Good deep dark red, not showing any age. Ripe dark fruits, black currant & dark berries. A big full round palate with lovely texture, dry. Excellent drinking but will keep well for a few years yet, great value.
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2018 LAN Crianza 2015 LAN Reserva 2005 LAN Gran Reserva
It’s always nice to try an extended Rioja vertical. You really get a sense of the house style. The last time I did a LAN vertical was with the 2012, 2010, and 2008. I like that LAN does not overdo the usage of oak. All wines were paired with Spanish-style meatballs in tomato sauce, as well as Moroccan lentil chili with couscous.
The 2018 LAN Crianza had a touch of oak and mint on the nose. It clashed a bit with the tomatoes. Recommend pairing with lighter proteins like roast chicken or pork loin. Drink now.
The 2015 LAN Reserva offers chocolate and a hint of mint on the nose, as well as bit of chocolate on the palate. It paired very well with the meatballs and chili. It is a terrific value, often found under $20. This is approaching or at peak. Drink now through 2030.
The 2005 LAN Gran Reserva nose was very similar to the 2015 Reserva. It showed tertiary color and flavor (a bit of prune). It would pair very well with unsauced red meat, such as steak with a dash of black pepper. Rioja Gran Reservas have the stones to be birth year wines without breaking the bank, and this is no exception. Drink now through 2028.
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Bright ruby. Red fruits, earth and some vege leaves. M/m- body, medium grained tannins, some alcohol warm exposure, mild oak in finish, average as a reserva, but friendly to foods as a table wine.
WS 88, JS 91, TA 93
Ap 5/5, Ar 11/15, Palate 16/20, Overall 3+3/10 Total 88/100
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Earthy, fallen leaves with rain Behind this, berry like aroma smoothly Also pomegranate juice aroma tannins but i like it so no problem I liked it because of only little oaky touch not heavy Decanted 30 minutes
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This Rioja is medium ruby in the glass with a nose and palate of kirsch, leather and just a hint of smoke. It had a fiercely tannic and unpleasant finish. I'm writing in the past tense because I tasted the wine 24 hrs later and was amazed by how the tannins softened. You can find this wine at your local Total and sometimes Whole Foods with a free corkscrew at around $20/btl. Is it Vega? Of course not. But at around $20/btl it has a great QPR and with an extended decant, it makes great BBQ wine.
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At dinner in Vic parador, nice enough, but tad underpowered and awkward, no layering, flavours not yet fully melded but tannic notes and short, expected more drive to fruit from a reserva, disappointing, perhaps upside. G (15).
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Nice full Tempranillo at a very drinkable point in its elevation. Dark color, slight cigar box note on the oak. Not a fruit bomb rather a full bodied balanced red wine that is past any tannic notes, not intense in varietal character mostly plummy but quite solid as a red wine and was very nice with a steak. Good value
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Bold full body Rioja that could benefit from more time resting, although perfectly fine to drink now. Notes of dark berries and oak up front. Excellent balance. Medium tannins. Overall, a very nice Rioja. Next time I will decant and let sit for 30 min
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Wow, belle découverte. Plus clair qu'attendu, notes de vanille, fraises, tabac et cuir. Beaucoup moins dense que ce que la Rioja offre habituellement ce qui le rend fort digeste.
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I’m leaving my professional blind tasting notes on this wine… I see a lot of contradictions in the 25 notes I see here and want to hopefully provide some clarity for a more accurate review.
Sight: This wine is MEDIUM RUBY nothing else… I tasted this next to a Swanson Petit Verdot and that is as purple as it gets!
Nose: The nose puts me in a warm continental climate old world region immediately… Ripe, warm Blackberry, Sweeter Black Cherries (not red), and freshly cut juicy Black Plums! I have never had more of a plum note in a wine than this like wow… I see why people sense red cherry because that’s what the tart character can come off as in the nose. Now the darker fruit profile is followed by Coconut/vanilla new oak (not over done), some typical but soft Tempranillo spices as well as a faint hint of clay earth. The nose after 2-3 hours is exceptional this wine was very closed until this period the wait is worth it!
Taste: The wine is medium and arguably disjointed In the mid-palate and finish until it firms up at around 2-3 hours. First thing I noticed is the acid level in this wine is medium plus making for fantastic balance to carry all the dark fruits. This follows the nose quite quite well blackberry dominate on the palate plum cleansing finish. The wine is new world in style but overall is very well balanced making for a great wine to sip on it own even without food.
Overall: I blinded this wine perfectly as a friend brought it for fun to see if I would get it. I said 2016 Reserva Tempranillo in a balanced new world style. Off by a year but acid was good expected the cooler vintage. It represents itself well and I’d say worth the extra few bucks just gotta wait for it to firm up trust what a difference it made! (Hints why the people sayin it’s boring didn’t wait) The wine is clearly linear and focused and not jammy just ripe & delicious. It was nice to come back to LAN Reserva after hmmmm 8 years !?? Lol it’s a good wine drink up and enjoy or hold another 10 years if you like.
