Decade+ since i last tasted and this is still rich and concentrated with black cherry and plum that are maturing gracefully with sweet spice, espresso, mint and dark chocolate. Some earth and tannic notes on finish are a bit rustic, but otherwise nicely charming. Very good now, probably slightly better 2-5 years back.
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Second bottle after another was severely corked. Bone try to the point of painful austerity. Not sure if my palate has just changed, or the wine is getting old, but while I'm sure it's well made, it was a struggle to enjoy. The wife didn't want her glass. I was more charitable, but didn't finish the bottle.
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Corked. And you know this bottles that smell off and are technically corked but really aren't as horrible as you thought? Yeah, this wasn't one of those. Smelled like something had died in the bottle and the one sip I permitted myself tasted like that plus vinegar. Bleccch.
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Blackberries, plums, chocolate, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, blackberries, and coffee in the flavor. Rich wine, medium to full bodied, well balanced, and a medium to long finish.
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A six pack bought on release was hiding in the back of the cellar. A very good bottle that's ready to put into rotation. A touch short on the finish, but otherwise pleasing.
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Getting better as it approaches maturity. Still lots of black fruits, tar, somewhat reminiscent of a LaLa in terms of flavor palate, but more powerful than seductive. This was a great vintage for this wine.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear throughout. Nose of leather, smoke and mixed dark fruit. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Cork was stained about 90% and broke when extracted by bench corkscrew. Decanted two hours; heavy sediment; garnet color with modest bricking. Pleasant floral nose of raspberries and vanilla. Medium-bodied, sweet, red fruit and citrus on the palate, without much complexity, but with plenty of acids and tannins. Several other tasters describe this as being in its prime drinking window. My bottle, acquired at auction a couple of years ago, is past its prime for my taste.
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Excellent rioja. Great spice. Nice red fruit. Still tasted young (I think the CT window ending in 2016 is a bit early for my taste), but in a good spot. Went well with a pork chop.
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couple hour decant, dark dark wine, ok nose to begin. first taste was angular with green oaky notes. Enough tannins to be obtrusive to a very good wine. I liked this better several years ago, so where it goes from here? Is big enough to last thru tannin resolution, but not sure I care enough.
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Double decanted, put back in bottle and consumed the next day (24 hrs). This wine is still a baby but it has nicely integrated any oak, so it is silky smooth. No signs of going downhill even with a day of slow ox. Beautiful red fruit, some beginnings of secondary characteristics (leather), but still very youthful and exuberant. It should still improve over the next 5 years. Very long. Highly recommend.
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I mirrored the 2 hour decant of 2 years ago, but this could have used more as it developed further over dinner and with swirling. Still with lovely, fresh red berries and cherry aromas, plenty of mineral acidity and firm tannins. A little rough/hard alone, but was great with Iberia pork tenderloin. Drink now with prolonged decant or continue to hold for some years to come.
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Decanted for two hours, then drank over 2 more. Very tight initially, but softened with the air. This is a big boy Spanish vino, has lots of life left in it. Very good finish, nice dark fruits, kind of an earthy tone also.
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Still some of that pop left here. Spice, pepper and burst of flavors are still here. This is a great wine. Popped and poured. Good color, dark ruby red, great nose. 92+
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Decanted 2 hours (sediment and air helped open). Deep reddish violet. Nose has dark (almost reduced-like) berry fruit, tar, licorice, spice. Medium plus intensity fruit on palate with good balancing acid and rustic tannins. Nice flavor profile, featuring cherry and dark berries, but with earth and spice. Medium+ length. Leans toward new world style, but retains verve and is definitely food-friendly. Great match for sherry-chicken with risotto.
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Decanted 2 hours and consumed over 8 hour evening. This seems more like a food wine to me, as it wasn’t doing a very good job standing on its own. Seemed really closed up early in the evening, however did show some rustic, smoky/dusty/barnyard elements in the 3 to 4 hour window that were nice. By hour 5, it really fell off and became one-dimensional, compared to the evenings other flights. High acidity level leads me to believe that this would be enjoyed a lot more with some meat/cheese/pasta based tapas.
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I first had this wine in 2008. Was looking for a good Rioja and stumbled upon it. After my first bottle I immediately found 4 more and waived them in. This is just a fantastic wine. Huge, huge nose. Deep, garnet color. Its a different type of Rioja - very spicy, soy - has a lot of traits I like in Rhone Grenache's. Big, powerful wine. Seems like a ton of time left in this bottle. Showing no signs of slowing down although I do think the wine is softening just a bit - when I had it 2-3 years ago the spice explosion was much more pronounced. Still, a great find and a even greater value for the cost.
