Nose: Floral, shrubs, ripe smashed berries Taste: chalky tannins, good acidity, light - probably low abv, preserved orange peel, iodine, some earthy or even slightly rubbery bitterness, you could convince me it's walnut. This is at a good spot right now for my tastes. It's my one and only bottle, and while I have no regrets drinking this now, I wish I had another to hang onto and revisit 10-15 years from now...for giggles.
Overall, this is a very good wine if you like aged wines, and the value is very good for the 30 bones I paid. It's not complex, but also not dirt simple. If this is still $30 now, it's an excellent everyday Rioja Gran Reserva.
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No formal notes. However, improved from a few months ago - 2 hours of breathing definitely helps. Great fruit, good integrated oak. Now or for several more years.
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Showing well right now, with notes of black cherry, black currant, milk chocolate, and tobacco commingling throughout. There's a healthy dose of oak too that straddles the line but never quite takes over. Surprising freshness, with welcome acidity. This is solid.
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15 minute decant - minor sediment. Lots of sweet oak more similar to American than French. Leather, smoke, earth and currants on the nose. Medium bodied with some ripeness and lots of red fruits, perhaps some bitter cherries and tobacco on the finish that also features a twang of acid. Probably either needs a couple hours of decant, or another year or two in the cellar for peak pleasure.
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Chalk it up to bottle variation, but this one isn't nearly as good as a bottle I had a few months ago. This had notes of blackberry and tobacco, but very high acidity made it a bit off-balance.
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90m air. Deep garnet color. Note of blackcurrant, plum, crushed gravel, cedar, mushroom and white pepper. Medium-full bodied, with a silky texture. Mature and supple, flavors of blackcurrant and red fruit dominate, with a hint of anise in the finish. Chalky tannins provide ample structure. A little thin on the palate to me, but still a very good Gran Reserva, especially for the price!
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Tasty and enjoyable Gran Reserva Rioja. 92% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo. Blackberry, cherry, blueberry, fig, cedar, dill, baking spice. Seems to be just inside it's ideal drinking window.
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@ the Wedgewood with Randy Medium burgundy in color. Medium bodied.. Earthy, tobacco, some charcuterie, some wood hints Super dry, tannin is there, acidity is present. Longish finish. Really good wine. Give it air and drink cellar temperature.
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On the nose lots of ripe and lively raspberry and red fruit (more cherry than plum) with a little bit of fresh brown leather.
Palate was a little bit disjointed for me. More of the same from the nose, with compliments of dried tobacco leaves and cherry bonbon flavours. Really found the acidity was a bit high and not enough tertiary flavours coming through leaving me left a bit wanting. Not sure if this will age any more and start improving again but I'd probably just drink up now with a more acidic food dish to balance it out.
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Grapes: 92% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 4% Graciano Color: No notes taken. Nose: Somewhat closed; oak, cherry. Palate: Full bodied; some oak, sour cherry, a bit of lingonberry; medium/medium+ tannins; medium finish; stays somewhat closed and does not come together very well; ultimately disappointing at this stage. PQR: OK (~23€). Readiness to drink: Drinkable; might improve upon further cellaring, but I'm not going to hold my breath. Other notes: No formal notes taken; 3-4 hour decant; 14,5% ABV.
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Deep red. The nose opens with dark plum, blood, clove, and black cherry. There is a clear mahogany oak character as well but it sits behind the ripe fruit aromas, and just a touch of the glue character I associate more with American oak and in Rioja with La Rioja Alta but it doesn't detract. The palate is quite youthful, with plenty of blue and dark fruits and relatively gentle, fleshy tannins. The finish is long and lingering. Excellent wine and another example of the terrific value on offer in Rioja.
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Tasted as part of the Matías Calleja Gran Reserva Vertical Masterclass at Gonzalez Byass Portfolio 2020.
Aged in French oak as opposed to the regular Rioja American, to provide the consumer with a more fruit-forward wine with less obvious wood and vanilla.
Dense and full bodied with tannins were still grippy and high with big flavours of dark fruits, spices and herbs with plenty of structure and power to go the distance. I'd hold this one for another 5+ years especially considering that the same tasting the 1982 and 1973 were drinking beautifully!
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5/10/2024 - YackAttack213 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nose: Floral, shrubs, ripe smashed berries
Taste: chalky tannins, good acidity, light - probably low abv, preserved orange peel, iodine, some earthy or even slightly rubbery bitterness, you could convince me it's walnut. This is at a good spot right now for my tastes. It's my one and only bottle, and while I have no regrets drinking this now, I wish I had another to hang onto and revisit 10-15 years from now...for giggles.
Overall, this is a very good wine if you like aged wines, and the value is very good for the 30 bones I paid. It's not complex, but also not dirt simple. If this is still $30 now, it's an excellent everyday Rioja Gran Reserva.
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5/1/2024 - Mckalm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Mörkröd, orangeton, mörka bär, mkt tanniner, bärighet, choklad, tobak,
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3/5/2024 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 90 Points
No formal notes. However, improved from a few months ago - 2 hours of breathing definitely helps. Great fruit, good integrated oak. Now or for several more years.
