This took every bit of 7 hours to even start opening. First night, still biund up but herbaceous, some ripe blueberry. Second night it really shined. Much more fruit forward, currant and black plum coming through and still herby.
Lovely wine but give it A LOT of time.
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No notes taken. From double magnum. So much bacon fat, dark fruit, earthy notes, with herbs in the background. Superb nose. On the palate less exciting but still great, fine red and blue fruit, herbs, earthy notes. This Alion did shine bright.
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This is described as a powerful yet balanced vintage, and WMK was rather excited that I chose this vintage from Ribera del Duero.
Rated RP 96/100 and Jancis 18+/20.
High in richness and intensity, surprisingly concentrated and somewhat lacking in the elegance I find in younger Alions. I this is by far the most expressive expression of an Alion I have ever enjoyed, likely due to the super 2004 vintage as well as the fact that this is one of 4,000 magnums ever produced.
History: Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned family of Vega Sicilia only back in 1991. Vines: Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. 18 hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate.
Tannins: Medium+ . Slightly grippy, amazing that the tannins are still quite structured. Acid: Medium. Beautifully balanced and so well integrated after nearly 20 years of cellaring.
Finish: Medium-long, at 30 to 40 seconds. Cellaring: Probably the only vintage of Alion which could put up with 20-30 years!
Second day review: I kept 2 pours in a refrigerator to see how this would fare, and it has improved even further. Sweetness coming through. Sexy spice notes with higher minerality, with more ripe plums too.
Third day review: Our last pour.. lots of raisins. Tannins dusty, acidity mainly resolved. Amazing longevity.. 3 days!! I can imagine that this was nose-first a decade ago, and how the palate has developed beautifully and will continue to do so going forward
This was the single most expensive Alion I have ever indulged in, purchased from Ponti Cellars Singapore at 180 USD per 750 ml (Nearly 400 USD for this 1.5 L magnum). But my Vivino Malaysia "Happy hour kakis" deserved it, my birthday celebration at Tang Room with WMK, DQ, SKT, Romz, JY, Mika, LF and EC too. Thanks bros!
July 2023 Malaysia
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Magnum 1.5 L on the occasion of my 49th birthday this year.. Cheers, lads!
This is described as a powerful yet balanced vintage, and WMK was rather excited that I chose this vintage from Ribera del Duero. Rated RP 96/100 and Jancis 18+/20.
High in richness and intensity, surprisingly concentrated and somewhat lacking in the elegance I find in younger Alions. I this is by far the most expressive expression of an Alion I have ever enjoyed, likely due to the super 2004 vintage as well as the fact that this is one of 4,000 magnums ever produced.
Varietal: 100% Tempranillo Aging: About 12-14 months in new French oak.
Nose: Strawberries have evolved into very ripe raspberries with some lavender. Light minerality as well.
Palate: Ripe dark plums, blueberries and cocoa. Mid-palate: Some chocolate, polished leather and licorice. Complex!
History: Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned family of Vega Sicilia only back in 1991. Vines: Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. 18 hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate.
The most expensive Alion I have ever indulged in, purchased from Ponti Cellars Singapore at 180 USD per 750 ml (Nearly 400 USD for this 1.5 L magnum).
But my Vivino Malaysia "Happy hour kakis" deserved it, my birthday celebration at Tang Room with WMK, DQ, SKT, Romz, JY, Mika, LF and EC too. Thanks bros!
Tannins: Medium+ . Slightly grippy, amazing that the tannins are still quite structured. Acid: Medium. Beautifully balanced and so well integrated after nearly 20 years of cellaring. Finish: Medium-long, at 30 to 40 seconds.
Cellaring: Probably the only vintage of Alion which could put up with 20-30 years!
Second day review: I kept 2 pours in a refrigerator to see how this would fare, and it has improved even further. Sweetness coming through. Sexy spice notes with higher minerality, with more ripe plums too.
Third day review: Our last pour.. lots of raisins. Tannins dusty, acidity mainly resolved. Amazing longevity.. 3 days!! I can imagine that this was nose-first a decade ago, and how the palate has developed beautifully and will continue to do so going forward.
Tang Room, Malaysia Vivino lads and their wives 16th Jul 2023
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We drank this wine within a duration of four days. Second day was best, but allover on each day the wine wr really enjoyable. The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like plum, cherry, forest floor, toast and cedar. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
Deep ruby color. Complex nose of incense, sweet black cherry, dust, and a touch of yogurt. Full bodied on the palate with residual ripe tannins on the finish.
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Nicht optimal gelagert, trotzdem gut. Kirsche, Erde, Laub, Trockenobst, etwas Menthol, Tabak; am Gaumen mittlerer Körper, gute Säure, Tannin gut abgeschmolzen, gute Länge. Bei optimaler Lagerung bestimmt 1-2 Punkte besser.
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Colour is red with bricking. Aromas are nice and rich with ripe plums, spices, mushrooms, a meaty element, spices, tobacco. Flavours follow and toss in some dark drying berry fruit (plumminess is primary), cherries, umami, vague chocolate, black olives. This is a soft and round wine, beautifully integrated, medium to full bodied. Nice full juicy dusty mouthfeel. My only negative would be I wish the acidity was a touch more as some fattiness does creep into the overall feel. This wine was way better then I was expecting. This has been one of my favorite wines over the years.
Ruby at its core but red brick is the dominant colour. Nose of earth, tapenade, mushroom compost, bbq meat. The palate is savoury taking all those tertiary flavours of cooked meat, umami, black olives. The fruit that is there is of the red cherry variety but this wine is now fully mature and the fruit that is left is fading. Lovely now but don’t hang on to it for too long.
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Top Spanish wines (originally RP 95+) (George & John restaurant, Drisko hotel, TLV): dark opaque red-brown-black Intense ripe-fruity-plummy aromas with notes of chocolate, light spices & tobacco Excellent harmony, soft & round integrated tannins, still a pleasant amount of ripe fruitiness, coated with a thick layer of chocolate, silky mature sensation with subtle notes of spices and delicate wood. Long finish of a great Ribera wine, a full bodied wine that is, still, in great shape and is very much enjoyable. Can further age 5-10 years.
Härligt mogen doft av körsbär, charkuterier, läder, lite vanilj. Mogen smak av körsbär, granatäpple, läder, vanilj, lite ek i eftersmaken, väldigt mjuka och fina tanniner, smaken hänger kvar länge i munnen. Vinet utvecklas snabbt i glaset, kommer inte bli bättre med ålder men kommer säkert hålla ettag till. Fint vin som dricks mycket bra nu
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Perfect cork without saturation. The colour is deep red towards purple with a hint of brick at the rim. Generous and complex nose with dark ripe fruit, coffe, leather and marzipan. On the palate, the wine is fullbodied with dark and ripe fruit and a meaty texture. Well-balanced acidity. Tannins are smooth but still with a good grip. Overall a very well balanced wine with lots of flavours and a great structure. The tertiary characters have arrived, but this will probably stay at this level for many years still.
https://instagram.com/vin_rune?r=nametag
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Last bottle. My notes say that 4 of the last 6 bottles had bad corks. 3 were drinkable and 1 had to be tossed. This bottle has a good cork and drank very well......classic Ribera Del Duero.
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Toujours de la BOMBE ce vin, SUPERBE. Encore une fois, complexe et bien équilibré. Nez sur les fruits noirs, les épices et un peu de tabac. En bouche, c'est velouté et rien n'accroche. Des cerises, du poivre, du chocolat et un peu de menthol. Les tannins sont polis et fins. La finale très longue perdure longtemps avec des relents de minéraux. Excellent.
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My last of 4 btls purchased on release. I really didn't enjoy the first two btls overwhelmed by their oak treatment & lacking the fruit & terroir transparency I seek. Well, my takeaway is this bottle proves this wine needs a lot of time to get someplace I can appreciate. Drinking this young is not unlike drinking BDX on release. And, if I wanted BDX, that's what I would have bought in hindsight. Finally, a full 16yrs later, this is much closer to drinking old school Rioja and has evolved into an intriguing wine. Opened 75 minutes prior to dinner and found this open for business. I used my supersized red Burg style shaped glasses which was almost like decanting the wine :). The cork was dried out and crumbly. Color was ruby turning garnet w/ a dark center and considerable bricking on the perimeter. This opened with perfuse aromas of leather, cigar & underbrush. The palate still offers sweet dark fruit but now complimented by a nice range of tertiary light iron & leather notes, mushroom and forest floor. Its no longer ponderous and a whole lot more delineated. I do think this is near peak so no regrets its my last. I paid $70 on release locally and notice CT shows an auction value of $79 today. So in spite of its Vega Sicilia pedigree this estate is apparently a whole lot less chased. Just a touch of heat from the Alc 14.5% While I really enjoyed this btl I still much prefer Lopez from Rioja. Throwing quite a bit of sediment. Probably best to decant but I poured carefully from the same direction opposite the sediment line, every time.
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The cork in this bottle was OK after three bad ones in a row. This drinking experience was what I expected when I bought it.....classic Ribera Del Duero.
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Similar to a bottle from a few months ago. I echo my and other tasting notes........that I have now had three bottles in a row with corks that broke in two and/or crumbled. In one case the wine was not drinkable. Last night, the wine was drinkable, but not as good as it once was, nor up to the price point.....both the purchase price and current auction value. I would be a short term drinker of this one.
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The cork crumbled to powder but after a decant through a sieve: deep ruby color. Nose of sweet black cherry, mineral notes, a touch of licorice and spice. Full bodied and silky on the palate with real presence and length.
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This bottle was undrinkable. The cork completely crumbled. A prior bottle from a few weeks back was OK, but not as good as earlier bottles. So this is a Bad Cork Alert. My bottles have been well stored. I have 3 or 4 bottles left, but am not optimistic about them.
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Still thick with colour - very deep red. A powerful black fruit nose with a streak of acidic red fruit, a little mushroom and a hit of mixed (pink and black) peppercorns; a hint of menthol too. Juicy black fruit flavours, with mushroom, perhaps even truffle, notes. Dry and highly structured. An intense black fruit finish, later becoming more earthy. Layers of fruit and savoury depth. Really very nice.
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Last two bottle's corks have disintegrated so used an Ah-So. Decanted. Significant sediment in previous bottles and here also. More reserved nose than I remember but superb on the palate. Rich black cherry, cedar, balsamic, herb and mineral with a long finish. A fabulous wine and unfortunately our last bottle.
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This is the seventh bottle I’ve had out of this case, and for me the wine is finally hitting its stride. Good fruit still, not too oaky, the whole experience very smooth. No rush to finish this case, but will open further bottles with more confidence!
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Perfect timing. Had originally 30 bottles of this wine and have been drinking over time, but this one was clearly the best one. Seamless, brilliant!!!!
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This is vastly improved from my last bottle. Balsamic and leather notes on the nose. Oak has integrated thankfully. Tertiary but aged sweet fruit notes. Not great length but a lovely mature RdelD that's in a lovely place for my tastes right now. Age works wonders.
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Sappy Blueberry (think blueberry pie), Bing cherry, cassis, and plum fruits, with strong Christmas spice, strong chocolate, and hints of fennel and coriander seed, with tobacco, vanilla, mocha, and a fruity Ethiopian pour-over on the finish. Red fruits of raspberry and strawberry emerged on day 2. I opened a bottle of 1996 Pesquera Reserva last week and, compared to that bottle, this one felt much more new world in style (it reminded me of Chilean wine). I enjoyed it immensely, but at the same time, I noticed less typicidty of region and grape. For example, I didn’t pick up on as much exotic Indian spice, herbs, or mint flavors as I tend to find in many Spanish Tempranillos (though I got some on day 2). At any rate, this is a powerful wine. Nice drying tannins, especially on day 2.
Drinking well now, but could easily go for longer and probably would have been even better a few years from now. Needed a good three hours of air on day 1 and a good 1.5 hours on day 2. Great in Riedel Hermitage glass, so didn’t even try it in other glasses.
In short: spectacular wine, but I want a little less inter national style and more expression of terroir. I was sad when the bottle was finished.
Respectable for $90, but amazing for the $45 blowout deal I paid. If I could go back in time, I would try to convince my poor graduate student self to make some sacrifices and find a way to buy more than just one bottle of this wine for $45.
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Ripe sweet fruit but really quite tart - not what I was expecting - Burg lovers this is for you. Definitely better with wine. Classy oak on the nose and palate. Nuanced complex. For me fruit not big enough to balance to acidity - so ultimately this is out of balance.
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Kleur: Diep donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Direct na openen vertoont dewijn een expressief aroma van donker bessenfruit. Na enige beluchting verdwijnt dat karakter, maar resteert een meer rijp bouquetvan gedroogde dadels en gedroogde pruimen en gemberkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Lekker. Zachte zuurgraad. Krachtig en stoer, uitgesproken tannines met een duidelijke bittertoon en een lange - wat hoekige - finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie wijn. Maar weer een wijn die me versterkt in mijn groeiende overtuiging dat het maar héél weinig Spaanse wijnen vergund is om ècht overtuigend 'oud en grijs' te worden en in de eindfase beter te worden dan daarvoor. Deze wijn is lekker, geeft genot. Maar was vermoedelijk een paar jaar geleden significant beter geweest. Mijn nieuwe motto: Vrijwel alle Spaanse wijnen moet je binnen 10 jaar drinken en er zeker ook van genieten in hun jeugd! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 89/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep dark red. Aroma / bouquet: Immediately after opening, the wine exhibits an expressive aroma of dark berry fruit. After a little aeration that character disappears, but a more ripe bouquet of dried dates and dried plums and gingerbread remains. Taste / Aftertaste: Tasty. Gentle acidity. Powerful and tough, pronounced tannins with a clear bitter tone and a long - somewhat angular - final. General / potential: Beautiful wine. But again a wine that reinforces me in my growing conviction that very few Spanish wines are permitted to become really 'old and gray' and to get better in the final phase than before. This wine is tasty, gives pleasure. But had probably been significantly better a few years ago. My new motto: You must drink almost all Spanish wines within 10 years and certainly enjoy them in their youth! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 14 + General / potential: 8 = 89/100
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I’m not sure this ever really shed the heavy oak regimen it was subjected to. Strong, bitter tannins on the front end and a somewhat pinched and disjointed finish. I don’t particularly care for where this wine is right now but perhaps it will improve when the tannins fade? That seems to be ten years in the future and there certainly isn’t a lot of fruit to go that distance.
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Bu lors de notre Working Lunch de Vendredi au Resto AVV La Fringale de Granby avec les FOUDUVIN! Ouvert le matin, le bouchon a éclaté, donc le vin a été filtré puis remis en bouteille non-bouchée jusqu’au diner. Superbe bouteille encore une fois. Un nez qui embaume lors de l’ouverture de la bouteille. Des épices, de fruits noirs, des herbes et une pointe de tabac. En bouche, c’est ample mais bien équilibré. Belle matière, c’est soyeux et complexe. Des framboises, des mures, du poivre, du chocolat et un peu de cèdre. Le boisé est à peine perceptible, les tanins sont fins et La finale est interminable. Dieu que c’est beau et un beau RQP dans le temps, encore un Espagnol qui me confirme que ça vaut la peine de les encaver sur le moyen à long terme. Quelques maisons sures comme Alvaro Palacios, CVNE, Alejandro Fernandez, Muga, Marqués de Murrieta, Torres et La Rioja Alta sont ceux que j’encave.