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Garnet to perhaps dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of anise, leather, tobacco, wet stones and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries, plums and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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A bit minerally & flinty on the nose. Very seductive. Full & rich on the palate. Vibrant, sweet blackberries & creme de cassis flavors. Nicely done & lithe. Some good gripping tannins on the finish. I like this. Tasted double blind.
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This has developed very well with a couple of years in bottle...the fruit has really come out on top of the oak, but still lots of tannic structure. Still terribly primary and fruit driven, but it's a very precise fruit profile. Great perfume...red and dark berry medly, some cherry, soy, lots of spice and a hint of licorice.
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Not even close to ready, but so much great stuff here. Black plum, espresso and dark chocolate with impressive concentration, ending with some bitter tannins for now, easily 91-92+ point potential 2012-.
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Tasted blind. Very dark, no signs of age. Medium intense on the nose, complex, with tobacco leaf, sour cherry, spiciness and goat cheese notes. Quite ripe, but not over the top. Rather full-bodied, strong, savoury, mineral and well balanced. Very long and interesting, notes of blackcurrant, pepper and coffee on the palate. Quite long aftertaste, very mineral. Excellent, even though quite young yet.
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WIML92. Just a hair behind the last bottle. Not quite as expressive. I believe this wine is probably in transition so I'd recommend holding remaining bottles until 2010 and trying again then. Should transform to be more elegant at that time is my best guess.
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Spanish dinner at Think Cafe (Chicago, IL): Inky black in color with a striking nose that has black fruit, spice and spearmint. Palate has rich, focused and classy fruit. Black cherries, licorice, herbs and mint. Tannic on the finish with plenty of stuffing to go long.
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Very good, possibly better if I waited. Had it with pot roast. It's now been 3 hours since opening the bottle Complex, long finish. I wonder if I can find some more.
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Very dark purple/black, Huge nose with big red fruit and cedar. High acid, rich dry red cherry fruit, very long flavor. Modern Rioja, everything here for a great wine; structure, fruit and balance. Should continue to get better over time, but very tasty now.
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Central Texas Offline in Austin, TX (My home, Austin, Texas): This might have been my red WOTN. It didn't taste like any Tempranillo wine I've had in the past with an overwhelming licorice nose and licorice taste throughout. It had a very long finish with currants on the exit. Absolutely tasty wine! I'm not sure I would have any idea of the its origin had it been served blind. This one goes on my buy list if available.
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Tasted April 23, 2006 at Winetexs’ home in Austin, TX. Opened and decanted then double decanted back into the bottle for serving about 30 minutes before serving in a Riedel (I believe) Cabernet glass provided by Winetex. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of melted licorice, spice box. Black currants and some sandlewood. Flavors of black berries, licorice and chewy black currants. Previously rated at 91 and 92 points we’re upping this tasting to 93 points. At the $50.99 a bottle I paid for this upon release I consider the value to be recommended.
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Second time I get this wine blind and second time I place it as a Rhone Syrah. It is amazing what you can do with pure tempranillo. This is a wine that you really should try.
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5/24/2021 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Decade+ since i last tasted and this is still rich and concentrated with black cherry and plum that are maturing gracefully with sweet spice, espresso, mint and dark chocolate. Some earth and tannic notes on finish are a bit rustic, but otherwise nicely charming. Very good now, probably slightly better 2-5 years back.
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3/31/2020 - nvandyk wrote: 85 Points
Second bottle after another was severely corked. Bone try to the point of painful austerity. Not sure if my palate has just changed, or the wine is getting old, but while I'm sure it's well made, it was a struggle to enjoy. The wife didn't want her glass. I was more charitable, but didn't finish the bottle.
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3/31/2020 - nvandyk wrote: flawed
Corked. And you know this bottles that smell off and are technically corked but really aren't as horrible as you thought? Yeah, this wasn't one of those. Smelled like something had died in the bottle and the one sip I permitted myself tasted like that plus vinegar. Bleccch.
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12/24/2018 - BradE wrote:
Enjoyed by all.
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10/14/2018 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Blackberries, plums, chocolate, and coffee in the nose. Black cherries, blackberries, and coffee in the flavor. Rich wine, medium to full bodied, well balanced, and a medium to long finish.
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12/26/2017 - BradE wrote:
A six pack bought on release was hiding in the back of the cellar. A very good bottle that's ready to put into rotation. A touch short on the finish, but otherwise pleasing.
