Another spontaneous opening of this modern classic. It has all the previously noted characteristics - a huge, deep, rich, chocolatey, figgy, treacly nose, with further aromas of plums, carob and port-like raisiny sensations. It's thick and quite voluptuous but not syrupy at all. Some smoky notes as well. My one complaint would be that at an astonishing two decades old I still see no obvious ageing. No change of colour, very little loss of power, perhaps softer tannins. But I want to see those new notes, the sweet spicy, mysterious fragrances you get with age. At 20 years I'd expect to see some of that, but Pintia is a kind of forever wine. So I'm going to whack on another 10 years to its longevity because right now it's going nowhere.
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Slow-O for 2 hours; cork broke, but was cleanly salvaged with an Ah-So. I've held this since release, and it's a full ten years on since I opened one. That episode was pretty unsatisfactory as perhaps I had high expectations. Well, time has been a good friend, as this is now elegant, and harmonious. The high-er (15,0%) alcohol is well integrated, as are the very find tannins. Some early tertiary notes have emerged, and the fineness of the ripe tannins are just lovely. No surprise that this begs for food, though I could see where some might prefer it on its own, too. More medium-bodied than anything at this point, so it's quite in my wheelhouse when I consider the whole package. If you've got a few, it's time to check on it, as there's a fair amount of beauty to be found. Easily recommended
From 75cl, mediocre brittle cork not befitting a wine from the Vega Sicilia stable—despite intensive care taken with my ah so, the end broke into little pieces, some stuck firmly to the neck as if with glue, others floating in the wine. Decanted 1 hour off slimy sediment, improved until final drop. Eucalyptus, menthol and other good, green herbal action on the nose; nicely restrained blackberry fruit on the entry; the mid-palate gently sweet, with serious tannic gain to the abraisively rough-tannic finish. Just edging into maturity at age 19, this rough customer has further potential for 5–10 years. 91P(?)
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Wine seems in a top spot now. Fresh and lively with tertiary aromas evolving. Ripe plum and blackberry nose. Broad and slightly stoney feeling on the palate. Med-long intense finish. Excellent
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my last from a half case (over 12 years). these were always very good but it never reached the extraordinary for me. some scents of dark fruit, plum, but they are in a supporting role now... mature nose of earth, leather, some floral notes, alcohol as well. palate is still full, saturated, heavy. grippy tannins are still very pronounced. recommend a few hours of air and not to be served chilled. ...give the wine its best chance to soften and open up.
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have had several of these over the years. this beast is STILL monolithic, dense and chewy. plenty of tannin and structure still present. it's got life left in it but i'm not sure these characteristics will ever totally resolve themselves to the point where this wine will be easily approachable. recommend plenty of decant time and pairing with something creamy (pasta) or a weighty meat with starches on the side.
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I agree with my last note -- this wine deserves more time -- five more years. There are no signs of decay, and the oak and tannins are still strong. If you drink now, you get a brooding wine with Barolo-like tannins and noble but subdued aromas of leather, aged balsamic, and blueberries. There is some balsamic-vinegar-like acidity, but that is common in good Spanish tempranillo and much lighter than in a wine like R. Lopez de Heredia Rioja; I don't view it as a sign of imminent spoilage.
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Crimson. No orange hue. No sign of aging. Smell of dirty socks, sunshine after rain, misty forest. One hour of air. Taste of rasberries, red fruits explosions, very tannic. Tempranillo in its most concentrated form. Could be left in the cellar for another decade or so. Very powerful. Slight heat on the back end. Long finish.
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Bu au resto AVV le Comme chez soir de Sherbrooke. Pas mal à point, tannins fondus, un peu d`épices et de fruits, prunes et cerises avec une finale assez longue. Rien n`accroche, le plus abouti et prêt des 3 rouges bus.
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6/20 - definitely a modern style and a 15% alc. despite this it has a low ph and oddly some balance despite its valoptiousness. I drank half and corked it up without gas and popped it for round two it was still lively and secondary tar and Syrah like qualities. Serve it to some folks who like the big style
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Posting an old note drank in 2012, Dark purple, muted nose but opened up to lovely ripe black berries and licorice, full bodied, powerful, sweet, ripe, big wine at 15%
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This wine will never be, my thing. Can't get past the noticeable and marring 15% alc that feels all of 15%. This bears little resemblance to real tempranillo expression and character. Drinks more like typical $10 CA Cab. Underwhelming! Thankfully my last btl bought long ago, on release when I had just started exploring Spanish wine. Love Lopez Heredia / hate this. Proof that your own palate trumps any critics opinions and score. If you love modern CDP from 2007, you'll love this too.
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Last tasted in 2011, still very deep in color. Big rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, black raspberries, and a hint of floral in the nose. Black cherries, blackberries, and chocolate in the flavor. Nicely balanced and complex, medium to full bodied, and a long smooth finish. Drink over the next few years.
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This really is improving with age, seeming lighter on its feet and fresher than younger bottles with the fruit not quite as chocolatey and raisiny as before and moving towards cherries and plums. On this basis hold for a bit longer!
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PNP and not under the best conditions to taste, but had this side by side the '05. This has continued to evolve and open, and so much like my last note this has improved from my early notes and is open and drinking well now, with plenty of oak and tannin still showing but there is also rich ripe fruit showing as well. This is a bit flabby compared to the more precise, and not yet ready for a PNP '05. You need to be ready for a big one, but if you are this is in a pretty good spot. Those who like the style might rate it higher. B+/A-
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Recent notes are on point. Vanilla, plums, blueberries, coffee, char. Certainly modern, but more sedate than more recent vintages of this wine. Not really my style, and a bit disjointed, but pleasurable.
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Nicely developed near-cocoa tannins. No signs of overripeness. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for (a Toro that wasn't exaggerated). This is in a very good place now. Went well w/ some pieces of coulette steak. Addendum - 2/10 - finishing off the coravined bottle (by itself, no food)... This has a nice black fruit/briary backbone. It reminds me of a CdPs that I've been enjoying lately. Lastly, this probably has at least another 5 years where it is now.
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The cork broke and was too soft to extract surgically. I have had cork problems with prior bottles, but never this bad. This created fear of a flawed bottle, but thankfully, the wine was still very good. I decanted as part of the salvage process, but the wine is not hot or full like others describe. It is thoroughly enjoyable, with hints of blackberry and subtle elegance.
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4th Saturday Group: South America & Spain (M&LA's): Double blind. Opens with plummy dark fruit notes followed by blackberry and earth. Fairly plush on the palate- I rather like it. Black fruit and licorice qualities. Picks up a meaty quality and perhaps even a touch of asphalt too.
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Possibly the best bottle to date, with more blueberry fruit around, the tannins gently providing substance and structure in the background. Once more it is difficult to pick the high alcohol as it blends seamlessly into the chocolate coffee finish. Double decanted from 75cl bottle and served c. 18C.
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Kleur: Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Zeer beperkt bouquet. Vermoedelijk is deze fles 'over de top'. Smaak / Afdronk: Beperkte zuurgraad, opvallend stoer. Eerste indruk is een restant van tannines. Tweede indruk, minder positief, is die van een begin van geoxideerd zuur. Algemeen / potentieel: Te oud. Flesfout of tegenvaller? Dat beoordelen we bij de volgende proefnotitie! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 87/100
Google Translate:
Color: Ruby red Aroma / bouquet: Very limited bouquet. Presumably this bottle is 'over the top'. Taste / Finish: Limited acidity, remarkably tough. First impression is a remnant of tannins. Second impression, less positive, is that of a beginning of oxidized acid. General / potential: Too old. Bottle error or setback? We judge this with the next tasting note! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Taste / Finish: 15 + General / potential: 8 = 87/100
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Wonderful medium body enjoyed with wine geeks. No heat whatsoever and in a great place now.Opened up in bottle for 20 minutes . Thats all it needs. This is getting very hard to find . Getting 2 more to open in 6 mo. to a year. Awesome!
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From 75cl, dry cork broke during extraction, the remaining half extracted with my ah-so, decanted one hour. Highly extracted, hot 15% alc. Toro, inexpressive and crabby-tannic. After 2 hours some blackberry fruit, but this bottle punches massively under its weight (and price class, ouch). My reference (and expectation) was Alion 2001/2003, but this bottle was just another overpriced and overhyped Toro. If tasted blind I'd have given 86-87P, but knowing this is made by the holy Vega Sicilia, sensing that it still has many years to run (and having dealt with the shoddy cork in this particular bottle) I'm giving a charity rating tonight: 88-89P.
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I've only once reviewed this wine here, but I've had maybe a dozen bottles of the 2004 over the years. I've only a couple left. Opened this one spontaneously with a friend. Still sensational. Very dark, no bricking whatsoever, and it's 14 years old. Port-like nose, raisiny, figgy. Incredible sensations - perfect acidity and softened tannins, holding together a wine of considerable complexity and hedonistic power. You've got spices such as vanilla and cassia bark, an irresistible minerality, a vivid freshness, not a hint of the huge alcohol (15%), and a voluptuous fleshy chewiness. Superb, one of Spain's great wines, for sure. Lots of sediment in this bottle.
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Tasted blind. Ripe nose, plums, grape candy, incense. Powerful fruit with hints of incense. Rigidly structured, plays well with food. Needs more time, but was pretty exciting tonight.
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Wow, the drinking window on CT suggests 2010-2018. My bottle may be an outlier, as it is not even remotely mature yet. Deep, rich, young, and tough. Enormous potential in this dense, tannic wine. Approachable now, but seriously gonna leave this in the cellar for at least 5 more years before trying it again.
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High fill. Ouvert et bu. Grenat foncé sans traces d'évolution, encore beaucoup d'alcool, un peu monolithique, puissant mais avec un bel équilibre, tanins souples, longueur moyenne. A boire dans les 5 ans.
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Excellent maturity! In a few words, very nice balance and elegance with different flavours, and a good evidence of maturity premium versus younger also very good variants of Pintia! Very good value!
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complex and monolitic tempranillo from Vega Sicilia with rich notes of underbrush, leather, roasted cofee, balsamic herbes, graphite and gently balanced oak. Outstanding. In a cold afternoon at La Thuile paired well with local seasoned cheese
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Inviting bottle age on the deep, decadent bouquet. Ripe, scorched aromas of cherries, mocha, pencil lead, tomato leaf, and mushrooms. Big but not heavy, this is smooth, savory, and earthy, with cherry and Asian spice flavors that gain depth, nuance, and complexity. Gentle tannin and a hint of tar infuse the long, almost astringent finish. Excellent.
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Popped and poured. This is certainly more open than my last note, but still very big and burly with both oak and tannin showing. But the rich, ripe, concentrated fruit is now a bit more open. This is drinkable now with a decant, but pair with a big steak. Should evolve more with time and the fruit seems it will hold up. A-
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Le vin n'a pas bougé depuis 1 année, belle couleur, nez sur les fruits noirs, bon équilibre en bouche, masculin, à boire dans les 5 ans car ne s'améliorera plus, selon moi.
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Still a baby ... . very dark, very concentrated and you need to open this 2/3 hours, and enjoy with a huge steak or some pata negra.
Reminds me a lot of the 2009, it is not an easy drink but still very good, the tannin is in balance with the fruit, for me it is a keeper and you better drink the 02/03/05/08 before. Drink 2018-2024
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Quite a lifted nose of spice and blueberries. The palate is initially perfumed with a bit of orange peel before you become aware of the powdery tannins leading you into the Christmas spice box of plummy and strawberry fruit. I would still expect this to age and improve its balance, but enjoy it now - with roast lamb it worked really well. It also wears the 15% alcohol well.
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Do I really still own one more of these??? Bummer! Bought this quite a while ago on release and this no longer reflects my palate. The producer has taken a great grape, tempranillo, and striped it of it typicity and character. If you love vanillia and oak spice, this, is your wine. There is a hint of submerged fruit. I've been avoiding opening this and it did not exceed expectations. I'm sure its someone's dream wine, just not mine. Others will score this much more highly. Throwing a fair amount of sediment. I double decanted about 3 hours prior to drinking and left the cork out. The nose actually is less oaky than the palate. Very dark ruby red color, thanks again, to the oak. Bummer, one more to get through! Might need to gift or donate. Good burger wine. Too heavy for chicken kabobs tonight.
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drank all wines without decant, popped cork a few hours before drinking over 4 hours. all wines were purchased at release, and stored properly. all wines were in prime drinking window, without any evidence of fading.
'04 numanthia numanthia 96: clear winner with that deft balance of sweet ripe fruit, concentration, and acidity - just gorgeous.
'05 numanthia numanthia 92: less fruit than the '04, which made it seem more tannic although still quite good. same fruit profile.
'04 pintia 91: slight brett on nose, good palate of sweet ripe fruit, I'm sensitive to brett so this was #3 in this tasting but the palate was quite delicious. hopefully other bottles will be clean.
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(Paul & Glenda's mini Pintia vertical) Perhaps the most classic of the 3 vintages. Very dry, long savoury tannin, deep dry red fruits; a BDX doppelgänger for mine. Very classic and classy. Drinking well now.
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Non carafé. Couleur toujours aussi foncée, brillante. Le vin s'est assagi et je trouve qu'il est tout à fait bien construit malgré sa haute teneur en alcool. Le bois est présent mais il est bien intégré. A boire dans les 5 ans.
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Deep red, bt breathed 3 hrs. Heavy nose of coffee, cocoa and wood spice. Dark red fruit and sweet on palate, a little grippy and bitterness. Too much wood here.
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Kleur: Diep robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Donker bouquet, zwaar, tabak, teer en leer. Donker fruit, bramen en zwarte bessen. Vleugje gebrand hout. Smaak / Afdronk: Zachte zuurgraad, indrukwekkende dikte en vulling, prachtig gerijpte tannines met voldoende bite. Indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Indrukwekkende krachtpatser. Nu perfect op dronk maar toch ben ik benieuwd hoe deze wijn zich gaat ontwikkelen. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Google Translate
Look: Deep ruby red Aroma / bouquet: bouquet Dark, heavy, tobacco, tar and leather. Dark fruit, blackberries and black currants. Hint of burnt wood. Taste / Finish: Soft acidity, impressive thickness and padding, beautifully ripe tannins with plenty of bite. Impressive length. General / potential: Impressive powerhouse. Perfect for drinking now but I'm curious how this wine will develop. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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I liked this better than my last bottle but the environment was good. Coming back from NY in the back seat of a car with some good friends. This is what I like about the Toros - the rusticness, the bramble and the clarity. Built by Vega Sicilia this was a bigger wine than I was expecting, but also not as delineated as I was hoping. Still a great drink.
PNP, could have benefited from decant. At first a bit of oak and acid but settled down nicely with earth and black fruits on the nose. Good minerality, great spice and dark fruit with medium plus body and a nice finish. Plenty of structure - still young 92+ points
I was really expecting more from this wine. It was fairly monolithic to me on both the nose and palate. Very little complexity or transition across the palate. Fairly high alcohol with decent acidity. Length drops off quickly.
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Wow. What a fantastic wine. Very dark and ripe, but very well balanced with fine tannins and juicy acidity. There is lots going on - roasted meats, some smoke over the dark cherry and brambly fruit. Very deep and complex on both the nose and the palate. The finish is long and the length goes on and on. Actually good value for $40 or so. Will seek this out again.
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Wow, was I blown away by this bottle. It showed way better than I had expected. Everything is singing in perfect unison. Talking about smooth integration. Nice light, but certainly there, tart cherry with some strawberry. A jump out of the glass bouquet to match. Smooth, well integrated tannins. Way better than I had expected.
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The penultimate wine in our vertical, we were exceedingly excited to sip given the "experts'" high rating of the vintage. Sadly, the wine was CORKED. We mean mucho yucky-pooh, cannot smell any fruit or alcohol, musty cork smell that makes your nose pinch-up, your tummy turn and your heart sink. And so it goes...
