DCBell's notes are spot on. Rich and complex albeit with fairly sharp acidity begging for food pairing. This wine is most delicious on day 3, when the acidity has mellowed down leaving one to savour the black berry fruit and spicy, perfumy finish. Should develop further over the next few years.
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First bottle of my 2012 case. Really good, stood firmly for 4 days. Elegant nose with fire stone, black cherry, licorice. Medium+ acidic, medium sandy integrated tannins, medium+ finish
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On day one this was a little hollow and out of kilter, but was absolutely super on days two and three - so decant if drinking now or leave another few years.
Intense, rich, and complex nose which really draws you in - an absolute joy to keep coming back to and one where you keep finding yourself discovering new aromas. Ripe red and black berries, woody spicy and perfume, musk, slightly animal notes, some engine oil - the whole menagerie. Quite a dense palate, still with a lot of tannin and acidity which perhaps outstrips the flavour intensity a little and makes it one which shines more with some food presently. Nonetheless a very well made wine which offers a lot of pleasure, great value too as is always the case for Ardanza.
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Has continued to mellow out and evolve a bit since my last note. Had this at a dinner party with corned beef (St Patrick’s) so not as much of a contemplative tasting as it deserved. That probably cost it a point or two. No issues with alcohol, or oak. Good comments from the hostess too.
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You know how you taste a bottle out of a case & it is just “off” relative to the others & you chalk it up to being a bit corked or such… is there an opposite to that?!! Just opened one expecting to really like it, like Leya but only because I have hots for the cuter sister Rachel (the 904)… but this blows the doors off. Not watery, smooth and super balanced, funk and tobacco and acid. Makes me swoon….
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Savoury tertiary aromas: mushroom, cigar box, also figs, dark fruits, hints of rose water, cinnamon, spice on the nose; Smooth, elegant peppery palate; tannins are well-integrated; slightly chalky. The acidity comes quite powerfully on the finish. Wears it’s hefty 14.5% alcohol very well. I can drink this quite happily without food. As ever Ardanza delivers.
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3rd (or fourth?) time having this wine and it continues to become more enjoyable. There is still notable oak that has morphed from woody vanilla to an interesting coconut character that imparts and interesting complexity on the nose and palate. What I really love is the fruit beneath the oak here is quite red fruited and elegant, with a light lifted body and a great balance of acid and tannin on the finish. I can see how some people could still be put off by the oak but I don't mind it and think it does contribute something here (ideally it could be lessened here as I do believe it is taking away from otherwise elegant fruit). Glad I have one more and have been buying more recent vintages, still one of the best red values in this price point. 91-92 points and drink now-2032.
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One of the best riojas we have had. We haven’t had that many. This one has a wonderful, rich rose, and struck us as left bank Bordeaux, although it has perhaps a bit more vibrancy and fruit. Very enjoyable!
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Ripe strawberries, sappy and leathery, with a silky texture, good length and plenty of remaining structure. Early in a long maturity window. Excellent wine for the price.
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0.375 L bottle early Feb 2024: not decanted; deep crimson color; aromas of red fruits and vanilla in the nose; fruity and smooth on the palate; slightly tannic.
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N….is like walking into a saddle room, with dusty barrels; some coffee and cigar.
C….light red brick, starting to get tawny on the edge. L-med body.
T….a dry red with rich intense red/black fruit before the dry end; some coffee and bitter dark chocolate and sweet oak, some baccy and liquorice, complex and interesting wine with plenty of charm; real elegance here, some poise and tension, light-medium body only but that doesn’t mean insipid; powerful enough to tell me it’s going to get even better in the cellar.
Drinking v well at 11 yrs old but my guess properly mature at 15-18 yrs old.
Score: 95/100 but maybe a 96 wine when mature?
VFMoney? ….cost around £20 in 2021 on promo at Magestic UK but feels like a £30-40 wine. V gd value for money.
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Too much oak at this point at least, with lots of dill and coconut (man, I prefer French over American oak, but I get that the Spaniards don't) which will hopefully integrate over time. It did open a up a bit with air (decanted a couple hrs and followed over 2 nights). Still, not a very impressive showing with the wood outshining the fruit. Alas, it was much better 2 years ago ...