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3/3/2024 - ziavino wrote: 91 Points
Showing well right now, with notes of black cherry, black currant, milk chocolate, and tobacco commingling throughout. There's a healthy dose of oak too that straddles the line but never quite takes over. Surprising freshness, with welcome acidity. This is solid.
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4/7/2023 - pdadams66 wrote: 86 Points
Good Rioja, but a little muddled on the nose and in the mouth. Odd stage or bad bottle? Not clear.
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2/18/2023 - wetlandwino wrote: 91 Points
Beautifully drinkable rioja. Medium body, fine tannins, integrated acidity.
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2/9/2023 - BHRH Likes this wine: 90 Points
15 minute decant - minor sediment. Lots of sweet oak more similar to American than French. Leather, smoke, earth and currants on the nose. Medium bodied with some ripeness and lots of red fruits, perhaps some bitter cherries and tobacco on the finish that also features a twang of acid. Probably either needs a couple hours of decant, or another year or two in the cellar for peak pleasure.
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1/2/2023 - Wallgranger wrote:
TJ’O…
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5/20/2022 - Wineapprentice Likes this wine: 91 Points
A huge value - full flavored, well balanced wine with soft tannins and good pedigree.
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4/29/2022 - Rond Likes this wine: 91 Points
Notes of cedar, tobacco, fig, and just a bit of cherry. A bit austere at first, but much rounder after an hour of air.
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4/3/2022 - Rond wrote: 89 Points
Chalk it up to bottle variation, but this one isn't nearly as good as a bottle I had a few months ago. This had notes of blackberry and tobacco, but very high acidity made it a bit off-balance.
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3/5/2022 - daveyk39 wrote: 91 Points
90m air. Deep garnet color. Note of blackcurrant, plum, crushed gravel, cedar, mushroom and white pepper. Medium-full bodied, with a silky texture. Mature and supple, flavors of blackcurrant and red fruit dominate, with a hint of anise in the finish. Chalky tannins provide ample structure. A little thin on the palate to me, but still a very good Gran Reserva, especially for the price!
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1/20/2022 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasty and enjoyable Gran Reserva Rioja. 92% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano, 2% Mazuelo. Blackberry, cherry, blueberry, fig, cedar, dill, baking spice. Seems to be just inside it's ideal drinking window.
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12/14/2021 - Genghis88 Likes this wine: 90 Points
@ the Wedgewood with Randy
Medium burgundy in color. Medium bodied..
Earthy, tobacco, some charcuterie, some wood hints
Super dry, tannin is there, acidity is present. Longish finish.
Really good wine. Give it air and drink cellar temperature.
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12/5/2021 - Rond Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby. Smokey, spicey, cedar notes. Moderate acidity. Very nice.
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8/9/2021 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very good Rioja GR. Drinking okay now, but will improve over the next 5+ years.
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3/19/2021 - larms wrote: 87 Points
Last of 3 bottles of this 2011 vintage I had.
On the nose lots of ripe and lively raspberry and red fruit (more cherry than plum) with a little bit of fresh brown leather.
Palate was a little bit disjointed for me. More of the same from the nose, with compliments of dried tobacco leaves and cherry bonbon flavours. Really found the acidity was a bit high and not enough tertiary flavours coming through leaving me left a bit wanting. Not sure if this will age any more and start improving again but I'd probably just drink up now with a more acidic food dish to balance it out.
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11/14/2020 - Spitburgunder wrote: 83 Points
Grapes: 92% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 4% Graciano
Color: No notes taken.
Nose: Somewhat closed; oak, cherry.
Palate: Full bodied; some oak, sour cherry, a bit of lingonberry; medium/medium+ tannins; medium finish; stays somewhat closed and does not come together very well; ultimately disappointing at this stage.
PQR: OK (~23€).
Readiness to drink: Drinkable; might improve upon further cellaring, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Other notes: No formal notes taken; 3-4 hour decant; 14,5% ABV.
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11/7/2020 - Spitburgunder wrote: 82 Points
Drank with: Sautéed reindeer, smashed potatos, raw lingonberries mashed with sugar.
Other notes: No notes taken; 1,5 hour decant.
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5/14/2020 - sjw_11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep red. The nose opens with dark plum, blood, clove, and black cherry. There is a clear mahogany oak character as well but it sits behind the ripe fruit aromas, and just a touch of the glue character I associate more with American oak and in Rioja with La Rioja Alta but it doesn't detract. The palate is quite youthful, with plenty of blue and dark fruits and relatively gentle, fleshy tannins. The finish is long and lingering. Excellent wine and another example of the terrific value on offer in Rioja.
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2/18/2020 - Tom Prior-Grice Likes this wine:
Tasted as part of the Matías Calleja Gran Reserva Vertical Masterclass at Gonzalez Byass Portfolio 2020.
Aged in French oak as opposed to the regular Rioja American, to provide the consumer with a more fruit-forward wine with less obvious wood and vanilla.
Dense and full bodied with tannins were still grippy and high with big flavours of dark fruits, spices and herbs with plenty of structure and power to go the distance. I'd hold this one for another 5+ years especially considering that the same tasting the 1982 and 1973 were drinking beautifully!
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