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softish cork but kept it's integrity beautifully. Cork stained almost black. Still tannic and takes it's time to open up. A superb steak wine as it will cut through the fat and grease like a hot knife through butter, and soft butter at that. Deep dark color, and very smooth, and powerfully alcoholic, but you won't know it until you stand up to go to the bathroom. Very nice Toro offering. As smooth as it is a lot of interesting flavors. Recommended. Was surprised CT has this 2004 to 2025 but with these tannins still in circulation, can see it. Recommended and has a good 5 years of life left, if not more. Fruit did begin to emerge but it will take it's time. See why other drinkers are giving it a good decant and the 1 day rest might not be a bad thing. I say drink some on day one but save some for day two. Last glass had good chunk of sediment too.
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at Arnoldo's the wine was decanted for one hour, then returned to bottle for an hour dark red-purple color almost no aroma during first hour of consumption. only two hours later the classic Pintia aroma started to show. full-body, tannic, lots of black fruits, balanced acidity, harmonious, tannic aftertaste. Wine for meat.
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PnP. Shut down on nose, this wine needs about 1-2 hours of areation and barely showed black fruit and chinese ink on nose. On palate it's still powerful, with plenty of tannins and acidity, black fruit and chocolate. Great with steak, hard to drink alone.
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This needed about 3 hours to decant, but then drank very nicely. Bitter-in a pleasant way-coffee like tannins, lots of Balsamico funk (strong curry, almost too much), and sappy black fruit, followed by a vanilla/oaky finish. This wine drank well, but probably would have been better in a few more years.
On day 2, the funk had given way to a nice herbal/sage taste and the tannins had further integrated, creating a smooth, polished wine. More graphite flavors as well.
I liked this wine, but at $65, I would probably buy a Rioja instead of a Toro.
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Consumed over three evenings, nose of leather, cedar, touch of smoke and currants, more of the same on the palate, big body, mouth filling and mouth coating, delicious, at its best should last 7 years easy, lovely flavors on the finish and aftertaste.
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Although it has already 10 years, it still a baby. Tannins still very hard and still tastes alcoholic. Medium body and very dark color. We can wait easily 5 more years to taste it again.
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18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Didn't fit in well with bigger wines in this tasting. Medium bodied and elegant with red fruit and leather notes competing with the OAK -- only a few people in this group got splinters... 86 on day 2.
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Racion: This was showing very nice, with good complexity--rich black fruits--pure blackberry in the patch, sweet tangy blackberry puree, with light herbal notes, dusty herbs, very layered; mouth was rich, very tannic, evolved dark fruit notes, decent acidity and lift, long finish. This has very pure sweet fruit, complex, hefty, but nicely balanced. A bit over the top on the big sweet black fruit, but very appealing nonetheless. Should easily go another 5-10 years.
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Ruby, to run; dumb nose, latent power, opens out with time - morello cherries; fleshy, sumptuous fruit (verging on sweet), tannins pack a punch, full bodied; finish authoratively. Well proportioned. Now & next 5+ years. Splendid.
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I had high hopes having read some of the TNs. Good amount of fruit, dark cherry and bramble. Well integrated with fine tannins. Long finish. However it all tasted a little stewed to me.
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Black with a deep ruby rim. Lots of sweet blackberry and black cherry on the nose, with complex spice notes. Full bodied on the palate with lots of presence, some rustic tannin on the finish.
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This stank like crap (literally) when opened. After an hour the sulfur blew of but the wine remained tight, tannic and drying. I think the fruit may be fading, I'd be tempted to drink in the next 12-24 months.
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Decant this wine first. Opened cold from the cellar and gave it the cold stiff test.....tart fruit and focused. After an hour of air, a completely different wine. Dark and inky in color, violets and dark red fruit in the nose. Silky tannins. Lots of sediment, so handle your aged bottles carefully. EG #WineArchitect #89608
Been almost a year since the last botttle, and again I should have waited longer. There is a hint more fruit that last time and a touch more sweetness, but I still think this will be much better in 3-5 years time. Modern in style. A brute of a wine. Big and bold. Lots of wood and tannin. Core of dark fruit slowly starting to emerge. Please hold off drinking if you can. I am going to wait at least another 12 months until the next bottle.
With Spanish wine dinner - Tapas & Paella. Full bodied with layers of dark fruit, spice, mineral and earth. Balanced and ageworthy. Group preferred the 2004 Alion Ribera somewhat over the Pintia.
Nez weird et funky sur la pâte aux tomates et les chips au ketchup! La bouche est assez austère merci, avec une bonne acidité qui fait que le vin demeure frais malgré ses 15% d’alcool, mais le tout se termine sur une finale asséchante et rêche. Manque de fruit et de charme à ce stade, la comparaison avec la rusticité du Madiran tient la route. Devrait sans doute gagner en finesse avec le temps. 88+
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Inky dark purple. Full intense aromas of ripe black fruit, licorice, herbs, mocha and exotic spice - nose is akin to Alban or SQN grenache. Palate is full bodied with big, rich, delicious fruit. Blackberry, raspberry, exotic spice. Modern style to be sure - but balanced and well done.
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Popped and poured at room temperature. Still young, and not much evolved since the last time I had this. Still showing its wood and tannin, but there is plenty of fruit. Will try to come back to this tomorrow but either way will need to give the next one some air first. A-/?
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Opaque ruby color with nose of ripe, perfumed berries and mocha. The palate is rich, polished and youthful with velvety texture lined with refined mineral-laced tannins. Flavors of luscious ripe dark cherry, kirsch, espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate form the core. Finishes long with a slight grip and shows hints of tobacco and minerals. 94+ Pts.
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Lovely bottle just entering what should be a long window of maturity, showing a combination of structured cherry fruit with well-integrated notes of tobacco, minerals, vanilla, and oregano. Cinched up after 3+ hours in the decanter, showing more tannic thereafter. Contrary to a previous poster, this wine is not fading, even if it is not to his tastes, and if you like tertiary notes I'd hold this another 3-8 years. A well balanced effort that is no longer brawny, but maybe not ready for a suckling pig just yet. Fine grained sediment requires a stand-up prior to decanting or a filter.
Nose was floral and a bit alcoholic. Flavors are lean, blue fruit, stone and mild tannic bit. Some acid to keep it alive. Think this is peaked or sliding. Drink by 2014 or 2015.
Opened Friday morning, sampled and re-corked, served double-blind on Saturday night after 30 minutes in decanter. So glad I got to try this double-blind (one of two different entries on the night), as I didn't want to be influenced by the label/my wine. Deep garnet toward purple, no sign of age. Moments of brilliance on the nose and palate, but really nothing too memorable here, not now at least. Well lifted, but simple at times, this required quite a lot coaxing in the glass to get going. Yes, it did get better over the course of the 3 hour lamb dinner, but marginally at best. I had much higher hopes for this, but as it was, it finished #3 of 4 in the $50/bottle blind tier, slightly ahead of the 2004 Ch. St Jean Cinq Cepages - which is really not saying that much. 14,5% abv, held since release, cork like new, but met only my most minimal of expectations. Next bottle in 5-7 years, perhaps some tertiary development can salvage part of this investment.
Very good but tasted young, like is has barely evolved over the years. All the right material -- dark fruit, big tannins, acidity, oak, but could use even more time to soften and integrate. 90+
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Very classy nose. Black fruits, with a hint of exotic spice and a touch of oak. Felt energised and ready to explode. Full flavour, with solid structure that has plenty more to give i'm sure. Lovely mouthfeel, and very tasty. Elegant, but a touch of the beast lurking within. Still good qpr.
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Opened 1-2 hours before drinking. Dark colour. Dark fruit, sweet expansive nose. Ripe dark fruit, smooth, vanilla, very plush, grippy tannins on the finish.
As before. This is a big wine. Modern style. Definitely benefits from time in a decanter. Lots of fruit. Well structured. I would guess this will go for another 5+ years.
Insanely young and tightly wound up. Very dark red. Glimpses of riches in layers and concentration. High acids, fine grained TI-tannic and a good dollop of oak. Blinded, I'd never had said Tempranillo. I'd be lost somewhere in France because of the awesome structure and the superb restraint in effect in this fabulous wine. Wish we had more, would love to have this again at a later stage and see if it comes out a butterfly (as I think) or a moth (as some others think). At Ebisu restaurant (Tokyo). Wife 92p.
Nach 6 Stunden dekantiert zeigt sich der Pintia nach wie vor als Kraftprotz, Dunkelrot, noch Tannine vorhanden und etwas kantig. Aber Klasse Stoff, der sich die nächsten Jahre weiter entwickeln wird. Tolles Früchtekompott mit Zigarre, Zedernholz, etwas Leder. Macht Lust auf mehr.
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Monthly Tasting Group: Spain and Portugal (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. PNP. I didn't get many notes on this, but it was somewhat unimpressive given its pedigree. Very big, deeply concentrated with lots of oak, black fruits, more oak, licorice, grippy tannins. 89-90
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Green underbrush and light berry nose. This wine seemed pretty fully mature, not much in the way of tannin with cola, berry and cracked pepper notes. Seemed a bit tired. Drink now.
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Still out of balance for me. Even with 3 hours air slightly closed dark fruit nose, some oak, clove, liquorice. On the palate, full, tannins almost resolved but very little fruit left - just dark, fleshy wine and heat from alcohol.
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Dégustation GEEU (Patio): Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition. Non décanté. Couleur violet foncé, brillante, presque vibrante. Nez sur les fruits rouges et noirs, compotés. En bouche, de la vigueur, de l'alcool mais sans lourdeur. Gros potentiel.
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Very deep and dark reddy purple in colour. Thick and rich. Sweet tobacco on nose. Needs a few hrs to open up. Slightly dry fruit on palate. Cranberry? Blackcurrant.
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Has taken a long time to emerge from its darkly purple, harsh tannin stage. The tannins are still there, but softening. The colour is moving to a deep red. This is still early in its life and, whilst very enjoyable to drink now - particularly, i think, with some braised meat - there is plenty of life ahead.
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Good balance of dark fruits and Bourbon vanilla. Persistend, with a good structue and soft tannins, but a little bit high in (tart) alcohol. A very good, but not great Tinta de Toro (local clone of Tempranillo). A mainstream wine - tasty for everybody.
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last taste was 2 yrs ago.. totally en pointe now. smooth tannins, dark black violet color, almost silky and thick at at the same time on my tongue. earthy wood aromas with coffee, pencil lead tones. really big and beautiful
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A private lunch (Restaurant Medlar *, London, UK): Big (15%) but not heavy, lovely freshness and balance, wonderful ripe cherry fruit, just a hint of tar, good extract, grainy tannins, touch of mint on the finish.
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No decanting. At first scorched earth, dark fruit, tar on the nose. Overall very pretty. After more time in the glass this waned off quickly and turned into a very red fruity, sangiovese-like nose. On the palate this is big, fruity, huge sweet tannins. This would have done better with some food.
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Confraria - Espanha (Ene): Still close on the nose, graphite, oaky. Super long persistence. Still tannic, glicerine, excelent balance, great fruit. Long life ahead. Fantastic!
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PNP for dinner with 2 other couples and initially liked the core flavor but the tannins are still gripping and their was a certain granular feel to them...for me that never really lifted but my buddy was more patient, or just got the last big pour from the bottle and he thought the wine had really opened and come around...there is a lot stuffed in here but it needs time or at least a good bit of air
Tasting on a Wednesday? Wine not?! (Dave's House): I can't recall whether this was decanted or not, but we were able to follow it in the glass for about 1.5 hours. Deep inky purple in the glass, offering up notes of dark fruits, intense florals, particularly lavendar, dark chocolate, coffee, earth and some mild coconut/vanilla notes from the oak. On the palate, not as much of a beast as I would have expected, with nice ripe fruit, silky tannin and moderate acidity. This seems to be in a bit of an awkward stage, in which the fruit intensity has faded a touch, the oak has not yet fully integrated, and the transition to tertiary notes is not yet in full swing. I think with a bit more time this will come together.
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Weekday KW Tasting (Dave's House): On the nose: coconut, marshmallow, vanilla, but the American oak is really starting to integrate. Silky but notable tannin on the finish. 92 points with definite upside, should continue to age nicely. With time nose shifted more to more dark chocolate and coffee bean.
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Deep opaque red. Rich and monolithic Tempranillo with a big opening taste of leather, liquorice, chocolate and oak. Powerful tannins fill the palate. Bold wine, like sand in your palate. Truly outstanding. PD
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This is an excellent example of 100% tinto tempranillo. The slight fruity scent enhances the oak,must breathe for 45 to 1hour to soften tannins but has a wonderful long finish drank the whole bottle myself over a 3 hour period after spain beat france in the euro cup 2012.
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Very concentrated red color and an expressive and concentrated bouquet as well. On the palate also great concentration, good black fruits, beautiful oak, round tannin and perfect acidity. There still is a future of several years.
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Very dark red; powerful ripe nose of dark berries / blackcurrant; dense, thick, power, black pepper, sweetness, somewhat but not overly tannic; very nice (if you like powerful wines)
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Decanted but did not aerate for very long. Strong fruity nose of dark berries. On the palate the wine is rich, nicely concentrated, and with more fruit, including blackberries and plum. Nice balance, with only mild oak to complement the fruit. I could have used more acid. Medium tannins. Starting to soften a bit, but has another 5 years left. Not a very complex wine at this point. I enjoyed this more than my previous tastings of the same wine.
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Had this wine at a tasting of tempranillo. Upon opening the wine was a tannic beast. An hour later the wine was approachable but improved over the course of the evening. My wotn but this wine certainly needs a long decant and/or more time in the cellar. I will be in no rush to pen the next one.
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Opened for 1 hour. Just right. This is an intense wine. Powerful aromas of coffee,dark berries and liqueur. Moderate tannins now but still hard to escape. A long sweet finish.
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The aromatics were dominated by blue and black fruits, cloves and some eucalyptus. On the the palate the wine is massive with loades of tannins, black and blue fruit, roasted flavours, again the eucalyptus/menthol tone, and spices. It's still a fairly young wine.
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Quite a nice and powerful smell and taste initially and for the first 30 minutes or so. Nose of dark fruit, leather, meat and earth. The taste is largely one-dimensional, loads of fruit and tannin and then at the end some mocha. Nice wine, certainly not the most complex, and judging by the tannin, needs more time. My last bottle of 12, overall my scores have ranged from 90 to 92 over the last year or so.
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Vega-Sicilia evening (Regav @ Hall of Man restaurant): dark red color developed fruity earthy aroma full body, very tannic even 8 hours after uncorking, balanced acidity, good harmony. wine for lamb or entrecôte.
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An under rated wine. Great dark color and smooth body. Blackberry, cherry and slight vanilla. More going on here than the notes below led me to believe. The wife has a single test which made this wine the winner of the night -- "If it's good, it's gone." Was the first wine off the table...
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Decanted about 30 mins before drinking. While this is a solid wine, I'm not quite as taken with it now as I have been in the past. It's a big wine, high in alcohol (15%) and high in concentration. The nose is not very open at the moment, but I got some beefiness and red fruits that made me guess it was a Brunello or Chianti at first. On the palate it comes across as fairly one-dimensional and a little hot. However, it's not overly oaked and the acid and tannins are there, which would lead me to believe it could improve with some more aging. It'll be interesting to taste in another year or two. The tempranillo didn't stand out for me, and for the price I wouldn't seek out the wine. Lots of sediment on the bottom of the bottle. A little coarse on the second day.
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Dark ruby color, full bodied, moderate nose, firm tannins, seems to have lost some fruit, but after it opened up a bit I got more of the characteristic tempranillo nose and flavor. Drinking nicely now. Doubt it will improve from further aging. I'd suggest drinking soon because it seems to be on the decline.
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at Arnoldo's the wine was decanted for one hour, then returned to bottle for an hour dark red-purple color almost no aroma during first hour of consumption. only two hours later the classic Pintia aroma started to show. full-body, tannic, lots of black fruits, balanced acidity, harmonious, tannic aftertaste. Wine for meat.