The oak is beautifully integrated and the fruit is savory and spicy, gracefully lifting this big, masculine wine. Showy but dashing enough to pull it off. Great on its own or with food and drinking at top plateau; we let it open in the glass over a few hours.
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From a double magnum. No detailed notes. Some hints of tertiary aromatics mixed with sweet strawberries, cacao and earth. Fresh and balanced. A good wine but no standout.
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Nose: black fruits, floral notes, espresso, leather, cedar wood, some tobacco, vanilla, clove, herbs, chocolate, very complex. Mouth: dark fruits, incredible acidity, integrated tannins, very long finish with ripe dark fruits and some earth. Impeccable balance - everything is in the right place. Vintage 2004, perhaps the best Alion ever made. 96 pt.
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Dieu que c`est beau ce vin, encore une fois un bon move d`avoir des Espagnols en cave, pour le prix difficile à battre et super stable en cave. Beau nez sur les herbes le tabac et les fruits rouges. En bouche, souple et bien équilibré. Des cerises, des mures et du poivre avec de la terre et un peu d`herbes. Belle complexité et une finale bien longue ou rien n`accroche. Superbe encore une fois.
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Terrific juice. Has evolved since our last bottle in '16. Decanted one hour. Wine-stained wood, Christmas spices, and deep black raspberry in the glass. Got more intense with air. Harmonious in the mouth. Red berries with bottom notes of braised plums but plenty of spicy, edgy tannins to round things out. Still singing at the 15-year mark. Probably at the back-end of its peak drinking window but will hold in this place for a few more years. Glad we have one more in the cellar.
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Drank at our annual tapas and pig roast which means too much wine consumed and memory fades. Black in color. Black fruits and floral notes on the nose. Delicious sweet palate of red and black fruits, tobacco and a slight earthiness. No tannin. My wine of the night among 3 white riojas, 1 sherry, 8 Spanish reds and 1 dessert wine. I only review what comes from my cellar.
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Quel beau vin, encore un autre Espagnol qui me prouve qu`il faut les attendre car ils vieillissent en beauté. Nez sur le café, les épices et les fruits noirs. En bouche, bel équilibre et complexité. Mocha, cerise et poivre avec un peu de graphite, les tannins sont fins et la finale longue et suave, Superbe!
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Dark and brooding with beautiful cedar and black cherry notes on the nose with similar replays on the pallette. Very structured with good density full bodied and very approachable but it has a cord that can benefit from another 3 to 5 years of aging. Long black cherry finish.
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This is an immaculate and flawless commercial wine, with licorice, vanilla and menthol, paired with thick, energetic palate. Cheeky and playful, a playboy in red.
In a short while, as it breathes, tertiary depth comes forward, with cedar wood and cigar box, complex and shamelessly beautiful. At its apex.
Upping my original 93 by 1 point for that - but man, I want less ideal everything in my wines, less silicone and more sincerity.
WS 89, RP 96, Vinous 92, JR 18/20
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Still very dark red in colour. This wine has developed a lot since we last tasted it in 2010. The wine has a very expressive nose of red and black fruits supported by spice, cedar, earth and a hint of vanilla. On the palate there is medium+ body and medium acidity. The mouthfeel is elegant and sophisticated: not at all a bruiser but intense flavours of raspberry, plum and tobacco notes with good structure. Lots of complexity, this reminded us of a classified growth Bordeaux in its sophistication. Very long finish, this is definitely a wine to have with food. Paired perfectly with grilled steaks! www.advinetures.ca
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Clear dark garnet in color; burnt cinnamon, clove and leather on the nose; nicely balanced with very little tannin bite, and mid-range finish. Had with steak dinner. Evaluation probably affected somewhat by a lingering cold that I've been battling for the past week or so.
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I had taken on a grudging resentment for this wine's claim on 2 limited spots in my wine cabinet. So I finally pulled both btls and parked them under the stairs in my passive short term storage for near term drinking. As further sign of my disrespect for the wine I opened it with a week night spaghetti dinner. Well, wouldn't you know, I finally enjoyed one of these more modern styled Tempranillos! Tonight's blt has finally almost pushed its heavy oak treatment to the background and this is starting to drink like aged BDX at age 13. Showed some great cigar box aromas that carries over to the palate along with some still barrel infused red fruit, cedar and minerlity. Not bad tonight! I won't ever be buying more but I'm relieved that my last 2 btls are tolerably within range of my palate. Maybe Ill throw the last btl back in the cabinet and let it age for 3+ more years :).
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Beautiful wine. Medium bodied. Classy nose of cigar box and underbrush. Delicate palate with pure dark red fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. Ready for prime drinking. Gorgeous Alíon.
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dark translucent red-purple dark fruits elegant nose with chocolate & corn notes rich full bodied, firm tannins, excellent balance & harmony, sweet fruit upfront, well structured, good complexity,
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Pleasantly surprised by how this has developed. In a very good place now. Rich dark fruit with integrated wood and round tannins. Will improve for several more years. Excellent.
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A Mixed Bag at Young Joni (Young Joni, NE Mpls): Very dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. This was savory on the nose with a mix of sweet dark red and black fruits, dill, spice box, and oak. The palate feels medium full bodied, more black cherry and black raspberry here, dill, oak, spicy. This was becoming more interesting over the hour and can really still use some significant air or cellar time.
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Candace's btl. Better than I expected. Coming into some sort of balance but still over oaked for my palate. Not excited by this wine but perhaps it improves with another couple years still? Or not.
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Rich fruit, nicely structured with mostly integrated tannins, but I bet this will continue to improve over the next few years as it mellows out a bit. Very nice.
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Ribera del Duero Wine Dinner after Yankees Beat Cubs, Plus Cinco de Mayo (Bien Mesabe - Chicago IL): Served alongside the 2001, this was more backward while also far more concentrated. Black cherries, meaty with good spice. Very good length, even if still teasing us with its potential. While the 2001 was certainly more enjoyable tonight, this will become the better wine in 5 years. Lots of upside from here.
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Tasted along side the more ready and elegant '01. Similar flavor profile to the '01, but this was a more concentrated and brooding wine. Pure red cherry fruit and spice abound. Perhaps its the better wine in the long run, but for the foreseeable future the '01 is more complete and enjoyable. Upside from here.
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A wonderful comparison with the Rioja's. This clearly aspires to more complexity with extracted fruit. Lots going on but more toned down compared to 10 years ago when I first tried this vintage.
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quick note. dark color w slightly browning edges. nose has slightly overripe fruit and oak spice. swishing shows rough oak tannin that dominates. sipping shows total polish and integrated oak. on the oaky side of wine for my tastes.
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Aussi bon que mes autres bouteilles, un grand vin. Il n`a pas décue encore une fois, un beau fruit gourmand, l`élevage qui se fait discret, les tannins fins et la finale très longue et tout en soie. Très beau et complexe, sur son plateau je dirais, EXCELLENT!
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Very nice Ribera. Decanted one hour. Huge nose out of the bottle, mellowed with some air. Red cherry compote, baking spices, and a big hit of cloves. Raspberry, cranberry and more cloves in the mouth. Medium weight, medium finish with drying tannins. Pleasantly angular.
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Stored in cellar for 7 years. This surprised me - tasted the slightest reductive and tired. Still enjoyable and was consumed but wasn't on the development track I would have expected.
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Found a lot of the fruit to be missing/ gone. In light of others notes maybe it was a bad bottle. Both nose and palate didn't give much. wine didn't appear dead just on its last legs.
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Ribera del Duero cost-sharing tasting event: Alion & Valbuena (Yagil's home): uncorked 90 min prior to tasting dark opaque red-purple tertiary ripe fruits, spicy & earthy aroma integrated tannins, nice level of dark fruits, minerals and earth, good acidity, well balanced, nice harmony, spicy & ripe fine fruity aftertaste. The wine is at peak and can still be aged for 5-10 years, but isn't going to improve any more.
Dark ruby with brick edge. Nose has ripe cherry fruit and leather notes. The palate delivers ripe red and black cherry flavours with a good length. Much better than the 2002 I had some years ago.
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We opened two bottles for dinner this evening, My only complaint is that in both cases the cork disintegrated during extraction. Unfortunately, we did not have an ah-so. The wine was excellent and our score would be higher absent cork fragments.
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Big nose of dark fruit, plums with a hint of chocolate, coffee and leather. Masses of tannins, well integrated. Masses of everything really, including alcohol.
Definitely a fine Ribera del Duero in a modern style. Good complexity, but a little bit imprecise and inelegant for my tastes (hence the reasonably modest score).
All 12 bottles from the case (drank during 2014 and 2015) were good and evolving well. Would probably go on drinking well for another 10+ years.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+: Dark core, chocolate, dull crimson rim; advanced nose, tar, menthol, dark berry, leather, slight dill, herbs, caramel, balsam; dark fruit, balsamico, menthol, sweeter finish, fruitcake, some grip on the finish, clay, pruney, a touch of heat on the finish; not my style.
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Slightly flawed. First I thought it's a rather minor cork tone and therefore I tried to remove it with a transparent food wrap (good trick to remove minor cork tones!). Unfortunately it did not work, so it must have been something else, e.g. some problem with bacteria.
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Unfortunately my last bottle but this was so much better than the previous one I opened Still a deep brooding wine with chocolate, coffee and a hint of aniseed along with toasty oak. Excellent wine and just how it was the first time I tried it which got me hooked Will Still has a youthfulness to it but that's what made it so endearing today. Will keep for a good while yet but this is so approachable now it's not a bad thing to start drinking it. I'd be interested to know if it can get any better than this but unfortunately will never know
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Damn good Alion - had that Temp. style when best. Spice , Dark chocolate , Lavendel in some way and sure toasty oak. That wine demand about 10 years age - thats for sure. Very GOOD and last bottle in that vintage.
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dark opaque red-brown-black Intense ripe-fruity-plummy aromas with notes of chocolate, light spices & tobacco Excellent harmony, soft & round integrated tannins, still a pleasant amount of ripe fruitiness, coated with a thick layer of chocolate, silky mature sensation with subtle notes of spices and delicate wood. Long finish of a great Ribera wine, a full bodied wine that is, still, in great shape and is very much enjoyable. Can further age 5-10 years.
Yom Kippur eve (my home): double decanting 90 min prior to enjoying dark transparent purple classic & qualitative nose of rich ripe fruit, oak-vanilla, black cherry, mocha-chocolate, spice, cedar, dark cooked herb and some minerality; powerful, full bodied, soft integrated tannins, smooth, nicely balanced, good acidity level, savoury ripe fruity flavours, medium finish; solid & very enjoyable. very solid.
Popped and poured and smells a bit corked, with an undercurrent of prunes and raisins, spice and chocolate. It is a tiny bit oxidized but improves with air and is obviously a blockbuster, with loads of blackberries, plums, cassis, mocha, tobacco foliage, cloves, ample acidity and a long, leathery tannic finish. A mouth-filling monster (if you get good bottle) with plenty of life left.
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Drunk against a half dozen killer Spanish reds. Loads of dark fruit, but a slightly off putting undercurrent that could have been the beginning of oxidation. The cork had crumbled and the wine was decanted through a strainer. I hope the corks in the remaining four bottles are in better condition. This wine deserves to be sworn at its best. Will not rate due to this slight flaw.
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2004 Spanish wines at the Magnum Society (Wellington, New Zealand): Colour iredescent purple/red, the deepest colour on the table. Initially, I found the vanilla oak aromas on the nose a little hard to get past. However, with time in the glass the bouquet blossomed into scented dark roses, raspberry, blackberry, crème de cassis, blackberry and liquorice, integrated with the toasty oak. A very sleek entry in the mouth but large scaled with huge structure, depth and power. This is very primary. The oak is present but is well integrated on palate. Flavours of crème de cassis, mocha, dried herbs and bloody meats. Also some iron and minerality, showing real staying power in the mouth, finishes on savoury flavours. Palate well integrated with fruit weight to handle the oak. Rich with elegance, surrounded by classy, palate coating tannins. Quite approachable now but this really needs 10+ years. The overwhelming favourite of the group. Re-tasted two days later, I marked it up to my WOTN.
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Bought 5yrs ago having really enjoyed it at a restaurant. Based on my previous experience along with the amazing reviews here I had very high hopes which I have to admit were knocked down a little. I was waiting for that first hedonistic sip to make me say "wow" but it never came. I was firstly very surprised by the amount of sediment. I recently read that the 2009 vintage has been recalled due to the amount if sediment and judging by this I wasn't surprised. The wine was at lower neck level and upon decantering the was a good 75ml wine remaining containing sediment. I'm surprised I've not read any other comments about this. Having been opened a couple of hours and decanted a further hour this is still a heavyweight wine. Lots of deep rich berry and mocha flavour which stays with you a very long time. Tannins were still pretty firm and acidity levels are nicely balanced There was a slight baked plum/prune flavour showing later in the evening and particularly on day 2 but storage conditions may have been a factor I'll reserve my scoring for now and wait until I open my 2nd bottle but that may not be for some time even though this is now approachable
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This is most definitely not the same wine that I last tasted over three years ago. Opaque purple. The nose is incredible. Rich ripe fruit, oak, herb and mineral. Black cherry, mocca, spice and cedar on the palate with a tart note on the long finish. This is a big and powerful wine, very new world. That's as in plush Napa Cab big. Yet it is very nicely balanced, delicious actually. Significant sediment upon decanting, much more than before. The amount of sediment makes me wonder if this bottle is atypical. Tonight's bottle was ready for drinking and did not seem like something that would have benefited from further aging. We opened this for my wife's birthday and she loves it. The score is hers.
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Like smelling fresh fruit after a cleansing rainstorm. Dark ruby, awesome intense flavors of plum, coffee, berry and mineral. Superbly balanced and long finish. This wine has come a long way.
Tasted during wine dinner with Spanish Tapas and Paella. Big, rich, well integrated, lots of dark fruit, spice, balanced. Compared very favorably with 2004 Pintia, 2003 Vega Sicilia Valbuena and 2005 Muga Gran Enea. Stuctured to continue to age very gracefully.
Deep, primary ruby. Captivating, powerful aromatics that draw you in-cherry liqueur, briary herbs, and (it must be said) a little alcoholic heat. Concentrated, explosive middle weight package full of red fruit, mocha, and fantastic acidity that just bores into your palate and brain. Remarkably, given the forceful, mouth filling impression of the wine, the balance is superb. In short, exciting, kaleidoscopic wine that has incredible depth of fruit. This will last and evolve for decades. How much better could the Vega Sicilia itself be?
Second night-even stronger chocolate/mocha scents and flavors, but the alcohol now really is uncovered, and there is obvious pruniness. Heady for sure, but now I'm much less certain about its balance for the long run.
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brought to le provencal for our weekly group gathering. Drank next to 91 unico and Alion showed better. not young but not old either. I think it will get better with 2-3 more years of cellaring
Great cinema. Tobacco, leather and mocha. Very, very dry.
It just entered it's drinking window, but I expect it to further improve in the next three years and then will stay in perfection for quite some time. Then it probably will be around 95 or 96.
If you like Duero wines, try this if you have the chance. And make sure to give it enough time. After some hours it is a lot softer than in the first two or three hours.
