I have had a magnum of this stored in a wooden box in a Climadiff aging cellar for 10 years. A little garnet coloured but vanilla and almond nose; still good fruit and some tannin; cherries and almonds with a tobacco and cassis background. Not hugely long; but surprisingly good based on other reviews. The right magnum to open on the first night of lockdown! But it's principally just me drinking it.....ouch
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I truly believe that this could have been a good wine in its day. The color was garnet brown. Heavy sediment, fines and chunks. The taste was slightly sweet with almost zero tannin or acidity. Still drinkable, but there was a heavy raisin, prune taste to it. Hard to say if the defect was from poor storage, or just an old wine that wasn’t made to age this long.
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Short 15min decant and drank over an hour. Nice medium garnet color, muted nose with some red fruit, not particularly expressive palate but good balance with some very fine tannins left, light to medium body. Rather short finish. Nice, simple everyday wine which will not improve but still has a few years to go.
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I don't really understand the low ratings given to this wine. Dark brick colour. Nose is totally open offering tons of liquorice, oak, dark cherry, dried fruit, earth, smoke and hints of black pepper. Clearly mature and showing complexity. On the palate tannins are perfectly mellow, the acidity is just about perfect, and I found very persistent aromas echoing those of the nose. Good length, definitely beyond medium and close to long. Overall this is a very good wine and certainly a terrific value at just 11€. Was a good match with my entrecote with sauce and vegetables. Drink now, won't improve further.
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No formal notes. Scarlet wine. Very earthy and a lot of (too much...) oak in the nose. A bit of chocolate and tobacco. Not really a winner in the taste. Misses body and character. Might be over his top but i believe this was never a top rioja...
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A pretty decent wine. Great earth tones; showing its age slightly, tight acidity and nice sour cherries on the nose and palate. Medium finish. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, but it was an easy, enjoyable little quaff
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I came across this bottle while traveling in Ireland and despite the negative reviews, I felt this was a pretty okay wine. Great earth tones; showing its age slightly, tight acidity and nice sour cherries on the nose and palate. Medium finish. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, but it was an easy, enjoyable little quaff.
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Despite negative comments from other reviewers, this is a very nice bottle of wine. I was skeptical picking up a single bottle, but I will definitely get a case now that I've tasted it. Great surprise. I seems that a lot of people got faulty bottles. My cork was plump and tight with almost black wine coloring.
Dense red with pretty legs. Intense mineral nose with violets, forsythia, pasture, plum and lots of oak. Very distinct cherry, vanilla, leather, and pepper on the palate. Pleasant mouth feel, firm tannins and still plenty of acidity and alcohol to last a few more years. Long, mellow finish, of cherry, plum and water melon.
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nose: nice and soft tones of dark red cherries, dark red fruits, leather, black currants and a touch of smoke
taste: very full bodied with medium+ acidity and good firm tannins. Excellent tones of leather, dark red cherries, and black currants work well together with decent depth and nice expression
overall: I found this rather enjoyable with a good classic profile. Had a softness to it that made it slightly lacking on the mid palate.
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Nose (Feb 21) - clean, slightly alcoholic, dusty, dirt, earthy, strawberry, red cherry Nose (Feb 22) - same
Palate (Feb 21) - earthy - the classic Rioja dusty quality is evident; alcohol is a bit strong throwing it out of balance; strawberry fruit is reserved; earth driven Palate (Feb 22) - wine has opened up; fruit is much more expressive; strong but simple flavours; not complex; better balance but finish is still a bit hot
Note: Decant and let sit for a few hours. Score reflects lack of balance and lack of finesse on palate.
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My last taste was a flawed bottle. This was the replacement from a different case. The color was fairly pale ruby, with a very pleasant nose. I am trying to figure out what I saw in this bottle that prompted me to buy it in the first place. It just doesn't have the depth that I would hope to find in a Tempranillo. It was fully drinkable, but not something that I look forward to coming back to. I kept half to try tonight, but I don't think it will grow at all.
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This was the worst Rioja I have ever tasted, in fact it's going back next week. It may be a flaw but i'm not convinced. If you had blindfolded me I would have suggested Night Nurse! This was truly undrinkable in the extreme, enough said.
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Cherry and lots of oak on the nose, 13% alcohol but feels like a very spice australian shiraz on a hot year, deep black color, long finish, ok balance but a weird aftertaste that really takes damages the overall experience.
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11/5/2020 - JCH2019 wrote: 88 Points
I have had a magnum of this stored in a wooden box in a Climadiff aging cellar for 10 years. A little garnet coloured but vanilla and almond nose; still good fruit and some tannin; cherries and almonds with a tobacco and cassis background. Not hugely long; but surprisingly good based on other reviews. The right magnum to open on the first night of lockdown! But it's principally just me drinking it.....ouch
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1/12/2020 - MrSkimo wrote: flawed
I truly believe that this could have been a good wine in its day. The color was garnet brown. Heavy sediment, fines and chunks. The taste was slightly sweet with almost zero tannin or acidity. Still drinkable, but there was a heavy raisin, prune taste to it. Hard to say if the defect was from poor storage, or just an old wine that wasn’t made to age this long.
