Sehr viel Power. Viel reife, fast süßliche dunkle Beerenfrucht. Unheimlich viel auskleidendes, pikantes Tannin. Jugendlich. Am zweiten Tag in der Nase Sojasauce, etwas Reife anzeigende welkende Lilien, dunkle, reife Beerenfrucht. Viel Power, Tiefe, ohne fett zu sein. Dunkle reife Frucht, betörend. Nahezu absurde Länge.
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In the bouquet dark berries. On the palate dark berries, oak, coffee, a touch of sweetness and a lot of acidity. I trust that with more ageing this wine will show more finesse. 89 - 91
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Bought a six pack of these which I finally received toward the end of 2021. I had three bottles of these back when I received them which were too closed and tannic. Quite surprised so I have held of on the remaining bottles with the hope that these mellow out and become accessible over time. I guess we will see.....
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Enjoyed with beefy quesadillas. Fairly typical Rioja, hoped for a bit more after 12 year’s. Didn’t think it needed any more time in bottle, tasted better with no aeration, just some minutes in the glass
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$50+ and 10 Year Old Plus Spanish Blind Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy violet, darker core; smoked meat, sweet fruit, crushed violet, mahogany, headier fruit with plums raspberries tart berries and liquor soaked cherries, exotic, fresh and juicy, youthfully structured and poised to make very old bones, wow this is so young!; very good but bury these if you have them.
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Medium to deep garnet colored. In the nose nice ripe dark beautiful, plum and some soft licorice notes. On the palate ripe dark cherries, cassis, dried herbs and elegant leather notes. Medium (+) bodied with a nice and refreshing medium intense acidity. Velvety tannins, nicely integrated. Great complexity and a fantastic balance. The oak is beautifully integrated, it’s not overdone in any way. The finish is long and savory. This is in a great spot but there’s no need to hurry. If you want to wait longer it won’t be a problem. Drink now until 2032. (IG)
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Drank back to back with the 2009. this one is much better, as it has all what is good in 2009 (straight shooting rioja, nice tannin / acid mix, dry fruits). And then it adds some nuts in the beginning and really nice earthy tones at the end. Fruits are also a tinny bit lighter with a more dominant cherry. Really good
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PnP, no decant. This is a fantastic rioja. Compared to the Vina Ardanza, this has less of an oak influence (arguably the Ardanza has a bit too much new oak). Surprising how youthful this is, with tongue-coating tannins. Drinking very well now, should become even better with a few more years of age. Some cherry and dark fruit. Make sure you stand upright for a couple days before serving, this one has quite a bit of that really fine sediment! Nothing unpleasant about this one, even in its youth its well balanced and an absolute delight. Can't wait to see where this one goes.
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Medium-bodied and silky-smooth with dark fruit flavors and a layered, earthy finish. Certainly some vanilla oak here that still needs resolving so give this more time but it's missing some character and terroir presence at this point. 88+
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Lovely wine with Mexican food and an old friend who came to visit. We enjoyed. Small sip left a few days later. Dark berry, herbal notes. Pairs so well with Mexican food. Probably near peak but likely to go much longer. Wish I had more. Lack of Patience and a mistake with one bottle have taken away most of mine. Save the rest for at least a few years.
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Deep purple color. Blackberry, plum, light green herbs on the nose. Medium to full bodied, fantastic mouth coverage and feel. Deep mixed black and red fruit, rich, chocolatey tannins, tremendous length and penetration. It opened beautifully with decanting, but this wine will be a classic modern Rioja in another decade or two. Both great stuffing and great balance.
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This is very well extracted stuff. It's a luxurious deep red in the glass with typical earthy and dark berry aromas that sing Rioja. On the palate, it's velvet smooth in texture with rich fruits and silky tannins all melded in a full body yet it is not overpowering. Let the wine roll over the tongue, and red cherry springs out on the mid-palate, and the tannins turn quite dry with an element of bitter cherry on the finish. There's hints of Brunello di Montalcino here. Acidity is medium, which helps strike a nice balance with the slightly sweet undertone. After 3 days, it still held exceptionally well and, although into prime drinking window, I suspect that there's no hurry to drink up. Goes well with spicy food.
