Medium (+) Acidity Medium Tannin High Alcohol Medium (+) Bodied Long Finish
Medium (+) Intensity - Blackberry, Black Plum, Red Plum, Black Cherry, Red Cherry, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Milk Chocolate, Espresso, Cigar box, Thyme, Cedar, Soy Sauce
Intense black fruits, sweet oak, savoury herbs, very smooth and well integrated mellow tannins, balanced with vibrant acidity. This is an exceptional Rioja, very well developed, intense yet well balanced, with great complexity, depth and length. Drink now.
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still drinking well with a couple of years of cellar time potential. Fruit now is more diminutive and has plum notes to complement the cherry. Lots of earth and a bit of leather notes make this interesting. The tannin is fully refined.
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It's been worth the wait. This wine tastes amazingly good with complexity, dark fruits, and a bit of rich tannins. Fills the mouth with lots of flavor and richness. It can easily go a few more years.
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Improved a lot since few years ago, the fruit is present but now acidity and the tertiary aromas come into the play, aromas of vanilla, summer field flowers, clove, dried hay, beautiful wine
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Bought a 6-pack for about 25/b about 10 years ago from a local independent retailer. I think this is #3 from the pack. Decanted with heavy sediment for its age. Rich, dark purple; fragrant mature fruit nose with some plum, black cherry, tea, leather; mature dark fruit on the palate with very good mouthfeel. Likely near/at its prime now, noticed some decline and loss of fruit after 2 hours. Last bottle 2-3 years ago seemed a bit closed; this was open and giving. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. My evaluation: I've stopped giving scores on a "100-point scale" as I've become less convinced that they can be meaningful to others. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. I considered this notable+ when considering quality, age, and price.
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This was a bit more open than 3 years ago per my note--the fruit and earthiness were really nice and balanced--didn't need much decant to show beautifully
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tasted blined. Started off super stewy and candied. but after an hour or so, it blossomed, and softened. nice acidity but faded on the finish. not the traditional rioja i'm used to. i don't pick up any american oak at all either.. not bad, but not great. Called a rioja correctly.
Deep, inky purple color, although not as much on the nose as I would like. This wine has a very elegant, rich mouth feel. Big black fruit, graphite and a touch of tobacco and licorice. Really beautiful tannins and a fine finish.
A next day update. Give this wine 30-60 minutes in the glass and it opens up tremendously The second half of this bottle was truly amazing. Much richer and more opulent. I upped this rating from 92.
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Very pleasant nose of blue fruit and a mild vanilla. The palate has a more complex earthiness added to the fruit, with a hint of oak. Very nice if a little restrained. Decant 1 hr+
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My last 3 bottles of this vintage, and I poured them at a wine dinner for 21 people. A big hit with everyone. It still had some youthful fruit, but was developing some of those flavors you get when a wine has sat for a decade.
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Agree with recent notes but I PnP and tasted over three hours. It does improve slightly over the hours but the minerality/fruit dynamic is awesome from the jump. Perfect texture. This wine is in a great place. FYI, tasted great on day 2 and day 3, in a more evolved, stewed way but still extremely pleasant. Day 1 slate-fruit combo is a home run for my tastes.
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Decanted to expedite things and to remove solids. Fantastic nose! Very intense fruits and some flowers also. Seems ready to drink right now. There's a great balance between the fruit and the tannins that quite remarkable. This bottle has been cellared since purchase some years back.
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From magnum, expressive nose of red berries and cherries, a mild whiff of oak. Pure, Fruitful, still fresh and young this an impeccable crafted wine, smooth, velvety, perfectly balanced gaining minerality and acidity after being opened and decanted for about 90 mins. Lots of life ahead but already drinking very nicely. Medium bodied with a semi long finish.
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14% Alc; Medium+ garnet to bricking rim. Deep, perfumed nose of oak spices, smoke, ripe black and red cherry fruit, raisin, liquorice, prune juice and dried Mediterranean scrub/hot earth. This is intermingled with tar, hoisin sauce, molasses and cigar box. The entry shows a touch of overripe banana, a pinch of volatile acidity that leads to a sweet and sour note that actually works nicely. A soft, modern style with a full-body, rich with sweet, powdery tannins and still retaining some freshness from bright acidity towards a lengthy finish. Given its punch, I find the freshness quite invigorating as it doesn't have that dried out umami note that I have found in the Gran Reserva. Densely structured, this is a polished modern example of Rioja. The sweet fruit, cocoa powder, raisin, sultana and prune yoghurt with damson compote and blackcurrant add complexity.