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This is an exceptional wine with many more years ahead of it. Beautiful dark almost purple color with some nice amber edges signature of its age. Ravishing nose of perfectly ripened blackberries and a tinge of orange-peel freshness. Full body and rich in fruit flavors with minerality and great extraction and complexity, licorice, and roasted espresso in a backdrop of multi-layered excellent new oak. Well integrated tannins and boasting medium to long memorable fruit and velvety oaky finish. Astonishing 95+
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Encore une fois, quel beau vin! Complexe, racé, raffiné et équilibré...un grand vin! L`oeil : Assez foncé, un rouge rubis de bonne saturation. Le Nez : Beau nez sur les cerises noirs, les herbes (tilleul), les épices (anis) et une pointe de fumée. En bouche, c'est très suave et poli avec un bel équilibre. Il y a des mures et des bleuets avec de l`anis et un boisé à peine perceptible. Belle acidité avec des tannins encore serrés. Finale soyeuse, longue et persistante. EXCELLENT!
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This is good wine that is going to be great. Their are so many layers to this rich wine that has yet to unfold. Loads of ripped wild berry fruit. Balanced and great structure. Generous tannins that gently coats the mouth. This is rich, opulent, full-bodied but not in a modern style. Hold till 2023+.
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Quel beau vin! Beau nez sur les fruits noirs, les herbes et les épices. En bouche, c'est fin, suave et hyper bien équilibré. Un beau fruit préci et une belle acidité avec des tannins encore serrés. Long et persistant. EXCELLENT!
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I don't think this will ever be a wine I love. My score is an attempt to objectively rate the relative quality of this wine, not reflective of my personal love for it. I bought this sometime ago when I knew little about Spanish wine and let the reviews sway me. This is obviously a modern interpetation of what to do with Tempranillo. Unfortunately, it results in a muddled wine trying to break through its oak shroad. The finish is a bit clipped for a, $70 on release, wine. There is some depth trying to break through the oak. Unfortunely, I have 2 of these left. I'll probably ride them out and see if they ever evolve in hopes I'm wrong about my current assessment. Decanted a couple hours before drinking. I'd decant even more next time in hopes of getting the wine to shine through. I think there is some nice fruit buried there. I can't see this ever being a 93pt+ wine for my palate.
The 2004 was produced with 100% Tinto Fino grapes (25-30 years on average). Harvested on 27th September with dry weather. The fermentation took place in non-cooled stainless steel vats until January 2005. After 15 month in barrique it was in bottle until releasing in 2008.
Beautiful wine, multilayered and rich with a good extract, dark berries with a touch of vanila and espresso, the tannin is molten. A hedonistic, full bodied wine with 14,5% Alc., which is well integrated.
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Degustacion Gran Reserva (Miami, FL): Wine of the night for me. Beautiful dark almost purple color with some nice amber edges signature of its age. Ravishing nose of perfectly ripened blackberries and blueberries in a backdrop of multi-layered excellent new oak. Full body and rich in flavors with great extraction and complexity, licorice, and roasted espresso. Well integrated tannins and boasting medium to long memorable finish.
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This wine is starting to really hits its stride now with enough development to start to show secondary characteristics. Lots of black fruit, herbs, spices and beautiful structure. An impressive and beautiful wine. No rush to drink....and no harm in popping one now.
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Second bottle. First bottle was superb. This one fell flat and slightly disjointed with bitter, off-putting tannin on the back. Good education in high volume bottle variation…this bottle was not flawed.
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I am not going to attach a rating here, I suspect that it may be flawed. It's overly sweet and pretty strange. Will be trying a second bottle in the future. Will report back.
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This remains one of the best wines in its pricerange. It evolved beautifully over nearly 6 hours, at its absolute best when it was near empty. So, if you can wait: wait, there is a lot more to be enjoyed here. A stunning wine.
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together with Flor de Pingus 2004 at the dinner. No chance. Anyway great wine. More elegant, more filigree, more oxidative, more acidity than FdP, more sekundary and tertiary aromas, 10-15 years to drink
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what a wine! perfect in every way, only lacking in complexity which may come with age. gorgeous finish, huge mid and back palate. medium full body. sexy wine. we decanted this 8 hours and it loosened up quite a bit. this wine is a must decant.
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Sultry garnet with edge thinning and medium viscosity in the glass. Beef blood, slate & iron minerals and red fruit on the nose. Med-full body and persistent with present red fruit, layers of slate, iron and volcanic minerals, hide and fine smoke. Secondary Sprite, anise and licorice. Excellent structure with one of the better acidic profiles I've tasted. Long finish. Superb with food.
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First bottle out of six - and what a wine. The day before we drank Hac. Monasterio 04 and the difference was big. Alion fullbodied , dark fruit , tobacco and spice - I think it was wonderfull. The wood were there , but not in a bad manner. I will start to drink them now and the next 10 years...
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Wonderful nose. Incredibly young still. Dark fruit on the palate and fantastic balance and structure. Glad I have one more bottle to enjoy in a couple of years.
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Excellent bottle. Some are shut down hard but this was open and perfectly juicy with plump fruit under pinned with impressive depth and structure. Great stuff. Will keep for years.
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Very dark, almost black, beautiful. Definetely more berries than in the lts bottle 3 y ago, some spices, graphite and flowers. Rich and young. LLong smooth finish. But it develops so slowHge potential for another 10 yers
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Regular dinner group (@ PZ): No formal notes. A full bodied and concentrated wine. Ripe dark as well as red berry fruits, chocolate. Good acidity, tannin and bitterness. Still youthful but already a great pleasure.
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Interesting - does it age? Leather, rich, coffee, oak, blueberry, jamaican spice bun - very big - and more going on than 2 years ago. But still far too much. Not balanced - just big bits of everything. 90 tonight. But may revise tomorrow if it calms down. And it does. Wonderful on day 2 - creamy, blueberry on the palate - dark, spicy, sweet, with savory leather nose, and hints of farmyard. Decant or leave it a few years. 94+
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Dark Purple. Beautiful nose of black fruits. Nice black fruits on the palate with some licorice and charcoal. Nowhere ready to drink, but not tannic. Tight and tough. Hold off for several more years.
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Slowly, slowly evolving but is is still very much all about meaty, dark fruit and structure. Excellent nose of vanilla, beef, spices and scorched earth. Great stuff. Will last years.
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A wow wine!! Extraordinary Tempranillo at eight years youthful but with a finely evolved bottle bouquet. Improved for two hours and peaked at three. Spicy dried cranberry licorice fruit backed by 15 months of Nevers oak. Aromatically intoxicating, strong palate, medium plus finish.
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Stong oak flavors, but not in the same sense as a Rioja. More full and thicker body than a Rioja. Smooth and a big wine. Decent, but I would prefer a Pingus.
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Duero perfeito, melhor que a colheita 2003. Macio, aveludado, redondo. Complexo e final longo. Un vinho que há que beber de vez em quando. Pena o preço.
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Had this on two occasions - about one year ago and last night. First bottle was still tight. Last night it drank wonderfully-the fruit had come alive, balanced by sweetening tannins and great structure. Excellent bottle
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Houston we have a problem (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): This showed like an awkward teenager in a group of very polished adults. I loved the great nose of dark fruits and tobacco but everything was walled off by tannins. This had great structure and lovely acidity. There is enough there to go a long time. Not scored but I can see this being a tremendous wine with some age.
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In a funny stage right now - it is maturing very slowly, but seems a touch dumb and mute. This is all rather relative though - this has a big, deep quality to it that is very impressive. This bottle seemed a touch dull to previous ones though and I really must just keep my sticky little fingers off it for a while.
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Rich, smooth, well balanced, and sexy. Shared with a friend in late May 2011. Notes of dark fruit, earth, and leather on the nose unfold into raspberry, cherry, spices, and layers of espresso on the palate. This bottle was everything I expected it would be. I want more!
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My wine of the night. Spice, lavendar, violets, leather, raspberry and cranberries. The taste of the wine is full of flavor and acidity is perfect. Medium to long finish and complex. Really drinking well right now and decanted 3 hours.
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Minneapolis Wine Club does Spain (Sara's house): Dark red purple color. Nose has some heat, earthy, lavender, leather, red fruits, cherry, chocolate espresso. The palate is concentrated with cherry, leather, and some alcohol. This may settle down with some more time. 92+pts.
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Deep red colour. Nose dominated by oak, with cherries and spice showing through. On the palate cherries are joined by caramel and quite substantial tannins still. Acidity ok. Quite a bit of heat which is not surprising, given the 14.5% alcohol. Length is good, but not outstanding. Impressive wine. Will enjoy following this one over the years.
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I shared this with friends on 3/18/11. After an hour and a half in the decanter it had a deep, rich bouquet of charred oak, cherry, blackberry, mocha, cocoa, sage, cinnamon and spice aromas. The palate was tight with flavors that followed the nose, but the toasty oak dominated everything. It was also moderately tannic and drying.
Four more hours of air and it had really opened up. The toasted oak had integrated and the mocha / cocoa notes had come out more. I believe this is still too young and needs at least two more years. It will get MUCH better! 92+
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Strong piss, barnyard whiff that's quite unlike its French counterparts. This is closer to to the horse's ass! Strong, sharp flavors of black cherry, blackberry, lavender, leather, toasted caramel and toasted oak. This is a bold, masculine wine that is probably powered mostly by the oak, but is wonderfully balanced and complex. Tannins are sharp, and could see a bit more time in the cellar to add more finesse, but is drinking wonderfully now with some aeration. Drink now until 2020.
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The nose on this was a bit subdued at first but really opened up after some time. I got an interesting note of Off Insect Repellent - which believe it or not was an enjoyable element for me. There was also plenty of big dark red fruits, spice, flowers... many things floating around in there. First contact with the mouth was an attack of deep rich concentrated flavor... like scintillating crystals of flavor dancing on my tongue. Then what REALLY got me was the finish. It just kept going and going, peeling off in layers, delivering new angles and new impressions. This wine was truly a joy to drink.
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Dark purple. Wonderful dark fruits on the nose. Combination of old and new world styles and 30 second finish. Probably drinking too early. Would buy more of this special wine. A big hit at a tasting I did last year.
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Christmas 2010; 12/26/2010-1/5/2011 (Lille, France): Grrrrrrr. This is a sexy wine - showing really well tonight and the fruit and structure are starting to blend together giving the wine a more polished feel without the chunky tannins of last year. Years ahead of it and probably 2-3 years from its peak, but no harm in popping a bottle now.
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First bottle of this wine that we have opened. Decanted two hours before tasting. Dark garnet. Mineral and dark fruit nose. Still a little tight. Black cherry, blackberry, cocoa and spice. Long finish. Tannins nicely integrated. This is a rich and flavorful beauty. Will probably wait another year for the next bottle although it is excellent now. We had a small amount left to drink on night two and it was still doing well.
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Huge wine... deep purple/black color. Dark fruits, graphite, blueberry and some smokey oak spices on the nose and palate. Very full bodied on the palate with a long, lingering finish.
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Dark red to the rim. Nose was reticent at first but opened up after an hour in the decanter to reveal raspberries, a lot of underbrush and touch of vanilla. Was borderline funky at first but blew off to reveal a nice complexity. Excellent mouthfeel, thick and plush with grippy tannins on the finish. I think this wine is going through a dumb stage and I suspect that another couple of years in the cellar will elevate the score considerably. www.advinetures.ca
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Starting to shut down a touch I feel - the flavours were much more muted but the quality remains. Coffee bean, oak, vanilla but all working well with the dark fruit. I would recommend a serious decant if you are broaching this in the near future.
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Oh dear what's going on here? Oak on the nose and industrial quantities on the palate. There's good fruit too but the oak dominates. I like modern Ribera wines but like to balance those purchases with different styles. I had regarded Alion as among the more restrained modern wines. This isn't much different to a disappointing 2006 Pago de Carraovejas I had last year. Interestingly a 2004 Pago last week had more integrated oak and was a much better drink. I hope with time this improves as at the moment for the price it's daylight robbery.
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Utterly amazing, such a beautiful wine and an excellent example from the region that we are so much in love with - Black, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, cherry, spice, pencil lead, lavender, tobacco and vanilla, amazing complexity and weight, great balance and integration, a touch young, bitter, sweet and long on the palate wtih amazing length, stunning! (94 Points).
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Decanted 4 hours earlier, it needs that. Even then the development in the glass is enourmous. Beautiful nose, red berries, a little mocca. Dark and deep. Beautiful balance, absolutely not too alcoholic. This is a powerful wine, yet refined. Great class.
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So young and still so impressive - i would serve this at any time - very mature Opaque red/maroon color, full bodied. Nose of cigar, cedre and mushroom. Alcohol here is borderline. Luxurious texture, silky and smooth, closed tannins. this wine clearly shows the potential of the future
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Decanted for an hour first...nose is not overly expressive, but does have distinct notes of plum, mulberry, and dark chocolate. The palate pays off in spades however...lush velvety smooth mouthfeel, and there is plenty of dark fruit flavour which culminates in a nice 1-2 minute finish. The wine is certainly made in a modern style, however the oak is not excessive. Tannins are extremely refined, and made beautiful music when paired with a medium rare 16-Oz rib steak. This wine has the structure to last several more years, but is already drinking wonderfully now.
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After 2 hour decant Nose - nice tempranillo fruit (ample fruit) Body - medium full Palette - nice tempranillo fruit. Round, not too tanic. So nice, but fairly one dimensional. No complexity. Value - paid $80, worth $50. QPR: below average Drank at Cythia's condo, with Stewart, watching 2010 Winter Olympic Openning Ceremonies. A historic occassion.
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Despite this being all Tempranillo, this wine, made in the new world international style, is all smooth dark berries. Mmm mmm. I could be forgiven for thinking there was Cabernet mixed in. Who knows how many times they changed the oak, as Richard said over lunch in Madrid at Club 31. This is just such a pleasure to drink.
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Ordered this wine off a retaurant menu at a dinner with friends. Having immensely enjoyed the Vega Sicilia Unico 1996, I was already sold on the Alion. Decanted for about 2 hours and drank over a quick hour and a half between my friend and I. Beautiful complex nose of dark fruit, blueberries, mocha, spices and flowers and oak, fully reflected on the palate for a medium to full bodied excellent wine. Great structure, balance and finish, fine strong tannins and this wine will definitely reach its full elegance after a few years of cellaring. A wine to keep an eye on.
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2 hours air. Smooth, concentrated, creamy, blueberry and damson plum - delicious. V. modern - is there any sense of place? Not that different from the Amarone the night before. Yet still no denying the quality of the winemaking. And gets better with each glass.
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Deeply extracted. This one of two bottles recently shipped from California reminds me initially of a young Cap de Faugeres. Roasted, Amarone-like on the nose. Man, Spain can gain levels of concentration as extracted as anything in new world Bordeaux, if not more. Not saying that's good or bad, just an observation. I wonder how well this will age? If this were Bordeaux, people would be complaining that it is some Parkerized, Magrez sell-out. Great finish, as expected. Is the '04 Pintia more inky purple-colored? I say yes. I wonder what the oak situation is here, it is well done but might need a little more time to integrate. Unlike some Parkerized new-world right banker that ends up "thin in the 'mid-palate'" <rolls eyes>, though, this wine keeps building in complexity and depth. Is there a fine line between Cap de Faugeres and Bodegas y Vinedos Alion Ribera del Duero? Probably not. Nutty. Blueberries. If I felt this were going to age like a fine Bordeaux, I'd buy a case or two at the $55 "on sale" price at Premier Cru as I write this. By the end it is less Amarone-like, less volatile, less racy, more classy and substantial. This is a wild horse that needs to be lassoed. I'll buy (cautiously) a couple more bottles at the $55 "on sale" price at Premier Cru, but not the case or two. This seems to be a wine of eminence, but i'm not sure the case is yet closed. I'll give it 94 impressive points for the experience tonight, but I reserve the right to change that score up or down after I have those three extra bottles in the fifteen or so years ahead.... Rating: 94 points.