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Dark purple. Restrained nose, very balanced with fruit, oak, spice, and some coffee on the palate. Tannins more resolved than when I started drinking this a year ago but still youthful. Quite complex and very drinkable already 92+
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Evolving nicely into a dark, but at this point smoother, Bordeaux lookalike. Less alcoholic burn and tannin this time, more dark fruit, oak, sweetness, spice, cinammon, leather and coffee. Popped and poured, opened up in glass fairly quickly but was at its best after about half an hour. After about 2 hours started fading a bit but the finish was still long.
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Opened for 1 hour. Not decanted. Dark crimson color. Nose takes a bit to open, starts fruity, black pepper, more black liquorized fruit with air, although alcohol was a bit noticiable at the end. Powerful on palate, medium to full bodied, present and pleasant tannins, quite rounded, barely no hard edges, a lot of black fruit, spiceness, creamy. Medium finish. This bottle was full ready to drink.
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Spicy, dark fruit and vanilla from oak nose - wonderful after a little air. Almost like Valbuena. On the palate, a little dark damson / dark plum fruit but mainly hidden in concentrated vanilla and oak spice, tannin and overpowering alcohol. Slightly out of balance. Hints at something wonderful but not yet. 90
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Superb rich and monolithic Tempranillo with a stunning opening taste of leather, liquorice, chocolate and oak and a very long end. Dark red glimpes and powerful tannins. Perfect bottle, could be drunk over a number of years. Probably my best bottle in 2011 YTD. Need to have at least one on your cellar.
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Drank with Joe and Kathy at Baazar. This is a GREAT wine. Needed a good hour decant, but it was spectacular. Deep opaque red. Nose of leather, spice, chocolate and tobacco. Tannins are fully resolved, given the decant time. Very rich but not over the top. One of the best Spanish wines I have ever had. Gracias!
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Much smoother this time. Decanted for about 30 min. Very dark red fruity aromas with more spice, fruit, oak, vanilla and a bit of earth taste. Velvety. If this was poured for me blind could easily be mistaken for a top Bordeaux blend.
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Very powerful, black fruity, alcoholic smell, initially vinegar but that went away. Again, loads of black fruit, wrapped in an overpowering, monolithic structure with a bit of pain grille for good measure. After about an hour some softness emerged with wood and spice tastes. Mouthfuls of tannin. Not quite as much alcoholic burn as some previous bottles, but you can still feel it. A bit of coffee at the end, on the finish which was decently long. My wife rated this a 90/91 and liked it a bit more than me (89), so the 90 is giving this the benefit of the doubt that this is still too early in its drinking window. This is a very fruit bomb type wine which doesn't quite appeal to me at this stage, maybe it will evolve so will keep my remaining bottles for a few years...
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Very monolithic, dark purple. Restrained smell after a 1.5 hour decant, but even then the dark fruit came in wave after wave. Also: cassis, wood, cedar, cinammon, some tobacco. This wasn't quite as exciting as my last bottle, and after about 3-4 hours started to take on a rougher edge.
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Dunkles purpurrot; animierende, balsamische Nase mit Malz, Brombeere, Kirsche, Tabak, Eiche, Bitterschokolade und Garrigue; am Gaumen mit reichlich süßem, feinen Tannin, straffer Säure, vollem Körper, viel Frucht, Schoko, Tabak und Würze im langen Abgang, leichte Adstringenz; gut strukturiert trotz seiner 15 %! Braucht weiter Zeit
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Unlike prior bottles, in a very awkward place. Mouthful of tannins, none of that burnt mocha nor sweet fruit even 2 hours. Bad bottle or closing up again?
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Needed more time to open up this time around, but sweet fruit, dark fruit, oak, vanilla, mocha, coffee and oriental spice indicates this is a serious wine. Occasional alcohol burn on the finish the only real issue at this point.
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Decanted on hour, consumed over three. Dark purple in the glass, the color of the modern style. Nose of black fruits, with some dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Some lush dark fruit on the palate, but the fruit is overwhelmed by oak and especially tannin. This might integrate in several years, but I'm not inclined to find out.
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Wine of the night. Decanted. Deep purple in colour. Impressive nose. Smoothe and well balanced. Enjoyed too much to make proper notes! Luckily I have more.
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Monstrous, dark purple colour. Took a while for the tannins to settle and at times a bit of alcoholic burn on the finish. Nose: fairly restrained black fruit and leather. Taste: black fruit, coffee, spice, leather, pain grille, then finish more like strawberry jam and vanilla. More vanilla as the bottle went by. Throwing a lot of sediment. Very outstanding and just about drinking well now after a quick decant.
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Dark purple. Very tannic at first but opened quite nicely 1hr decant. First a lot of black fruit, oak, some vanilla almost tasted like a Shiraz or even a Left Bank (at very start, like Pontet). Black fruit, grilled/burnt toast, some vanilla then gradually mocha, coffee, and strawberry. Pretty long finish (20+ seconds). Outstanding now but will be better in a couple of years 91/92+ for now.
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Loved a bottle at dinner, decanted for two hours before. Big, dark wine..should last a long time. Well structured, fruity a hint of leather. Soft in the mouth and a wonderful finish, what more could you want?
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Off a restuarant list, and decanted for an hour. This is still very young. It is concentrated, a lot of dark fruit, and still plenty of wood and tannin showing. It should be a very good wine when it settles down. Try again in 3-5 years. A-/?
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Tannic, dry, oaky profile that subdued the fruit & anything else positive in this wine. Felt like I was licking a barrel stave on the finish. Had some nice earthy/leathery tones to it & the fruit that was there was dark & sweet. Suppose this will balance out in time.
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I would tend to agree with some of the other reviewers, in that this is an overall excellent and complex wine, but certainly needs a few more years in the cellar. Day 1: Decanted for a couple of hours. Initial very tannic bouquet and palate settled down a bit, revealing black fruit, berries, and a hint of oak. At first glance, seemed like a Bordeaux, if a bit sappier. Then interesting things happened. Coffee on the palate, berries nearly gone. Very nice. Day 2: Less tannic, but still quite powerful. Berries came back. Smooth. This is already quite an extraordinary wine and in a few years I can see the score creeping up. Still, delicious today, had it with roast lamb and fit perfectly.
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Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): the nose is really intoxicating. red and blue fruit, with earth. dense, mouth-puckering tannins, but the fruit is juicy and fresh. there's a creaminess to this wine that i really like. at this point, my palate was obviously a bit fatigued, but this wine still wooed me.
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Opened 2 hours ahead. This is very outstanding Toro. Was best at the end of the glass. So will decant more and/or give the wine more time in the bottle.
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Decanted and re-bottled four hours before the tasting. Deep garnet. Nose was packed: blackberry, chocolate, cedar, and more dark fruit. The palate held firm, young tannins. Blackberry, cassis, cedar and a light herbal note accented with dark chocolate. Lengthy finish. Consensus was to wait another two to five years on this one.
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Saturated dary purple. Intense and well integrated. Well textured with nose of dark berries,spices and coffee. Finish is smooth and thick. Drinks well now after decant and venturi and sat for 2 hours.
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Dark garnet, but not as dark as the last time. Takes a good hour to unfold. All dark fruit, great length and structure, beautiful acidity. Nice dark fruit, like I said, and plums for days. Solid tannins.
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Aromatically (decanted 6 hours)- black sweet kirsch cherry, black ripe plum, and milk chocolate. Very good aromatic intensity. big density and flavor extract with flavors of minerality, olives, and tart currant. The wines density builds on the palate and has a lot of fine grain dusty tannin that needs to be resolved over time. Aromatics lead you to believe that it would be a much riper style of wine but there exist nice rusticity to the palate and lots of character. I think I lost a lot of the complelling aromatics in the first hours of this wines life as the first couple bottles I have consumed I did not decant and there was a large amount of graphite and meat in the aromatics which were not present this go around. The other bottles were better but this is a 93-94. This wine throws a tremendous amount of sediment for how young it is and for this reason I have found it best to gently decant but I think that it is best to decant .5 hour before consuming so not to lose out on the complex reductiveness that this wine can offer.
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Dark, inky colour. Nose of intense red and black fruits with spice and minerality. This is a huge wine on the palate, but in perfect balance; loads of fruit balanced by decent acidity and plenty of ripe tannin. Oak adds just a bit of creaminess. Herbal notes add complexity but do not come across as under-ripe (as is often my interpretation of herbaceous wines). In my estimation this wine has just begun to hit its stride and will improve for at least a decade and probably two. The wine has already developed tremendous complexity, both aromatically and in its taste. This is a sophisitcated wine; the expert touch of Vega Sicilia shows though in the wine-making. While drinking well now, patience will definitely be rewarded. When I re-visit this wine in a few years, I suspect will score will be elevated.
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What a great wine this is. The nose is quintessential Tempranillo, offering blackberries and cigar ash. It is in the palate, though, where it explodes with layers of flavor, a pleasurable and very noticeable tannic grip and great legth. It lacks the monstrous physique of other highly touted Spanish wines (Numanthia, Moro single vineyards, etc.), but is a balanced, full bodied, delicious wine that still sells for an attractive price.
Qué gran vino es este! La nariz es la esencia de Tempranillo, ofreciendo moras negras y ceniza de habano. En boca, sin embargo, es donde impresiona de verdad, explotando con ola tras ola de sabor, una astringencia marcada pero madura y gran final. No tiene la musculatura monstruosa de otros vinos españoles modernos (como Numathia, Moro Sanchomartín, etc.), pero tiene balance, corpulencia y un hedonismo recatado que lo hace un gran vino.
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Decanted 1 hour. Day 1 was fairly closed at first, coming around after about 2-3 hours. Dark as night, and very glass/teeth/mouth/everything coating. Big flavors of black liquorice and dirty black cherry fruit, with lots of blackberry/cherry fruit with pepper on the tannic finish. Vac-u-Sealed and put away for tomorrow.
Day 2: Much more relaxed and lush. Fruit is still in-your-face big, and still mouthcoating, but more rounded now, with a sweeter flavor. Tannins are milder, although still kicking hard. I would hold this one another 3-5 years at least.
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Inky, very dark purple/violet. Very closed nose on opening. Floral hints, charcoal and a certain mustiness. Medium/full bodied, a bit light on the front palate but just explodes with dark fruit on the very tannic finish. Score is preliminary, need to see if this opens up some over the night and next day. Somewhat promising, but wondering if it is single dimensional ala fruit (as I do not get much else). Right now, like a buttoned up extrovert just waiting to break out. Update: Did open up some. but the tannins remain overwhelming. Will the fruit last long enough to eventually balance this wall of tannins? Check in five years.
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Stored about two years in a passive cellar, therefore maybe more developed than ideal. On the nose leather, earth, dark fruit, mineral: surprisingly traditional Spanish aromas. Quite supple on the palate with good acidity. Long earthy finish is savory with mouth-puckering but by no means harsh tannins. Overall feel of a natural and authentic wine. Quite fun to drink, expected this to be a bruiser. 15% alcohol doesn't show.
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Inky/very dark purple crimson. Very concentrated. Well integrated with exqusit textures. Sweet tannins. Relax and sip this wine in your leather chair by the fire. Popped the bottle and out came wonderful aromas of dark cherry, cassis, leather, toasted oak and licorice. Long finish ofmineral fading to mocha/chocolate. Drank over two hours...got better with time. I will wait 6 months to try again. Very good now but with time will get better I believe. No heat or sweetness. Very little sediment.
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Negro como la noche. Qué vino tan potente y sin fingimiento alguno de elegancia. Este es Earl Campbell corriendo hacia la línea de golpeo, no Gale Sayers. Corpulento, tánico, con mucho sabor, ofrece una experiencia de Tempranillo completa complicada con una atractiva nota de ceniza de puro. Mi vino favorito de la noche.
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The wine is 100% Tinta de Toro, the superior local clone of Tempranillo, aged one year in new oak barrels (70% french and 30% american). Exremely dark. Very generous nose full of black cherries, berries, cedar, tobacco leaf, and oaky vanilla. Full bodied with silky texture and sweet and well integrated tannins. Very juicy and complex with flavors of black cherries, raisins, black pepper, dark chocolate, sun dried prunes, licorice and mushrooms. The finish lasts over 40 sec!!! Very good QPR. To drink now or to keep for at least 10 years. Good match with game or suckling lamb, but also excellent pairing with veal cooked with wild mushrooms.
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Beautiful and elegant bouquet with beautiful spices and herbs. On the palate pleasant sweetness balanced by good acidity and bitterness. The tannin is soft and still firm.. Beautiful now and for at least another 5 years.
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Some rasination and a touch stewy right now. Is it falling apart? Certainly not in terms of tannin load. Massive tanin. Muscular, powerful, with lots of point minerality. And quite a bit overpriced at $65. Incredibly "muscular" as they say. Hot too. Chocolatey.
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I agree with the other reviewers that this needs more time. Nice dark cherry and dark fruit flavors, and a very nice long finish -- but also tongue-coating tannins that need time to resolve.
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very very dark. powerful nose of blackberries, though comes across as hot. also dark fruits on palate and medium length. overall very powerful (too much?) and not enough finesse.
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nose - musty, earthy and per Brian rhubarb mouth - dark fruits but still very tight after several hours of decanting. Solid tannins. Clearly needs more time.
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Very dark purple color. Cherry, black berries on the nose. Heavy tannins, overwhelming day 1. Still closed on day 2 and 3 and it is clear this wine needs a few more years. Reminiscent of new world style but with less fruit, sugar and oak. A wine with good potential but it is too early for me to tell how good it will be eventually.
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Opened and served immediately. If drinking now it needs a minimum of an hour in the decanter in my opinion. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, florals and a mix of blue and black fruits. Flavors of currants, berries and black licorice. Medium to bright acidity, still fairly firm tannins, pretty full bodied as well. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold over the medium term, perhaps longer.
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Dark, as dark wine as I've ever seen. Very amazing and beautidul color that really stains your teeth. Purple paint blackberry aromas and flavors. Dark cherry, real licorice, rubarb, casis, root beer. with complexity that leads to nuances of chesnuts and cedar box. Outstanding texture and quality of fruit, with wonderful integration of all components in a great glass of inky, hearty juice.
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Seems like some VA showing on the nose. From the nose to the front palate, this wine has something dark about it. Through the middle, there is rich fruit with solid finishing acid and tannin. On this night, I was looking for the fruit to punch through the oak and tannin but it didn’t happen. Needs lots of time.
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Maduro, moderno como os grande espanhois, ótimo vinho. Elegante e concentrado. Boa/longa persistencia. Tinha uma tanicidade bem presente. Deve ficar 2 a 3 anos na adega.
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Spanish Gems from World Class Producers (Caveau): Purple black. Glycerin laced with spice notes and piercing nail varnish fumes. Rough plums provide good weight and mouthfeel ending with a light mandarin peel and spiciness. A bit too tannic with ruggard angularity in structure. This might prove to be greater in its later years. 81 + ???
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Spanish Gems from World Class Producers (Caveau, Singapore): Rating this one on potential - but I liked it enough to get a bottle. A deep, inky purple wine, this was almost painfully young and tight. The nose opened with acrylic, glycerin and varnish scents, layered onto sandlewood tones with hints of cloves and exotic spice. Thankfully, there was lots of underlying richness, in the form of sweet fruits and a meaty bass note. Enough to actually make the nose pretty pleasant in spite of the slightly iffy start. Very tough on the palate, almost overwhelmingly tannic - hard and woody and very firm and unyielding, almost angular at this point. There was quite a flush of heat in the attack as well. Yet for all that, there was the nice round acidity that is very reminiscent of the Vega Sicilia family of wines, and really good underlying fruit weight and sweetness which subtly filled the mouth at the edges of the huge structure. I detected plums, smoky, ashen fringes and a slight bitter-sweet linger at the finish which showed decent length and more of that ultra-dryness. This needs lots of time, but it should come really good when the wine tones down and the hard edges smoothen and integrate. This certainly needs food as well! I am thinking rare red meat, Spanish roasts, or preserved ham / sausages.
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Tasting Group Dinner - Spain (Solera, Minneapolis): Intense nose of raspberry liquor. On the palate this is unevolved, fiercely tannic, and slightly hot. Seems to have huge underlying structure. Way too young. Judgment reserved.
