The wine of the night in a strong line-up. Good fill level into neck, cork in good condition. This was clearly stored very well. Bright red color with little browning; excellent clarity stunning aromatics combining red fruit with cedar and spices; vibrant with great complexity and length even at this age. Well kept bottles will drink well for another 10+ years
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A recent acquisition at auction - clearly from a good, old cellar. Level just below upper shoulder, 12.5% ABV. Judging from the back label, this was released before 1974. Lovely colour, medium deep, mature but lively, browning but with an excellent core of red bricks; slightly balsamic nose (it probably spent at least six years in oak), leather and tobacco, slightly bloody, with a mature sweetness but also fresh and harmonious, and I was quite surprised to find vestiges of black cherry fruit; the palate retains its freshness and the grip of velvety but firm tannins, it is well integrated, with mature flavours; there is a nice sweetness of dried cherries on the finish, good length. For a sixty year old wine with a mediocre fill level this is a wonderful surprise.
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Bought in 1987 and cellared in good but not excellent conditions since then. Very much alive for its age. Classic soft aged Rioja nose (12.5% abv). Some of the group were surprised to still find nuances of red fruit (cherries), expecting only tertiary aromas. Very smooth and elegant wine that still has some years to go. One of the tasters said it completely changed his perception of what he called "old wine". I had told him before he was wrong :-)
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Splendid after being decanted for about 30-45 minutes. More fruit than with any other red wine of its age that I've drunk. Cool-toned and changeable, moving from a coriander seed taste and smell to become more texturally smooth and cocoa-y; later on tobacco and some spiciness. A very long finish throughout. The wine did decline after two hours, towards the last quarter of the bottle.
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Spanish WIMPS 'Casa de Pilatos' (La Trompette, London): So vibrant. Mid ruby, wonderful condition. Looks so young. Fresh and vibrant. Lovely acidity but great fruit too. Aargh, then a touch corked on the finish. What a shame — there's the wine of the day were if not for the corkiness that evolves with air. ***** but flawed.
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Caramel! Which is a relief given the teeth stripping characteristics you sometimes get with these older Rioja wines. Caramel, salt, cherries. Almost bourbon-like on the palate, but without being ugly. Interesting rather than being pleasurable.
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2/12/2023 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 95 Points
The wine of the night in a strong line-up.
Good fill level into neck, cork in good condition.
This was clearly stored very well.
Bright red color with little browning; excellent clarity
stunning aromatics combining red fruit with cedar and spices; vibrant with great complexity and length even at this age.
Well kept bottles will drink well for another 10+ years
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7/12/2018 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 91 Points
A recent acquisition at auction - clearly from a good, old cellar. Level just below upper shoulder, 12.5% ABV. Judging from the back label, this was released before 1974. Lovely colour, medium deep, mature but lively, browning but with an excellent core of red bricks; slightly balsamic nose (it probably spent at least six years in oak), leather and tobacco, slightly bloody, with a mature sweetness but also fresh and harmonious, and I was quite surprised to find vestiges of black cherry fruit; the palate retains its freshness and the grip of velvety but firm tannins, it is well integrated, with mature flavours; there is a nice sweetness of dried cherries on the finish, good length. For a sixty year old wine with a mediocre fill level this is a wonderful surprise.
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11/2/2016 - roel wrote: 94 Points
Bought in 1987 and cellared in good but not excellent conditions since then. Very much alive for its age. Classic soft aged Rioja nose (12.5% abv). Some of the group were surprised to still find nuances of red fruit (cherries), expecting only tertiary aromas. Very smooth and elegant wine that still has some years to go. One of the tasters said it completely changed his perception of what he called "old wine". I had told him before he was wrong :-)
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9/8/2016 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
Splendid after being decanted for about 30-45 minutes. More fruit than with any other red wine of its age that I've drunk. Cool-toned and changeable, moving from a coriander seed taste and smell to become more texturally smooth and cocoa-y; later on tobacco and some spiciness. A very long finish throughout. The wine did decline after two hours, towards the last quarter of the bottle.
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6/17/2015 - SimonG wrote: 88 Points
Mature Rioja tasting at The Sampler (The Sampler, South Kensington): A little less round and expressive. Leaner with good acidity though the finish. Underwhelming though and a pale shadow of the (slightly corked) bottle last Spanish WIMPS. ***
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8/29/2014 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Spanish WIMPS 'Casa de Pilatos' (La Trompette, London): So vibrant. Mid ruby, wonderful condition. Looks so young. Fresh and vibrant. Lovely acidity but great fruit too. Aargh, then a touch corked on the finish. What a shame — there's the wine of the day were if not for the corkiness that evolves with air. ***** but flawed.
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12/13/2013 - pjaines wrote:
Caramel! Which is a relief given the teeth stripping characteristics you sometimes get with these older Rioja wines. Caramel, salt, cherries. Almost bourbon-like on the palate, but without being ugly. Interesting rather than being pleasurable.
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