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Opaque red/maroon color, full bodied. Nose of cigar, cedre and mushroom. Alcohol here is borderline. Luxurious texture, silky and smooth, closed tannins. I found this Alion looking for exclusivity more than itself. Lacking complexity, fuit and freshness, it is more a second range Bordeaux than a top range Ribera.
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Such a gorgeous nose....i can't stop smelling this! Roasted marshmellows, nuts, coffee, macciatto... The palate has notes of coconut, vanilla, espresso, sweet cherry, blueberry, florals and minerals The finish is the best part of this wine....it comes at you and demands respect...comes at you in waves...so layered...so complex!
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Stunning aromatics. I knew it was going to be a treat as I tried it at a tasting last fall. But this is just outstanding material served with rare cuts of bbq rosemary flank steak. Complex and expensive wood making a striking presence here. 14.5% alcohol evidently. Far superor to the 2002 I had previously. No need to go into further descriptors or analysis here. Just go and buy more. Why waste your money on 2004 Bordeaux? This tastes great now and can age better. Outstanding.
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Day 1 - some clove on opening. Heat from alcohol. A little bitter. After an hour, creamy / velvet, plum / damson, a little expresso. Fantastic. Day 2 - cork and fridge overnight. 1 hour air. Bitterness gone. Less alcohol heat. Blackcurrant and plum fruit, little fresh herb, rich velvet. Like a Pomerol - although more modern. More balanced than yesterday. Wonderful.
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WOW!!! First it was cool out of the cellar - very easy drinking with some sweet tanins and fantastic graphite, berries and flowers on the nose. After 2 hours in the bottle it developed into a strong well structured vine that is worth ageing: berries again, graphite and also tones of grilled leather and a lot more...
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Drank over four hours. Still too tight and young but it feels like it has the bones for something better if I had waited a few more hours. Will try my other bottle in a few years down the road. Was hoping for more.
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Cinn tst crunch lilac and florals on the nose. masculine but so balanced with feminine notes... Rich chewy red fruits vanilla tone espresso grilled meats (savory in tone) chewing on violet flowers.
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Meaty and wonderful. Very nicely done wine. Showing a bit short right now because it is quite young. Well done. I like it at $50. At $60 its ok. At $90 its out of the park.
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Nose of violets, roasted nuts, espresso, blueberry, minerals, and fat Palate shows blueberry, roasted nuts, espresso, cola, floral, bacon, minerals with medium+ acid and tannin Finish is long with nuts, coffee, blueberry, mocha, espresso and violets.....so long, so complex...AWESOME!
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dark and brooding, made in new world international style but still oozes class. Dark fruit (blackcurrant?) on the palate but generally still quite tannic and needs more time. I think I would have guessed blind that this is part of the tempranillo new oak revolution, but who knows.
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Le dernier vin rouge de la soirée était le Alion 2004, Ribera-del-duero. À mes yeux, il était clairement dans une classe à part. Tout à fait en jeunesse, avec une bonne acidité et des tannins biens présents, il demeurait toutefois parfaitement en équilibre. Les 3 heures de carafe lui ont permis de s’ouvrir et de nous faire expérimenter un grand vin. Lorsqu’on l’avait croisé la première fois, lors de la dégustation Cellier Prestige à la SAQ, il était ressorti comme le gagnant de la soirée. Cette fois-ci, bien que la compétition soit moins relevée, il est encore mon gagnant.
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Curiosity got the better of me and I opened up another bottle of this now that it has been resting for a few weeks. Nose: rich, pure, elegant - quite a bit of power - dark fruits, cedar, some barnyard. Taste: vanilla, oak, deep, primary fruit - this wine is seriously tightly wound up at the moment but is packed full of class and charm. This has the potential to be a superb wine given enough time to bed in. Superb.
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Fall Fest 2008: nose: fairly fruit forward which is a bit bothersome considering that its from RDD, still that said, there is really good depth on this with well defined tones of ripe cherries, smoke, anise, and black currants
taste: nice smooth and full feel with blackberries, ripe cherries, smoke, and anise
overall: The polish on this is excellent. Very smooth and balanced with good body to it. I did miss though more of the black fruits that i get from RDD wines, as this was in a more forward and international style. Still, it has a really good blackberry attack and anise based finish
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Bought a case of this wine and cracked open a bottle to assess how long it needs. Obviously drinking way too young at the moment. Appearance: Intense, dark, glistening. Nose: Wow - serious nose of cedar, vanilla, dark cherries, rich earth and brooding dark fruits. This has notes of Bordeaux and Burgundy in there in a powerful and complex mix. Taste: Complex, full, oppulent. Fine tannins cut through the rich fruit - there is a bit of acidity. At the moment the taste is a bit cloying and rich but this will dissapate with age. There is a bit of heat from the alcohol right now, but not surprising given the age of the wine. This is certainly more complex that previous Alion's I have had. Tasted the next day but it was plummy and flat. This wine needs at least 5 years for the constituent parts to integrate - and will age for 10 years+. Utterly wonderful and will improve.
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3/9/2024 - brianakrin wrote: 93 Points
Drinking well. Rich,round & smooth
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12/3/2023 - 911henrik wrote: 92 Points
Lots of fruit still. Won’t get any better but will hold
Up another 5 years or so
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11/12/2023 - acheng wrote:
This one is better. But on its downward course. Drink up
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11/12/2023 - acheng wrote: flawed
badly corked
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11/6/2023 - AJCowen Likes this wine: 95 Points
This took every bit of 7 hours to even start opening. First night, still biund up but herbaceous, some ripe blueberry. Second night it really shined. Much more fruit forward, currant and black plum coming through and still herby.
Lovely wine but give it A LOT of time.
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10/7/2023 - Cailles wrote: 94 Points
No notes taken. From double magnum. So much bacon fat, dark fruit, earthy notes, with herbs in the background. Superb nose. On the palate less exciting but still great, fine red and blue fruit, herbs, earthy notes. This Alion did shine bright.
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10/2/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is described as a powerful yet balanced vintage, and WMK was rather excited that I chose this vintage from Ribera del Duero.
Rated RP 96/100 and Jancis 18+/20.
High in richness and intensity, surprisingly concentrated and somewhat lacking in the elegance I find in younger Alions. I this is by far the most expressive expression of an Alion I have ever enjoyed, likely due to the super 2004 vintage as well as the fact that this is one of 4,000 magnums ever produced.
History: Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned family of Vega Sicilia only back in 1991. Vines: Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. 18 hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate.
Tannins: Medium+ . Slightly grippy, amazing that the tannins are still quite structured. Acid: Medium. Beautifully balanced and so well integrated after nearly 20 years of cellaring.
Finish: Medium-long, at 30 to 40 seconds. Cellaring: Probably the only vintage of Alion which could put up with 20-30 years!
Second day review: I kept 2 pours in a refrigerator to see how this would fare, and it has improved even further. Sweetness coming through. Sexy spice notes with higher minerality, with more ripe plums too.
Third day review: Our last pour.. lots of raisins. Tannins dusty, acidity mainly resolved. Amazing longevity.. 3 days!! I can imagine that this was nose-first a decade ago, and how the palate has developed beautifully and will continue to do so going forward
This was the single most expensive Alion I have ever indulged in, purchased from Ponti Cellars Singapore at 180 USD per 750 ml (Nearly 400 USD for this 1.5 L magnum). But my Vivino Malaysia "Happy hour kakis" deserved it, my birthday celebration at Tang Room with WMK, DQ, SKT, Romz, JY, Mika, LF and EC too. Thanks bros!
July 2023
Malaysia
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7/16/2023 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 93 Points
Magnum 1.5 L on the occasion of my 49th birthday this year.. Cheers, lads!
This is described as a powerful yet balanced vintage, and WMK was rather excited that I chose this vintage from Ribera del Duero. Rated RP 96/100 and Jancis 18+/20.
High in richness and intensity, surprisingly concentrated and somewhat lacking in the elegance I find in younger Alions. I this is by far the most expressive expression of an Alion I have ever enjoyed, likely due to the super 2004 vintage as well as the fact that this is one of 4,000 magnums ever produced.
Varietal: 100% Tempranillo Aging: About 12-14 months in new French oak.
Nose: Strawberries have evolved into very ripe raspberries with some lavender. Light minerality as well.
Palate: Ripe dark plums, blueberries and cocoa.
Mid-palate: Some chocolate, polished leather and licorice. Complex!
History: Bodegas Alion was started by the renowned family of Vega Sicilia only back in 1991.
Vines: Grapes are sourced from vineyards next to the winery and from Vega Sicilia’s own vineyards at Valbuena. 18 hectares of Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) form the actual Alion estate.
The most expensive Alion I have ever indulged in, purchased from Ponti Cellars Singapore at 180 USD per 750 ml (Nearly 400 USD for this 1.5 L magnum).
But my Vivino Malaysia "Happy hour kakis" deserved it, my birthday celebration at Tang Room with WMK, DQ, SKT, Romz, JY, Mika, LF and EC too. Thanks bros!
Tannins: Medium+ . Slightly grippy, amazing that the tannins are still quite structured.
Acid: Medium. Beautifully balanced and so well integrated after nearly 20 years of cellaring.
Finish: Medium-long, at 30 to 40 seconds.
Cellaring: Probably the only vintage of Alion which could put up with 20-30 years!
Second day review: I kept 2 pours in a refrigerator to see how this would fare, and it has improved even further. Sweetness coming through. Sexy spice notes with higher minerality, with more ripe plums too.
Third day review: Our last pour.. lots of raisins. Tannins dusty, acidity mainly resolved. Amazing longevity.. 3 days!! I can imagine that this was nose-first a decade ago, and how the palate has developed beautifully and will continue to do so going forward.
Tang Room, Malaysia
Vivino lads and their wives
16th Jul 2023
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1/27/2023 - matchbox2011 Likes this wine: 94 Points
We drank this wine within a duration of four days. Second day was best, but allover on each day the wine wr really enjoyable.
The wine looks purple colored. There is no sediment in the bottle. It smells like plum, cherry, forest floor, toast and cedar. The body is medium/full. The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes long. The wine has low acidity.
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10/20/2022 - lolo66 wrote: 92 Points
a bit modern but not in a bad way. some cocoa on nose, balanced, middle weight - seems to need more time.
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10/9/2022 - mdanyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
Another great bottle. Cork came out cleanly. Fair amount of sediment.
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9/9/2022 - 911henrik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leather, Forrest berries, sweet liquorice. Clearly mature, but still vital and will hold up another couple of years. Drink now!
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9/3/2022 - MarkRichards Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still has years left. Wonderful after minutes or hours today.
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6/12/2022 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 96 Points
Very similar to my last notes. Ages well. Delicious.
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12/10/2021 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color. Complex nose of incense, sweet black cherry, dust, and a touch of yogurt. Full bodied on the palate with residual ripe tannins on the finish.
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11/14/2021 - wurzel68 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nicht optimal gelagert, trotzdem gut. Kirsche, Erde, Laub, Trockenobst, etwas Menthol, Tabak; am Gaumen mittlerer Körper, gute Säure, Tannin gut abgeschmolzen, gute Länge. Bei optimaler Lagerung bestimmt 1-2 Punkte besser.
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11/11/2021 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 98 Points
Colour is red with bricking. Aromas are nice and rich with ripe plums, spices, mushrooms, a meaty element, spices, tobacco.
Flavours follow and toss in some dark drying berry fruit (plumminess is primary), cherries, umami, vague chocolate, black olives.
This is a soft and round wine, beautifully integrated, medium to full bodied. Nice full juicy dusty mouthfeel. My only negative would be I wish the acidity was a touch more as some fattiness does creep into the overall feel.
This wine was way better then I was expecting. This has been one of my favorite wines over the years.
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7/11/2021 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby at its core but red brick is the dominant colour. Nose of earth, tapenade, mushroom compost, bbq meat. The palate is savoury taking all those tertiary flavours of cooked meat, umami, black olives. The fruit that is there is of the red cherry variety but this wine is now fully mature and the fruit that is left is fading. Lovely now but don’t hang on to it for too long.
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6/30/2021 - Yagil wrote: 94 Points
Top Spanish wines (originally RP 95+) (George & John restaurant, Drisko hotel, TLV): dark opaque red-brown-black
Intense ripe-fruity-plummy aromas with notes of chocolate, light spices & tobacco
Excellent harmony, soft & round integrated tannins, still a pleasant amount of ripe fruitiness, coated with a thick layer of chocolate, silky mature sensation with subtle notes of spices and delicate wood. Long finish of a great Ribera wine, a full bodied wine that is, still, in great shape and is very much enjoyable. Can further age 5-10 years.
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5/14/2021 - Ribera74 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Härligt mogen doft av körsbär, charkuterier, läder, lite vanilj. Mogen smak av körsbär, granatäpple, läder, vanilj, lite ek i eftersmaken, väldigt mjuka och fina tanniner, smaken hänger kvar länge i munnen. Vinet utvecklas snabbt i glaset, kommer inte bli bättre med ålder men kommer säkert hålla ettag till. Fint vin som dricks mycket bra nu
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5/13/2021 - RuneW Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfect cork without saturation. The colour is deep red towards purple with a hint of brick at the rim. Generous and complex nose with dark ripe fruit, coffe, leather and marzipan. On the palate, the wine is fullbodied with dark and ripe fruit and a meaty texture. Well-balanced acidity. Tannins are smooth but still with a good grip. Overall a very well balanced wine with lots of flavours and a great structure. The tertiary characters have arrived, but this will probably stay at this level for many years still.
https://instagram.com/vin_rune?r=nametag
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5/12/2021 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last bottle. My notes say that 4 of the last 6 bottles had bad corks. 3 were drinkable and 1 had to be tossed. This bottle has a good cork and drank very well......classic Ribera Del Duero.
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3/4/2021 - WineGuyFL wrote:
Another cork that broke in two. The wine was decent, but not as good as it should be.
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1/24/2021 - ubercuvee wrote:
I thought it was a bit marred by high alcohol and VA. I’ve loved a lot of Alion from the mid-90s so I’m not sure what to make of this.
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1/6/2021 - maxima wrote: 93 Points
Toujours de la BOMBE ce vin, SUPERBE.
Encore une fois, complexe et bien équilibré.
Nez sur les fruits noirs, les épices et un peu de tabac.
En bouche, c'est velouté et rien n'accroche.
Des cerises, du poivre, du chocolat et
un peu de menthol.
Les tannins sont polis et fins.
La finale très longue perdure longtemps avec
des relents de minéraux.
Excellent.