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Didn't give this much breathing time at all, but it opened up very nicely. Dark purple with medium legs. Nose had some strawberry and oak to it; and on the tongue some blackberry and strawberry and touch of oak wood flavor. Very nice , medium to long finish. Great and at a great price.
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Nose: Liquorice. Dark cherries. Vanilla. Medium intensity.
Palate: Strawberry. Vanilla. Dark chocolate. Cherry. High acidity. Medium plus tannins. Dry. Medium plus body. Medium plus intensity. Medium finish, dried fruits.
Good value! Drink for the next 5 years.
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Boring, expected more for being a reserva. Came with a free corkscrew(!) which, jokes aside, was the best part (a nice double-notched one). Wine was drinkable.
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Decant for 1 hour. Dark purple color and pretty fast legs. On the nose, some leather and a bit of spice (allspice ?). Taste of plum, leather, and a little saffron. Medium short finish on the tongue, a little harsh
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Showed just a hair better than my last tasting note. I really like that this is not an oak bomb. Paired very well with chili. Tasted best at 60 degrees, which kept the alcohol in check.
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Overnight I let this sit. No real improvement if anything lost some of its acidty and edge as a more melancholy flavor emerged. Reducing score tonight.
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One of the great values in wine I have had this year. Also came with a free corkscrew. Aromatics of cherry & some cedar. In mouth the wine delivers black cherry, ripe plum and vanilla bean. It is a medium body wine which is smooth and lingering.
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I liked this wine. Initially: PnP - it was a bit harsh. Fruits: cherry, blackberry. Other: hint of oak, tobacco, slight hint of chocolate. This is a full bodied / bold wine. After 3 hours, it was much nicer. This is decent QPR ($22 CAD). Good everyday wine. It unfortunately does not last long at our liquor commission.
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PnP'd. Slight smell of band-aid on initial opening, blew off after about 15 minutes in the glass, then replaced by more traditional fruit. Relatively simple expression of a rioja, but enjoyable. Medium body and finish. Decent QPR.
Day 2 update. Stoppers bottle and let sit at room temp overnight. Much better experience. Upgraded to a 90. The moral of the story, give it some time. Will double decant next time.
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Nathan's favorite of the bunch - delivery the most for the dollars. Again, with the traditional smells of walnut, dried herbs, dried flowers, and just gives a bit more concentration. Maybe showing just a touch of French barrel as well. Yep,, some barrel going on there.
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Drank over 2 nights. No formal notes. Oak is nicely integrated. I agree with most of CIVICO's notes, though for my palate this vintage is lighter on the chocolate notes than other vintages (2005 in particular). This should have a nice drinking window over the next 3 to 6 years, but there's no reason to hold for the sake of holding. Just decant for an hour, serve between 62-65 degrees, and enjoy.
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The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cranberry, cherry, plum, oak and chocolate. It tastes like blackberry, plum, oak and chocolate. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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4/13/2024 - twing wrote: 93 Points
Good deep dark red, not showing any age.
Ripe dark fruits, black currant & dark berries.
A big full round palate with lovely texture, dry. Excellent drinking but will keep well for a few years yet, great value.
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4/7/2024 - ptaylor2112 Likes this wine:
Vertical of:
2018 LAN Crianza
2015 LAN Reserva
2005 LAN Gran Reserva
It’s always nice to try an extended Rioja vertical. You really get a sense of the house style. The last time I did a LAN vertical was with the 2012, 2010, and 2008. I like that LAN does not overdo the usage of oak. All wines were paired with Spanish-style meatballs in tomato sauce, as well as Moroccan lentil chili with couscous.
The 2018 LAN Crianza had a touch of oak and mint on the nose. It clashed a bit with the tomatoes. Recommend pairing with lighter proteins like roast chicken or pork loin. Drink now.
The 2015 LAN Reserva offers chocolate and a hint of mint on the nose, as well as bit of chocolate on the palate. It paired very well with the meatballs and chili. It is a terrific value, often found under $20. This is approaching or at peak. Drink now through 2030.
The 2005 LAN Gran Reserva nose was very similar to the 2015 Reserva. It showed tertiary color and flavor (a bit of prune). It would pair very well with unsauced red meat, such as steak with a dash of black pepper. Rioja Gran Reservas have the stones to be birth year wines without breaking the bank, and this is no exception. Drink now through 2028.
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4/4/2024 - OldHick95 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black cherry with weak black tea notes and cigar box. Nicely put together with moderate tannins. Even better on night #2.
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1/15/2024 - diggydan wrote: 92 Points
Very well made rioja. Smooth as satin. Black cherry and earth. A little tannic chew.