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12/19/2011 - pavel_p wrote: 88 Points
Short 15min decant and drank over an hour. Nice medium garnet color, muted nose with some red fruit, not particularly expressive palate but good balance with some very fine tannins left, light to medium body. Rather short finish. Nice, simple everyday wine which will not improve but still has a few years to go.
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6/17/2011 - SmoothPalate wrote: 90 Points
I don't really understand the low ratings given to this wine. Dark brick colour. Nose is totally open offering tons of liquorice, oak, dark cherry, dried fruit, earth, smoke and hints of black pepper. Clearly mature and showing complexity. On the palate tannins are perfectly mellow, the acidity is just about perfect, and I found very persistent aromas echoing those of the nose. Good length, definitely beyond medium and close to long. Overall this is a very good wine and certainly a terrific value at just 11€. Was a good match with my entrecote with sauce and vegetables. Drink now, won't improve further.
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10/3/2010 - Rombi wrote:
No formal notes. Scarlet wine.
Very earthy and a lot of (too much...) oak in the nose. A bit of chocolate and tobacco.
Not really a winner in the taste. Misses body and character. Might be over his top but i believe this was never a top rioja...
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3/11/2010 - Jack O'Brien wrote: 87 Points
A pretty decent wine. Great earth tones; showing its age slightly, tight acidity and nice sour cherries on the nose and palate. Medium finish. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, but it was an easy, enjoyable little quaff
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12/31/2009 - Brnshj22 wrote: 84 Points
Better than expected but nothing more than that.
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10/22/2009 - Selvaticowine wrote: 87 Points
I came across this bottle while traveling in Ireland and despite the negative reviews, I felt this was a pretty okay wine. Great earth tones; showing its age slightly, tight acidity and nice sour cherries on the nose and palate. Medium finish. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it, but it was an easy, enjoyable little quaff.
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8/30/2009 - MartyRibs wrote: 91 Points
Despite negative comments from other reviewers, this is a very nice bottle of wine. I was skeptical picking up a single bottle, but I will definitely get a case now that I've tasted it. Great surprise. I seems that a lot of people got faulty bottles. My cork was plump and tight with almost black wine coloring.
Dense red with pretty legs. Intense mineral nose with violets, forsythia, pasture, plum and lots of oak. Very distinct cherry, vanilla, leather, and pepper on the palate. Pleasant mouth feel, firm tannins and still plenty of acidity and alcohol to last a few more years. Long, mellow finish, of cherry, plum and water melon.
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6/27/2009 - KeithAkers wrote: 87 Points
nose: nice and soft tones of dark red cherries, dark red fruits, leather, black currants and a touch of smoke
taste: very full bodied with medium+ acidity and good firm tannins. Excellent tones of leather, dark red cherries, and black currants work well together with decent depth and nice expression
overall: I found this rather enjoyable with a good classic profile. Had a softness to it that made it slightly lacking on the mid palate.
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2/21/2009 - Spaceman Spiff wrote: 84 Points
Nose (Feb 21) - clean, slightly alcoholic, dusty, dirt, earthy, strawberry, red cherry
Nose (Feb 22) - same
Palate (Feb 21) - earthy - the classic Rioja dusty quality is evident; alcohol is a bit strong throwing it out of balance; strawberry fruit is reserved; earth driven
Palate (Feb 22) - wine has opened up; fruit is much more expressive; strong but simple flavours; not complex; better balance but finish is still a bit hot
Note: Decant and let sit for a few hours. Score reflects lack of balance and lack of finesse on palate.
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2/19/2009 - StreetWalkerD wrote: 84 Points
My last taste was a flawed bottle. This was the replacement from a different case. The color was fairly pale ruby, with a very pleasant nose. I am trying to figure out what I saw in this bottle that prompted me to buy it in the first place. It just doesn't have the depth that I would hope to find in a Tempranillo. It was fully drinkable, but not something that I look forward to coming back to. I kept half to try tonight, but I don't think it will grow at all.
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12/29/2008 - gven wrote: 84 Points
Not bad but not very convincing. Some red fruit and tannines but not complex.
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12/16/2008 - StreetWalkerD wrote: 70 Points
If this were my first Faustino Rioja, I would never buy it again. It was well beyond drinkable. Returned bottle.
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8/28/2008 - nickbb wrote: 55 Points
This was the worst Rioja I have ever tasted, in fact it's going back next week. It may be a flaw but i'm not convinced. If you had blindfolded me I would have suggested Night Nurse! This was truly undrinkable in the extreme, enough said.
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4/15/2008 - Alekos wrote: 88 Points
Cherry and lots of oak on the nose, 13% alcohol but feels like a very spice australian shiraz on a hot year, deep black color, long finish, ok balance but a weird aftertaste that really takes damages the overall experience.
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