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3/12/2017 - Edclr Likes this wine: 94 Points
Getting better as it approaches maturity. Still lots of black fruits, tar, somewhat reminiscent of a LaLa in terms of flavor palate, but more powerful than seductive. This was a great vintage for this wine.
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2/16/2017 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, fairly clear throughout. Nose of leather, smoke and mixed dark fruit. Flavors of berries, cherries and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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9/6/2016 - wculpepper Likes this wine: 87 Points
Cork was stained about 90% and broke when extracted by bench corkscrew. Decanted two hours; heavy sediment; garnet color with modest bricking. Pleasant floral nose of raspberries and vanilla. Medium-bodied, sweet, red fruit and citrus on the palate, without much complexity, but with plenty of acids and tannins. Several other tasters describe this as being in its prime drinking window. My bottle, acquired at auction a couple of years ago, is past its prime for my taste.
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8/18/2016 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Excellent rioja. Great spice. Nice red fruit. Still tasted young (I think the CT window ending in 2016 is a bit early for my taste), but in a good spot. Went well with a pork chop.
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3/12/2016 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Beautifully integrates. Sweet tannins. Coconut, dill, bright cherries. At a great drinking plaxe
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12/18/2015 - KenPlace wrote: 90 Points
Somewhat green and thin to the taste. Perhaps this is because we were drinking it side by side with a huge Ribera del Duero.
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10/25/2015 - Louvin Does not like this wine: 85 Points
couple hour decant, dark dark wine, ok nose to begin. first taste was angular with green oaky notes. Enough tannins to be obtrusive to a very good wine. I liked this better several years ago, so where it goes from here? Is big enough to last thru tannin resolution, but not sure I care enough.
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8/12/2015 - KenPlace wrote: 93 Points
Double decanted, put back in bottle and consumed the next day (24 hrs). This wine is still a baby but it has nicely integrated any oak, so it is silky smooth. No signs of going downhill even with a day of slow ox. Beautiful red fruit, some beginnings of secondary characteristics (leather), but still very youthful and exuberant. It should still improve over the next 5 years. Very long. Highly recommend.
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5/11/2015 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
I mirrored the 2 hour decant of 2 years ago, but this could have used more as it developed further over dinner and with swirling. Still with lovely, fresh red berries and cherry aromas, plenty of mineral acidity and firm tannins. A little rough/hard alone, but was great with Iberia pork tenderloin. Drink now with prolonged decant or continue to hold for some years to come.
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1/19/2015 - rbs1 wrote: 92 Points
Nice minerality, with citrus and a lot of flowers on the nose.
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1/10/2015 - Edclr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours, then drank over 2 more. Very tight initially, but softened with the air. This is a big boy Spanish vino, has lots of life left in it. Very good finish, nice dark fruits, kind of an earthy tone also.
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4/8/2014 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 92 Points
Still some of that pop left here. Spice, pepper and burst of flavors are still here. This is a great wine. Popped and poured. Good color, dark ruby red, great nose. 92+
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6/1/2013 - markcvino wrote: 92 Points
Medium bodied wine with considerable acidity. Modest tannins and fruit on the palate. Medium finish. Nice wine with food.
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3/11/2013 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours (sediment and air helped open). Deep reddish violet. Nose has dark (almost reduced-like) berry fruit, tar, licorice, spice. Medium plus intensity fruit on palate with good balancing acid and rustic tannins. Nice flavor profile, featuring cherry and dark berries, but with earth and spice. Medium+ length. Leans toward new world style, but retains verve and is definitely food-friendly. Great match for sherry-chicken with risotto.
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5/21/2012 - pinothoarder wrote: 86 Points
Decanted 2 hours and consumed over 8 hour evening. This seems more like a food wine to me, as it wasn’t doing a very good job standing on its own. Seemed really closed up early in the evening, however did show some rustic, smoky/dusty/barnyard elements in the 3 to 4 hour window that were nice. By hour 5, it really fell off and became one-dimensional, compared to the evenings other flights. High acidity level leads me to believe that this would be enjoyed a lot more with some meat/cheese/pasta based tapas.