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One of 8 wines at a Spanish wine tasting/dinner. My favorite of the night, but not in the top two by the group consensus. No real notes, just a general impression. Food friendly and long lasting finish. Still has a lot of life left to it.
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With grilled lamb chops. About an hour decant and then another hour or so in the glass. Hints of tobacco, mint, licorice. Nice dark fruit flavors. Glad to have another few bottles around.
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High quality wine, modern style, dark blackberry fruit, herbs and garrigue notes, spicy, elegant oak and silky tannins. The only thing that is bothering with this bottle is some unpleasant oxidation. Well-made wine, but it has nothing to do with classic Rioja. - 91 points
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Deep ruby color, Nose of forest floor, herbs, blackberries, and tobacco. Palate offered up pleasant balance and structure with a nuanced refreshing finish. Other notes were green olives, black currants, and cedar. Outstandin
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Very well made - maybe too well made actually. Very smooth and polished. Dark fruit (namely blackberry and cassis) and velvety texture. I would wish for a little more character, but that's the wine nerd in me - from a consumer point of view this is a really good wine.
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Deep ruby color, Nose of forest floor, herbs, blackberries, and tobacco. Palate offered up pleasant balance and structure with a nuanced refreshing finish. Other notes were green olives, black currants, and cedar. Outstanding
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Dark red colour. Modern and elegant nose with rather ripe dark and red berries, spices, some hints of rust, some flowery notes and well integrated oak including some coffee notes. The palate is medium bodied+, again with rather ripe dark and red berries, fine acidity and freshness, rather smooth and finely grained tannins that are rather present. The aftertaste is dominated by fresh and slightly tart berries together with the tannins. Still comes across as rather young. A modern, ambitious, elegant and well polished style, great purity throughout, but it could perhaps benefit from having its tannins toned down a bit by further cellaring. 91(+) p.
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Full of flavored with oak depending on food can appear to have too much oak. Excellent QPR doesn't drink like a Rioja similar to a very good Merlot or Bordeux. Leather, currants, etc intertwine with oak flavors.
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Getting better. Nice mix of old world and new world styles. Had a bottle of this a year ago and thought it was on a downward trajectory. BIG mistake, this has years to go.
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On the nose - dark chocolate, Pastilled or candied red and black berries, moist tobacco, soy sauce, hint of cedar..
On palate, big attack, heavy on woody tannins, but also with lots of fruit, and bright acid. Slightly intimidating at first, although rather enjoyable! Tannins are smooth and caramelly, with a slight woodsy bitterness on the long finish.
Nicely balanced! Will only improve from here!
I'll try the next bottle in another three years minimum, if not longer. I think this is going to be fantastic
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Decanted, not much sediment. The fruitiness and vibrancy that screamed from the nose was surprising given the wine's age. There were aromas of cherry, raspberry, blueberry and unsweetened bakers cocoa. More youthful berry flavors on the palate. If I had tasted this blind I would have figured it for a Merlot dominated Bordeaux blend. Nothing about this wine hinted at Tempranillo. I could see this lasting many more years given where it's at in the aging curve. Slightly conflicted on this wine as it was extremely enjoyable at a very reasonable price, but drank like a totally different varietal than was in the bottle. Would purchase again if looking for a solid bottle of wine. Would not purchase again if looking for the flavors of Spain!
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A nose of dark fruits and spice, dark black purple in color. A full bodied red, with blackberry, black cherry, some tar and chocolate with a long spicy finish. A delicious and still young wine, decant for a few hours. Good stuff every vintage. www.winelx.com
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Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking, dark fruits and tobacco on the nose, red currant and raspberries initially on the tongue and an ending of cherry and red fruit. Very nice and balanced, with the layers of flavors.
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Tasted wonderful, but full of youthful exuberance. This is an excellent wine. Quite complex with the hope of more to come. Fruity, spicy, slightly earthy when drunk without food. We're guessing this one will pair well with a pork tenderloin or poultry.
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Nose of blueberries and blackberries, some oak sense, along with red currant and raspberries. Taste is cherry, with the fruit present, but not overpowering. There's also plums, along with a soft vanilla. I really enjoyed this one, so while there is some wisdom in holding this longer, it was well-structured and exceptional at this time point.
