Very nice, silky tannins and good acidity, sweet and tart red berries, dill and eucalyptus. A prime example of the excellent aging potential of middle-class Rioja. Slightly past peak maybe, but still very nice.
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Still exceptional in its 33rd year. A bit musty and smoky, cherries, red berries, and the wood is well integrated. Delicious mature Rioja. Cork was still holding, but fully soaked and had to push the last bit into the bottle and filter through cheese cloth.
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Cork was soaked all the way through although still holding. Brick colored. The wine clearly needed a good 30-60 minutes to show its potential and for some undesired aromas to evaporate. Overall it was enjoyable but so acidic that it needed food to go with it. Probably past its prime but could hold a few more years if you like old wines. I will not wait more than 1 year to open the last bottle.
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I think my last bottle was slightly off. This bottle had a better cork, slightly crumbly but not soaked.
Thick nose of tart red berries. More of the same on palate with M+ acid and very silky tannins. Some slight vegetal notes, probably the dill making a slight cameo.
In conclusion, this wine is in good shape but not a keeper.
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Translucent brick color. Very nice nose of dried red fruits, slightly degraded by a musty character which aired off after a while.
On the palate we have again the dried red fruits, medium+ acid, and tannins so smooth they're almost not there. Can't find even a hint of the typical Rioja dill, nor of the sediments you'd expect in a bottle of 30 years old wine.
This is pretty enjoyable, but it's lacking in two important aspects: Complexity and balance. The acidity is so high it overpowers the rather soft fruit and tannins.
Cork was soaked right through, but not crumbly. I couldn't find any obvious defects, but it may have been a touch oxidized, and hopefully a bottle with a better cork performs better.
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The wine looks brick colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. Nose of cranberry and prune. Decant 30m. It tastes old nice and sweet, like strawberry, cherry Leather and raspberry.
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Another good bottle. Don't be put off by a musty nose, just pick up on the cranberry fruit nose. On the palate, fun, fruity,interesting and definitely still full of life. Bravo Majestic Wine for finding these for us.
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Advised by a friend to decant, I did it, a bit nervously. Glad I did as it brought out all of the cherry fruit and went well with its quite sharp acidity. Belied its age, it went beautifully with slow roast fatty shoulder of lamb with a green salsa.
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The nose was rich and dark, rooted in the earth yet sweet and spicy with notes of brown sugar, vibrant cherry, leather and floral tones. On the palate, it was soft like silk, drawing you in to reveal ripe red fruits, earth and hints of citrus and spice, all while seeming impossibly young. The finish was long and fresh, showing tobacco and wood with sweet cherry and milk chocolate.
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The "stronger" of the set of two from '85 and '86. Both were beautiful. On the other hand my preference was for the '73 and '68 drunk in the same night. That is not to suggest that these were bad wines, rather that it seems like (from my limited tasting) that Gran Reservas are best drunk between 25 and 45 years after vintage. The high point tonight (the '73, so nearly 39 years after vintage) seem the ultimate balance between fruit, secondary, and tertiary elements. All wonderful wines, wish I had more.
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Old Barolos and Riojas (Incontro, Robertson Quay): Amazing. This just floored me. Show-stopping nose had strawberries, cranberries and rapsberries just bursting out of the glass, all really fresh scents, chased with tons of tangerine and kumquat smells and little soapy flowers at the edges. Woah. A stunning, stunning palate followed. Really fresh still, with lovely acidity on the attack. There was a little pregnant pause right on the tip of the tongue, and then the flavours just flowed in, with fresh orange, orange peel, a little sweet vanilla wood underlayer, plums, cherries, berries, all moving inexorably into a fantastic finish, full of bright fruit tailing off into a little Tempranillo smoke. Great lively verve, superb focus, such grip too - never hard or chewy, but it just refuses to let go, with more orange peel and kumquat notes emerging to tingle away at the mouth just as you thought the wine had wound down. My goodness, this was a surprise. A gorgeous wine with many more years of development to go - at least a decade before it hits peak I think.
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1/27/2018 - Gece wrote:
Very nice, silky tannins and good acidity, sweet and tart red berries, dill and eucalyptus. A prime example of the excellent aging potential of middle-class Rioja. Slightly past peak maybe, but still very nice.
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1/27/2018 - davo22 wrote: 93 Points
Still exceptional in its 33rd year. A bit musty and smoky, cherries, red berries, and the wood is well integrated. Delicious mature Rioja. Cork was still holding, but fully soaked and had to push the last bit into the bottle and filter through cheese cloth.