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6/22/2011 - Kemo Sabe wrote: 93 Points
I first had this wine in 2008. Was looking for a good Rioja and stumbled upon it. After my first bottle I immediately found 4 more and waived them in. This is just a fantastic wine. Huge, huge nose. Deep, garnet color. Its a different type of Rioja - very spicy, soy - has a lot of traits I like in Rhone Grenache's. Big, powerful wine. Seems like a ton of time left in this bottle. Showing no signs of slowing down although I do think the wine is softening just a bit - when I had it 2-3 years ago the spice explosion was much more pronounced. Still, a great find and a even greater value for the cost.
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3/14/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
WIML92-93+/-
Tasted non blind. Opened and served immediately.
Garnet to perhaps dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of anise, leather, tobacco, wet stones and black berries. Flavors of black berries, black cherries, plums and raspberries. Medium acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink or hold.
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11/22/2010 - peternelson wrote: 86 Points
This was over the hill--deep plum notes, concentrated, very hi a's, but quite vinegary and too old. Over. Storage problem?
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5/25/2010 - ed-d wrote: 94 Points
A bit minerally & flinty on the nose. Very seductive. Full & rich on the palate. Vibrant, sweet blackberries & creme de cassis flavors. Nicely done & lithe. Some good gripping tannins on the finish. I like this. Tasted double blind.
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12/13/2009 - Employee500 wrote: 94 Points
This has developed very well with a couple of years in bottle...the fruit has really come out on top of the oak, but still lots of tannic structure. Still terribly primary and fruit driven, but it's a very precise fruit profile. Great perfume...red and dark berry medly, some cherry, soy, lots of spice and a hint of licorice.
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12/1/2008 - Burgundy Al wrote: 91 Points
Not even close to ready, but so much great stuff here. Black plum, espresso and dark chocolate with impressive concentration, ending with some bitter tannins for now, easily 91-92+ point potential 2012-.
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11/24/2008 - igaf wrote:
Tasted blind. Very dark, no signs of age. Medium intense on the nose, complex, with tobacco leaf, sour cherry, spiciness and goat cheese notes. Quite ripe, but not over the top. Rather full-bodied, strong, savoury, mineral and well balanced. Very long and interesting, notes of blackcurrant, pepper and coffee on the palate. Quite long aftertaste, very mineral. Excellent, even though quite young yet.
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6/26/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 93 Points
93+. Excepcional.
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2/15/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92. Just a hair behind the last bottle. Not quite as expressive. I believe this wine is probably in transition so I'd recommend holding remaining bottles until 2010 and trying again then. Should transform to be more elegant at that time is my best guess.
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2/15/2008 - win wrote: 88 Points
Large tasting. Minimal notes. Interesting wine....something was slightly off, but very good still.
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8/2/2007 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Spanish dinner at Think Cafe (Chicago, IL): Inky black in color with a striking nose that has black fruit, spice and spearmint. Palate has rich, focused and classy fruit. Black cherries, licorice, herbs and mint. Tannic on the finish with plenty of stuffing to go long.
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1/28/2007 - DaveArsenault wrote: 91 Points
Very good, possibly better if I waited. Had it with pot roast. It's now been 3 hours since opening the bottle Complex, long finish. I wonder if I can find some more.
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1/16/2007 - gdbarton1@gmail.com wrote:
Very dark purple/black, Huge nose with big red fruit and cedar.
High acid, rich dry red cherry fruit, very long flavor.
Modern Rioja, everything here for a great wine; structure, fruit and balance.
Should continue to get better over time, but very tasty now.
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4/23/2006 - Winetex wrote: 93 Points
Central Texas Offline in Austin, TX (My home, Austin, Texas): This might have been my red WOTN. It didn't taste like any Tempranillo wine I've had in the past with an overwhelming licorice nose and licorice taste throughout. It had a very long finish with currants on the exit. Absolutely tasty wine! I'm not sure I would have any idea of the its origin had it been served blind. This one goes on my buy list if available.
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4/23/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
Central Texas Offline in Austin, TX (Winetex's Home in Austin, TX): WIML93,WA95,WS92
Tasted April 23, 2006 at Winetexs’ home in Austin, TX. Opened and decanted then double decanted back into the bottle for serving about 30 minutes before serving in a Riedel (I believe) Cabernet glass provided by Winetex. Dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of melted licorice, spice box. Black currants and some sandlewood. Flavors of black berries, licorice and chewy black currants. Previously rated at 91 and 92 points we’re upping this tasting to 93 points. At the $50.99 a bottle I paid for this upon release I consider the value to be recommended.
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10/9/2005 - Dawa wrote: 92 Points
Second time I get this wine blind and second time I place it as a Rhone Syrah. It is amazing what you can do with pure tempranillo. This is a wine that you really should try.
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