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nose of coconut and espresso.....the assault on this wine was too much for me at this point in the tasting.....Not Rated by me. whole room was 92-93 pts though.
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This wine is plain great. true, it is tannic and the tannin has quite a grip, but it is so full of flavor, concentration and depth that it over powered the 2004 Aalto.
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Opened 8am, tasted 8pm. Tannins overbearing - masking everything else. Surprisingly very little nose. Way too young - needs at least 3 years before I am even going to try another bottle. Underwhelming. Lets hope it improves.
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Very dark, blue red colour, dense. Lots of dark berries, chocolate, coffee and candied orange peel(!) on the nose. Rich flavour, lots of fruit and tannins, spicy, chocolate. Long glowing finish.
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Christmas Eve dinner. Decanted for 3 hours and never really fully blossomed. Prominently featured a satiny feel from some of the most fine-grained tannins I've ever experienced. Clearly in need of at least 3 more years of cellaring, I would expect it to be a 93+P wine when it grows into its frame.
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SECOND DAY -- slightly more evolved, but still loads of time to develop. Gave some to Joel, who loved it and guessed it was from Spain -- found the earthy/terroir taste to be amazing...
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Wow! This wine is absolutely massive. The nose is ripping with blueberries, tar, rubber, and a hint of pickles that eventually blew off. Unbelievable concentration with stunning,mouth-puckering, sweet tannins that are incredibly over the top. This wine could use a nap and appears to have plenty of lush, pure fruit to withstand its siesta. I need more!
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Better bottle than the last for me........wonderful purple hue......some salty, brambly fruits and killer mixture of old world and new. Gotta get a few to stash away.
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Had twice this week in Spain and I think it's a bit more mellow than previous vintages - maybe it will start to gain power in the next few years though. While enjoyable now, this has all the stuffing to possibly become a beauty. Med dark purple, nice body, some tannins, but not insane - hold for a couple of years.
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Similar nose to wine number 1 but more serious. This offers a hint of barnyard that was missing in the previous wine. Oak is fully integrated. This is fuller bodied and more tannic, with a dusty quality to the poliphenols. This wine opened up quite a bit towards the end. I was surprised that this was the Pintia. Previous vintages have been more rustic with more brutish tannin.
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Decantado por 2 horas.Violáceo escuro. Aromas intensos, elegantes e complexos trazendo tostado, frutos negros, resinoso, sálvia e leve maresia. Na boca sedoso, concentrado, com muita fruta, alta acidez, taninos finos e numerosos, grande complexidade e extrema elegância .Final de boca com alguma salinidade. Novo, tem muito potencial e estrutura para evoluir e acredito que se equipare ao 2001. Bem decantado já oferece grande prazer porem melhor esperar alguns anos para ter um retorno ainda melhor. Excepcional. 93+
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Mid Oct 2007: purple black ink; seductive and intense blackberry aromas/flavors in nose and mouth; sweet and lush on the palate.
Actually the wine was a bit too sweet and lush for me. But I see why it has “crowd pleaser” potential and that’s why it gets an excellent score. Not sure about the aging potential though.
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big rich tempranillo. Well balanced and would benefit from some aging. Actually better than the unicos which I have tried. Opened another bottle 11/10 and revised score down. Aftertaste still not balanced, but may come around with at least 3 years of aging. Still big.
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Couldn't resist the temptation and paid the price. This is nowhere ready to drink. The tannins overpower anything else this wine has to offer up today. My mouth hasn't been that dry since... well... never mind. I think there is ample reward for laying this puppy down a few years. The fruit is there, lots of structure, just needs time. I'll pick up a few more and stick them in the back of the cellar.
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Decantado por 1 hora. NM. Nariz potente mas elegante, frutos negros em destaque, tostado, leve nota mineral. Meio de boca com textura aveludada, amplo, boa acidez, concentração de fruta e complexidade. Taninos finos, numerosos e marcantes, madeira elegante porém não completamente integrada ainda. Bastante jovem, é todo estrutura e potencial, merecia um tempo de decantação maior. Remete por vezes ao 2003, porém mais fino e bem acabado. Melhor também que o 2002. Aproxima-se mais do espetacular 2001, porém é cedo para dizer se conseguirá superá-lo -- mas tem potencial para isso. Se agüentar esperar, deixe para abrir a partir de 2011. 93-94+pts. E.
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This was possibly the most spectactular red I had in the first half of 2007. I think this has to be one of the wines with most ageing potential in the entire 2004 Spanish vintage. It's got striking power and sharpness right from its blue-black colour through to its astonishing persistent and gripping finish. It takes a little while to open up, but after a time, displays splendid, port-like notes of figs, dates, crushed fruit, tar, wet stones, minerals, black pepper and cassis. The palate is a tremendous tsunami of tongue-searing tannins of ridiculous power. Curiously, in spite of this "monster" profile, Pintia is a wine of remarkably balanced structure and poise. The finish releases fantastic, perfumed waves of black and blue forest fruits. This is one of the great wines of the 2004 vintage in Spain - perhaps, in the world. It beats all the reds I had in the first six months of 2007, and I had some good ones. And here's the best bit: if there are any left, it costs less than £35 in the UK (about $60). (In Spain you can pay less than €30 or $40 for it).
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2/23/2024 - ricard Likes this wine: 95 Points
Another spontaneous opening of this modern classic. It has all the previously noted characteristics - a huge, deep, rich, chocolatey, figgy, treacly nose, with further aromas of plums, carob and port-like raisiny sensations. It's thick and quite voluptuous but not syrupy at all. Some smoky notes as well. My one complaint would be that at an astonishing two decades old I still see no obvious ageing. No change of colour, very little loss of power, perhaps softer tannins. But I want to see those new notes, the sweet spicy, mysterious fragrances you get with age. At 20 years I'd expect to see some of that, but Pintia is a kind of forever wine. So I'm going to whack on another 10 years to its longevity because right now it's going nowhere.
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1/11/2024 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Slow-O for 2 hours; cork broke, but was cleanly salvaged with an Ah-So. I've held this since release, and it's a full ten years on since I opened one. That episode was pretty unsatisfactory as perhaps I had high expectations. Well, time has been a good friend, as this is now elegant, and harmonious. The high-er (15,0%) alcohol is well integrated, as are the very find tannins. Some early tertiary notes have emerged, and the fineness of the ripe tannins are just lovely. No surprise that this begs for food, though I could see where some might prefer it on its own, too. More medium-bodied than anything at this point, so it's quite in my wheelhouse when I consider the whole package. If you've got a few, it's time to check on it, as there's a fair amount of beauty to be found. Easily recommended
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10/14/2023 - S.Hilmand wrote: 90 Points
Had to use the Durant since the Cork was nothing but smolder. Good fruit, still tannic. Nice but but not crazy so.
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10/13/2023 - honest bob wrote: 91 Points
From 75cl, mediocre brittle cork not befitting a wine from the Vega Sicilia stable—despite intensive care taken with my ah so, the end broke into little pieces, some stuck firmly to the neck as if with glue, others floating in the wine. Decanted 1 hour off slimy sediment, improved until final drop. Eucalyptus, menthol and other good, green herbal action on the nose; nicely restrained blackberry fruit on the entry; the mid-palate gently sweet, with serious tannic gain to the abraisively rough-tannic finish. Just edging into maturity at age 19, this rough customer has further potential for 5–10 years. 91P(?)
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2/24/2023 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
Stood out against a long list of Italian wines.
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1/4/2023 - bingsen Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wine seems in a top spot now. Fresh and lively with tertiary aromas evolving. Ripe plum and blackberry nose. Broad and slightly stoney feeling on the palate. Med-long intense finish. Excellent
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6/5/2022 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Remarkably fresh for a 15% monster. Drinking beautifully now.
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1/1/2022 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 91 Points
my last from a half case (over 12 years). these were always very good but it never reached the extraordinary for me. some scents of dark fruit, plum, but they are in a supporting role now... mature nose of earth, leather, some floral notes, alcohol as well. palate is still full, saturated, heavy. grippy tannins are still very pronounced. recommend a few hours of air and not to be served chilled. ...give the wine its best chance to soften and open up.
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5/18/2021 - Rodrigo-Belda wrote:
Still young, could easily wait 5 more years.
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3/14/2021 - miadelt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well done Toro but I was hoping and looking for more from this wine. Enjoyable but not memorable.
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12/29/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
I enjoyed this wine with chicken parmesan. good fruit but still a lot of unresolved tannin. drink or hold.
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11/29/2020 - dkwins Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much more lackluster than previous notes suggest. Still smooth but lacking character and richness. Would not wait longer to drink.
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11/13/2020 - #1 or #2? Likes this wine: 91 Points
have had several of these over the years. this beast is STILL monolithic, dense and chewy. plenty of tannin and structure still present. it's got life left in it but i'm not sure these characteristics will ever totally resolve themselves to the point where this wine will be easily approachable. recommend plenty of decant time and pairing with something creamy (pasta) or a weighty meat with starches on the side.
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8/8/2020 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 91 Points
I agree with my last note -- this wine deserves more time -- five more years. There are no signs of decay, and the oak and tannins are still strong. If you drink now, you get a brooding wine with Barolo-like tannins and noble but subdued aromas of leather, aged balsamic, and blueberries. There is some balsamic-vinegar-like acidity, but that is common in good Spanish tempranillo and much lighter than in a wine like R. Lopez de Heredia Rioja; I don't view it as a sign of imminent spoilage.
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8/3/2020 - JamF wrote:
Crimson. No orange hue. No sign of aging. Smell of dirty socks, sunshine after rain, misty forest. One hour of air. Taste of rasberries, red fruits explosions, very tannic. Tempranillo in its most concentrated form. Could be left in the cellar for another decade or so. Very powerful. Slight heat on the back end. Long finish.
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7/3/2020 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Bu au resto AVV le Comme chez soir de Sherbrooke.
Pas mal à point, tannins fondus, un peu d`épices et de
fruits, prunes et cerises avec une finale assez longue.
Rien n`accroche, le plus abouti et prêt des 3 rouges bus.
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6/20/2020 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 90 Points
I am not a big tempranillo fan but this was pretty good with barbecue ribs. Forest floor, tar and dark fruit. I have one more to drink.
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6/13/2020 - danibus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Less impressive than the last one. Tasting more modern---riper, oakier, more alcohol. Still the great fruit.
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6/8/2020 - mreidy wrote:
6/20 - definitely a modern style and a 15% alc. despite this it has a low ph and oddly some balance despite its valoptiousness. I drank half and corked it up without gas and popped it for round two it was still lively and secondary tar and Syrah like qualities. Serve it to some folks who like the big style
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6/2/2020 - Claret & CdP Gang Likes this wine:
Posting an old note drank in 2012, Dark purple, muted nose but opened up to lovely ripe black berries and licorice, full bodied, powerful, sweet, ripe, big wine at 15%
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5/31/2020 - herbaceous wrote: 91 Points
salty plum!
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5/12/2020 - chablis28 wrote: 85 Points
This wine will never be, my thing. Can't get past the noticeable and marring 15% alc that feels all of 15%. This bears little resemblance to real tempranillo expression and character. Drinks more like typical $10 CA Cab. Underwhelming! Thankfully my last btl bought long ago, on release when I had just started exploring Spanish wine. Love Lopez Heredia / hate this. Proof that your own palate trumps any critics opinions and score. If you love modern CDP from 2007, you'll love this too.
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4/25/2020 - herbaceous wrote: 93 Points
sour cherry. so balanced. big but not overwhelming. drinking perfectly.
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11/26/2019 - buckeye76 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Last tasted in 2011, still very deep in color. Big rich fruit in the nose and flavor. Black cherries, black raspberries, and a hint of floral in the nose. Black cherries, blackberries, and chocolate in the flavor. Nicely balanced and complex, medium to full bodied, and a long smooth finish. Drink over the next few years.
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11/5/2019 - GFischmann Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark fruit, balanced with hint of chocolate
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9/29/2019 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still tastes very concentrated and primary (albeit delicious now). I would give it more time.
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8/12/2019 - bonedoc wrote:
Last bottle drank well w no decant, grilled steak, fried oysters, good stuff.
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7/28/2019 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
This really is improving with age, seeming lighter on its feet and fresher than younger bottles with the fruit not quite as chocolatey and raisiny as before and moving towards cherries and plums. On this basis hold for a bit longer!
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7/1/2019 - MC wrote:
PNP and not under the best conditions to taste, but had this side by side the '05. This has continued to evolve and open, and so much like my last note this has improved from my early notes and is open and drinking well now, with plenty of oak and tannin still showing but there is also rich ripe fruit showing as well. This is a bit flabby compared to the more precise, and not yet ready for a PNP '05. You need to be ready for a big one, but if you are this is in a pretty good spot. Those who like the style might rate it higher. B+/A-
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2/14/2019 - jono9999 Likes this wine: 95 Points
“Nice” “smooth”
Still a tiny bit tannic
Tobacco and chocolate and juicy plum
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1/11/2019 - LARich Likes this wine: 94 Points
Amazing. Can last another 3-5 years.
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1/3/2019 - acheng wrote: 90 Points
Despite the age, still in the primary spectrum. Black fruit with espresso and oak. Very polished wine and need more age.
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12/31/2018 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 90 Points
Recent notes are on point. Vanilla, plums, blueberries, coffee, char. Certainly modern, but more sedate than more recent vintages of this wine. Not really my style, and a bit disjointed, but pleasurable.
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12/16/2018 - gresch Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicely developed near-cocoa tannins. No signs of overripeness. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for (a Toro that wasn't exaggerated). This is in a very good place now. Went well w/ some pieces of coulette steak.
Addendum - 2/10 - finishing off the coravined bottle (by itself, no food)... This has a nice black fruit/briary backbone. It reminds me of a CdPs that I've been enjoying lately. Lastly, this probably has at least another 5 years where it is now.
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12/8/2018 - st.rainer Likes this wine: 96 Points
Impeccable, fine and smooth integrated tannins. Earthy and structured with balanced fruit. Magical experience.
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11/10/2018 - dkwins Likes this wine: 93 Points
The cork broke and was too soft to extract surgically. I have had cork problems with prior bottles, but never this bad.
This created fear of a flawed bottle, but thankfully, the wine was still very good. I decanted as part of the salvage process, but the wine is not hot or full like others describe. It is thoroughly enjoyable, with hints of blackberry and subtle elegance.
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11/5/2018 - Lordswood wrote: 92 Points
Getting better and better - becoming fruitier and more balanced as time goes on. Lovely
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10/27/2018 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
4th Saturday Group: South America & Spain (M&LA's): Double blind. Opens with plummy dark fruit notes followed by blackberry and earth. Fairly plush on the palate- I rather like it. Black fruit and licorice qualities. Picks up a meaty quality and perhaps even a touch of asphalt too.
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10/14/2018 - Lordswood wrote: 91 Points
Possibly the best bottle to date, with more blueberry fruit around, the tannins gently providing substance and structure in the background. Once more it is difficult to pick the high alcohol as it blends seamlessly into the chocolate coffee finish. Double decanted from 75cl bottle and served c. 18C.
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7/22/2018 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 87 Points
Kleur: Robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Zeer beperkt bouquet. Vermoedelijk is deze fles 'over de top'. Smaak / Afdronk: Beperkte zuurgraad, opvallend stoer. Eerste indruk is een restant van tannines. Tweede indruk, minder positief, is die van een begin van geoxideerd zuur. Algemeen / potentieel: Te oud. Flesfout of tegenvaller? Dat beoordelen we bij de volgende proefnotitie! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 87/100
Google Translate:
Color: Ruby red Aroma / bouquet: Very limited bouquet. Presumably this bottle is 'over the top'. Taste / Finish: Limited acidity, remarkably tough. First impression is a remnant of tannins. Second impression, less positive, is that of a beginning of oxidized acid. General / potential: Too old. Bottle error or setback? We judge this with the next tasting note! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 9 + Taste / Finish: 15 + General / potential: 8 = 87/100
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6/30/2018 - willfab60 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful medium body enjoyed with wine geeks. No heat whatsoever and in a great place now.Opened up in bottle for 20 minutes . Thats all it needs. This is getting very hard to find . Getting 2 more to open in 6 mo. to a year. Awesome!