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1/5/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
My last of 4 btls purchased on release. I really didn't enjoy the first two btls overwhelmed by their oak treatment & lacking the fruit & terroir transparency I seek. Well, my takeaway is this bottle proves this wine needs a lot of time to get someplace I can appreciate. Drinking this young is not unlike drinking BDX on release. And, if I wanted BDX, that's what I would have bought in hindsight. Finally, a full 16yrs later, this is much closer to drinking old school Rioja and has evolved into an intriguing wine. Opened 75 minutes prior to dinner and found this open for business. I used my supersized red Burg style shaped glasses which was almost like decanting the wine :). The cork was dried out and crumbly. Color was ruby turning garnet w/ a dark center and considerable bricking on the perimeter. This opened with perfuse aromas of leather, cigar & underbrush. The palate still offers sweet dark fruit but now complimented by a nice range of tertiary light iron & leather notes, mushroom and forest floor. Its no longer ponderous and a whole lot more delineated. I do think this is near peak so no regrets its my last. I paid $70 on release locally and notice CT shows an auction value of $79 today. So in spite of its Vega Sicilia pedigree this estate is apparently a whole lot less chased. Just a touch of heat from the Alc 14.5% While I really enjoyed this btl I still much prefer Lopez from Rioja. Throwing quite a bit of sediment. Probably best to decant but I poured carefully from the same direction opposite the sediment line, every time.
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12/19/2020 - Shapnyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Bright delicious had it with a veal chop with lemon squeezed on top. Great complement. I feel it has years to go
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12/6/2020 - WineGuyFL Likes this wine: 93 Points
The cork in this bottle was OK after three bad ones in a row. This drinking experience was what I expected when I bought it.....classic Ribera Del Duero.
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11/22/2020 - alba_br Likes this wine: 93 Points
Delicioso
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11/8/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote: 91 Points
Similar to a bottle from a few months ago. I echo my and other tasting notes........that I have now had three bottles in a row with corks that broke in two and/or crumbled. In one case the wine was not drinkable. Last night, the wine was drinkable, but not as good as it once was, nor up to the price point.....both the purchase price and current auction value. I would be a short term drinker of this one.
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10/9/2020 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
The cork crumbled to powder but after a decant through a sieve: deep ruby color. Nose of sweet black cherry, mineral notes, a touch of licorice and spice. Full bodied and silky on the palate with real presence and length.
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9/3/2020 - WineGuyFL wrote:
This bottle was undrinkable. The cork completely crumbled. A prior bottle from a few weeks back was OK, but not as good as earlier bottles. So this is a Bad Cork Alert. My bottles have been well stored. I have 3 or 4 bottles left, but am not optimistic about them.
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7/19/2020 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still thick with colour - very deep red. A powerful black fruit nose with a streak of acidic red fruit, a little mushroom and a hit of mixed (pink and black) peppercorns; a hint of menthol too. Juicy black fruit flavours, with mushroom, perhaps even truffle, notes. Dry and highly structured. An intense black fruit finish, later becoming more earthy. Layers of fruit and savoury depth. Really very nice.
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6/6/2020 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
Last two bottle's corks have disintegrated so used an Ah-So. Decanted. Significant sediment in previous bottles and here also. More reserved nose than I remember but superb on the palate. Rich black cherry, cedar, balsamic, herb and mineral with a long finish. A fabulous wine and unfortunately our last bottle.
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5/17/2020 - mdanyc Likes this wine: 91 Points
This is the seventh bottle I’ve had out of this case, and for me the wine is finally hitting its stride. Good fruit still, not too oaky, the whole experience very smooth. No rush to finish this case, but will open further bottles with more confidence!
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5/9/2020 - 911henrik wrote: 96 Points
Perfect timing. Had originally 30 bottles of this wine and have been drinking over time, but this one was clearly the best one. Seamless, brilliant!!!!
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4/20/2020 - rayq wrote: 92 Points
This is vastly improved from my last bottle.
Balsamic and leather notes on the nose. Oak has integrated thankfully. Tertiary but aged sweet fruit notes. Not great length but a lovely mature RdelD that's in a lovely place for my tastes right now.
Age works wonders.
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4/8/2020 - jkscully Likes this wine:
Sappy Blueberry (think blueberry pie), Bing cherry, cassis, and plum fruits, with strong Christmas spice, strong chocolate, and hints of fennel and coriander seed, with tobacco, vanilla, mocha, and a fruity Ethiopian pour-over on the finish. Red fruits of raspberry and strawberry emerged on day 2. I opened a bottle of 1996 Pesquera Reserva last week and, compared to that bottle, this one felt much more new world in style (it reminded me of Chilean wine). I enjoyed it immensely, but at the same time, I noticed less typicidty of region and grape. For example, I didn’t pick up on as much exotic Indian spice, herbs, or mint flavors as I tend to find in many Spanish Tempranillos (though I got some on day 2). At any rate, this is a powerful wine. Nice drying tannins, especially on day 2.
Drinking well now, but could easily go for longer and probably would have been even better a few years from now. Needed a good three hours of air on day 1 and a good 1.5 hours on day 2. Great in Riedel Hermitage glass, so didn’t even try it in other glasses.
In short: spectacular wine, but I want a little less inter
national style and more expression of terroir. I was sad when the bottle was finished.
Respectable for $90, but amazing for the $45 blowout deal I paid. If I could go back in time, I would try to convince my poor graduate student self to make some sacrifices and find a way to buy more than just one bottle of this wine for $45.
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4/5/2020 - Philip67 wrote: 90 Points
Ripe sweet fruit but really quite tart - not what I was expecting - Burg lovers this is for you. Definitely better with wine. Classy oak on the nose and palate. Nuanced complex. For me fruit not big enough to balance to acidity - so ultimately this is out of balance.
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11/4/2019 - WildeMeeuw wrote: 89 Points
Kleur: Diep donkerrood. Aroma / bouquet: Direct na openen vertoont dewijn een expressief aroma van donker bessenfruit. Na enige beluchting verdwijnt dat karakter, maar resteert een meer rijp bouquetvan gedroogde dadels en gedroogde pruimen en gemberkoek. Smaak / Afdronk: Lekker. Zachte zuurgraad. Krachtig en stoer, uitgesproken tannines met een duidelijke bittertoon en een lange - wat hoekige - finale. Algemeen / potentieel: Mooie wijn. Maar weer een wijn die me versterkt in mijn groeiende overtuiging dat het maar héél weinig Spaanse wijnen vergund is om ècht overtuigend 'oud en grijs' te worden en in de eindfase beter te worden dan daarvoor. Deze wijn is lekker, geeft genot. Maar was vermoedelijk een paar jaar geleden significant beter geweest. Mijn nieuwe motto: Vrijwel alle Spaanse wijnen moet je binnen 10 jaar drinken en er zeker ook van genieten in hun jeugd! 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Smaak / Afdronk: 14 + Algemeen / potentieel: 8 = 89/100
Google Translate:
Color: Deep dark red. Aroma / bouquet: Immediately after opening, the wine exhibits an expressive aroma of dark berry fruit. After a little aeration that character disappears, but a more ripe bouquet of dried dates and dried plums and gingerbread remains. Taste / Aftertaste: Tasty. Gentle acidity. Powerful and tough, pronounced tannins with a clear bitter tone and a long - somewhat angular - final. General / potential: Beautiful wine. But again a wine that reinforces me in my growing conviction that very few Spanish wines are permitted to become really 'old and gray' and to get better in the final phase than before. This wine is tasty, gives pleasure. But had probably been significantly better a few years ago. My new motto: You must drink almost all Spanish wines within 10 years and certainly enjoy them in their youth! 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 12 + Taste / Finish: 14 + General / potential: 8 = 89/100
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10/23/2019 - BillBell73 wrote:
I’m not sure this ever really shed the heavy oak regimen it was subjected to. Strong, bitter tannins on the front end and a somewhat pinched and disjointed finish. I don’t particularly care for where this wine is right now but perhaps it will improve when the tannins fade? That seems to be ten years in the future and there certainly isn’t a lot of fruit to go that distance.
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9/16/2019 - maxima wrote: 93 Points
Bu lors de notre Working Lunch de Vendredi au Resto AVV La Fringale de Granby avec les FOUDUVIN!
Ouvert le matin, le bouchon a éclaté, donc le vin a été filtré puis remis en bouteille non-bouchée jusqu’au diner.
Superbe bouteille encore une fois.
Un nez qui embaume lors de l’ouverture de la bouteille.
Des épices, de fruits noirs, des herbes et une pointe de tabac.
En bouche, c’est ample mais bien équilibré. Belle matière, c’est soyeux et complexe.
Des framboises, des mures, du poivre, du chocolat et un peu de cèdre.
Le boisé est à peine perceptible, les tanins sont fins et
La finale est interminable.
Dieu que c’est beau et un beau RQP dans le temps, encore un Espagnol qui me confirme que ça vaut la peine de les encaver sur le moyen à long terme.
Quelques maisons sures comme Alvaro Palacios, CVNE, Alejandro Fernandez, Muga, Marqués de Murrieta, Torres et La Rioja Alta sont ceux que j’encave.
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8/22/2019 - Renevin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez qui évolue, bleuets, boisé, graphite. En bouche tout est bien fondu. Ampleur moyenne, belle longueur. À boire
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6/2/2019 - Rollerball wrote: 93 Points
The oak is beautifully integrated and the fruit is savory and spicy, gracefully lifting this big, masculine wine. Showy but dashing enough to pull it off. Great on its own or with food and drinking at top plateau; we let it open in the glass over a few hours.
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5/29/2019 - acheng wrote: 92 Points
Generous plummy and spice. Still maintaining great fruit density. Aging slowly.
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5/28/2019 - Cailles wrote: 92 Points
From a double magnum. No detailed notes. Some hints of tertiary aromatics mixed with sweet strawberries, cacao and earth. Fresh and balanced. A good wine but no standout.
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5/13/2019 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Weekly tasting group RWP #330; Spain; Priorat, Rioja or Ribeira del Duero (@ JdB): In the bouquet dark berries, chocolate, vanilla and a firm amount of sweet spices. Same on the palate. Beautiful acidity and a good length. The tannin still has a soft bite.
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4/13/2019 - aknot13 wrote: 96 Points
Nose: black fruits, floral notes, espresso, leather, cedar wood, some tobacco, vanilla, clove, herbs, chocolate, very complex. Mouth: dark fruits, incredible acidity, integrated tannins, very long finish with ripe dark fruits and some earth. Impeccable balance - everything is in the right place. Vintage 2004, perhaps the best Alion ever made. 96 pt.
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1/6/2019 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Dieu que c`est beau ce vin, encore une fois
un bon move d`avoir des Espagnols en cave, pour le prix
difficile à battre et super stable en cave.
Beau nez sur les herbes le tabac et les fruits rouges.
En bouche, souple et bien équilibré.
Des cerises, des mures et du poivre avec de la terre
et un peu d`herbes. Belle complexité et
une finale bien longue ou rien n`accroche.
Superbe encore une fois.
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1/5/2019 - drmarclevine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Terrific juice. Has evolved since our last bottle in '16. Decanted one hour. Wine-stained wood, Christmas spices, and deep black raspberry in the glass. Got more intense with air. Harmonious in the mouth. Red berries with bottom notes of braised plums but plenty of spicy, edgy tannins to round things out. Still singing at the 15-year mark. Probably at the back-end of its peak drinking window but will hold in this place for a few more years. Glad we have one more in the cellar.
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8/26/2018 - cos82 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank at our annual tapas and pig roast which means too much wine consumed and memory fades. Black in color. Black fruits and floral notes on the nose. Delicious sweet palate of red and black fruits, tobacco and a slight earthiness. No tannin. My wine of the night among 3 white riojas, 1 sherry, 8 Spanish reds and 1 dessert wine. I only review what comes from my cellar.
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8/11/2018 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Quel beau vin, encore un autre Espagnol qui
me prouve qu`il faut les attendre car ils vieillissent en beauté.
Nez sur le café, les épices et les fruits noirs.
En bouche, bel équilibre et complexité.
Mocha, cerise et poivre avec un peu de graphite, les tannins sont fins et
la finale longue et suave, Superbe!
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8/4/2018 - mimik Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark and brooding with beautiful cedar and black cherry notes on the nose with similar replays on the pallette. Very structured with good density full bodied and very approachable but it has a cord that can benefit from another 3 to 5 years of aging. Long black cherry finish.
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5/26/2018 - Chrism422 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wonderful and worthy of the several years of cellaring.
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4/7/2018 - aknot13 wrote: 95 Points
Spectacular!
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2/27/2018 - ve23 Likes this wine: 94 Points
94/100. NO DEFECT CAN BE A BIT BORING
This is an immaculate and flawless commercial wine, with licorice, vanilla and menthol, paired with thick, energetic palate. Cheeky and playful, a playboy in red.
In a short while, as it breathes, tertiary depth comes forward, with cedar wood and cigar box, complex and shamelessly beautiful. At its apex.
Upping my original 93 by 1 point for that - but man, I want less ideal everything in my wines, less silicone and more sincerity.
WS 89, RP 96, Vinous 92, JR 18/20
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2/18/2018 - maxima wrote: 93 Points
Superbe encore une fois, similaire à mes autres notes.
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2/18/2018 - Stirling Likes this wine: 94 Points
Still very dark red in colour. This wine has developed a lot since we last tasted it in 2010. The wine has a very expressive nose of red and black fruits supported by spice, cedar, earth and a hint of vanilla. On the palate there is medium+ body and medium acidity. The mouthfeel is elegant and sophisticated: not at all a bruiser but intense flavours of raspberry, plum and tobacco notes with good structure. Lots of complexity, this reminded us of a classified growth Bordeaux in its sophistication. Very long finish, this is definitely a wine to have with food. Paired perfectly with grilled steaks! www.advinetures.ca
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1/27/2018 - 911henrik wrote: 95 Points
OMG this is the shit!
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12/24/2017 - larryw wrote: 91 Points
Clear dark garnet in color; burnt cinnamon, clove and leather on the nose; nicely balanced with very little tannin bite, and mid-range finish. Had with steak dinner. Evaluation probably affected somewhat by a lingering cold that I've been battling for the past week or so.
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11/30/2017 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cedar, espresso, dark chocolate, nice acidity to, dark cherries, medium to full body, cinnamon, beautiful long finish.
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11/7/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
I had taken on a grudging resentment for this wine's claim on 2 limited spots in my wine cabinet. So I finally pulled both btls and parked them under the stairs in my passive short term storage for near term drinking. As further sign of my disrespect for the wine I opened it with a week night spaghetti dinner. Well, wouldn't you know, I finally enjoyed one of these more modern styled Tempranillos! Tonight's blt has finally almost pushed its heavy oak treatment to the background and this is starting to drink like aged BDX at age 13. Showed some great cigar box aromas that carries over to the palate along with some still barrel infused red fruit, cedar and minerlity. Not bad tonight! I won't ever be buying more but I'm relieved that my last 2 btls are tolerably within range of my palate. Maybe Ill throw the last btl back in the cabinet and let it age for 3+ more years :).
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10/29/2017 - Janstan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very smooth and well balanced. Pepper on front. Briars with briary, toasted coconut and caramel on finish. Dark chocolate.
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10/13/2017 - strijbosmh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine. Medium bodied. Classy nose of cigar box and underbrush. Delicate palate with pure dark red fruit and beautifully integrated tannins. Ready for prime drinking. Gorgeous Alíon.