Everything you'd expect if you've had La Rioja Alta wines before & were expecting one of their entry level wines. Great QPR and a delight... except.. it comes across as just a little bit light, almost watery, like it is teasing you like a waiter who poured some water in your Gran Reserva 904.
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Mature Tempranillo tasting (Rioja, Ribera-del-Duero, Toro); 11/16/2023-11/17/2023: 24 hours after: An excellent expression of traditional Rioja! Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha (20%) blend. Aromas of rose petals, leather and dark fruit. Palate is full of plum, raspberry, cherry cola, balsamic vinegar and spices. Hint of orange peel. Soft/silky/dusty tannins, elegant balance and a long and memorable finish. Better the second day.
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Pepper, earth, clove, red currant and a bit of stewed tomato. After breathing, it integrated, mocha became more prominent and the stewed tomato disappeared.
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Intensive Brombeere mit Gewürzen und leichten Holzaromen und Vanillespuren in der Nase. Am Gaumen säurebetont, komplex mit Brombeere, Kräutern und leichten Holznoten. Mäßige und sanfte Tannine mit sehr langen Nachhall. Alle Komponenten sehr schön integriert. Toller Rioja.
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Spicy oaky red fruit. A very traditional Rioja. Great quality just short of great wine as oak overpowering the fruit. Might resolve in time but atm still very enjoyable.
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An excellent expression of traditional Rioja! Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha (20%) blend. Aromas of rose petals, leather and dark fruit. Palate is full of plum, raspberry, cherry cola, balsamic vinegar and spices. Hint of orange peel. Soft/silky/dusty tannins, elegant balance and a long and memorable finish. Better the second day. Brilliant!
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Dark ruby red color. Intense nose of blackberry with hint of vanilla and some red fruit. Full body and very well structured and balanced dark fruit. Some wood, dried fruit blackberries and an elegant, balanced long finish. Very nice and lovely age.
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Day 1: Not rated Day 2: These wines are so much better on day 2. Heavy on the dill on day 1. Sour cherry, wood, minerals, leather, a touch of dill and earth. Super complex and tasty wine. What a wonderful bargain for $30.00. 92 points Day 3: Showing really nice fruit featuring sour cherry, raspberries and unripe plums. Leather, earth, tobacco and a touch of oak. This wine needs some time. 92 points Recommendation: I would hold these for 4 to 5 years.
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Second of 2 (see my prior note from 4/22 on the earlier bottle) brought to dinner at Steve & Patty’s, and an altogether more harmonious experience. Compositionally and characteristically similar to that bottle, we opened this 3+ hours before dinner with no tasting on opening or in the interim, and once opened, it was downed quickly by 5 drinkers during the dinner of a well-seasoned chicken tagine, which it complemented beautifully. While I can’t speak what this would have been like now as a cocktail wine, off the pour—or how it would hold up over multiple nights—at the point of consumption, it was perfectly balanced and mostly integrated, with prior notes of dill, oak and vanilla barely present and in synch with the wine’s other elements. With several hours of aeration, I think that this is now in, probably closer to the start of, its prime drinking window, which I’m ballparking at 5 years, taking in my prior window by 2 years. At what I paid, $29.99, killer value and highly recommended. Definitely getting a bit more bullish on Spanish wines, probably aided by last summer’s trip to Rioja, including this producer’s tasting room in Haro, and the VSU at Wineapalooza this May. 92-93+
The color is medium ruby with garnet to the rim. Otherwise I refer to my tasting note from 6 March 2022 with the following modifications: I don't find the balsamic notes anymore. But I find in addition tobacco, smoke, leather and coconut. I used the Zalto Universal glass again. The time since the last bottle has been good for the wine. Everything is much more integrated and the wine gained elegance. Looking forward to open the next bottle in one or two years.
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Still showing its juvenile oakiness -- the initial flavor is all dill, backed by elevated but not scary acidity. Even though it's still a long way from its prime, there is still a lot of excitement here. Drinkable now but will improve.
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Opened, poured into a decanter, and enjoyed. tasted primarily with food (fideua with seafood and linguica, in case you were wondering). Tasted along with a 2010 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva Unica.
Garnet maroon color. Nose offers plum and cherry notes with a hint of oak. Some mushroom notes as well. Nice balanced wine, with good fruit. Tannins nicely integrated. A very good wine, paired well with food.