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6/23/2018 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, dry cork broke during extraction, the remaining half extracted with my ah-so, decanted one hour. Highly extracted, hot 15% alc. Toro, inexpressive and crabby-tannic. After 2 hours some blackberry fruit, but this bottle punches massively under its weight (and price class, ouch). My reference (and expectation) was Alion 2001/2003, but this bottle was just another overpriced and overhyped Toro. If tasted blind I'd have given 86-87P, but knowing this is made by the holy Vega Sicilia, sensing that it still has many years to run (and having dealt with the shoddy cork in this particular bottle) I'm giving a charity rating tonight: 88-89P.
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6/6/2018 - bonedoc wrote: 90 Points
Decanted and drank over 1 hour didn’t show as well w Korean bbq, fruit fading a bit, good acidity. Last bottle I’ll try w a less intense meal.
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5/27/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 95 Points
I've only once reviewed this wine here, but I've had maybe a dozen bottles of the 2004 over the years. I've only a couple left. Opened this one spontaneously with a friend. Still sensational. Very dark, no bricking whatsoever, and it's 14 years old. Port-like nose, raisiny, figgy. Incredible sensations - perfect acidity and softened tannins, holding together a wine of considerable complexity and hedonistic power. You've got spices such as vanilla and cassia bark, an irresistible minerality, a vivid freshness, not a hint of the huge alcohol (15%), and a voluptuous fleshy chewiness. Superb, one of Spain's great wines, for sure. Lots of sediment in this bottle.
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5/1/2018 - IndyTom wrote: 93 Points
Outstanding. Still quite young with lots of dark fruit. More modern than expected, but not too much so. 15 percent alcohol.
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3/3/2018 - Doc90 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind. Ripe nose, plums, grape candy, incense. Powerful fruit with hints of incense. Rigidly structured, plays well with food. Needs more time, but was pretty exciting tonight.
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3/3/2018 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Wow, the drinking window on CT suggests 2010-2018. My bottle may be an outlier, as it is not even remotely mature yet. Deep, rich, young, and tough. Enormous potential in this dense, tannic wine. Approachable now, but seriously gonna leave this in the cellar for at least 5 more years before trying it again.
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2/28/2018 - Ericsson wrote: 90 Points
High fill. Ouvert et bu. Grenat foncé sans traces d'évolution, encore beaucoup d'alcool, un peu monolithique, puissant mais avec un bel équilibre, tanins souples, longueur moyenne.
A boire dans les 5 ans.
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12/3/2017 - dkwins Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very smooth, fairly simple elegant, but works well.
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10/23/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Simply a delicious wine. Still plenty of fruit and good balance, not much secondaries. Will go another 5 yrs.
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10/3/2017 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Italian & Spanish wines tasting: excellent
at optimal drinking period
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9/27/2017 - mag.ehrnrooth@gmail.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent maturity! In a few words, very nice balance and elegance with different flavours, and a good evidence of maturity premium versus younger also very good variants of Pintia! Very good value!
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7/22/2017 - cubswinws Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smoky and earthy. Nice depth and still moderate tannins.
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7/21/2017 - olracx62 wrote: 94 Points
complex and monolitic tempranillo from Vega Sicilia with rich notes of underbrush, leather, roasted cofee, balsamic herbes, graphite and gently balanced oak. Outstanding. In a cold afternoon at La Thuile paired well with local seasoned cheese
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5/18/2017 - Baron Slick wrote: 93 Points
Inviting bottle age on the deep, decadent bouquet. Ripe, scorched aromas of cherries, mocha, pencil lead, tomato leaf, and mushrooms. Big but not heavy, this is smooth, savory, and earthy, with cherry and Asian spice flavors that gain depth, nuance, and complexity. Gentle tannin and a hint of tar infuse the long, almost astringent finish. Excellent.
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4/1/2017 - dkwins Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent wine. More smooth than the big powerhouse others describe. A favorite with great balance of dark fruit.
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3/30/2017 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured. This is certainly more open than my last note, but still very big and burly with both oak and tannin showing. But the rich, ripe, concentrated fruit is now a bit more open. This is drinkable now with a decant, but pair with a big steak. Should evolve more with time and the fruit seems it will hold up. A-
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3/18/2017 - danibus Likes this wine: 92 Points
Spice and dark berries. Silky but not sweet or overripe. Like a high class Bordeaux. Drinks above price point.
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2/28/2017 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Le vin n'a pas bougé depuis 1 année, belle couleur, nez sur les fruits noirs, bon équilibre en bouche, masculin, à boire dans les 5 ans car ne s'améliorera plus, selon moi.
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1/9/2017 - dkwins Likes this wine: 95 Points
Extremely smooth, outstanding finish.
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12/29/2016 - In2wines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Christmas 2016
Still a baby ... . very dark, very concentrated and you need to open this 2/3 hours, and enjoy with a huge steak or some pata negra.
Reminds me a lot of the 2009, it is not an easy drink but still very good, the tannin is in balance with the fruit, for me it is a keeper and you better drink the 02/03/05/08 before.
Drink 2018-2024
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12/17/2016 - jocelyng Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ripe, full bodied. Complex and long.
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12/14/2016 - Lordswood wrote: 90 Points
Quite a lifted nose of spice and blueberries. The palate is initially perfumed with a bit of orange peel before you become aware of the powdery tannins leading you into the Christmas spice box of plummy and strawberry fruit. I would still expect this to age and improve its balance, but enjoy it now - with roast lamb it worked really well. It also wears the 15% alcohol well.
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8/22/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 87 Points
Do I really still own one more of these??? Bummer! Bought this quite a while ago on release and this no longer reflects my palate. The producer has taken a great grape, tempranillo, and striped it of it typicity and character. If you love vanillia and oak spice, this, is your wine. There is a hint of submerged fruit. I've been avoiding opening this and it did not exceed expectations. I'm sure its someone's dream wine, just not mine. Others will score this much more highly. Throwing a fair amount of sediment. I double decanted about 3 hours prior to drinking and left the cork out. The nose actually is less oaky than the palate. Very dark ruby red color, thanks again, to the oak. Bummer, one more to get through! Might need to gift or donate. Good burger wine. Too heavy for chicken kabobs tonight.
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8/20/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Nose of blueberries, peper incense... Very delicious, bit of lactic, very sweet tannins, very concentrated, hint of too much...
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6/14/2016 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
drank all wines without decant, popped cork a few hours before drinking over 4 hours. all wines were purchased at release, and stored properly. all wines were in prime drinking window, without any evidence of fading.
'04 numanthia numanthia 96: clear winner with that deft balance of sweet ripe fruit, concentration, and acidity - just gorgeous.
'05 numanthia numanthia 92: less fruit than the '04, which made it seem more tannic although still quite good. same fruit profile.
'04 pintia 91: slight brett on nose, good palate of sweet ripe fruit, I'm sensitive to brett so this was #3 in this tasting but the palate was quite delicious. hopefully other bottles will be clean.
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5/2/2016 - StewartWent wrote: 90 Points
(Paul & Glenda's mini Pintia vertical)
Perhaps the most classic of the 3 vintages. Very dry, long savoury tannin, deep dry red fruits; a BDX doppelgänger for mine. Very classic and classy. Drinking well now.
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2/2/2016 - Ericsson wrote: 91 Points
Non carafé. Couleur toujours aussi foncée, brillante.
Le vin s'est assagi et je trouve qu'il est tout à fait bien construit malgré sa haute teneur en alcool. Le bois est présent mais il est bien intégré.
A boire dans les 5 ans.
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1/31/2016 - conviction buy Does not like this wine: 88 Points
Deep red, bt breathed 3 hrs. Heavy nose of coffee, cocoa and wood spice. Dark red fruit and sweet on palate, a little grippy and bitterness. Too much wood here.
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1/29/2016 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
91+, tannins solides, un peu rustiques, boisé bien présent, 3-4 ans de + devraient aider le tout à s'harmoniser. Un peu chaud quand même. 91+
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1/25/2016 - mkoss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Gave to a friend
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1/21/2016 - WildeMeeuw Likes this wine: 90 Points
Kleur: Diep robijnrood Aroma / bouquet: Donker bouquet, zwaar, tabak, teer en leer. Donker fruit, bramen en zwarte bessen. Vleugje gebrand hout. Smaak / Afdronk: Zachte zuurgraad, indrukwekkende dikte en vulling, prachtig gerijpte tannines met voldoende bite. Indrukwekkende lengte. Algemeen / potentieel: Indrukwekkende krachtpatser. Nu perfect op dronk maar toch ben ik benieuwd hoe deze wijn zich gaat ontwikkelen. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Smaak / Afdronk: 16 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 90/100
Google Translate
Look: Deep ruby red Aroma / bouquet: bouquet Dark, heavy, tobacco, tar and leather. Dark fruit, blackberries and black currants. Hint of burnt wood. Taste / Finish: Soft acidity, impressive thickness and padding, beautifully ripe tannins with plenty of bite. Impressive length. General / potential: Impressive powerhouse. Perfect for drinking now but I'm curious how this wine will develop. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 11 + Taste / Finish: 16 + General / potential: 8 = 90/100
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12/24/2015 - Winevestor Likes this wine: 91 Points
I liked this better than my last bottle but the environment was good. Coming back from NY in the back seat of a car with some good friends. This is what I like about the Toros - the rusticness, the bramble and the clarity. Built by Vega Sicilia this was a bigger wine than I was expecting, but also not as delineated as I was hoping. Still a great drink.
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12/23/2015 - sastewart wrote: 92 Points
PNP, could have benefited from decant. At first a bit of oak and acid but settled down nicely with earth and black fruits on the nose. Good minerality, great spice and dark fruit with medium plus body and a nice finish. Plenty of structure - still young 92+ points
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11/29/2015 - mkoss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very light, red berry fruits, light acidity and dusty but pronounced tannins. Long finish, very pleasing flavor profile. Very well balanced.
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11/21/2015 - aknot13 wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic !
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11/19/2015 - djdaqm wrote: 88 Points
I was really expecting more from this wine. It was fairly monolithic to me on both the nose and palate. Very little complexity or transition across the palate. Fairly high alcohol with decent acidity. Length drops off quickly.
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10/27/2015 - thebonnydooner wrote: 94 Points
Wow. What a fantastic wine. Very dark and ripe, but very well balanced with fine tannins and juicy acidity. There is lots going on - roasted meats, some smoke over the dark cherry and brambly fruit. Very deep and complex on both the nose and the palate. The finish is long and the length goes on and on. Actually good value for $40 or so. Will seek this out again.
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10/20/2015 - nortonnose wrote: 91 Points
Nearly identical to a year ago showing: Full bodied. Touch of oak. Still "no rush" but unclear if this will improve with further aging?
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10/19/2015 - effixen wrote:
Au fd à gche
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10/7/2015 - geppetto Likes this wine: 94 Points
Wow, was I blown away by this bottle. It showed way better than I had expected. Everything is singing in perfect unison. Talking about smooth integration. Nice light, but certainly there, tart cherry with some strawberry. A jump out of the glass bouquet to match. Smooth, well integrated tannins. Way better than I had expected.
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9/29/2015 - Ilkkaw wrote: 95 Points
My only bottle sadly. A great wine on its peak.
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9/12/2015 - BuzzzzOff wrote: flawed
The penultimate wine in our vertical, we were exceedingly excited to sip given the "experts'" high rating of the vintage. Sadly, the wine was CORKED. We mean mucho yucky-pooh, cannot smell any fruit or alcohol, musty cork smell that makes your nose pinch-up, your tummy turn and your heart sink. And so it goes...
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5/16/2015 - Miceri Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark red; masculine, pepper; tannic to begin with but softening over time, tar, drying ending
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4/23/2015 - pmarlo wrote: 93 Points
softish cork but kept it's integrity beautifully. Cork stained almost black. Still tannic and takes it's time to open up. A superb steak wine as it will cut through the fat and grease like a hot knife through butter, and soft butter at that. Deep dark color, and very smooth, and powerfully alcoholic, but you won't know it until you stand up to go to the bathroom. Very nice Toro offering. As smooth as it is a lot of interesting flavors. Recommended. Was surprised CT has this 2004 to 2025 but with these tannins still in circulation, can see it. Recommended and has a good 5 years of life left, if not more. Fruit did begin to emerge but it will take it's time. See why other drinkers are giving it a good decant and the 1 day rest might not be a bad thing. I say drink some on day one but save some for day two. Last glass had good chunk of sediment too.
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4/5/2015 - willthethrill Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nice wine. Elegant. Not a whole lot going on compared to other Toros of its kind. Needed a day to open up and fill out.
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2/19/2015 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
at Arnoldo's
the wine was decanted for one hour, then returned to bottle for an hour
dark red-purple color
almost no aroma during first hour of consumption. only two hours later the classic Pintia aroma started to show.
full-body, tannic, lots of black fruits, balanced acidity, harmonious, tannic aftertaste. Wine for meat.
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2/12/2015 - Periko wrote: 91 Points
PnP. Shut down on nose, this wine needs about 1-2 hours of areation and barely showed black fruit and chinese ink on nose. On palate it's still powerful, with plenty of tannins and acidity, black fruit and chocolate. Great with steak, hard to drink alone.
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12/26/2014 - Ilkkaw wrote: 90 Points
Not my favorite of the evening. Maybe a bad bottle?
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12/18/2014 - jkscully Likes this wine:
This needed about 3 hours to decant, but then drank very nicely. Bitter-in a pleasant way-coffee like tannins, lots of Balsamico funk (strong curry, almost too much), and sappy black fruit, followed by a vanilla/oaky finish. This wine drank well, but probably would have been better in a few more years.
On day 2, the funk had given way to a nice herbal/sage taste and the tannins had further integrated, creating a smooth, polished wine. More graphite flavors as well.
I liked this wine, but at $65, I would probably buy a Rioja instead of a Toro.
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11/25/2014 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 95 Points
Consumed over three evenings, nose of leather, cedar, touch of smoke and currants, more of the same on the palate, big body, mouth filling and mouth coating, delicious, at its best should last 7 years easy, lovely flavors on the finish and aftertaste.
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11/7/2014 - Pavan wrote: 92 Points
Dark and tannic
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11/6/2014 - Fito wrote: 90 Points
Although it has already 10 years, it still a baby. Tannins still very hard and still tastes alcoholic. Medium body and very dark color. We can wait easily 5 more years to taste it again.
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11/4/2014 - benny wrote: 95 Points
95 or more. Opened and drank over 2 hours. I wish I had more. Time to enjoy for sure.
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11/2/2014 - Grinner wrote: 88 Points
18th Annual Lyon 10 Year Retrospective (Lyon Down Inn): Didn't fit in well with bigger wines in this tasting. Medium bodied and elegant with red fruit and leather notes competing with the OAK -- only a few people in this group got splinters... 86 on day 2.
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10/26/2014 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Racion: This was showing very nice, with good complexity--rich black fruits--pure blackberry in the patch, sweet tangy blackberry puree, with light herbal notes, dusty herbs, very layered; mouth was rich, very tannic, evolved dark fruit notes, decent acidity and lift, long finish. This has very pure sweet fruit, complex, hefty, but nicely balanced. A bit over the top on the big sweet black fruit, but very appealing nonetheless. Should easily go another 5-10 years.
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9/20/2014 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Ruby, to run; dumb nose, latent power, opens out with time - morello cherries; fleshy, sumptuous fruit (verging on sweet), tannins pack a punch, full bodied; finish authoratively. Well proportioned. Now & next 5+ years. Splendid.
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9/8/2014 - nortonnose wrote: 92 Points
No formal TN. Full bodied. Touch of oak. No rush? Very enjoyable, and this bottle was better on Night One than Night Two
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9/4/2014 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Decanted for an hour. Drank over one more. Perfect to drink now.
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9/1/2014 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
Smoky but muted blue fruit, quite secondary and probably sliding. Drink by 2015.