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11/12/2023 - Ponuppy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Nice respectable Rioja. Solid choice if faced with limited selection. Still drinking well in 2023.
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5/5/2023 - evanqian wrote: 88 Points
Bright ruby. Red fruits, earth and some vege leaves. M/m- body, medium grained tannins, some alcohol warm exposure, mild oak in finish, average as a reserva, but friendly to foods as a table wine.
WS 88, JS 91, TA 93
Ap 5/5, Ar 11/15, Palate 16/20, Overall 3+3/10
Total 88/100
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3/4/2023 - cglex wrote: 87 Points
Solid Rioja Reserva, but nothing special. No where close to the 2007 vintage.
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2/14/2023 - Z1nnfull Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking perfectly now and is a perfect representation of Rioja Reserva- earthy, cellarymusty, mouth-filling without being robust. Drink now.
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11/23/2022 - fntsy21 wrote: 89 Points
Earthy, fallen leaves with rain
Behind this, berry like aroma smoothly
Also pomegranate juice aroma
tannins but i like it so no problem
I liked it because of only little oaky touch not heavy
Decanted 30 minutes
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9/23/2022 - Dagalaifus Likes this wine: 91 Points
This Rioja is medium ruby in the glass with a nose and palate of kirsch, leather and just a hint of smoke. It had a fiercely tannic and unpleasant finish. I'm writing in the past tense because I tasted the wine 24 hrs later and was amazed by how the tannins softened. You can find this wine at your local Total and sometimes Whole Foods with a free corkscrew at around $20/btl. Is it Vega? Of course not.
But at around $20/btl it has a great QPR and with an extended decant, it makes great BBQ wine.
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9/15/2022 - liber wrote: 86 Points
At dinner in Vic parador, nice enough, but tad underpowered and awkward, no layering, flavours not yet fully melded but tannic notes and short, expected more drive to fruit from a reserva, disappointing, perhaps upside. G (15).
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9/2/2022 - RJandGB Likes this wine: 88 Points
Good value and paired nicely with a robust meat
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8/29/2022 - moorewine3 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nice with hamburger
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8/25/2022 - ptaylor2112 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Same as prior note. A 2 hour decant and proper serving temp is the key. Do not pop and pour.
Will save my last bottle for Ethan's vertical.
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5/27/2022 - Woodbridge Brad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice full Tempranillo at a very drinkable point in its elevation. Dark color, slight cigar box note on the oak. Not a fruit bomb rather a full bodied balanced red wine that is past any tannic notes, not intense in varietal character mostly plummy but quite solid as a red wine and was very nice with a steak. Good value
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5/1/2022 - dougchavez Likes this wine: 87 Points
Bold full body Rioja that could benefit from more time resting, although perfectly fine to drink now. Notes of dark berries and oak up front. Excellent balance. Medium tannins. Overall, a very nice Rioja. Next time I will decant and let sit for 30 min
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4/17/2022 - JumpingRick Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wow, belle découverte. Plus clair qu'attendu, notes de vanille, fraises, tabac et cuir. Beaucoup moins dense que ce que la Rioja offre habituellement ce qui le rend fort digeste.
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3/23/2022 - WyattTheSomm Likes this wine: 90 Points
I’m leaving my professional blind tasting notes on this wine… I see a lot of contradictions in the 25 notes I see here and want to hopefully provide some clarity for a more accurate review.
Sight: This wine is MEDIUM RUBY nothing else… I tasted this next to a Swanson Petit Verdot and that is as purple as it gets!
Nose: The nose puts me in a warm continental climate old world region immediately… Ripe, warm Blackberry, Sweeter Black Cherries (not red), and freshly cut juicy Black Plums! I have never had more of a plum note in a wine than this like wow… I see why people sense red cherry because that’s what the tart character can come off as in the nose. Now the darker fruit profile is followed by Coconut/vanilla new oak (not over done), some typical but soft Tempranillo spices as well as a faint hint of clay earth. The nose after 2-3 hours is exceptional this wine was very closed until this period the wait is worth it!
Taste: The wine is medium and arguably disjointed In the mid-palate and finish until it firms up at around 2-3 hours. First thing I noticed is the acid level in this wine is medium plus making for fantastic balance to carry all the dark fruits. This follows the nose quite quite well blackberry dominate on the palate plum cleansing finish. The wine is new world in style but overall is very well balanced making for a great wine to sip on it own even without food.
Overall: I blinded this wine perfectly as a friend brought it for fun to see if I would get it. I said 2016 Reserva Tempranillo in a balanced new world style. Off by a year but acid was good expected the cooler vintage. It represents itself well and I’d say worth the extra few bucks just gotta wait for it to firm up trust what a difference it made! (Hints why the people sayin it’s boring didn’t wait) The wine is clearly linear and focused and not jammy just ripe & delicious. It was nice to come back to LAN Reserva after hmmmm 8 years !?? Lol it’s a good wine drink up and enjoy or hold another 10 years if you like.
