vanilla. Cranberry. Leather. Soy. Light bodied. Very tannic. american oak punch in the faCe. Needs 2 years. The 2001 is better. This is a classic though.
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3/7/2015 - silton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Met my high expectations and a great match for the red meat selections at Plaj.
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2/28/2015 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
A Matter of Taste tasting (London, Saatchi Gallery): Just very limited notes. Beautiful and rustic wine with some barnyard, really very beautiful acidity and good tannin. Very well balanced and elegant wine entering its maturity stage now. It can easily last until 2020.
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2/23/2015 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
Clear garnet in color. Lots of red fruits, vanilla and hints of smoke on nose when popped in the morning. It becomes more expressive after seven hours in bottle. Good structure with light-medium body. Burgundian red fruits comes up front, together with massive sour red cherry, cranberry and hints of herbs. Very sharp acidity without any black fruits. This is a very traditional “old” wine in character. Not really my cup of tea.
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2/22/2015 - elledeca wrote:
Shows more dill and tertiary aromas then a bottle tried in January which was much more on the fruity side. Excellent.
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2/19/2015 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
Clear garnet in color. Lots of red fruits, vanilla and hints of smoke on nose when popped in the morning. It becomes more expressive after seven hours in bottle. Good structure with light-medium body. Burgundian red fruits comes up front, together with massive sour red cherry, cranberry and hints of herbs. Very sharp acidity without any black fruits. This is a very traditional “old” wine in character. Not really my cup of tea.
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2/17/2015 - Al Doughty Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drinking perfectly right now. Classy notes of old wood, (especially dill), along with vermouth on the nose. The palate is perfectly balanced with soft velvety redcurrant fruit backed with delicate drying tannin.
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2/8/2015 - 560 B&W Likes this wine: 92 Points
PnP. Needs time. Oak still strong. 13%
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2/8/2015 - Leoffm wrote: 93 Points
Muito bom...notas terciarias(couro e terra molhada),excelente equilibrio entre corpo,tanino e alcool...a 50 usd top best buy
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1/17/2015 - texanoblues wrote: 94 Points
Ruby red and clear in the glass. Black cherry, cedar, vanilla and leather on the nose. Cherry, vanilla, menthol on the palate. Long powdery cherry finish.
This Rioja is particularly pleasing due to the fine chalky tannins that are present.
2/14/15: 2nd bottle: Same as first. Almost as good as the 2001 890. Considering cost, I would much rather have three bottles of the 04 904 than one bottle of 01 890..... Anyway, this is a fantastic wine. LRA does a magnificent job at many aspects of wine-making, but one area that deserves mention is the almost zero bottle-to-bottle variation. I am amazed by how good AND consistent their wines are, vintage-to-vintage and bottle-to-bottle.
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1/1/2015 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 90 Points
New years eve at home: classic, fresh, sloeberry and leathery rioja that is still in its youth. good value, great with the grilled leg of lamb we served as a main course.
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12/31/2014 - jonathanwilliam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant, mushroomy, muted berries and balsamic notes. Oak/acidity nicely balanced - pleasantly austere classic Rioja style. Looking forward to tasting again in 5 years.
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12/29/2014 - belfast taxman wrote:
presented by my father-in-law over Christmas. Very young so difficult to score but bags of potential. Nice thick unctuous feel in the mouth and good legs in the glass demonstrated the alcohol. I found the oak to be in balance and there was a tannic structure. What was perhaps lacking was the clear fruit or complexity in the finish. I would keep for at least a few years
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12/28/2014 - John McCabe wrote: 94 Points
Light to medium-bodied, slightly jammy, some nice tobacco and sunburned leather tones, very well balanced, at perfect drinking age; this is so poised, with delicate intensity, lift, liveliness and a slightly creamy characteristic that I find very welcome. A lovely example of a mature Rioja firing on all cylinders. 94+pts.
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12/20/2014 - alr6767 wrote: 82 Points
Not for me. Tons of vanilla, could easily be mistaken for a spoofed CA wine from the grocery. I've liked other releases of LRA, including the Ardanza Reserva, so I hope this was an aberration.