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9/1/2014 - Winevestor wrote: 90 Points
I had high hopes having read some of the TNs. Good amount of fruit, dark cherry and bramble. Well integrated with fine tannins. Long finish. However it all tasted a little stewed to me.
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8/9/2014 - aknot13 wrote: 94 Points
WOW !! Open bottle at least 1 hour before drinking.
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7/23/2014 - Biglama Likes this wine: 91 Points
fraaie wijn, mooie diepgang, kan nog wel even mee
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6/5/2014 - hdlbklyn Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opening up and showing black fruit. Notes of spice. Moderate tannins now balanced. Big aromas after open for one hour.
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5/15/2014 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 91 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Lots of sweet blackberry and black cherry on the nose, with complex spice notes. Full bodied on the palate with lots of presence, some rustic tannin on the finish.
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4/26/2014 - guitarguy wrote: 88 Points
This stank like crap (literally) when opened. After an hour the sulfur blew of but the wine remained tight, tannic and drying. I think the fruit may be fading, I'd be tempted to drink in the next 12-24 months.
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4/26/2014 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decant this wine first. Opened cold from the cellar and gave it the cold stiff test.....tart fruit and focused. After an hour of air, a completely different wine. Dark and inky in color, violets and dark red fruit in the nose. Silky tannins. Lots of sediment, so handle your aged bottles carefully. EG #WineArchitect #89608
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4/12/2014 - PC73 wrote: 90 Points
Been almost a year since the last botttle, and again I should have waited longer. There is a hint more fruit that last time and a touch more sweetness, but I still think this will be much better in 3-5 years time.
Modern in style. A brute of a wine. Big and bold. Lots of wood and tannin. Core of dark fruit slowly starting to emerge.
Please hold off drinking if you can. I am going to wait at least another 12 months until the next bottle.
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4/10/2014 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant for 1 hour. She is finally showing her fruit! EG WineArchitect
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4/6/2014 - winepaw Likes this wine: 92 Points
With Spanish wine dinner - Tapas & Paella. Full bodied with layers of dark fruit, spice, mineral and earth. Balanced and ageworthy. Group preferred the 2004 Alion Ribera somewhat over the Pintia.
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3/9/2014 - Villon wrote: 88 Points
Nez weird et funky sur la pâte aux tomates et les chips au ketchup! La bouche est assez austère merci, avec une bonne acidité qui fait que le vin demeure frais malgré ses 15% d’alcool, mais le tout se termine sur une finale asséchante et rêche. Manque de fruit et de charme à ce stade, la comparaison avec la rusticité du Madiran tient la route. Devrait sans doute gagner en finesse avec le temps. 88+
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1/17/2014 - Nanda wrote: 93 Points
Inky dark purple. Full intense aromas of ripe black fruit, licorice, herbs, mocha and exotic spice - nose is akin to Alban or SQN grenache. Palate is full bodied with big, rich, delicious fruit. Blackberry, raspberry, exotic spice. Modern style to be sure - but balanced and well done.
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1/17/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Chicago Wine Flock..."Dennis Shares Spain" (Casa de la Mata - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in mostly Priorat 2004 flight. Clearly modern with good quality fruit, I was just distracted by the wine's almost ultra ripe character. Group liked this far more than I did tonight.
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1/12/2014 - MC wrote:
Popped and poured at room temperature. Still young, and not much evolved since the last time I had this. Still showing its wood and tannin, but there is plenty of fruit. Will try to come back to this tomorrow but either way will need to give the next one some air first. A-/?
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12/25/2013 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 94 Points
Opaque ruby color with nose of ripe, perfumed berries and mocha. The palate is rich, polished and youthful with velvety texture lined with refined mineral-laced tannins. Flavors of luscious ripe dark cherry, kirsch, espresso, vanilla and dark chocolate form the core. Finishes long with a slight grip and shows hints of tobacco and minerals. 94+ Pts.
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12/17/2013 - Lord Rodney wrote: 85 Points
overripe and oaked
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12/7/2013 - silton Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely bottle just entering what should be a long window of maturity, showing a combination of structured cherry fruit with well-integrated notes of tobacco, minerals, vanilla, and oregano. Cinched up after 3+ hours in the decanter, showing more tannic thereafter. Contrary to a previous poster, this wine is not fading, even if it is not to his tastes, and if you like tertiary notes I'd hold this another 3-8 years. A well balanced effort that is no longer brawny, but maybe not ready for a suckling pig just yet. Fine grained sediment requires a stand-up prior to decanting or a filter.
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12/5/2013 - guitarguy wrote:
Nose was floral and a bit alcoholic. Flavors are lean, blue fruit, stone and mild tannic bit. Some acid to keep it alive. Think this is peaked or sliding. Drink by 2014 or 2015.
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11/29/2013 - falp wrote: 93 Points
very pleasant surprise! Very good after one day as well
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8/24/2013 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Opened Friday morning, sampled and re-corked, served double-blind on Saturday night after 30 minutes in decanter. So glad I got to try this double-blind (one of two different entries on the night), as I didn't want to be influenced by the label/my wine. Deep garnet toward purple, no sign of age. Moments of brilliance on the nose and palate, but really nothing too memorable here, not now at least. Well lifted, but simple at times, this required quite a lot coaxing in the glass to get going. Yes, it did get better over the course of the 3 hour lamb dinner, but marginally at best. I had much higher hopes for this, but as it was, it finished #3 of 4 in the $50/bottle blind tier, slightly ahead of the 2004 Ch. St Jean Cinq Cepages - which is really not saying that much. 14,5% abv, held since release, cork like new, but met only my most minimal of expectations. Next bottle in 5-7 years, perhaps some tertiary development can salvage part of this investment.
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7/29/2013 - danibus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very good but tasted young, like is has barely evolved over the years. All the right material -- dark fruit, big tannins, acidity, oak, but could use even more time to soften and integrate. 90+
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7/29/2013 - thewineoceros wrote: 93 Points
Very classy nose. Black fruits, with a hint of exotic spice and a touch of oak. Felt energised and ready to explode. Full flavour, with solid structure that has plenty more to give i'm sure. Lovely mouthfeel, and very tasty. Elegant, but a touch of the beast lurking within. Still good qpr.
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7/20/2013 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Now this is gorgeous wine. More than outstanding it is very special.
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7/6/2013 - Mivvy wrote: 87 Points
Opened 1-2 hours before drinking. Dark colour. Dark fruit, sweet expansive nose. Ripe dark fruit, smooth, vanilla, very plush, grippy tannins on the finish.
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6/28/2013 - PC73 wrote: 90 Points
Alas I've come to the conclusion this needs much more time in the bottle.
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6/1/2013 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
As before. This is a big wine. Modern style. Definitely benefits from time in a decanter. Lots of fruit. Well structured. I would guess this will go for another 5+ years.
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5/17/2013 - Shiba wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for more than six hours but still tight, flat and acidic. Disappointing but may improve in a couple of years. Will try again next year.
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5/5/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: 93 Points
Insanely young and tightly wound up. Very dark red. Glimpses of riches in layers and concentration. High acids, fine grained TI-tannic and a good dollop of oak. Blinded, I'd never had said Tempranillo. I'd be lost somewhere in France because of the awesome structure and the superb restraint in effect in this fabulous wine.
Wish we had more, would love to have this again at a later stage and see if it comes out a butterfly (as I think) or a moth (as some others think).
At Ebisu restaurant (Tokyo). Wife 92p.
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5/3/2013 - Sir-Harrie wrote: 92 Points
Nach 6 Stunden dekantiert zeigt sich der Pintia nach wie vor als Kraftprotz, Dunkelrot, noch Tannine vorhanden und etwas kantig. Aber Klasse Stoff, der sich die nächsten Jahre weiter entwickeln wird. Tolles Früchtekompott mit Zigarre, Zedernholz, etwas Leder. Macht Lust auf mehr.
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4/7/2013 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain and Portugal (Rincon 38, Mpls, MN): Very dark purple red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. PNP. I didn't get many notes on this, but it was somewhat unimpressive given its pedigree. Very big, deeply concentrated with lots of oak, black fruits, more oak, licorice, grippy tannins. 89-90
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3/17/2013 - guitarguy wrote: 89 Points
Green underbrush and light berry nose. This wine seemed pretty fully mature, not much in the way of tannin with cola, berry and cracked pepper notes. Seemed a bit tired. Drink now.
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3/16/2013 - alion wrote: 90 Points
Still out of balance for me. Even with 3 hours air slightly closed dark fruit nose, some oak, clove, liquorice. On the palate, full, tannins almost resolved but very little fruit left - just dark, fleshy wine and heat from alcohol.
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3/13/2013 - Ericsson wrote: 90 Points
Dégustation GEEU (Patio): Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition. Non décanté. Couleur violet foncé, brillante, presque vibrante. Nez sur les fruits rouges et noirs, compotés. En bouche, de la vigueur, de l'alcool mais sans lourdeur. Gros potentiel.
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2/21/2013 - PC73 wrote: 90 Points
Consistent with prior notes
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2/17/2013 - PC73 wrote: 90 Points
Very deep and dark reddy purple in colour. Thick and rich.
Sweet tobacco on nose.
Needs a few hrs to open up.
Slightly dry fruit on palate. Cranberry? Blackcurrant.
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1/30/2013 - AlanM68 wrote: 92 Points
Has taken a long time to emerge from its darkly purple, harsh tannin stage. The tannins are still there, but softening. The colour is moving to a deep red. This is still early in its life and, whilst very enjoyable to drink now - particularly, i think, with some braised meat - there is plenty of life ahead.
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1/13/2013 - MQuentel@web.de Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good balance of dark fruits and Bourbon vanilla. Persistend, with a good structue and soft tannins, but a little bit high in (tart) alcohol. A very good, but not great Tinta de Toro (local clone of Tempranillo). A mainstream wine - tasty for everybody.
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12/7/2012 - brooksconsulting Likes this wine: 87 Points
Good, not great. A little thin and a bit tight
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12/4/2012 - mbalk Likes this wine: 94 Points
last taste was 2 yrs ago.. totally en pointe now. smooth tannins, dark black violet color, almost silky and thick at at the same time on my tongue. earthy wood aromas with coffee, pencil lead tones. really big and beautiful
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12/1/2012 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
A Couple of Birthdays for the Ladies (Il Mercato, Hallandale, FL): A big, ripe wine that maintains nice balance. Full bodied blackberry and plum fruit, medium acidity with a long finish. Drinking very well with some decanting.
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11/23/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 90 Points
Heavy and dark. This bottle seemed a bit closed and one dimensional.
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11/22/2012 - Harry Cantrell wrote: 92 Points
Deep garnet. Nose of Tar and bacon fat/roasted meat. The nose alone placed it in Cote Rotie. Taste was similar, but bigger than Northern Rhone. Good.
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11/13/2012 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant Medlar *, London, UK): Big (15%) but not heavy, lovely freshness and balance, wonderful ripe cherry fruit, just a hint of tar, good extract, grainy tannins, touch of mint on the finish.
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11/4/2012 - Chrisw97 wrote: 92 Points
No decanting. At first scorched earth, dark fruit, tar on the nose. Overall very pretty. After more time in the glass this waned off quickly and turned into a very red fruity, sangiovese-like nose. On the palate this is big, fruity, huge sweet tannins. This would have done better with some food.
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10/12/2012 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Purple and black fruits, chewy mouth-drying tannins. Maybe a decant would soften the tannins.
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10/10/2012 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Confraria - Espanha (Ene): Still close on the nose, graphite, oaky. Super long persistence. Still tannic, glicerine, excelent balance, great fruit. Long life ahead. Fantastic!
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9/20/2012 - Mr T wrote:
PNP for dinner with 2 other couples and initially liked the core flavor but the tannins are still gripping and their was a certain granular feel to them...for me that never really lifted but my buddy was more patient, or just got the last big pour from the bottle and he thought the wine had really opened and come around...there is a lot stuffed in here but it needs time or at least a good bit of air
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9/2/2012 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Good place right now. Decanted and drank over 2 hours. Outstanding.
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8/8/2012 - alittle wrote: 91 Points
Tasting on a Wednesday? Wine not?! (Dave's House): I can't recall whether this was decanted or not, but we were able to follow it in the glass for about 1.5 hours. Deep inky purple in the glass, offering up notes of dark fruits, intense florals, particularly lavendar, dark chocolate, coffee, earth and some mild coconut/vanilla notes from the oak. On the palate, not as much of a beast as I would have expected, with nice ripe fruit, silky tannin and moderate acidity. This seems to be in a bit of an awkward stage, in which the fruit intensity has faded a touch, the oak has not yet fully integrated, and the transition to tertiary notes is not yet in full swing. I think with a bit more time this will come together.
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8/7/2012 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
Weekday KW Tasting (Dave's House): On the nose: coconut, marshmallow, vanilla, but the American oak is really starting to integrate. Silky but notable tannin on the finish. 92 points with definite upside, should continue to age nicely. With time nose shifted more to more dark chocolate and coffee bean.
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6/27/2012 - olracx62 wrote: 95 Points
Deep opaque red. Rich and monolithic Tempranillo with a big opening taste of leather, liquorice, chocolate and oak. Powerful tannins fill the palate. Bold wine, like sand in your palate. Truly outstanding. PD
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6/27/2012 - jperez68 wrote: 94 Points
This is an excellent example of 100% tinto tempranillo. The slight fruity scent enhances the oak,must breathe for 45 to 1hour to soften tannins but has a wonderful long finish drank the whole bottle myself over a 3 hour period after spain beat france in the euro cup 2012.
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6/8/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very concentrated red color and an expressive and concentrated bouquet as well. On the palate also great concentration, good black fruits, beautiful oak, round tannin and perfect acidity. There still is a future of several years.
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5/23/2012 - Miceri wrote: 93 Points
Very dark red; powerful ripe nose of dark berries / blackcurrant; dense, thick, power, black pepper, sweetness, somewhat but not overly tannic; very nice (if you like powerful wines)
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5/20/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Really nice with big nose and great long finish of spice, tobacco and rich earthy undertones. Just a great wine with a long life ahead of it.
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5/19/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 92 Points
Decanted but did not aerate for very long. Strong fruity nose of dark berries. On the palate the wine is rich, nicely concentrated, and with more fruit, including blackberries and plum. Nice balance, with only mild oak to complement the fruit. I could have used more acid. Medium tannins. Starting to soften a bit, but has another 5 years left. Not a very complex wine at this point. I enjoyed this more than my previous tastings of the same wine.
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5/17/2012 - Vmdawson wrote: 91 Points
Nice color, tobacco highlights, good finish. Another reason why Spanish wines are undervalued.
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5/13/2012 - dsimmons Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had this wine at a tasting of tempranillo. Upon opening the wine was a tannic beast. An hour later the wine was approachable but improved over the course of the evening. My wotn but this wine certainly needs a long decant and/or more time in the cellar. I will be in no rush to pen the next one.
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5/10/2012 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Opened for 1 hour. Just right. This is an intense wine. Powerful aromas of coffee,dark berries and liqueur. Moderate tannins
now but still hard to escape. A long sweet finish.
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4/25/2012 - MayValley wrote: 93 Points
The aromatics were dominated by blue and black fruits, cloves and some eucalyptus.
On the the palate the wine is massive with loades of tannins, black and blue fruit, roasted flavours, again the eucalyptus/menthol tone, and spices. It's still a fairly young wine.
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3/31/2012 - shemmy wrote: 94 Points
Really good. Deep, fine dark fruit, black cherry, a little menthol. Delicious.
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3/30/2012 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 90 Points
Quite a nice and powerful smell and taste initially and for the first 30 minutes or so. Nose of dark fruit, leather, meat and earth. The taste is largely one-dimensional, loads of fruit and tannin and then at the end some mocha. Nice wine, certainly not the most complex, and judging by the tannin, needs more time. My last bottle of 12, overall my scores have ranged from 90 to 92 over the last year or so.
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3/15/2012 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
Vega-Sicilia evening (Regav @ Hall of Man restaurant): dark red color
developed fruity earthy aroma
full body, very tannic even 8 hours after uncorking, balanced acidity, good harmony. wine for lamb or entrecôte.