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3/22/2022 - michaelbro8 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Didn't give this much breathing time at all, but it opened up very nicely. Dark purple with medium legs. Nose had some strawberry and oak to it; and on the tongue some blackberry and strawberry and touch of oak wood flavor. Very nice , medium to long finish. Great and at a great price.
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2/28/2022 - Dominic Roy wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Liquorice. Dark cherries. Vanilla. Medium intensity.
Palate: Strawberry. Vanilla. Dark chocolate. Cherry. High acidity. Medium plus tannins. Dry. Medium plus body. Medium plus intensity. Medium finish, dried fruits.
Good value! Drink for the next 5 years.
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2/19/2022 - Richard123 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excellent Rioja, nice oak but not overwhelming, good depth. Good QPR < $20
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1/22/2022 - tanguero8 wrote: 86 Points
Boring, expected more for being a reserva. Came with a free corkscrew(!) which, jokes aside, was the best part (a nice double-notched one). Wine was drinkable.
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12/15/2021 - Frijole wrote:
ruby burgundy red, little clarity, ruby hue
Nose: plum, earth, dirt, bitter chocolate, cigar, tannins, oak
Pal: plum, earth, dirt, bitter chocolate, tobacco, minerals, oak
Feel: medium, acidic
Finish: medium
T7
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11/12/2021 - michaelbro8 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decant for 1 hour. Dark purple color and pretty fast legs. On the nose, some leather and a bit of spice (allspice ?). Taste of plum, leather, and a little saffron. Medium short finish on the tongue, a little harsh
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9/27/2021 - ptaylor2112 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Showed just a hair better than my last tasting note. I really like that this is not an oak bomb. Paired very well with chili. Tasted best at 60 degrees, which kept the alcohol in check.
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9/25/2021 - Stephen.Somm Likes this wine: 88 Points
Tobacco, cherry, and cedar. Good reserva, but not a great one. Alcohol high, acid medium, tannins medium+
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8/29/2021 - YackAttack213 Likes this wine: 92 Points
92 second wine of the night. Pretty sure it's this one and it was pretty good. unsure of the vintage
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8/11/2021 - tomoem wrote: 90 Points
Overnight I let this sit. No real improvement if anything lost some of its acidty and edge as a more melancholy flavor emerged. Reducing score tonight.
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8/10/2021 - tomoem Likes this wine: 91 Points
One of the great values in wine I have had this year. Also came with a free corkscrew. Aromatics of cherry & some cedar. In mouth the wine delivers black cherry, ripe plum and vanilla bean. It is a medium body wine which is smooth and lingering.
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5/2/2021 - Brunello12345 wrote: 87 Points
I liked this wine. Initially: PnP - it was a bit harsh. Fruits: cherry, blackberry. Other: hint of oak, tobacco, slight hint of chocolate. This is a full bodied / bold wine. After 3 hours, it was much nicer. This is decent QPR ($22 CAD). Good everyday wine. It unfortunately does not last long at our liquor commission.
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4/21/2021 - Giller63 Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP'd. Slight smell of band-aid on initial opening, blew off after about 15 minutes in the glass, then replaced by more traditional fruit. Relatively simple expression of a rioja, but enjoyable. Medium body and finish. Decent QPR.
Day 2 update. Stoppers bottle and let sit at room temp overnight. Much better experience. Upgraded to a 90. The moral of the story, give it some time. Will double decant next time.
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4/13/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Nathan's favorite of the bunch - delivery the most for the dollars. Again, with the traditional smells of walnut, dried herbs, dried flowers, and just gives a bit more concentration. Maybe showing just a touch of French barrel as well. Yep,, some barrel going on there.
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4/11/2021 - ptaylor2112 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Drank over 2 nights. No formal notes. Oak is nicely integrated. I agree with most of CIVICO's notes, though for my palate this vintage is lighter on the chocolate notes than other vintages (2005 in particular). This should have a nice drinking window over the next 3 to 6 years, but there's no reason to hold for the sake of holding. Just decant for an hour, serve between 62-65 degrees, and enjoy.
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4/9/2021 - Sarah02 wrote: 80 Points
Good to drink
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3/12/2021 - BrendanMcS wrote: 90 Points
Not too familiar with Rioja, but I really enjoyed this one
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2/24/2021 - StaceyK Likes this wine: 92 Points
This Tempranillo was delicious. Smooth and just really good.
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1/15/2021 - Civico Likes this wine: 90 Points
The wine looks ruby colored. The legs are medium. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like cranberry, cherry, plum, oak and chocolate. It tastes like blackberry, plum, oak and chocolate. The body is medium/full. The wine has smooth texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has medium acidity.
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