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Decanted and followed for a few hours. Medium garnet with slight bricking and fading. Nose was rather complex and old-world esque with clove, licorice, dill, dried earth, red cherry, sugarplum, fig. Palate was in great balance, medium bodied, decent concentration, good length, fine tannins and decent acid on the finish. I agree that this is just entering its drinking window as about a year ago this was too oaky but it has integrated and evolved into complex spices. I think this is great for the price and a classic example of Rioja. 91+ and drink now-2033
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Day 2: Solid overall but a bit heavy. Wood, spice, mild dill, tar, earth and black licorice. Lacks the balance of previous efforts of this wine and other vintages. Hold at this point. 90 points Day 3: Better but needs some cellaring time at this point. Floral, dust, pepper, spice, red currants, wood and mild dill. Good but will improve with more time. 91 points Recommendation: Hold until 2025.
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Coconut, tobacco, leather, mature plum, orange, and cherry. Powerful and complex, with velvety tannins and plump fruit. The oak, however, is too prominent for my liking, even if I must admit that it is less bombastic on day two. Drink now - 2032, the oak may be better integrated in a couple of years. 90+ points.
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As an old school consumer I wait until the wine is close to maturity, as best I can guess, then open and pour immediately. This is wonderful in the traditional style. With grilled NY Strip it was a perfect companion.
Have been drinking Ardanza Reserva since the 1959 vintage, as many vintages as i have found. This bottle and the previous one seem to me to be at their peak. I do not see improvement from this point. I do not see rapid decline either. This is at the point of drink now and enjoy, or "make hay while the sun shines". These are not as long-lived as the 60's -- 90's were. ¡ Salud !
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Decanted for about 90 minutes, and the wine continued to evolve through the last glass. Drinking beautifully right now. Silky, elegant, fine tannins, good structure. A pleasure in the glass and a great companion to a seared ribeye with anchovy butter.
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Decanted, poured the first glass after about 45 minutes. Dark garnet colour. Red and some dark fruit, dill, espresso, spices, vanilla, and coconut, with medium-level acidity, fine, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Very oaky, lightly warming, and disjointed at first, but the wine pulled itself together after two hours of aeration, and kept improving as time passed. Drink with extended aeration, or hold.
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Good, though I might expect this to be even better in a couple of years. Feels like there is room for everything to integrate more. In the price range, I would say Bosconia is more my style.
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What a difference a year makes. Delicious rioja. Decanted for 4 hours. Color just barley brick orange. Cherry, pomegranate cranberry and other crunchy fresh red fruit. Big acidity, fair amount of tannins but theres enough fruit to balance it all out. Should last a while.
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No significant change from prior tastings. Excellent wine with a heavy dose of oak, tobacco, cherry and vanilla notes. Excellent acid and tannin balance. But definitely not a subtle wine.
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Took 45 min in the glass to come around (didn’t decant). Cigar box, leather, and raspberry on the nose. Similar on the palate, but the expressive nose is the most impressive part of this wine for me. Medium body, fine tannins. Very nice. I have a feeling it could go another 4-7 years but it’s great now.
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Opened 75 minutes prior to diner. Finding the tannins a smidge strong I decanted immediately and returned to the btl 15 minutes prior to dinner. We had a couple predinner pours in 2 Riedel Burgs. Served in the high 50s /very low 60s. The extra air opened this up beautifully and resolved any residual tannins. Very true to the grapes and terroir along with excellent intensity, balance and energy. Does an amazing job of hiding its 14.5% alc. Fun to mix in a great Rioja now and then. Color was a semi translucent garnet red.
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Intense nose- red fruits, cigar box, earth. Medium+ body, medium+acidity, rich and intense in the palate too. Can be aged for some more years, but it seems like it is at its pick right now.
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Good pull on cork, end stained medium magenta, and fully intact. Seems faded to me, as fruit receded. In glass more translucent than most wines I've had, including pinot. Acid low. First save legs very fast, but second wave really slow. Later it was soft but not flabby, as the fruit perked up a wee bit. Tannins still present but not aggressive. A good food wine .
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Catado en magnum. Rubí de buena capa con ribete algo abierto. Nariz intensa, de corte clásico, matices especiados, moka, frutilla roja licorosa, flores secas, nueces tostadas, suaves tostados, final balsámico. En boca tiene buen ataque, cuerpo medio, notable frescura, tanino atractivo, pulido y bien integrado, buena acidez, estructura media, amargos ligero y notable persistencia. Un clásico muy bien definido.