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Dark, still partially opaque color; dark fruits and smoke/tobacco on the nose. Medium to full bodies with lots of structure and strong (too much?) acidity, but with classic Tempranillo flavors: dark brooding fruits, smoke, solid tannin support, and a wine that needs lots of air and/or time to shine. Could turn out to be better than my initial 90(+?) assessment, but we'll see if the acidity and tannins mellow with time. A keeper - try in a year or two.
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Very dark and dense. Lots of nice topnotes on the nose. Very round pallate with good balanced, high acid. Probably too young, but already drinking well. Plenty of oak.
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True to the region and the varietal. Light to medium in body, dusty cherry and some dark fruit with vanilla notes on the finish. Pleasant, but was hoping for more. Nice lunch time wine.
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(B+) Dark wine with a slight syrupy character initially. Mellows after about an hour and finds more typical earthy, tannic qualities. dark fruits, a bit of tar. very good overall, if not entirely memorable.
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Terroir-istes International - Spain, Rioja (Rodwell House): Medium-deep garnet; furfurol at first so clear new oak yet with some bright lifted black fruits, mineral, smoke, dried earth and again that incense, as per wine 7. A full-bodied wine, almost opulent, with great depth of flavour with complexity. Still a young wine, there is good concentration (old vines?), plenty of firm yet sweet tannin. Multi-layered, the wine is quite generous with a glycerol sweetness, and the wood is nowhere near integrated, yet this shows potential with some further cellaring.
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Wine Cellar - Spain & Portugal (Wine Cellar): (Tasted Blind): A deep ruby colour with plenty of cedarwood, hung game, redcurrant and black fruits - noted wood influence permeates throughout the nose. An expressive entry with an abundance of blackberry redcurrant with spice and expresso from oak influence. A powerful, ripe wine that maintains a tight and well-knit structure of firm, ripe, fleshy tannins yet has that hint of mineral-edged acidity. Very enjoyable, although you need 2 hands to pick up the bottle! Old vines planted in the 1970s and aged 18 months in new French oak barrels.
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10/25/2023 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good with pasta but has lost a bit.
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3/26/2023 - Kevin Mak Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep Ruby
Medium (+) Acidity
Medium Tannin
High Alcohol
Medium (+) Bodied
Long Finish
Medium (+) Intensity
- Blackberry, Black Plum, Red Plum, Black Cherry, Red Cherry, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Milk Chocolate, Espresso, Cigar box, Thyme, Cedar, Soy Sauce
Intense black fruits, sweet oak, savoury herbs, very smooth and well integrated mellow tannins, balanced with vibrant acidity. This is an exceptional Rioja, very well developed, intense yet well balanced, with great complexity, depth and length. Drink now.
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4/7/2020 - whudock Likes this wine: 91 Points
still drinking well with a couple of years of cellar time potential. Fruit now is more diminutive and has plum notes to complement the cherry. Lots of earth and a bit of leather notes make this interesting. The tannin is fully refined.
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1/29/2020 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's been worth the wait. This wine tastes amazingly good with complexity, dark fruits, and a bit of rich tannins. Fills the mouth with lots of flavor and richness. It can easily go a few more years.
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11/3/2019 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still has that hint of chocolate and still wonderful.
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6/12/2019 - Cipivts Likes this wine: 92 Points
Improved a lot since few years ago, the fruit is present but now acidity and the tertiary aromas come into the play, aromas of vanilla, summer field flowers, clove, dried hay, beautiful wine
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3/10/2019 - Oenecnist wrote:
Bought a 6-pack for about 25/b about 10 years ago from a local independent retailer. I think this is #3 from the pack. Decanted with heavy sediment for its age. Rich, dark purple; fragrant mature fruit nose with some plum, black cherry, tea, leather; mature dark fruit on the palate with very good mouthfeel. Likely near/at its prime now, noticed some decline and loss of fruit after 2 hours. Last bottle 2-3 years ago seemed a bit closed; this was open and giving. Stored horizontally in a cool, dark basement since purchase. My evaluation: I've stopped giving scores on a "100-point scale" as I've become less convinced that they can be meaningful to others. I use a 4-category scale (perhaps with +/-)--not including flawed--which runs outstanding/notable/drinkable/poor. I considered this notable+ when considering quality, age, and price.