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Some impressive material here though starting to age out of its primary generosity into a more in-betweensy state. Dark-toned earthy and tobacco flavors have a leathery sheen before the structure kicks in with a serious drying effect, but the tannins are exceptionally refined - this is cashmere-textured.
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Young, firm, delicious and promising. This can be drunk now with a good aeration but I would rather wait another 5 years to get the full pleasure, once this gets smoothed out on the edges.
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Decanted for two hours but continued to develop during the evening. The last glass was showing good characteristics of a classic and really well made Rioja except it was a bit dryer and more restraint. Good balance between the cassis, cherries, strawberries and the oak and spices. Looking forward to the next bottle in a year or two.
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Beautiful wine, powerful blue fruit but still elegant and pure. Blueberry, pines, chocolate, sweet tobacco, hints of coffee,, vanilla, cassis, smoke and some roasted notes. Exclusive French oak. Medium body, nice acidity. Calms down after 2 hours and finds excellent balance. One of the absolute best Spaniards I've tasted. Highly recommended if you like the modern style Rioja.
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While drinkable now, after an hour plus decanting it was obvious there is more left here. Fruit was just starting to come into it's own. Very good sense of place with this wine. Won't drink next one for 5-10 years.
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4/4/2024 - Arsene Wengert Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sehr viel Power. Viel reife, fast süßliche dunkle Beerenfrucht. Unheimlich viel auskleidendes, pikantes Tannin. Jugendlich.
Am zweiten Tag in der Nase Sojasauce, etwas Reife anzeigende welkende Lilien, dunkle, reife Beerenfrucht. Viel Power, Tiefe, ohne fett zu sein. Dunkle reife Frucht, betörend. Nahezu absurde Länge.
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2/18/2024 - Zweder Likes this wine: 90 Points
In the bouquet dark berries. On the palate dark berries, oak, coffee, a touch of sweetness and a lot of acidity. I trust that with more ageing this wine will show more finesse. 89 - 91
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2/1/2023 - CRub2868 wrote: 89 Points
Bought a six pack of these which I finally received toward the end of 2021. I had three bottles of these back when I received them which were too closed and tannic. Quite surprised so I have held of on the remaining bottles with the hope that these mellow out and become accessible over time. I guess we will see.....
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1/19/2023 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still quite tannic and austere. Alcohol and oak dominate on the nose. Needs another 3+ years of bottle aging.
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1/14/2023 - Buck M Likes this wine: 90 Points
Enjoyed with beefy quesadillas. Fairly typical Rioja, hoped for a bit more after 12 year’s. Didn’t think it needed any more time in bottle, tasted better with no aeration, just some minutes in the glass
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7/22/2022 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
$50+ and 10 Year Old Plus Spanish Blind Tasting (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy violet, darker core; smoked meat, sweet fruit, crushed violet, mahogany, headier fruit with plums raspberries tart berries and liquor soaked cherries, exotic, fresh and juicy, youthfully structured and poised to make very old bones, wow this is so young!; very good but bury these if you have them.
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6/9/2022 - DrZett wrote: 93 Points
Medium to deep garnet colored. In the nose nice ripe dark beautiful, plum and some soft licorice notes. On the palate ripe dark cherries, cassis, dried herbs and elegant leather notes. Medium (+) bodied with a nice and refreshing medium intense acidity. Velvety tannins, nicely integrated. Great complexity and a fantastic balance. The oak is beautifully integrated, it’s not overdone in any way. The finish is long and savory.
This is in a great spot but there’s no need to hurry. If you want to wait longer it won’t be a problem. Drink now until 2032. (IG)
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2/7/2022 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep garnet color. Violets, red raspberry, eucalyptus oil, sawdust and boysenberry. Grippy tannins in this graceful wine with a dry finish.
p.s. BBQ pulled pork wraps with onions, pickles and jalapeños, plus charred shisitios.