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8/14/2017 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
More than a touch of class, silky fruit, good inner core, well balanced. Stylish finish. Drinking very well now.
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7/21/2017 - joelshine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed some time to open.
Likely near its peak now
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6/25/2017 - Yagil wrote: 92 Points
dark translucent red-purple
dark fruits elegant nose with chocolate & corn notes
rich full bodied, firm tannins, excellent balance & harmony, sweet fruit upfront, well structured, good complexity,
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6/23/2017 - adipovino Likes this wine: 94 Points
Pleasantly surprised by how this has developed. In a very good place now. Rich dark fruit with integrated wood and round tannins. Will improve for several more years. Excellent.
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5/23/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
A Mixed Bag at Young Joni (Young Joni, NE Mpls): Very dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over an hour. This was savory on the nose with a mix of sweet dark red and black fruits, dill, spice box, and oak. The palate feels medium full bodied, more black cherry and black raspberry here, dill, oak, spicy. This was becoming more interesting over the hour and can really still use some significant air or cellar time.
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5/23/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 89 Points
Candace's btl. Better than I expected. Coming into some sort of balance but still over oaked for my palate. Not excited by this wine but perhaps it improves with another couple years still? Or not.
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5/22/2017 - joshabramson Likes this wine: 94 Points
Rich fruit, nicely structured with mostly integrated tannins, but I bet this will continue to improve over the next few years as it mellows out a bit. Very nice.
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5/5/2017 - Burgundy Al wrote: 92 Points
Ribera del Duero Wine Dinner after Yankees Beat Cubs, Plus Cinco de Mayo (Bien Mesabe - Chicago IL): Served alongside the 2001, this was more backward while also far more concentrated. Black cherries, meaty with good spice. Very good length, even if still teasing us with its potential. While the 2001 was certainly more enjoyable tonight, this will become the better wine in 5 years. Lots of upside from here.
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5/5/2017 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Tasted along side the more ready and elegant '01. Similar flavor profile to the '01, but this was a more concentrated and brooding wine. Pure red cherry fruit and spice abound. Perhaps its the better wine in the long run, but for the foreseeable future the '01 is more complete and enjoyable. Upside from here.
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3/19/2017 - acheng wrote: 93 Points
A wonderful comparison with the Rioja's. This clearly aspires to more complexity with extracted fruit. Lots going on but more toned down compared to 10 years ago when I first tried this vintage.
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1/28/2017 - chcook Likes this wine:
quick note. dark color w slightly browning edges. nose has slightly overripe fruit and oak spice. swishing shows rough oak tannin that dominates. sipping shows total polish and integrated oak. on the oaky side of wine for my tastes.
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1/4/2017 - K&J Likes this wine: 94 Points
Same notes as before.
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12/10/2016 - aknot13 wrote: 95 Points
Incredible nose, so much going on. Also, very balanced and structured with a long finish. At peak but will be great for another 10+ years.
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11/19/2016 - tomoem wrote: 91 Points
Cheng's Drink Down our Cellar Party
Well integrated Ribera with loads of black fruits set amidst a balanced expression of rich acidity and tannin (which were in check). Long finish.
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11/13/2016 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Aussi bon que mes autres bouteilles, un grand vin.
Il n`a pas décue encore une fois, un beau fruit gourmand, l`élevage qui se fait discret, les tannins fins et la finale très longue et tout en soie.
Très beau et complexe, sur son plateau je dirais, EXCELLENT!
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10/27/2016 - drmarclevine wrote: 92 Points
Very nice Ribera. Decanted one hour. Huge nose out of the bottle, mellowed with some air. Red cherry compote, baking spices, and a big hit of cloves. Raspberry, cranberry and more cloves in the mouth. Medium weight, medium finish with drying tannins. Pleasantly angular.
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9/25/2016 - lumpyelbow wrote:
Stored in cellar for 7 years. This surprised me - tasted the slightest reductive and tired. Still enjoyable and was consumed but wasn't on the development track I would have expected.
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8/29/2016 - pjaines wrote: flawed
Gah! My last bottle from this amazing case and it was faulty. A shame - 11 of the bottles were monumental.
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8/28/2016 - SteelerFan wrote: 93 Points
Medium ruby, with a great nose. Drinking very well. A big hit with the group. Smooth tannins and fresh fruit.
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7/23/2016 - redknife Likes this wine: 93 Points
Took to two chefs
A very nice wine ready to go with brief decant
Plenty of fruit, did not get too much oak nicely balanced
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7/16/2016 - Jurgens wrote: 88 Points
Not me
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7/6/2016 - K&J Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big and bold! Rich and opulent. Well integrated tannins. Life is good!
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6/5/2016 - fatboi Does not like this wine:
Found a lot of the fruit to be missing/ gone. In light of others notes maybe it was a bad bottle. Both nose and palate didn't give much. wine didn't appear dead just on its last legs.
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5/25/2016 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Ribera del Duero cost-sharing tasting event: Alion & Valbuena (Yagil's home): uncorked 90 min prior to tasting
dark opaque red-purple
tertiary ripe fruits, spicy & earthy aroma
integrated tannins, nice level of dark fruits, minerals and earth, good acidity, well balanced, nice harmony, spicy & ripe fine fruity aftertaste.
The wine is at peak and can still be aged for 5-10 years, but isn't going to improve any more.
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3/20/2016 - bacchus of knockholt Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark ruby with brick edge. Nose has ripe cherry fruit and leather notes. The palate delivers ripe red and black cherry flavours with a good length. Much better than the 2002 I had some years ago.
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2/6/2016 - tantotinto wrote: 93 Points
We opened two bottles for dinner this evening, My only complaint is that in both cases the cork disintegrated during extraction. Unfortunately, we did not have an ah-so. The wine was excellent and our score would be higher absent cork fragments.
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1/26/2016 - Wigbert wrote: 91 Points
Big nose of dark fruit, plums with a hint of chocolate, coffee and leather. Masses of tannins, well integrated. Masses of everything really, including alcohol.
Definitely a fine Ribera del Duero in a modern style. Good complexity, but a little bit imprecise and inelegant for my tastes (hence the reasonably modest score).
All 12 bottles from the case (drank during 2014 and 2015) were good and evolving well. Would probably go on drinking well for another 10+ years.
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1/12/2016 - Rezy13 wrote:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+: Dark core, chocolate, dull crimson rim; advanced nose, tar, menthol, dark berry, leather, slight dill, herbs, caramel, balsam; dark fruit, balsamico, menthol, sweeter finish, fruitcake, some grip on the finish, clay, pruney, a touch of heat on the finish; not my style.
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12/14/2015 - mhudes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep dark wine. Mocha, tobacco, blueberry, nice spices. Just delicious. Took about 30 minutes to really open up.
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10/13/2015 - dlcass Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for 2 hours; dense purple, nice nose, texture with mild complexity. Nice wine. Notes with mocha, blackberries, anise and dark chocolate.
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9/29/2015 - Pacherant wrote:
in a good place. drink up
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9/27/2015 - chanukha wrote: 90 Points
Quite soft already. Would drink soon.
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9/6/2015 - LIE-user wrote:
Slightly flawed. First I thought it's a rather minor cork tone and therefore I tried to remove it with a transparent food wrap (good trick to remove minor cork tones!). Unfortunately it did not work, so it must have been something else, e.g. some problem with bacteria.
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9/6/2015 - MSheridan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unfortunately my last bottle but this was so much better than the previous one I opened
Still a deep brooding wine with chocolate, coffee and a hint of aniseed along with toasty oak. Excellent wine and just how it was the first time I tried it which got me hooked
Will
Still has a youthfulness to it but that's what made it so endearing today. Will keep for a good while yet but this is so approachable now it's not a bad thing to start drinking it. I'd be interested to know if it can get any better than this but unfortunately will never know
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8/8/2015 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Annual Wine Group Summer Event - BBQ Brisket at Siggy's (Siggy & Jenny's Place, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color. PNP, Small taste. This still seems quite primary and youthful. Deep dark fruits, tobacco, dark chocolate, ripe black and blue fruits.
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6/30/2015 - carstenf wrote: 95 Points
Damn good Alion - had that Temp. style when best. Spice , Dark chocolate , Lavendel in some way and sure toasty oak. That wine demand about 10 years age - thats for sure.
Very GOOD and last bottle in that vintage.
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5/6/2015 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
dark opaque red-brown-black
Intense ripe-fruity-plummy aromas with notes of chocolate, light spices & tobacco
Excellent harmony, soft & round integrated tannins, still a pleasant amount of ripe fruitiness, coated with a thick layer of chocolate, silky mature sensation with subtle notes of spices and delicate wood. Long finish of a great Ribera wine, a full bodied wine that is, still, in great shape and is very much enjoyable. Can further age 5-10 years.
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3/25/2015 - Dan Martin wrote: 90 Points
too young, note the 96 was drinking exceptionally in 12'
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2/21/2015 - sharkarama Likes this wine: 91 Points
Old fruit - orange peel, spice box - threw a lot of sediment. Still tannic after 11 years. Somehow less than the sum of its parts.
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12/13/2014 - themki wrote: 93 Points
Great character, tobacco and plum, still young - decant
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10/3/2014 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Yom Kippur eve (my home): double decanting 90 min prior to enjoying
dark transparent purple
classic & qualitative nose of rich ripe fruit, oak-vanilla, black cherry, mocha-chocolate, spice, cedar, dark cooked herb and some minerality;
powerful, full bodied, soft integrated tannins, smooth, nicely balanced, good acidity level, savoury ripe fruity flavours, medium finish; solid & very enjoyable. very solid.
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9/27/2014 - neilemc Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured and smells a bit corked, with an undercurrent of prunes and raisins, spice and chocolate. It is a tiny bit oxidized but improves with air and is obviously a blockbuster, with loads of blackberries, plums, cassis, mocha, tobacco foliage, cloves, ample acidity and a long, leathery tannic finish. A mouth-filling monster (if you get good bottle) with plenty of life left.
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8/17/2014 - John from GR wrote:
Drunk against a half dozen killer Spanish reds. Loads of dark fruit, but a slightly off putting undercurrent that could have been the beginning of oxidation. The cork had crumbled and the wine was decanted through a strainer. I hope the corks in the remaining four bottles are in better condition. This wine deserves to be sworn at its best. Will not rate due to this slight flaw.
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5/2/2014 - HowardNZ Likes this wine: 94 Points
2004 Spanish wines at the Magnum Society (Wellington, New Zealand): Colour iredescent purple/red, the deepest colour on the table. Initially, I found the vanilla oak aromas on the nose a little hard to get past. However, with time in the glass the bouquet blossomed into scented dark roses, raspberry, blackberry, crème de cassis, blackberry and liquorice, integrated with the toasty oak. A very sleek entry in the mouth but large scaled with huge structure, depth and power. This is very primary. The oak is present but is well integrated on palate. Flavours of crème de cassis, mocha, dried herbs and bloody meats. Also some iron and minerality, showing real staying power in the mouth, finishes on savoury flavours. Palate well integrated with fruit weight to handle the oak. Rich with elegance, surrounded by classy, palate coating tannins. Quite approachable now but this really needs 10+ years. The overwhelming favourite of the group. Re-tasted two days later, I marked it up to my WOTN.
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5/1/2014 - galewskj wrote: 89 Points
Distinct green olive initially that mixes into yet ANOTHER very young wine at this tasting.
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4/23/2014 - MSheridan wrote:
Bought 5yrs ago having really enjoyed it at a restaurant. Based on my previous experience along with the amazing reviews here I had very high hopes which I have to admit were knocked down a little. I was waiting for that first hedonistic sip to make me say "wow" but it never came.
I was firstly very surprised by the amount of sediment. I recently read that the 2009 vintage has been recalled due to the amount if sediment and judging by this I wasn't surprised. The wine was at lower neck level and upon decantering the was a good 75ml wine remaining containing sediment. I'm surprised I've not read any other comments about this.
Having been opened a couple of hours and decanted a further hour this is still a heavyweight wine. Lots of deep rich berry and mocha flavour which stays with you a very long time. Tannins were still pretty firm and acidity levels are nicely balanced
There was a slight baked plum/prune flavour showing later in the evening and particularly on day 2 but storage conditions may have been a factor
I'll reserve my scoring for now and wait until I open my 2nd bottle but that may not be for some time even though this is now approachable
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4/19/2014 - tantotinto wrote: 95 Points
This is most definitely not the same wine that I last tasted over three years ago. Opaque purple. The nose is incredible. Rich ripe fruit, oak, herb and mineral. Black cherry, mocca, spice and cedar on the palate with a tart note on the long finish. This is a big and powerful wine, very new world. That's as in plush Napa Cab big. Yet it is very nicely balanced, delicious actually. Significant sediment upon decanting, much more than before. The amount of sediment makes me wonder if this bottle is atypical. Tonight's bottle was ready for drinking and did not seem like something that would have benefited from further aging. We opened this for my wife's birthday and she loves it. The score is hers.
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4/7/2014 - WDK wrote: 97 Points
Like smelling fresh fruit after a cleansing rainstorm. Dark ruby, awesome intense flavors of plum, coffee, berry and mineral. Superbly balanced and long finish. This wine has come a long way.
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4/4/2014 - winepaw Likes this wine: 94 Points
Tasted during wine dinner with Spanish Tapas and Paella. Big, rich, well integrated, lots of dark fruit, spice, balanced. Compared very favorably with 2004 Pintia, 2003 Vega Sicilia Valbuena and 2005 Muga Gran Enea. Stuctured to continue to age very gracefully.
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3/27/2014 - drwine2001 wrote:
Deep, primary ruby. Captivating, powerful aromatics that draw you in-cherry liqueur, briary herbs, and (it must be said) a little alcoholic heat. Concentrated, explosive middle weight package full of red fruit, mocha, and fantastic acidity that just bores into your palate and brain. Remarkably, given the forceful, mouth filling impression of the wine, the balance is superb. In short, exciting, kaleidoscopic wine that has incredible depth of fruit. This will last and evolve for decades. How much better could the Vega Sicilia itself be?
Second night-even stronger chocolate/mocha scents and flavors, but the alcohol now really is uncovered, and there is obvious pruniness. Heady for sure, but now I'm much less certain about its balance for the long run.
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3/22/2014 - redknife Likes this wine: 95 Points
brought to le provencal for our weekly group gathering. Drank next to 91 unico and Alion showed better. not young but not old either. I think it will get better with 2-3 more years of cellaring
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1/10/2014 - LIE-user wrote: 94 Points
Great cinema. Tobacco, leather and mocha. Very, very dry.
It just entered it's drinking window, but I expect it to further improve in the next three years and then will stay in perfection for quite some time. Then it probably will be around 95 or 96.
If you like Duero wines, try this if you have the chance. And make sure to give it enough time. After some hours it is a lot softer than in the first two or three hours.
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1/4/2014 - ikleinman wrote: 91 Points
Very smooth. Less fruit than expected. Very dry. Good, but not my favorite.
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12/20/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is an exceptional wine with many more years ahead of it. Beautiful dark almost purple color with some nice amber edges signature of its age. Ravishing nose of perfectly ripened blackberries and a tinge of orange-peel freshness. Full body and rich in fruit flavors with minerality and great extraction and complexity, licorice, and roasted espresso in a backdrop of multi-layered excellent new oak. Well integrated tannins and boasting medium to long memorable fruit and velvety oaky finish. Astonishing 95+
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12/14/2013 - rplumbo wrote: 100 Points
Layers upon layers in the nose. Beautifully balanced palate, long finish. As good as wine gets for me.