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2/9/2019 - ddingley Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a bit more open than 3 years ago per my note--the fruit and earthiness were really nice and balanced--didn't need much decant to show beautifully
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2/28/2018 - mye wrote:
tasted blined. Started off super stewy and candied. but after an hour or so, it blossomed, and softened. nice acidity but faded on the finish. not the traditional rioja i'm used to. i don't pick up any american oak at all either..
not bad, but not great.
Called a rioja correctly.
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7/1/2017 - davidrh1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep, inky purple color, although not as much on the nose as I would like. This wine has a very elegant, rich mouth feel. Big black fruit, graphite and a touch of tobacco and licorice. Really beautiful tannins and a fine finish.
A next day update. Give this wine 30-60 minutes in the glass and it opens up tremendously The second half of this bottle was truly amazing. Much richer and more opulent. I upped this rating from 92.
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1/18/2017 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Smooth with that hint of Chocolate. Nice!
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12/10/2016 - Neras Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nice, mild, integrated with plenty of flavors and a long taste. Still fresh!
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12/10/2016 - bin905 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Elegant, restrained body, well-balanced, with interesting subtle flavor nuances.
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8/23/2016 - ddingley Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very pleasant nose of blue fruit and a mild vanilla. The palate has a more complex earthiness added to the fruit, with a hint of oak. Very nice if a little restrained. Decant 1 hr+
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8/10/2016 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very full, dark fruit dominates. Very nice, but something seems missing.
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5/15/2016 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
My last 3 bottles of this vintage, and I poured them at a wine dinner for 21 people. A big hit with everyone. It still had some youthful fruit, but was developing some of those flavors you get when a wine has sat for a decade.
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4/24/2016 - mike l. Likes this wine:
good but kind of anonymous and lost in the shuffle at a dinner that included 82 bordeaux and a brilliant aged paso bottle of all things..
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3/13/2016 - champ12oh Likes this wine: 93 Points
Agree with recent notes but I PnP and tasted over three hours. It does improve slightly over the hours but the minerality/fruit dynamic is awesome from the jump. Perfect texture. This wine is in a great place. FYI, tasted great on day 2 and day 3, in a more evolved, stewed way but still extremely pleasant. Day 1 slate-fruit combo is a home run for my tastes.
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10/9/2015 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted to expedite things and to remove solids. Fantastic nose! Very intense fruits and some flowers also. Seems ready to drink right now. There's a great balance between the fruit and the tannins that quite remarkable. This bottle has been cellared since purchase some years back.
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8/30/2015 - redz wrote: 91 Points
has mellowed nicely, 3 hr decant, has time
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8/7/2015 - Merengue wrote: 92 Points
From magnum, expressive nose of red berries and cherries, a mild whiff of oak. Pure, Fruitful, still fresh and young this an impeccable crafted wine, smooth, velvety, perfectly balanced gaining minerality and acidity after being opened and decanted for about 90 mins. Lots of life ahead but already drinking very nicely. Medium bodied with a semi long finish.
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7/31/2015 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
14% Alc; Medium+ garnet to bricking rim.
Deep, perfumed nose of oak spices, smoke, ripe black and red cherry fruit, raisin, liquorice, prune juice and dried Mediterranean scrub/hot earth. This is intermingled with tar, hoisin sauce, molasses and cigar box.
The entry shows a touch of overripe banana, a pinch of volatile acidity that leads to a sweet and sour note that actually works nicely.
A soft, modern style with a full-body, rich with sweet, powdery tannins and still retaining some freshness from bright acidity towards a lengthy finish. Given its punch, I find the freshness quite invigorating as it doesn't have that dried out umami note that I have found in the Gran Reserva. Densely structured, this is a polished modern example of Rioja. The sweet fruit, cocoa powder, raisin, sultana and prune yoghurt with damson compote and blackcurrant add complexity.
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7/24/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of 8 wines at a Spanish wine tasting/dinner. My favorite of the night, but not in the top two by the group consensus. No real notes, just a general impression. Food friendly and long lasting finish. Still has a lot of life left to it.
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6/5/2015 - SMHalps Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking nicely at this time. I shared it with friends at a Mexican restaurant and it went well with the food.
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5/29/2015 - stevegpg wrote: 92 Points
With grilled lamb chops. About an hour decant and then another hour or so in the glass. Hints of tobacco, mint, licorice. Nice dark fruit flavors. Glad to have another few bottles around.