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1/6/2022 - Anders T Likes this wine: 92 Points
92+
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12/28/2021 - JohannesGlugla Likes this wine: 94 Points
Drank back to back with the 2009. this one is much better, as it has all what is good in 2009 (straight shooting rioja, nice tannin / acid mix, dry fruits). And then it adds some nuts in the beginning and really nice earthy tones at the end. Fruits are also a tinny bit lighter with a more dominant cherry. Really good
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10/26/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 91 Points
PnP, no decant. This is a fantastic rioja. Compared to the Vina Ardanza, this has less of an oak influence (arguably the Ardanza has a bit too much new oak). Surprising how youthful this is, with tongue-coating tannins. Drinking very well now, should become even better with a few more years of age. Some cherry and dark fruit. Make sure you stand upright for a couple days before serving, this one has quite a bit of that really fine sediment! Nothing unpleasant about this one, even in its youth its well balanced and an absolute delight. Can't wait to see where this one goes.
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10/11/2021 - dream wrote: 87 Points
Medium-bodied and silky-smooth with dark fruit flavors and a layered, earthy finish. Certainly some vanilla oak here that still needs resolving so give this more time but it's missing some character and terroir presence at this point. 88+
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8/29/2021 - Triforwine wrote: flawed
I had done coravin tasting on this previously and forgot the bottle what a shame maderized
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8/25/2021 - Triforwine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely wine with Mexican food and an old friend who came to visit. We enjoyed. Small sip left a few days later. Dark berry, herbal notes. Pairs so well with Mexican food. Probably near peak but likely to go much longer. Wish I had more. Lack of Patience and a mistake with one bottle have taken away most of mine. Save the rest for at least a few years.
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8/12/2021 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep purple color. Blackberry, plum, light green herbs on the nose. Medium to full bodied, fantastic mouth coverage and feel. Deep mixed black and red fruit, rich, chocolatey tannins, tremendous length and penetration. It opened beautifully with decanting, but this wine will be a classic modern Rioja in another decade or two. Both great stuffing and great balance.
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11/4/2020 - FrancoisD wrote: flawed
Bouchoné
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2/18/2020 - ChristP Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is very well extracted stuff. It's a luxurious deep red in the glass with typical earthy and dark berry aromas that sing Rioja. On the palate, it's velvet smooth in texture with rich fruits and silky tannins all melded in a full body yet it is not overpowering. Let the wine roll over the tongue, and red cherry springs out on the mid-palate, and the tannins turn quite dry with an element of bitter cherry on the finish. There's hints of Brunello di Montalcino here. Acidity is medium, which helps strike a nice balance with the slightly sweet undertone. After 3 days, it still held exceptionally well and, although into prime drinking window, I suspect that there's no hurry to drink up. Goes well with spicy food.
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1/10/2020 - Connaître Likes this wine: 91 Points
No formal notes.
Rating: 91 Points
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12/11/2019 - Puteljen! wrote: 90 Points
Late after many other wines. Came across as somewhat anonymous. No one placed this in Rioja initially. Good, smooth, quite rich. Well balanced.
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12/28/2018 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Some impressive material here though starting to age out of its primary generosity into a more in-betweensy state. Dark-toned earthy and tobacco flavors have a leathery sheen before the structure kicks in with a serious drying effect, but the tannins are exceptionally refined - this is cashmere-textured.
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4/29/2018 - Christian von Dresky Likes this wine: 94 Points
Young, firm, delicious and promising. This can be drunk now with a good aeration but I would rather wait another 5 years to get the full pleasure, once this gets smoothed out on the edges.
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4/8/2018 - Brent toast Likes this wine: 73 Points
Very Oakie hint of citrus and vanilla
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12/25/2017 - Clauswf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours but continued to develop during the evening. The last glass was showing good characteristics of a classic and really well made Rioja except it was a bit dryer and more restraint. Good balance between the cassis, cherries, strawberries and the oak and spices. Looking forward to the next bottle in a year or two.
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10/17/2017 - Markus IWC wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, powerful blue fruit but still elegant and pure. Blueberry, pines, chocolate, sweet tobacco, hints of coffee,, vanilla, cassis, smoke and some roasted notes. Exclusive French oak. Medium body, nice acidity. Calms down after 2 hours and finds excellent balance. One of the absolute best Spaniards I've tasted. Highly recommended if you like the modern style Rioja.
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1/11/2017 - ciesel wrote: 92 Points
While drinkable now, after an hour plus decanting it was obvious there is more left here. Fruit was just starting to come into it's own. Very good sense of place with this wine. Won't drink next one for 5-10 years.
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