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2/25/2012 - ZorroCT wrote: 94 Points
An under rated wine. Great dark color and smooth body. Blackberry, cherry and slight vanilla. More going on here than the notes below led me to believe. The wife has a single test which made this wine the winner of the night -- "If it's good, it's gone." Was the first wine off the table...
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2/16/2012 - djdaqm wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about 30 mins before drinking. While this is a solid wine, I'm not quite as taken with it now as I have been in the past. It's a big wine, high in alcohol (15%) and high in concentration. The nose is not very open at the moment, but I got some beefiness and red fruits that made me guess it was a Brunello or Chianti at first. On the palate it comes across as fairly one-dimensional and a little hot. However, it's not overly oaked and the acid and tannins are there, which would lead me to believe it could improve with some more aging. It'll be interesting to taste in another year or two. The tempranillo didn't stand out for me, and for the price I wouldn't seek out the wine. Lots of sediment on the bottom of the bottle. A little coarse on the second day.
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2/10/2012 - cabber wrote: 89 Points
Dark ruby color, full bodied, moderate nose, firm tannins, seems to have lost some fruit, but after it opened up a bit I got more of the characteristic tempranillo nose and flavor. Drinking nicely now. Doubt it will improve from further aging. I'd suggest drinking soon because it seems to be on the decline.
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1/1/2012 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 90 Points
Crumbling cork and part oxidized but still held up - less powerful nose and taste with more subdued red fruit and oak.
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12/9/2011 - BBBH wrote: 89 Points
Dark, smooth, powerful. Not as much complexity as I'd hoped for.
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12/2/2011 - jinks wrote: 88 Points
Mandigo Spanish wines: seems muted at this time - maybe just needed more air.
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11/25/2011 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
at Arnoldo's
the wine was decanted for one hour, then returned to bottle for an hour
dark red-purple color
almost no aroma during first hour of consumption. only two hours later the classic Pintia aroma started to show.
full-body, tannic, lots of black fruits, balanced acidity, harmonious, tannic aftertaste. Wine for meat.
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11/21/2011 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
This wine has lost all of its tannin grip. More subtel than in its youth, it also lost some grip.
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10/21/2011 - Timbalimba wrote: 90 Points
Early days but I see hints of greatness at the horizon. Has a floral quality that I love--- deep, smoky violets. Leave 5 years.
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10/17/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple. Restrained nose, very balanced with fruit, oak, spice, and some coffee on the palate. Tannins more resolved than when I started drinking this a year ago but still youthful. Quite complex and very drinkable already 92+
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9/25/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Loads of complexity in the glass, brooding dark fruit, tannin, leather, spice, sweet fruit, oak.
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9/19/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Evolving nicely into a dark, but at this point smoother, Bordeaux lookalike. Less alcoholic burn and tannin this time, more dark fruit, oak, sweetness, spice, cinammon, leather and coffee. Popped and poured, opened up in glass fairly quickly but was at its best after about half an hour. After about 2 hours started fading a bit but the finish was still long.
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9/15/2011 - Periko wrote: 91 Points
Opened for 1 hour. Not decanted. Dark crimson color. Nose takes a bit to open, starts fruity, black pepper, more black liquorized fruit with air, although alcohol was a bit noticiable at the end. Powerful on palate, medium to full bodied, present and pleasant tannins, quite rounded, barely no hard edges, a lot of black fruit, spiceness, creamy. Medium finish. This bottle was full ready to drink.
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9/15/2011 - alion wrote: 90 Points
Spicy, dark fruit and vanilla from oak nose - wonderful after a little air. Almost like Valbuena. On the palate, a little dark damson / dark plum fruit but mainly hidden in concentrated vanilla and oak spice, tannin and overpowering alcohol. Slightly out of balance. Hints at something wonderful but not yet. 90
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8/12/2011 - olracx62 wrote: 96 Points
Superb rich and monolithic Tempranillo with a stunning opening taste of leather, liquorice, chocolate and oak and a very long end. Dark red glimpes and powerful tannins. Perfect bottle, could be drunk over a number of years. Probably my best bottle in 2011 YTD. Need to have at least one on your cellar.
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8/5/2011 - nvandyk wrote: 97 Points
Drank with Joe and Kathy at Baazar. This is a GREAT wine. Needed a good hour decant, but it was spectacular. Deep opaque red. Nose of leather, spice, chocolate and tobacco. Tannins are fully resolved, given the decant time. Very rich but not over the top. One of the best Spanish wines I have ever had. Gracias!
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8/2/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Much smoother this time. Decanted for about 30 min. Very dark red fruity aromas with more spice, fruit, oak, vanilla and a bit of earth taste. Velvety. If this was poured for me blind could easily be mistaken for a top Bordeaux blend.
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7/20/2011 - Frommen wrote: 89 Points
Dark fruit flavors, with a long aftertaste of sweet cherries and plums, slightly too sweet and a tad too alkoholic.
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7/8/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 90 Points
Very powerful, black fruity, alcoholic smell, initially vinegar but that went away. Again, loads of black fruit, wrapped in an overpowering, monolithic structure with a bit of pain grille for good measure. After about an hour some softness emerged with wood and spice tastes. Mouthfuls of tannin. Not quite as much alcoholic burn as some previous bottles, but you can still feel it. A bit of coffee at the end, on the finish which was decently long. My wife rated this a 90/91 and liked it a bit more than me (89), so the 90 is giving this the benefit of the doubt that this is still too early in its drinking window. This is a very fruit bomb type wine which doesn't quite appeal to me at this stage, maybe it will evolve so will keep my remaining bottles for a few years...
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6/27/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 90 Points
Very monolithic, dark purple. Restrained smell after a 1.5 hour decant, but even then the dark fruit came in wave after wave. Also: cassis, wood, cedar, cinammon, some tobacco. This wasn't quite as exciting as my last bottle, and after about 3-4 hours started to take on a rougher edge.
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6/26/2011 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted 3 hours ahead. Enough. Outstanding. Ready to drink.
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6/20/2011 - buckeye76 wrote: 95 Points
RICH DEEP FRUIT IN THE NOSE, BLACKBERRIES AND CHERRIES AND A FLAVOR TO MATCH. LONG FINISH.
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6/6/2011 - Neurowine1 wrote: 91 Points
As expected. Worked great w/ Mexican food given its huge new world style. A crowd pleaser (of course).
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6/5/2011 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
Deep and dark purple in colour.
Slightly savoury nose.
Very meaty palate.
Took 3+ hours to open up.
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5/27/2011 - wurzel68 wrote: 92 Points
Dunkles purpurrot; animierende, balsamische Nase mit Malz, Brombeere, Kirsche, Tabak, Eiche, Bitterschokolade und Garrigue; am Gaumen mit reichlich süßem, feinen Tannin, straffer Säure, vollem Körper, viel Frucht, Schoko, Tabak und Würze im langen Abgang, leichte Adstringenz; gut strukturiert trotz seiner 15 %! Braucht weiter Zeit
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5/22/2011 - Stone House Cellar wrote:
Big, full, fruity - just like it should be
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4/16/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote:
Unlike prior bottles, in a very awkward place. Mouthful of tannins, none of that burnt mocha nor sweet fruit even 2 hours. Bad bottle or closing up again?
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4/13/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 91 Points
Needed more time to open up this time around, but sweet fruit, dark fruit, oak, vanilla, mocha, coffee and oriental spice indicates this is a serious wine. Occasional alcohol burn on the finish the only real issue at this point.
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4/12/2011 - Fielding wrote: 89 Points
Decanted on hour, consumed over three. Dark purple in the glass, the color of the modern style. Nose of black fruits, with some dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Some lush dark fruit on the palate, but the fruit is overwhelmed by oak and especially tannin. This might integrate in several years, but I'm not inclined to find out.
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3/19/2011 - PC73 wrote: 91 Points
Wine of the night.
Decanted. Deep purple in colour.
Impressive nose.
Smoothe and well balanced.
Enjoyed too much to make proper notes! Luckily I have more.
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3/6/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Monstrous, dark purple colour. Took a while for the tannins to settle and at times a bit of alcoholic burn on the finish. Nose: fairly restrained black fruit and leather. Taste: black fruit, coffee, spice, leather, pain grille, then finish more like strawberry jam and vanilla. More vanilla as the bottle went by. Throwing a lot of sediment. Very outstanding and just about drinking well now after a quick decant.
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2/20/2011 - Dave Canada wrote: 90 Points
this was in an awkward place......none of the really nice complexity of prior bottles.
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1/9/2011 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple. Very tannic at first but opened quite nicely 1hr decant. First a lot of black fruit, oak, some vanilla almost tasted like a Shiraz or even a Left Bank (at very start, like Pontet). Black fruit, grilled/burnt toast, some vanilla then gradually mocha, coffee, and strawberry. Pretty long finish (20+ seconds). Outstanding now but will be better in a couple of years 91/92+ for now.
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12/22/2010 - mariolanza wrote: 92 Points
Very tannic on opening, decantered for 30 mins by the sommelier. Improved greatly in the glass, a stunning wine.
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11/28/2010 - Dougak wrote: 94 Points
Loved a bottle at dinner, decanted for two hours before. Big, dark wine..should last a long time. Well structured, fruity a hint of leather. Soft in the mouth and a wonderful finish, what more could you want?
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11/27/2010 - MC wrote:
Off a restuarant list, and decanted for an hour. This is still very young. It is concentrated, a lot of dark fruit, and still plenty of wood and tannin showing. It should be a very good wine when it settles down. Try again in 3-5 years. A-/?
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11/26/2010 - hcampana wrote: 93 Points
From 750ml. Its usual self. Bold, with brooding but ripe tannins. Massive, but flavorful and distinct. Not tasted blind.
De botella de 750ml. Como siempre, corpulento, con taninos brutales pero maduros. masivo, pero muy sabroso. No probado a ciegas.
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11/11/2010 - gbbwino wrote: 89 Points
Tannic, dry, oaky profile that subdued the fruit & anything else positive in this wine. Felt like I was licking a barrel stave on the finish. Had some nice earthy/leathery tones to it & the fruit that was there was dark & sweet. Suppose this will balance out in time.
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11/7/2010 - alion wrote:
No note because have a cold. Interesting but still v. tannic according to the group
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10/20/2010 - Lord of the Bottles wrote: 91 Points
I would tend to agree with some of the other reviewers, in that this is an overall excellent and complex wine, but certainly needs a few more years in the cellar. Day 1: Decanted for a couple of hours. Initial very tannic bouquet and palate settled down a bit, revealing black fruit, berries, and a hint of oak. At first glance, seemed like a Bordeaux, if a bit sappier. Then interesting things happened. Coffee on the palate, berries nearly gone. Very nice. Day 2: Less tannic, but still quite powerful. Berries came back. Smooth. This is already quite an extraordinary wine and in a few years I can see the score creeping up. Still, delicious today, had it with roast lamb and fit perfectly.
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10/10/2010 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
2004 Bodegas Pintia (Vega-Sicilia) Toro Pintia (Spanje, Castilla y León, Toro) Kleur: Diep donkerrood, zelfs nog wat paars Aroma / bouquet: Donker fruit, boordevol bramen en zwarte bessen. Krachtig en kruidig. Smaak / Afdronk: Robuust glas-met-ballen, boordevol power, voldoende friszuur, uitgesproken tannines. Algemeen / potentieel: Prachtig en krachtig glas. Wat mij betreft zijn de 95 WA-punten aan de royale kant, daarvoor mist deze wijn toch ècht de finesse en complexiteit. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 15 + Algemeen / potentieel: 7 = 89/100
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9/28/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 85 Points
Palate fatigue. Blueberry and menthol.
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9/28/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): the nose is really intoxicating. red and blue fruit, with earth. dense, mouth-puckering tannins, but the fruit is juicy and fresh. there's a creaminess to this wine that i really like. at this point, my palate was obviously a bit fatigued, but this wine still wooed me.
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8/1/2010 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Opened 2 hours ahead. This is very outstanding Toro. Was best at the end of the glass. So will decant more and/or give the wine more time in the bottle.
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7/2/2010 - jonloftur wrote: 90 Points
Drukkið ásamt Alion og El Vinculo. Stendur vel fyrir sínu og slær jafnvel Alion við.
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6/6/2010 - inkana wrote:
Decanted and re-bottled four hours before the tasting. Deep garnet. Nose was packed: blackberry, chocolate, cedar, and more dark fruit. The palate held firm, young tannins. Blackberry, cassis, cedar and a light herbal note accented with dark chocolate. Lengthy finish. Consensus was to wait another two to five years on this one.
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5/29/2010 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Saturated dary purple. Intense and well integrated. Well textured with nose of dark berries,spices and coffee. Finish is smooth and thick. Drinks well now after decant and venturi and sat for 2 hours.
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5/12/2010 - Capt M wrote: 90 Points
Dark garnet, but not as dark as the last time. Takes a good hour to unfold. All dark fruit, great length and structure, beautiful acidity. Nice dark fruit, like I said, and plums for days. Solid tannins.
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4/4/2010 - ScottGoodwin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still got a good deal of tannins here. Lots of black fruits. Dark and brooding but not a certain elegance hiding in there.
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4/4/2010 - Harrypotter wrote:
Aromatically (decanted 6 hours)- black sweet kirsch cherry, black ripe plum, and milk chocolate. Very good aromatic intensity. big density and flavor extract with flavors of minerality, olives, and tart currant. The wines density builds on the palate and has a lot of fine grain dusty tannin that needs to be resolved over time. Aromatics lead you to believe that it would be a much riper style of wine but there exist nice rusticity to the palate and lots of character. I think I lost a lot of the complelling aromatics in the first hours of this wines life as the first couple bottles I have consumed I did not decant and there was a large amount of graphite and meat in the aromatics which were not present this go around. The other bottles were better but this is a 93-94. This wine throws a tremendous amount of sediment for how young it is and for this reason I have found it best to gently decant but I think that it is best to decant .5 hour before consuming so not to lose out on the complex reductiveness that this wine can offer.
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3/17/2010 - Stirling wrote: 95 Points
Dark, inky colour. Nose of intense red and black fruits with spice and minerality. This is a huge wine on the palate, but in perfect balance; loads of fruit balanced by decent acidity and plenty of ripe tannin. Oak adds just a bit of creaminess. Herbal notes add complexity but do not come across as under-ripe (as is often my interpretation of herbaceous wines). In my estimation this wine has just begun to hit its stride and will improve for at least a decade and probably two. The wine has already developed tremendous complexity, both aromatically and in its taste. This is a sophisitcated wine; the expert touch of Vega Sicilia shows though in the wine-making. While drinking well now, patience will definitely be rewarded. When I re-visit this wine in a few years, I suspect will score will be elevated.
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12/9/2009 - Sterling Minor wrote: 90 Points
Good flavor, then a bitter finish.
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12/5/2009 - hcampana wrote: 94 Points
What a great wine this is. The nose is quintessential Tempranillo, offering blackberries and cigar ash. It is in the palate, though, where it explodes with layers of flavor, a pleasurable and very noticeable tannic grip and great legth. It lacks the monstrous physique of other highly touted Spanish wines (Numanthia, Moro single vineyards, etc.), but is a balanced, full bodied, delicious wine that still sells for an attractive price.
Qué gran vino es este! La nariz es la esencia de Tempranillo, ofreciendo moras negras y ceniza de habano. En boca, sin embargo, es donde impresiona de verdad, explotando con ola tras ola de sabor, una astringencia marcada pero madura y gran final. No tiene la musculatura monstruosa de otros vinos españoles modernos (como Numathia, Moro Sanchomartín, etc.), pero tiene balance, corpulencia y un hedonismo recatado que lo hace un gran vino.
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12/1/2009 - RPerro wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Day 1 was fairly closed at first, coming around after about 2-3 hours. Dark as night, and very glass/teeth/mouth/everything coating. Big flavors of black liquorice and dirty black cherry fruit, with lots of blackberry/cherry fruit with pepper on the tannic finish. Vac-u-Sealed and put away for tomorrow.