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5/20/2015 - isbjoern wrote: 91 Points
High quality wine, modern style, dark blackberry fruit, herbs and garrigue notes, spicy, elegant oak and silky tannins. The only thing that is bothering with this bottle is some unpleasant oxidation. Well-made wine, but it has nothing to do with classic Rioja. - 91 points
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3/29/2015 - profiler54 wrote: 91 Points
Deep ruby color, Nose of forest floor, herbs, blackberries, and tobacco. Palate offered up pleasant balance and structure with a nuanced refreshing finish. Other notes were green olives, black currants, and cedar. Outstandin
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3/1/2015 - KristianT wrote: 89 Points
Very well made - maybe too well made actually. Very smooth and polished. Dark fruit (namely blackberry and cassis) and velvety texture. I would wish for a little more character, but that's the wine nerd in me - from a consumer point of view this is a really good wine.
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3/1/2015 - KristianT wrote: 89 Points
Very well made - maybe too well made actually. Very smooth and polished. Dark fruit (namely blackberry and cassis) and velvety texture.
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2/1/2015 - profiler54 wrote: 90 Points
Deep ruby color, Nose of forest floor, herbs, blackberries, and tobacco. Palate offered up pleasant balance and structure with a nuanced refreshing finish. Other notes were green olives, black currants, and cedar. Outstanding
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11/15/2014 - Hinmania Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dark ruby. Tasted at opening and decanted for one hour. Pleasant but not overly complex. Simple finish.
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9/21/2014 - lvjohn Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted (no solids). Dark purple. Not much of a nose. Rather one dimensional, but nice.
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9/21/2014 - whudock Likes this wine: 91 Points
lovely blend of strong cherry and plum fruit, cedar and oak wood notes and leather
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7/16/2014 - Vintomas wrote: 91 Points
Dark red colour. Modern and elegant nose with rather ripe dark and red berries, spices, some hints of rust, some flowery notes and well integrated oak including some coffee notes. The palate is medium bodied+, again with rather ripe dark and red berries, fine acidity and freshness, rather smooth and finely grained tannins that are rather present. The aftertaste is dominated by fresh and slightly tart berries together with the tannins. Still comes across as rather young. A modern, ambitious, elegant and well polished style, great purity throughout, but it could perhaps benefit from having its tannins toned down a bit by further cellaring. 91(+) p.
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5/21/2014 - vinodolphin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Enjoyed by all. Chocolate, leather and tobacco with a surprisingly smooth finish. I am counting on this lasting several more years.
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4/29/2014 - Nyrican wrote: 91 Points
Full of flavored with oak depending on food can appear to have too much oak. Excellent QPR doesn't drink like a Rioja similar to a very good Merlot or Bordeux. Leather, currants, etc intertwine with oak flavors.
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4/7/2014 - millerarner Likes this wine: 92 Points
Getting better. Nice mix of old world and new world styles. Had a bottle of this a year ago and thought it was on a downward trajectory. BIG mistake, this has years to go.
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3/25/2014 - Wamrod wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark ruby, slight to moderate legs
On the nose - dark chocolate, Pastilled or candied red and black berries, moist tobacco, soy sauce, hint of cedar..
On palate, big attack, heavy on woody tannins, but also with lots of fruit, and bright acid. Slightly intimidating at first, although rather enjoyable! Tannins are smooth and caramelly, with a slight woodsy bitterness on the long finish.
Nicely balanced! Will only improve from here!
I'll try the next bottle in another three years minimum, if not longer. I think this is going to be fantastic
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2/5/2014 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine with modern style. Concentrated. Balanced with rounded tannins. Scents of cassis Very tasty. The downside: lack complexity.
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1/1/2014 - MagnumGourmet wrote:
Decanted, not much sediment. The fruitiness and vibrancy that screamed from the nose was surprising given the wine's age. There were aromas of cherry, raspberry, blueberry and unsweetened bakers cocoa. More youthful berry flavors on the palate. If I had tasted this blind I would have figured it for a Merlot dominated Bordeaux blend. Nothing about this wine hinted at Tempranillo. I could see this lasting many more years given where it's at in the aging curve. Slightly conflicted on this wine as it was extremely enjoyable at a very reasonable price, but drank like a totally different varietal than was in the bottle. Would purchase again if looking for a solid bottle of wine. Would not purchase again if looking for the flavors of Spain!
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12/26/2013 - MarsdenPup Likes this wine: 92 Points
Starting to hit a stride now... Very nice, complex from the first.