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12/1/2013 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Encore une fois, quel beau vin! Complexe, racé, raffiné et équilibré...un grand vin!
L`oeil : Assez foncé, un rouge rubis de bonne saturation.
Le Nez : Beau nez sur les cerises noirs, les herbes (tilleul), les épices (anis) et une pointe de fumée.
En bouche, c'est très suave et poli avec un bel équilibre.
Il y a des mures et des bleuets avec de l`anis et un boisé à peine perceptible. Belle acidité avec des tannins encore serrés.
Finale soyeuse, longue et persistante.
EXCELLENT!
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11/28/2013 - Drankard Likes this wine: 96 Points
This is good wine that is going to be great. Their are so many layers to this rich wine that has yet to unfold. Loads of ripped wild berry fruit. Balanced and great structure. Generous tannins that gently coats the mouth. This is rich, opulent, full-bodied but not in a modern style. Hold till 2023+.
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11/27/2013 - maxima wrote: 94 Points
Quel beau vin!
Beau nez sur les fruits noirs, les herbes et les épices.
En bouche, c'est fin, suave et hyper bien équilibré. Un beau fruit préci et une belle acidité avec des tannins encore serrés.
Long et persistant.
EXCELLENT!
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11/16/2013 - chablis28 wrote: 91 Points
I don't think this will ever be a wine I love. My score is an attempt to objectively rate the relative quality of this wine, not reflective of my personal love for it. I bought this sometime ago when I knew little about Spanish wine and let the reviews sway me. This is obviously a modern interpetation of what to do with Tempranillo. Unfortunately, it results in a muddled wine trying to break through its oak shroad. The finish is a bit clipped for a, $70 on release, wine. There is some depth trying to break through the oak. Unfortunely, I have 2 of these left. I'll probably ride them out and see if they ever evolve in hopes I'm wrong about my current assessment. Decanted a couple hours before drinking. I'd decant even more next time in hopes of getting the wine to shine through. I think there is some nice fruit buried there. I can't see this ever being a 93pt+ wine for my palate.
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11/8/2013 - Al-Vino wrote: 92 Points
Ready for business! Great example of how important it is to be patient with great wines. This has really come together nicely over the last 18 months.
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10/25/2013 - MQuentel@web.de wrote: 92 Points
The 2004 was produced with 100% Tinto Fino grapes (25-30 years on average). Harvested on 27th September with dry weather. The fermentation took place in non-cooled stainless steel vats until January 2005. After 15 month in barrique it was in bottle until releasing in 2008.
Beautiful wine, multilayered and rich with a good extract, dark berries with a touch of vanila and espresso, the tannin is molten. A hedonistic, full bodied wine with 14,5% Alc., which is well integrated.
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10/15/2013 - tksmith Likes this wine: 95 Points
delicious. decant.
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9/14/2013 - farinas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Degustacion Gran Reserva (Miami, FL): Wine of the night for me. Beautiful dark almost purple color with some nice amber edges signature of its age. Ravishing nose of perfectly ripened blackberries and blueberries in a backdrop of multi-layered excellent new oak. Full body and rich in flavors with great extraction and complexity, licorice, and roasted espresso. Well integrated tannins and boasting medium to long memorable finish.
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9/11/2013 - pjaines Likes this wine:
This wine is starting to really hits its stride now with enough development to start to show secondary characteristics. Lots of black fruit, herbs, spices and beautiful structure. An impressive and beautiful wine. No rush to drink....and no harm in popping one now.
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7/1/2013 - tshahar wrote: 94 Points
Well enjoined of couple of hours of drinking , no need to decant
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6/27/2013 - tksmith Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. Wonderful wine. Decant.
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5/5/2013 - christophee wrote: 88 Points
Second bottle. First bottle was superb. This one fell flat and slightly disjointed with bitter, off-putting tannin on the back. Good education in high volume bottle variation…this bottle was not flawed.
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4/15/2013 - La Peste Does not like this wine:
I am not going to attach a rating here, I suspect that it may be flawed. It's overly sweet and pretty strange. Will be trying a second bottle in the future. Will report back.
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4/15/2013 - Arthur4wine Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just wonderful.
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4/14/2013 - MauriceE wrote: 94 Points
This remains one of the best wines in its pricerange. It evolved beautifully over nearly 6 hours, at its absolute best when it was near empty. So, if you can wait: wait, there is a lot more to be enjoyed here. A stunning wine.
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3/6/2013 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 94 Points
together with Flor de Pingus 2004 at the dinner. No chance. Anyway great wine. More elegant, more filigree, more oxidative, more acidity than FdP, more sekundary and tertiary aromas, 10-15 years to drink
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2/24/2013 - mike l. wrote: 96 Points
what a wine! perfect in every way, only lacking in complexity which may come with age. gorgeous finish, huge mid and back palate. medium full body. sexy wine. we decanted this 8 hours and it loosened up quite a bit. this wine is a must decant.
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2/23/2013 - christophee Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sultry garnet with edge thinning and medium viscosity in the glass. Beef blood, slate & iron minerals and red fruit on the nose. Med-full body and persistent with present red fruit, layers of slate, iron and volcanic minerals, hide and fine smoke. Secondary Sprite, anise and licorice. Excellent structure with one of the better acidic profiles I've tasted. Long finish. Superb with food.
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2/10/2013 - carstenf wrote: 94 Points
First bottle out of six - and what a wine. The day before we drank Hac. Monasterio 04 and the difference was big. Alion fullbodied , dark fruit , tobacco and spice - I think it was wonderfull.
The wood were there , but not in a bad manner. I will start to drink them now and the next 10 years...
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2/8/2013 - MarioD wrote: 93 Points
Wonderful nose. Incredibly young still. Dark fruit on the palate and fantastic balance and structure. Glad I have one more bottle to enjoy in a couple of years.
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1/16/2013 - Pacherant wrote: 94 Points
lovely developed smooth wine. in a good place. good balance and clear fruit with subtle wood
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1/2/2013 - Ive Marx wrote: 93 Points
At a good stage of its development. Excellent as usual.
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12/28/2012 - pjaines Likes this wine:
Excellent bottle. Some are shut down hard but this was open and perfectly juicy with plump fruit under pinned with impressive depth and structure. Great stuff. Will keep for years.
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12/15/2012 - dron_ap wrote: 95 Points
Very dark, almost black, beautiful. Definetely more berries than in the lts bottle 3 y ago, some spices, graphite and flowers. Rich and young. LLong smooth finish. But it develops so slowHge potential for another 10 yers
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11/28/2012 - RussK wrote: 92 Points
RussK WIC at Havanas doing Portuguese wines. This was the Spanish surprise. A bit like Aalto. WOTN.
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11/17/2012 - Zweder Likes this wine: 93 Points
Regular dinner group (@ PZ): No formal notes. A full bodied and concentrated wine. Ripe dark as well as red berry fruits, chocolate. Good acidity, tannin and bitterness. Still youthful but already a great pleasure.
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11/15/2012 - Harley1199 wrote:
Historical & Vertical Alión Tasting (Bodega Santa Cecilia - Madrid): Lactic, minty Alion. Gonna be a big one. What an Alion! Perfecty balanced on the palate, little watery but long as the Chinesse Wall
Alion láctico, mentolado. Va a ser uno grande. Menudo Alion! Perfectamente equilibrado en boca, un poco acuoso pero largo como la muralla china.
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11/10/2012 - Michiel wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 5 hrs before drinking. Fruity (plums, cherries), spicy, chocolate nose. Still quite tannic, moderate acidity. Good length.
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9/16/2012 - bmarshall wrote: 92 Points
This bottle leaned toward the berry side with some nice minerals and leather. Medium to full bodied on the palate with a nice lingering finish.
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8/24/2012 - Janstan wrote: 92 Points
black fruit, cinnamon, smoke, youthful, needs 5-10 more years
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7/17/2012 - Saul wrote: 92 Points
great wine, aged very well. Classic european earthiness, with a great floral spice. Shame on me for buying only one.
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7/6/2012 - alion wrote: 94 Points
Interesting - does it age? Leather, rich, coffee, oak, blueberry, jamaican spice bun - very big - and more going on than 2 years ago. But still far too much. Not balanced - just big bits of everything. 90 tonight. But may revise tomorrow if it calms down. And it does. Wonderful on day 2 - creamy, blueberry on the palate - dark, spicy, sweet, with savory leather nose, and hints of farmyard. Decant or leave it a few years. 94+
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6/26/2012 - richard.stevens wrote: 89 Points
Tasted a little stewed... Rich, coffee. Not sure it will make it to the 2020 date below though
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6/25/2012 - cos82 wrote: 90 Points
Dark Purple. Beautiful nose of black fruits. Nice black fruits on the palate with some licorice and charcoal. Nowhere ready to drink, but not tannic. Tight and tough. Hold off for several more years.
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6/9/2012 - archambault wrote: 94 Points
Un grand cru!
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6/4/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Slowly, slowly evolving but is is still very much all about meaty, dark fruit and structure. Excellent nose of vanilla, beef, spices and scorched earth. Great stuff. Will last years.
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5/27/2012 - wilypod Likes this wine: 92 Points
A wow wine!! Extraordinary Tempranillo at eight years youthful but with a finely evolved bottle bouquet. Improved for two hours and peaked at three. Spicy dried cranberry licorice fruit backed by 15 months of Nevers oak. Aromatically intoxicating, strong palate, medium plus finish.
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3/31/2012 - willthethrill wrote: 89 Points
Had side by side with the 2003...it is a step above the 2003 - more round and full and less tart - but a far cry from the spectacular 2005.
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3/17/2012 - Pavan wrote: 93 Points
Great wine with full taste, dark fruit and well-balanced acidity and tannins
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3/12/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Rasiny and rich, smokey, dark fruited Tempranillo nose. Even better open on day two.
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3/3/2012 - Fateful Destiny Likes this wine: 90 Points
Stong oak flavors, but not in the same sense as a Rioja. More full and thicker body than a Rioja. Smooth and a big wine. Decent, but I would prefer a Pingus.
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2/26/2012 - Higgie wrote: 91 Points
Classy wine! Very smooth and great fruity taste. Nice harmony!
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2/11/2012 - WineScoundrel wrote: flawed
Corked.
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1/29/2012 - bmarshall wrote: 92 Points
Similar to my last notes, but just a tiny touch of jamminess holds my score in check. Big huge, bomb of a wine for sure. Well made.
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1/14/2012 - Pedro G wrote: 92 Points
Duero perfeito, melhor que a colheita 2003. Macio, aveludado, redondo. Complexo e final longo. Un vinho que há que beber de vez em quando. Pena o preço.
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12/27/2011 - WDK wrote: 91 Points
Medium garnet color with nose of fresh berries. Medium body, sweet blackberry, graphite and coffee. Decent finish.
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12/5/2011 - Guitman wrote: 93 Points
Had this on two occasions - about one year ago and last night. First bottle was still tight. Last night it drank wonderfully-the fruit had come alive, balanced by sweetening tannins and great structure. Excellent bottle
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11/29/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote:
Houston we have a problem (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): This showed like an awkward teenager in a group of very polished adults. I loved the great nose of dark fruits and tobacco but everything was walled off by tannins. This had great structure and lovely acidity. There is enough there to go a long time. Not scored but I can see this being a tremendous wine with some age.
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10/13/2011 - pepeelvis wrote:
drinking well already but can probably use a few more years in the cellar
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10/9/2011 - richard.stevens wrote:
Slightly flawed?
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10/9/2011 - richard.stevens wrote: 92 Points
Really classy. Dark fruit, vanilla and great length. Perhaps slightly bigger than expected/remembered
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10/6/2011 - Pacherant wrote: 92 Points
Quite closed. Tight wound red fruit. Loads of depth with clarity. Whiffs of mint, coffee, red fruit. Delicious but will improve with a bit of age.
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8/1/2011 - pjaines wrote:
In a funny stage right now - it is maturing very slowly, but seems a touch dumb and mute. This is all rather relative though - this has a big, deep quality to it that is very impressive. This bottle seemed a touch dull to previous ones though and I really must just keep my sticky little fingers off it for a while.
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7/18/2011 - Sasha Nichole wrote: 93 Points
Rich, smooth, well balanced, and sexy. Shared with a friend in late May 2011. Notes of dark fruit, earth, and leather on the nose unfold into raspberry, cherry, spices, and layers of espresso on the palate. This bottle was everything I expected it would be. I want more!
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7/15/2011 - Linn wrote: 90 Points
Can only agree to Michaels TN. Heat and alcohol is overwhelming. Not in a great stage currently. Given this producer i would call it disappointing.
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6/3/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 95 Points
My wine of the night. Spice, lavendar, violets, leather, raspberry and cranberries. The taste of the wine is full of flavor and acidity is perfect. Medium to long finish and complex. Really drinking well right now and decanted 3 hours.
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5/7/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club does Spain (Sara's house): Dark red purple color. Nose has some heat, earthy, lavender, leather, red fruits, cherry, chocolate espresso. The palate is concentrated with cherry, leather, and some alcohol. This may settle down with some more time. 92+pts.
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4/16/2011 - Michiel wrote: 93 Points
Deep red colour. Nose dominated by oak, with cherries and spice showing through. On the palate cherries are joined by caramel and quite substantial tannins still. Acidity ok. Quite a bit of heat which is not surprising, given the 14.5% alcohol. Length is good, but not outstanding. Impressive wine. Will enjoy following this one over the years.
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3/19/2011 - PhilJ wrote: 92 Points
Smooth and well balanced. Good wine but still young.
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3/19/2011 - peterk wrote: 96 Points
Beautiful deep red, big, dark fruit, with incredible concentration
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3/18/2011 - garambler wrote: 93 Points
I shared this with friends on 3/18/11. After an hour and a half in the decanter it had a deep, rich bouquet of charred oak, cherry, blackberry, mocha, cocoa, sage, cinnamon and spice aromas. The palate was tight with flavors that followed the nose, but the toasty oak dominated everything. It was also moderately tannic and drying.
Four more hours of air and it had really opened up. The toasted oak had integrated and the mocha / cocoa notes had come out more. I believe this is still too young and needs at least two more years. It will get MUCH better! 92+
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2/25/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote: 95 Points
Strong piss, barnyard whiff that's quite unlike its French counterparts. This is closer to to the horse's ass! Strong, sharp flavors of black cherry, blackberry, lavender, leather, toasted caramel and toasted oak. This is a bold, masculine wine that is probably powered mostly by the oak, but is wonderfully balanced and complex. Tannins are sharp, and could see a bit more time in the cellar to add more finesse, but is drinking wonderfully now with some aeration. Drink now until 2020.
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2/21/2011 - mattowan wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful perfumed nose of deep red fruit. Just ownderful and long on the palate. Still youthful but rounding out well.