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12/20/2014 - Bandi Likes this wine: 92 Points
silky. Ready.
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12/14/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Nice nose of sweet red and black fruit, pepper, cedar and touch of mustard seed. Earth, cassis and strawberry in the mouth. Round and well balanced. Medium finish. Good Value.
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12/12/2014 - sooper65 wrote: 91 Points
lovely elegance, and juicy tempranillo, with all the oak and acidity in check.
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11/23/2014 - sooper65 wrote: 92 Points
Yes, lovely Rioja, with some elegance and purity
At £25, perfectly decent, without being anything grander
On the soft side, very well balanced and tasty.
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11/15/2014 - jseal@hotmail.com Likes this wine: 91 Points
2004 Rioja Tasting Nov-14: medium strawberry nose and gamey aroma. Nice bright fruits, cassis - nervy and fresh. medium body and length, light complexity. Not big. Not sure why experts love this, but it may be its lightness and "differentness" from other big riojas of the vintage. Excellent value for money!!
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10/18/2014 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 94 Points
(Tasted at Berry's Spain 2014): A perfume of red cherries, balsam, tobacco leaf, some clove. High acidity and beautifully sweet, integrated tanins. Built to last. This is elegant, well balanced and complex juice.
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10/16/2014 - Man in Black wrote:
The wine is clear and bright with a pale garnet colour and presence of legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium(+) intensity aromas of cedar, almonds, coffee, tobacco, prunes and dry figs. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium(+) soft tannins and a medium alcohol. It has a medium body and medium(+) intensity flavours of cedar, almonds, coffee, tobacco, prunes and dry figs. The finish is medium(+).
It is a very good quality wine. It has a nice fruit concentration and a quite decent finish, and it shows the typicity of a classic style Rioja, however it could have more structure. Can drink now, but it is already in an advanced state of development and showing some hints of premature oxidation, anyway it has enough flavour concentration and some tannic structure to develop some more tertiary aromas in the next 3-5 years.
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10/9/2014 - mdvino63 wrote: 91 Points
Very nice wine. Beginning to show some complexity of ageing. Lovely, soft fruit - cherry, red fruits, pomegranite - slightly tart from nice acidity - cedar, tobacco. A little tight, a little light, especially in the mid-palate. This is very nice but a fairly large step behind the 2001 which is just terrific and beautiful.
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8/23/2014 - yofog wrote:
Reminds me of the 94 at the same stage of development. Compared to the 01, this is slightly more ripe, round, and forward, making it a better wine to drink now while the 01 sleeps, though for my own palate I'd let them both sleep another ten years. This has all the classic 904 notes you want; the leather, the iron, the spices, the sense of transporting you to a dusty old Spanish town. It's putting a pretty big smile on my face.
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8/3/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Leather, cherry, smooth mouthfeel with sweet-tart strawberries; light caramel, coffee, coconut; intense, beautiful, poised, but still needs another decade to optimize. Purchased at winery, drank in France with duck confit.
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7/26/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at winery: Floral, complex, iron, chalk, clay minerality with dry cherry, cranberry; very fine, silky, elegant; lively acidity, fresh juicy almost sweet strawberry/cherry. 93-94
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7/4/2014 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 94 Points
90% Tempranillo from over 40 year old vines grown around Briñas, Labastida and Villalba, with the addition of 10% of Graciano from estate vineyards in Briones and Rodezno. Aged in 4 year old American barrels for 48 months.
Garnet colour with opulent layers of dried berries along with tea leaves and undercurrents of leather. Focused and caressing with flavours intensifying by the alluring finish.
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12/22/2013 - never oenough wrote:
This is beautiful Rioja Gran Reserva, ready to drink now, or twenty years from now. We took it to dinner at Stanbury and enjoyed it with bone marrow, and ribeye covered in charred Brussels. The wine has matured nicely in bottle and is an excellent late release. The pairing was perfect. Alongside of this beauty we enjoyed a RA Vina Ardanza 2004 Reserva and had quite an enjoyable time comparing the two.
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12/2/2012 - jkbrawley wrote: 90 Points
Pretty robust but with light body and good legs. Great with spicy food.
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