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6/30/2013 - corkscrews Likes this wine: 93 Points
A nose of dark fruits and spice, dark black purple in color. A full bodied red, with blackberry, black cherry, some tar and chocolate with a long spicy finish. A delicious and still young wine, decant for a few hours. Good stuff every vintage. www.winelx.com
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12/1/2012 - DarinC Likes this wine: 90 Points
From memory weeks ago. Really nice for $35. The heavy oak treatment stood out. Didn't evolve much from the first pour to the last 3 days later.
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11/1/2012 - GEDC wrote: 90 Points
PnP very fruit forward a bit hollow in the mid pallet needs a bit more time to develop complexity.
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9/12/2012 - LFCHALA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great wine. Balanced. Should gain complexity with age.
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6/16/2012 - redz wrote: 90 Points
enjoyed more a year ago. A little musty, could be storage. Stiil very good
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4/15/2012 - td7340 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted about 45 minutes before drinking, dark fruits and tobacco on the nose, red currant and raspberries initially on the tongue and an ending of cherry and red fruit. Very nice and balanced, with the layers of flavors.
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2/11/2012 - lvjohn wrote: 93 Points
Tasted wonderful, but full of youthful exuberance. This is an excellent wine. Quite complex with the hope of more to come. Fruity, spicy, slightly earthy when drunk without food. We're guessing this one will pair well with a pork tenderloin or poultry.
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1/23/2012 - tb_baltimore Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose of blueberries and blackberries, some oak sense, along with red currant and raspberries. Taste is cherry, with the fruit present, but not overpowering. There's also plums, along with a soft vanilla. I really enjoyed this one, so while there is some wisdom in holding this longer, it was well-structured and exceptional at this time point.
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1/18/2012 - Rosdail wrote: 90 Points
Nice tannin structure - better the second day. Great deep color and nice fruit on the nose. Decanted about 30 min.
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11/25/2011 - ewsds wrote: 90 Points
Dark, still partially opaque color; dark fruits and smoke/tobacco on the nose. Medium to full bodies with lots of structure and strong (too much?) acidity, but with classic Tempranillo flavors: dark brooding fruits, smoke, solid tannin support, and a wine that needs lots of air and/or time to shine. Could turn out to be better than my initial 90(+?) assessment, but we'll see if the acidity and tannins mellow with time. A keeper - try in a year or two.
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7/20/2011 - pdemaio wrote: 92 Points
Very dark and dense. Lots of nice topnotes on the nose. Very round pallate with good balanced, high acid. Probably too young, but already drinking well. Plenty of oak.
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7/8/2011 - rhoneriver wrote: 88 Points
True to the region and the varietal. Light to medium in body, dusty cherry and some dark fruit with vanilla notes on the finish. Pleasant, but was hoping for more. Nice lunch time wine.
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2/26/2011 - prettydeceextrap wrote: 88 Points
(B+) Dark wine with a slight syrupy character initially. Mellows after about an hour and finds more typical earthy, tannic qualities. dark fruits, a bit of tar. very good overall, if not entirely memorable.
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2/21/2011 - billmo27 wrote: 94 Points
outstanding, big and bold
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5/12/2010 - Alevine44 wrote: 90 Points
Liked it but prefer older rioja's
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3/1/2010 - Fielding wrote: 91 Points
Stylish modern Rioja. Nose of cherries, with nice acidity.
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8/3/2009 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 90 Points
Terroir-istes International - Spain, Rioja (Rodwell House): Medium-deep garnet; furfurol at first so clear new oak yet with some bright lifted black fruits, mineral, smoke, dried earth and again that incense, as per wine 7. A full-bodied wine, almost opulent, with great depth of flavour with complexity. Still a young wine, there is good concentration (old vines?), plenty of firm yet sweet tannin. Multi-layered, the wine is quite generous with a glycerol sweetness, and the wood is nowhere near integrated, yet this shows potential with some further cellaring.
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11/26/2008 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Cellar - Spain & Portugal (Wine Cellar): (Tasted Blind): A deep ruby colour with plenty of cedarwood, hung game, redcurrant and black fruits - noted wood influence permeates throughout the nose.
An expressive entry with an abundance of blackberry redcurrant with spice and expresso from oak influence.
A powerful, ripe wine that maintains a tight and well-knit structure of firm, ripe, fleshy tannins yet has that hint of mineral-edged acidity. Very enjoyable, although you need 2 hands to pick up the bottle!
Old vines planted in the 1970s and aged 18 months in new French oak barrels.
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