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2/3/2011 - Jack Cranley wrote: 93 Points
The nose on this was a bit subdued at first but really opened up after some time. I got an interesting note of Off Insect Repellent - which believe it or not was an enjoyable element for me. There was also plenty of big dark red fruits, spice, flowers... many things floating around in there. First contact with the mouth was an attack of deep rich concentrated flavor... like scintillating crystals of flavor dancing on my tongue. Then what REALLY got me was the finish. It just kept going and going, peeling off in layers, delivering new angles and new impressions. This wine was truly a joy to drink.
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1/15/2011 - audicfa wrote: 92 Points
Dark purple. Wonderful dark fruits on the nose. Combination of old and new world styles and 30 second finish. Probably drinking too early. Would buy more of this special wine. A big hit at a tasting I did last year.
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1/3/2011 - bmacartney wrote:
Decanted 1 1/2 hours. Dark purple colour. Beautiful fruit on the nose. Smooth and nicely balanced with a great finish.
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12/27/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Christmas 2010; 12/26/2010-1/5/2011 (Lille, France): Grrrrrrr. This is a sexy wine - showing really well tonight and the fruit and structure are starting to blend together giving the wine a more polished feel without the chunky tannins of last year. Years ahead of it and probably 2-3 years from its peak, but no harm in popping a bottle now.
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12/24/2010 - peterk wrote: 95 Points
A blockbuster, black, with wonderful berry fruit. Could wait another year, but why wait!
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11/18/2010 - lewrose@gmail.com wrote:
Drinking beautifully. Popped and poured but we waited about 20 minutes in the glass before tasting. Singing.
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11/7/2010 - alion wrote:
No note because have a cold - but enjoyed by all at dinner
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11/2/2010 - tantotinto wrote: 94 Points
First bottle of this wine that we have opened. Decanted two hours before tasting. Dark garnet. Mineral and dark fruit nose. Still a little tight. Black cherry, blackberry, cocoa and spice. Long finish. Tannins nicely integrated. This is a rich and flavorful beauty. Will probably wait another year for the next bottle although it is excellent now. We had a small amount left to drink on night two and it was still doing well.
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9/5/2010 - bmarshall wrote: 94 Points
Huge wine... deep purple/black color. Dark fruits, graphite, blueberry and some smokey oak spices on the nose and palate. Very full bodied on the palate with a long, lingering finish.
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8/30/2010 - Stirling wrote: 92 Points
Dark red to the rim. Nose was reticent at first but opened up after an hour in the decanter to reveal raspberries, a lot of underbrush and touch of vanilla. Was borderline funky at first but blew off to reveal a nice complexity. Excellent mouthfeel, thick and plush with grippy tannins on the finish. I think this wine is going through a dumb stage and I suspect that another couple of years in the cellar will elevate the score considerably. www.advinetures.ca
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8/23/2010 - pjaines wrote:
Starting to shut down a touch I feel - the flavours were much more muted but the quality remains. Coffee bean, oak, vanilla but all working well with the dark fruit. I would recommend a serious decant if you are broaching this in the near future.
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8/16/2010 - rayq wrote:
Oh dear what's going on here? Oak on the nose and industrial quantities on the palate. There's good fruit too but the oak dominates. I like modern Ribera wines but like to balance those purchases with different styles. I had regarded Alion as among the more restrained modern wines. This isn't much different to a disappointing 2006 Pago de Carraovejas I had last year. Interestingly a 2004 Pago last week had more integrated oak and was a much better drink. I hope with time this improves
as at the moment for the price it's daylight robbery.
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7/4/2010 - Tarrant wrote: 94 Points
Utterly amazing, such a beautiful wine and an excellent example from the region that we are so much in love with - Black, full bodied with a nose of extreme plum, cherry, spice, pencil lead, lavender, tobacco and vanilla, amazing complexity and weight, great balance and integration, a touch young, bitter, sweet and long on the palate wtih amazing length, stunning! (94 Points).
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4/9/2010 - MauriceE wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 4 hours earlier, it needs that. Even then the development in the glass is enourmous. Beautiful nose, red berries, a little mocca. Dark and deep. Beautiful balance, absolutely not too alcoholic. This is a powerful wine, yet refined. Great class.
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3/12/2010 - tbjerre@live.com wrote: 92 Points
So young and still so impressive - i would serve this at any time - very mature
Opaque red/maroon color, full bodied. Nose of cigar, cedre and mushroom. Alcohol here is borderline. Luxurious texture, silky and smooth, closed tannins. this wine clearly shows the potential of the future
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2/16/2010 - g-mango wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour first...nose is not overly expressive, but does have distinct notes of plum, mulberry, and dark chocolate. The palate pays off in spades however...lush velvety smooth mouthfeel, and there is plenty
of dark fruit flavour which culminates in a nice 1-2 minute finish. The wine is certainly made in a modern style, however the oak is not excessive. Tannins are extremely refined, and made beautiful music when paired with a medium rare 16-Oz
rib steak. This wine has the structure to last several more years, but is already drinking wonderfully now.
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2/13/2010 - Jhcwine wrote: 91 Points
After 2 hour decant
Nose - nice tempranillo fruit (ample fruit)
Body - medium full
Palette - nice tempranillo fruit. Round, not too tanic. So nice, but fairly one dimensional. No complexity.
Value - paid $80, worth $50. QPR: below average
Drank at Cythia's condo, with Stewart, watching 2010 Winter Olympic Openning Ceremonies. A historic occassion.
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2/6/2010 - willthethrill wrote: 92 Points
Despite this being all Tempranillo, this wine, made in the new world international style, is all smooth dark berries. Mmm mmm. I could be forgiven for thinking there was Cabernet mixed in. Who knows how many times they changed the oak, as Richard said over lunch in Madrid at Club 31. This is just such a pleasure to drink.
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2/1/2010 - the player wrote: 93 Points
Ordered this wine off a retaurant menu at a dinner with friends. Having immensely enjoyed the Vega Sicilia Unico 1996, I was already sold on the Alion. Decanted for about 2 hours and drank over a quick hour and a half between my friend and I. Beautiful complex nose of dark fruit, blueberries, mocha, spices and flowers and oak, fully reflected on the palate for a medium to full bodied excellent wine. Great structure, balance and finish, fine strong tannins and this wine will definitely reach its full elegance after a few years of cellaring. A wine to keep an eye on.
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1/24/2010 - alion wrote: 94 Points
2 hours air. Smooth, concentrated, creamy, blueberry and damson plum - delicious. V. modern - is there any sense of place? Not that different from the Amarone the night before. Yet still no denying the quality of the winemaking. And gets better with each glass.
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12/16/2009 - JimHow wrote: 94 Points
Deeply extracted. This one of two bottles recently shipped from California reminds me initially of a young Cap de Faugeres. Roasted, Amarone-like on the nose. Man, Spain can gain levels of concentration as extracted as anything in new world Bordeaux, if not more. Not saying that's good or bad, just an observation. I wonder how well this will age? If this were Bordeaux, people would be complaining that it is some Parkerized, Magrez sell-out. Great finish, as expected. Is the '04 Pintia more inky purple-colored? I say yes. I wonder what the oak situation is here, it is well done but might need a little more time to integrate. Unlike some Parkerized new-world right banker that ends up "thin in the 'mid-palate'" <rolls eyes>, though, this wine keeps building in complexity and depth. Is there a fine line between Cap de Faugeres and Bodegas y Vinedos Alion Ribera del Duero? Probably not. Nutty. Blueberries. If I felt this were going to age like a fine Bordeaux, I'd buy a case or two at the $55 "on sale" price at Premier Cru as I write this. By the end it is less Amarone-like, less volatile, less racy, more classy and substantial. This is a wild horse that needs to be lassoed. I'll buy (cautiously) a couple more bottles at the $55 "on sale" price at Premier Cru, but not the case or two. This seems to be a wine of eminence, but i'm not sure the case is yet closed. I'll give it 94 impressive points for the experience tonight, but I reserve the right to change that score up or down after I have those three extra bottles in the fifteen or so years ahead.... Rating: 94 points.
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11/14/2009 - PC73 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep ruby red.
Voilets on the nose.
Palate is very fruity with touch of vanilla.
Give it a few more years - will be lovely.
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11/1/2009 - richard.stevens wrote: 91 Points
Didn't find the nose that expressive but it was very smooth and balanced in the mouth. Will leave the rest a while longer
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10/31/2009 - randomly wrote: 92 Points
Needs a couple years for the oak to integrate and the tannins to calm down.
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10/12/2009 - azahoner wrote: 89 Points
Opaque red/maroon color, full bodied. Nose of cigar, cedre and mushroom. Alcohol here is borderline. Luxurious texture, silky and smooth, closed tannins. I found this Alion looking for exclusivity more than itself. Lacking complexity, fuit and freshness, it is more a second range Bordeaux than a top range Ribera.
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10/3/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 96 Points
From memory...
Such complex wine.....blueberry, roasted nuts, espresso, minerals, cherry and florals.....
This is great wine!
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8/29/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 96 Points
Such a gorgeous nose....i can't stop smelling this! Roasted marshmellows, nuts, coffee, macciatto...
The palate has notes of coconut, vanilla, espresso, sweet cherry, blueberry, florals and minerals
The finish is the best part of this wine....it comes at you and demands respect...comes at you in waves...so layered...so complex!
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7/19/2009 - acheng wrote: 95 Points
Stunning aromatics. I knew it was going to be a treat as I tried it at a tasting last fall. But this is just outstanding material served with rare cuts of bbq rosemary flank steak. Complex and expensive wood making a striking presence here. 14.5% alcohol evidently. Far superor to the 2002 I had previously. No need to go into further descriptors or analysis here. Just go and buy more. Why waste your money on 2004 Bordeaux? This tastes great now and can age better. Outstanding.
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7/16/2009 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Classic & rich aroma. Still young, but powerful and high-potential.
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6/22/2009 - alion wrote: 94 Points
Day 1 - some clove on opening. Heat from alcohol. A little bitter. After an hour, creamy / velvet, plum / damson, a little expresso. Fantastic. Day 2 - cork and fridge overnight. 1 hour air. Bitterness gone. Less alcohol heat. Blackcurrant and plum fruit, little fresh herb, rich velvet. Like a Pomerol - although more modern. More balanced than yesterday. Wonderful.
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6/22/2009 - dron_ap wrote: 94 Points
WOW!!!
First it was cool out of the cellar - very easy drinking with some sweet tanins and fantastic graphite, berries and flowers on the nose. After 2 hours in the bottle it developed into a strong well structured vine that is worth ageing: berries again, graphite and also tones of grilled leather and a lot more...
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6/2/2009 - SevenDayMile wrote: 92 Points
Drank over four hours. Still too tight and young but it feels like it has the bones for something better if I had waited a few more hours. Will try my other bottle in a few years down the road. Was hoping for more.
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5/28/2009 - LPskeleton wrote: 96 Points
Cinn tst crunch lilac and florals on the nose. masculine but so balanced with feminine notes...
Rich chewy red fruits vanilla tone espresso grilled meats (savory in tone) chewing on violet flowers.
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5/23/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 97 Points
Unreal....layered feminine RDD......great wine
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3/26/2009 - azahoner wrote: 91 Points
Good acidity and full bodied. After one hour it started to open up.
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3/13/2009 - LPskeleton wrote: 94 Points
Typical of the region. Been a while since I consumed it but a great wine with all the hallmarks of rbd.
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3/12/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Meaty and wonderful. Very nicely done wine. Showing a bit short right now because it is quite young. Well done. I like it at $50. At $60 its ok. At $90 its out of the park.
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2/26/2009 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 88 Points
French Bakery BYO Ribera del Duero Wine Dinner; 2/25/2009-2/26/2009 (The French Bakery, 1023 Kane Concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): Jason Gilbert's wine 2/26. 5-1/2 1sts of 10, Average 88.0 Jason WOTF, 95- Tannins, chewy. LATE we're running out of commentary! Craig WOTF, 90. Jerry WOTF, 91. John WOTF. 85! Kiki WOTF, 90. David split. Mark(me), 85.Henry, 87. Charlie, 82. Roberta 2nd preference to AAlto.
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2/1/2009 - Dave Canada wrote: 95 Points
Nose of violets, roasted nuts, espresso, blueberry, minerals, and fat
Palate shows blueberry, roasted nuts, espresso, cola, floral, bacon, minerals with medium+ acid and tannin
Finish is long with nuts, coffee, blueberry, mocha, espresso and violets.....so long, so complex...AWESOME!
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1/28/2009 - il_diavolo wrote: 93 Points
dark and brooding, made in new world international style but still oozes class. Dark fruit (blackcurrant?) on the palate but generally still quite tannic and needs more time. I think I would have guessed blind that this is part of the tempranillo new oak revolution, but who knows.
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11/29/2008 - konquest wrote: 95 Points
Le dernier vin rouge de la soirée était le Alion 2004, Ribera-del-duero. À mes yeux, il était clairement dans une classe à part. Tout à fait en jeunesse, avec une bonne acidité et des tannins biens présents, il demeurait toutefois parfaitement en équilibre. Les 3 heures de carafe lui ont permis de s’ouvrir et de nous faire expérimenter un grand vin. Lorsqu’on l’avait croisé la première fois, lors de la dégustation Cellier Prestige à la SAQ, il était ressorti comme le gagnant de la soirée. Cette fois-ci, bien que la compétition soit moins relevée, il est encore mon gagnant.
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11/5/2008 - pjaines wrote: 94 Points
Curiosity got the better of me and I opened up another bottle of this now that it has been resting for a few weeks. Nose: rich, pure, elegant - quite a bit of power - dark fruits, cedar, some barnyard. Taste: vanilla, oak, deep, primary fruit - this wine is seriously tightly wound up at the moment but is packed full of class and charm. This has the potential to be a superb wine given enough time to bed in. Superb.
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9/23/2008 - beezer6 wrote: 93 Points
Southern Wine and Spirits Fall Fest (Navy Pier - Chicago, IL): Tasted at the 2008 Southern Wine and Spirits Fall Fest at Navy Pier.
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9/23/2008 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Fall Fest 2008: nose: fairly fruit forward which is a bit bothersome considering that its from RDD, still that said, there is really good depth on this with well defined tones of ripe cherries, smoke, anise, and black currants
taste: nice smooth and full feel with blackberries, ripe cherries, smoke, and anise
overall: The polish on this is excellent. Very smooth and balanced with good body to it. I did miss though more of the black fruits that i get from RDD wines, as this was in a more forward and international style. Still, it has a really good blackberry attack and anise based finish
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9/22/2008 - pjaines wrote:
Bought a case of this wine and cracked open a bottle to assess how long it needs. Obviously drinking way too young at the moment. Appearance: Intense, dark, glistening. Nose: Wow - serious nose of cedar, vanilla, dark cherries, rich earth and brooding dark fruits. This has notes of Bordeaux and Burgundy in there in a powerful and complex mix. Taste: Complex, full, oppulent. Fine tannins cut through the rich fruit - there is a bit of acidity. At the moment the taste is a bit cloying and rich but this will dissapate with age. There is a bit of heat from the alcohol right now, but not surprising given the age of the wine. This is certainly more complex that previous Alion's I have had.
Tasted the next day but it was plummy and flat.
This wine needs at least 5 years for the constituent parts to integrate - and will age for 10 years+. Utterly wonderful and will improve.
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5/3/2008 - WineForRob wrote: 90 Points
Wine Spectator Grand Tour (Las Vegas): Very bordeaux like. Tobacco and leather. Medium bodied. Smooth and long.
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