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8/19/2017 - Jerker wrote:
Optional("Totalt Grand. Mature tannins and balanced fruit. Dill on the nose, black cherries and dry smoked meats on the palate. Absolutely fabulous")
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10/15/2016 - vberube Likes this wine: 86 Points
Cork was soaked all the way through although still holding. Brick colored. The wine clearly needed a good 30-60 minutes to show its potential and for some undesired aromas to evaporate. Overall it was enjoyable but so acidic that it needed food to go with it. Probably past its prime but could hold a few more years if you like old wines. I will not wait more than 1 year to open the last bottle.
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1/30/2016 - Normann wrote: 88 Points
Red , strawberries, cherries , sweet notes , integrated oak , leather . This bottle was better than last bottle :)
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7/22/2015 - Gece Likes this wine: 90 Points
I think my last bottle was slightly off. This bottle had a better cork, slightly crumbly but not soaked.
Thick nose of tart red berries. More of the same on palate with M+ acid and very silky tannins. Some slight vegetal notes, probably the dill making a slight cameo.
In conclusion, this wine is in good shape but not a keeper.
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6/14/2015 - Gece wrote:
Translucent brick color. Very nice nose of dried red fruits, slightly degraded by a musty character which aired off after a while.
On the palate we have again the dried red fruits, medium+ acid, and tannins so smooth they're almost not there. Can't find even a hint of the typical Rioja dill, nor of the sediments you'd expect in a bottle of 30 years old wine.
This is pretty enjoyable, but it's lacking in two important aspects: Complexity and balance. The acidity is so high it overpowers the rather soft fruit and tannins.
Cork was soaked right through, but not crumbly. I couldn't find any obvious defects, but it may have been a touch oxidized, and hopefully a bottle with a better cork performs better.
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4/20/2015 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Still full of fruits,still going strong. A lovely wine at 30 years old.
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9/9/2014 - Normann Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine looks brick colored. There is light sediment in the bottle. Nose of cranberry and prune. Decant 30m. It tastes old nice and sweet, like strawberry, cherry Leather and raspberry.
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10/11/2013 - GraeSaint Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great Flavours, Light body, and was a not bright in colour, a little tawny. but just fabulous legs. Age is not a concern to this beauty.
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8/26/2013 - Lordswood wrote: 89 Points
Another good bottle. Don't be put off by a musty nose, just pick up on the cranberry fruit nose. On the palate, fun, fruity,interesting and definitely still full of life. Bravo Majestic Wine for finding these for us.
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5/5/2013 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Advised by a friend to decant, I did it, a bit nervously. Glad I did as it brought out all of the cherry fruit and went well with its quite sharp acidity. Belied its age, it went beautifully with slow roast fatty shoulder of lamb with a green salsa.
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3/26/2013 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 95 Points
The nose was rich and dark, rooted in the earth yet sweet and spicy with notes of brown sugar, vibrant cherry, leather and floral tones. On the palate, it was soft like silk, drawing you in to reveal ripe red fruits, earth and hints of citrus and spice, all while seeming impossibly young. The finish was long and fresh, showing tobacco and wood with sweet cherry and milk chocolate.
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11/27/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
The "stronger" of the set of two from '85 and '86. Both were beautiful. On the other hand my preference was for the '73 and '68 drunk in the same night. That is not to suggest that these were bad wines, rather that it seems like (from my limited tasting) that Gran Reservas are best drunk between 25 and 45 years after vintage. The high point tonight (the '73, so nearly 39 years after vintage) seem the ultimate balance between fruit, secondary, and tertiary elements. All wonderful wines, wish I had more.
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1/4/2011 - AleksanderDye wrote: 91 Points
veldig god, fruktig og lang
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10/27/2010 - Paul S wrote: 96 Points
Old Barolos and Riojas (Incontro, Robertson Quay): Amazing. This just floored me. Show-stopping nose had strawberries, cranberries and rapsberries just bursting out of the glass, all really fresh scents, chased with tons of tangerine and kumquat smells and little soapy flowers at the edges. Woah. A stunning, stunning palate followed. Really fresh still, with lovely acidity on the attack. There was a little pregnant pause right on the tip of the tongue, and then the flavours just flowed in, with fresh orange, orange peel, a little sweet vanilla wood underlayer, plums, cherries, berries, all moving inexorably into a fantastic finish, full of bright fruit tailing off into a little Tempranillo smoke. Great lively verve, superb focus, such grip too - never hard or chewy, but it just refuses to let go, with more orange peel and kumquat notes emerging to tingle away at the mouth just as you thought the wine had wound down. My goodness, this was a surprise. A gorgeous wine with many more years of development to go - at least a decade before it hits peak I think.
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5/8/2010 - pskard wrote: 90 Points
Lær, vanilje, moden tildels overmoden frukt. Sitter lenge. Flott lagret Rioja. Myke tanniner og god syre. Bør ikke lagres.
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