Day 2: Much more relaxed and lush. Fruit is still in-your-face big, and still mouthcoating, but more rounded now, with a sweeter flavor. Tannins are milder, although still kicking hard. I would hold this one another 3-5 years at least.
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10/17/2009 - cadamson wrote: 89 Points
Inky, very dark purple/violet. Very closed nose on opening. Floral hints, charcoal and a certain mustiness. Medium/full bodied, a bit light on the front palate but just explodes with dark fruit on the very tannic finish. Score is preliminary, need to see if this opens up some over the night and next day. Somewhat promising, but wondering if it is single dimensional ala fruit (as I do not get much else). Right now, like a buttoned up extrovert just waiting to break out. Update: Did open up some. but the tannins remain overwhelming. Will the fruit last long enough to eventually balance this wall of tannins? Check in five years.
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9/1/2009 - BunandFun wrote: 94 Points
Very yummy
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8/31/2009 - mikko t wrote: 92 Points
Stored about two years in a passive cellar, therefore maybe more developed than ideal. On the nose leather, earth, dark fruit, mineral: surprisingly traditional Spanish aromas. Quite supple on the palate with good acidity. Long earthy finish is savory with mouth-puckering but by no means harsh tannins. Overall feel of a natural and authentic wine. Quite fun to drink, expected this to be a bruiser. 15% alcohol doesn't show.
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8/21/2009 - tbone wrote:
Wonderfully deep and pure flavors. Great texture. Not sure why you would want to wait to drink this as this is the bomb!
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8/18/2009 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Inky/very dark purple crimson. Very concentrated. Well integrated with exqusit textures. Sweet tannins. Relax and sip this wine in your leather chair by the fire.
Popped the bottle and out came wonderful aromas of dark cherry, cassis, leather, toasted oak and licorice. Long finish ofmineral fading to mocha/chocolate. Drank over two hours...got better with time.
I will wait 6 months to try again.
Very good now but with time will get better I believe. No heat or sweetness. Very little sediment.
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8/15/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 94 Points
From memory......this was so laden with gorgeous roasted nuts, espresso, bluefruit and florals....blew me away....awesome!
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8/6/2009 - hcampana wrote: 94 Points
2001 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Syrah, 2001 Dead Arm, 2004 Callejo Crianza, 2004 Pintia & 2002 Baumard QDC (Monterrey, Mexico): Inky ruby color. What a powerful, unapolegetic wine this is. This is Earl Campbell rushing towards the scrimmage line, not Gale Sayers. Very full bodied, tannic, dense and flavorful, it offers a complete Tempranillo experience3 that ends with a complex nose of cigar ash. My WOTN.
Negro como la noche. Qué vino tan potente y sin fingimiento alguno de elegancia. Este es Earl Campbell corriendo hacia la línea de golpeo, no Gale Sayers. Corpulento, tánico, con mucho sabor, ofrece una experiencia de Tempranillo completa complicada con una atractiva nota de ceniza de puro. Mi vino favorito de la noche.
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7/29/2009 - Frommen wrote: 91 Points
Has gained character since last time, but still a bit too woody.
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7/15/2009 - balassis wrote: 93 Points
The wine is 100% Tinta de Toro, the superior local clone of Tempranillo, aged one year in new oak barrels (70% french and 30% american).
Exremely dark.
Very generous nose full of black cherries, berries, cedar, tobacco leaf, and oaky vanilla.
Full bodied with silky texture and sweet and well integrated tannins.
Very juicy and complex with flavors of black cherries, raisins, black pepper, dark chocolate, sun dried prunes, licorice and mushrooms.
The finish lasts over 40 sec!!!
Very good QPR.
To drink now or to keep for at least 10 years.
Good match with game or suckling lamb, but also excellent pairing with veal cooked with wild mushrooms.
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7/10/2009 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Beautiful and elegant bouquet with beautiful spices and herbs. On the palate pleasant sweetness balanced by good acidity and bitterness. The tannin is soft and still firm.. Beautiful now and for at least another 5 years.
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7/9/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Some rasination and a touch stewy right now. Is it falling apart? Certainly not in terms of tannin load. Massive tanin. Muscular, powerful, with lots of point minerality. And quite a bit overpriced at $65. Incredibly "muscular" as they say. Hot too. Chocolatey.
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5/31/2009 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
I agree with the other reviewers that this needs more time. Nice dark cherry and dark fruit flavors, and a very nice long finish -- but also tongue-coating tannins that need time to resolve.
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5/23/2009 - il_diavolo wrote: 89 Points
very very dark. powerful nose of blackberries, though comes across as hot. also dark fruits on palate and medium length. overall very powerful (too much?) and not enough finesse.
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5/5/2009 - the drops of god wrote: 90 Points
Strawberry rubharb, tomatoes, inky tannic wine. started to drink well arter 6 + hours of decanting. became really silky the next day.
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3/26/2009 - azahoner wrote: 90 Points
Big wine
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3/22/2009 - Miceri wrote:
Black red; nose of sweet vanilla (and blackberry?); very tannic (store); behing the tannin lots of powerfulness is hiding
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2/26/2009 - soyhead wrote: 88 Points
nose - musty, earthy and per Brian rhubarb
mouth - dark fruits but still very tight after several hours of decanting. Solid tannins. Clearly needs more time.
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2/4/2009 - MightyMike wrote: 90 Points
Very dark purple color. Cherry, black berries on the nose. Heavy tannins, overwhelming day 1. Still closed on day 2 and 3 and it is clear this wine needs a few more years. Reminiscent of new world style but with less fruit, sugar and oak. A wine with good potential but it is too early for me to tell how good it will be eventually.
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1/31/2009 - CarTer wrote: 92 Points
Tomamos no Figueira MMR e GNC em 29 de janeiro de 2009.
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1/21/2009 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
Dallas offline with Hollowine (Mirabelle in Dallas, TX): WIML92+?
Tasted January 21, 2009 at an offline.
Opened and served immediately. If drinking now it needs a minimum of an hour in the decanter in my opinion. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of melted black licorice, florals and a mix of blue and black fruits. Flavors of currants, berries and black licorice. Medium to bright acidity, still fairly firm tannins, pretty full bodied as well. Drink now with a decant or continue to hold over the medium term, perhaps longer.
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1/12/2009 - Capt M wrote: 91 Points
Dark, as dark wine as I've ever seen. Very amazing and beautidul color that really stains your teeth. Purple paint blackberry aromas and flavors. Dark cherry, real licorice, rubarb, casis, root beer. with complexity that leads to nuances of chesnuts and cedar box. Outstanding texture and quality of fruit, with wonderful integration of all components in a great glass of inky, hearty juice.
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1/1/2009 - slawa wrote: 92 Points
intense, dark, still quite a lot of tannins. full body, a lot of power. long. very good
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11/10/2008 - Frommen wrote: 90 Points
Dark and very bitter cherry fruit, licorice and wood dominates the palate. Will be very interesting to follow up in 4-5 years.
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10/15/2008 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Lovely blue and black fruit and intense, intense grip. Some of the classical roasted fruit. I have always thought the power was just a bit too much.
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9/17/2008 - jasonh wrote: 90 Points
Seems like some VA showing on the nose. From the nose to the front palate, this wine has something dark about it. Through the middle, there is rich fruit with solid finishing acid and tannin. On this night, I was looking for the fruit to punch through the oak and tannin but it didn’t happen. Needs lots of time.
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9/15/2008 - Marcyrillo Likes this wine: 91 Points
Maduro, moderno como os grande espanhois, ótimo vinho. Elegante e concentrado. Boa/longa persistencia. Tinha uma tanicidade bem presente. Deve ficar 2 a 3 anos na adega.
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8/25/2008 - Alex H wrote: 81 Points
Spanish Gems from World Class Producers (Caveau): Purple black. Glycerin laced with spice notes and piercing nail varnish fumes. Rough plums provide good weight and mouthfeel ending with a light mandarin peel and spiciness. A bit too tannic with ruggard angularity in structure. This might prove to be greater in its later years. 81 + ???
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8/16/2008 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Spanish Gems from World Class Producers (Caveau, Singapore): Rating this one on potential - but I liked it enough to get a bottle. A deep, inky purple wine, this was almost painfully young and tight. The nose opened with acrylic, glycerin and varnish scents, layered onto sandlewood tones with hints of cloves and exotic spice. Thankfully, there was lots of underlying richness, in the form of sweet fruits and a meaty bass note. Enough to actually make the nose pretty pleasant in spite of the slightly iffy start. Very tough on the palate, almost overwhelmingly tannic - hard and woody and very firm and unyielding, almost angular at this point. There was quite a flush of heat in the attack as well. Yet for all that, there was the nice round acidity that is very reminiscent of the Vega Sicilia family of wines, and really good underlying fruit weight and sweetness which subtly filled the mouth at the edges of the huge structure. I detected plums, smoky, ashen fringes and a slight bitter-sweet linger at the finish which showed decent length and more of that ultra-dryness. This needs lots of time, but it should come really good when the wine tones down and the hard edges smoothen and integrate. This certainly needs food as well! I am thinking rare red meat, Spanish roasts, or preserved ham / sausages.
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8/4/2008 - MichelBesner wrote: 86 Points
Maybe to young to open. Nice wine but nothing exceptional. Two bottles.
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6/22/2008 - Siggy wrote:
Tasting Group Dinner - Spain (Solera, Minneapolis): Intense nose of raspberry liquor. On the palate this is unevolved, fiercely tannic, and slightly hot. Seems to have huge underlying structure. Way too young. Judgment reserved.
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6/14/2008 - Schemer wrote: 88 Points
lots of tannin. Woody. Not an intense nose. Too young I think. Didn't personally think its worth the price.
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3/16/2008 - LPskeleton wrote:
nose of coconut and espresso.....the assault on this wine was too much for me at this point in the tasting.....Not Rated by me. whole room was 92-93 pts though.
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3/10/2008 - hcampana wrote: 95 Points
This wine is plain great. true, it is tannic and the tannin has quite a grip, but it is so full of flavor, concentration and depth that it over powered the 2004 Aalto.
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2/11/2008 - TimEarnshaw wrote:
Opened 8am, tasted 8pm. Tannins overbearing - masking everything else. Surprisingly very little nose. Way too young - needs at least 3 years before I am even going to try another bottle. Underwhelming. Lets hope it improves.
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1/27/2008 - SimonK wrote: 91 Points
Pretty woody but with more that enough red beries coming through. Still way to young but much potential
a bit lighter than the Numanthia
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1/25/2008 - Vilse wrote: 93 Points
Very dark, blue red colour, dense. Lots of dark berries, chocolate, coffee and candied orange peel(!) on the nose. Rich flavour, lots of fruit and tannins, spicy, chocolate. Long glowing finish.
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12/24/2007 - otisabdul wrote: 91 Points
Christmas Eve dinner. Decanted for 3 hours and never really fully blossomed. Prominently featured a satiny feel from some of the most fine-grained tannins I've ever experienced. Clearly in need of at least 3 more years of cellaring, I would expect it to be a 93+P wine when it grows into its frame.
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11/30/2007 - ambivalent wrote: 94 Points
SECOND DAY -- slightly more evolved, but still loads of time to develop. Gave some to Joel, who loved it and guessed it was from Spain -- found
the earthy/terroir taste to be amazing...
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11/21/2007 - PontetCanet wrote: 94 Points
Wow! This wine is absolutely massive. The nose is ripping with blueberries, tar, rubber, and a hint of pickles that eventually blew off. Unbelievable concentration with stunning,mouth-puckering, sweet tannins that are incredibly over the top. This wine could use a nap and appears to have plenty of lush, pure fruit to withstand its siesta. I need more!
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11/12/2007 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 91 Points
Better bottle than the last for me........wonderful purple hue......some salty, brambly fruits and killer mixture of old world and new. Gotta get a few to stash away.
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11/11/2007 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 90 Points
Had twice this week in Spain and I think it's a bit more mellow than previous vintages - maybe it will start to gain power in the next few years though. While enjoyable now, this has all the stuffing to possibly become a beauty. Med dark purple, nice body, some tannins, but not insane - hold for a couple of years.
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11/3/2007 - hcampana wrote: 91 Points
2004 Ribera del Duero Horizontal Tasting (Monterrey, Mexico): Had at Pangea during 2004 Ribera del Duero tasting
RED WINE 2
Similar nose to wine number 1 but more serious. This offers a hint of barnyard that was missing in the previous wine. Oak is fully integrated. This is fuller bodied and more tannic, with a dusty quality to the poliphenols. This wine opened up quite a bit towards the end. I was surprised that this was the Pintia. Previous vintages have been more rustic with more brutish tannin.
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11/1/2007 - losvinhos wrote: 93 Points
Decantado por 2 horas.Violáceo escuro. Aromas intensos, elegantes e complexos trazendo tostado, frutos negros, resinoso, sálvia e leve maresia. Na boca sedoso, concentrado, com muita fruta, alta acidez, taninos finos e numerosos, grande complexidade e extrema elegância .Final de boca com alguma salinidade. Novo, tem muito potencial e estrutura para evoluir e acredito que se equipare ao 2001. Bem decantado já oferece grande prazer porem melhor esperar alguns anos para ter um retorno ainda melhor. Excepcional. 93+
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10/12/2007 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Mid Oct 2007: purple black ink; seductive and intense blackberry aromas/flavors in nose and mouth; sweet and lush on the palate.
Actually the wine was a bit too sweet and lush for me. But I see why it has “crowd pleaser” potential and that’s why it gets an excellent score. Not sure about the aging potential though.
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10/6/2007 - plhew wrote: 91 Points
big rich tempranillo. Well balanced and would benefit from some aging. Actually better than the unicos which I have tried. Opened another bottle 11/10 and revised score down. Aftertaste still not balanced, but may come around with at least 3 years of aging. Still big.
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9/15/2007 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Wine X: Blkberry frt but less forward nose; coating t’s, earthy mth w/subtle fruit. Grt. bal. 1 yr. 70% french, 30% American oak. Vega Sicilia owned
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9/12/2007 - gr8r84u wrote:
Couldn't resist the temptation and paid the price. This is nowhere ready to drink. The tannins overpower anything else this wine has to offer up today. My mouth hasn't been that dry since... well... never mind. I think there is ample reward for laying this puppy down a few years. The fruit is there, lots of structure, just needs time. I'll pick up a few more and stick them in the back of the cellar.
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9/7/2007 - Vinho wrote: 93 Points
Decantado por 1 hora. NM. Nariz potente mas elegante, frutos negros em destaque, tostado, leve nota mineral. Meio de boca com textura aveludada, amplo, boa acidez, concentração de fruta e complexidade. Taninos finos, numerosos e marcantes, madeira elegante porém não completamente integrada ainda. Bastante jovem, é todo estrutura e potencial, merecia um tempo de decantação maior. Remete por vezes ao 2003, porém mais fino e bem acabado. Melhor também que o 2002. Aproxima-se mais do espetacular 2001, porém é cedo para dizer se conseguirá superá-lo -- mas tem potencial para isso. Se agüentar esperar, deixe para abrir a partir de 2011. 93-94+pts. E.
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7/12/2007 - ricard Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was possibly the most spectactular red I had in the first half of 2007. I think this has to be one of the wines with most ageing potential in the entire 2004 Spanish vintage. It's got striking power and sharpness right from its blue-black colour through to its astonishing persistent and gripping finish. It takes a little while to open up, but after a time, displays splendid, port-like notes of figs, dates, crushed fruit, tar, wet stones, minerals, black pepper and cassis. The palate is a tremendous tsunami of tongue-searing tannins of ridiculous power. Curiously, in spite of this "monster" profile, Pintia is a wine of remarkably balanced structure and poise. The finish releases fantastic, perfumed waves of black and blue forest fruits. This is one of the great wines of the 2004 vintage in Spain - perhaps, in the world. It beats all the reds I had in the first six months of 2007, and I had some good ones. And here's the best bit: if there are any left, it costs less than £35 in the UK (about $60). (In Spain you can pay less than €30 or $40 for it).
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