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Back to another and a very hot vintage of gorgeous reserva. Made from Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha, wine was aged for 3 years in US oak. Medium ruby colour. Medium intensity fresh aroma of dried cherries, plums, leather, balsamic, spices, rose petals. Medium body, fresh and harmonious, quite lean lively and vivid texture with concentrated rich flavours, smoky and oaky touches, powdery tannins, fresh and bright acidity continues to a long persistent finish.
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Decanted 1 hour. Fresh red fruit, oak, delicious, but still a bit tight. Lovely wine, glad to have a couple more. Great on its own and with dinner--grilled brined heirloom pork chops, polenta, chamoy roasted carrots.
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Süße, reife dunkle Beerenfrucht, dunkle Kirsche, Brombeere, trifft sich im Duft mit Sojasauce, vegetabilen Eindrücken, Nori, Laub, Milchschokolade, Gewürz, Nelke, Teer, ganz leichte Reife; im Mund dunkle Beerenfrucht, etwas Erdbeere, regelrecht süß wirkend, voluminös und dicht, ohne marmeladig zu sein, Säure fehlt nicht, perfekt integriert. Wunderschön strukturiert mit nicht wenig, aber sehr feinem Tannin, Kakao. Sehr gute Länge. Schwarzer Tee. Salz, Nori.
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The wine is a prototype of polished and aged Rioja with a ruby color with some orange and a developed nose with subtle aromas of decayed leaves, sweet spices and some cherries in liqueur even, quite complex and harmonious. The palate is velvety but rich, with resolved tannins and a fine chalky mouthfeel, sleek and elegant, terribly balanced. The flavors are pure and defined, and there is an overall sense of harmony that I like very much. Brilliant Ardanza!
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decant 6+ hrs, day 1 high acid and complex, day 2 high acid less complex, day 4/5 the acid integrated and the wine (turned to lactic acid??) turned wonderfully creamy and complex. Great QPR
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Many people here have this wine in their cellars and rate it highly, and rightly so. I can add nothing to the myriad of tasting notes already expressed. This is a flat out lovely wine.
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Colour - purple / garnet. On the nose - vibrant, a gorgeous kind of almost grassiness. On the palate - the American oak is prominent but in balance, and underneath it a lean tannic core with red fruits and nice acidity. Lighter on its feet than its 14.5% abv would suggest, but there is some heat and a lactic note that keep this from being as truly wonderful as some vintages of this wine.
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All recent comments hit this wine spot on. Little pricey for a restaurant purchase, but was excellent. Medium bodied, dark red fruit, nice spice, very dry.
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Expressive opening, showing stewed summer fruits, old leather, vanilla, a touch of spice. Soaring acidity, soft tannin and fleshy palate. Traditional, medium bodied, classic Rioja. This is at the cusp of developing into a far more evocative wine as it starts to gain tertiary characteristics. Revisit in 5, 10 years when I’d expect something altogether more serious. 91+
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Pours a clear deep ruby with a garnet rim. Clean on the nose with a pronounced intensity of (mostly secondary) aromas, which include red cherries, coconut, charred wood, vanilla and dill that you have to dig for a bit. This wine is developing.
On the palate, this is dry with a medium body, medium acid, medium alcohol and medium + tannins. Flavors include red cherry, cumin, charred wood, cloves and cedar. Maybe a hint of that dill buried deep down somewhere. A lovely medium + finish. You can drink this now; but it also has potential for further aging.
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Day 1: Heavy dill on the pop and pour but that blew off after an hour. Wonderful wine featuring earth, mild dill, cherry, wood, spice, baking chocolate and raspberry. Picks up some nice minerality on the finish. Super complex wine and medium plus finish. $30 a bottle is hard to beat this quality. 93 points Day 2: Dill has faded some. Earth, cherry, wood, spices, raspberries and baking chocolate. Medium plus finish. Outstanding. 93 points Recommendation: Buy it. Not many wine in the world better for the money.
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My first try for this bottling, and it's pretty good. Cherries, earth, leather, leaves, and a healthy dose of oak. I hope the oak integrates better in time, but that's my only kvetch with this. At 10 years old it's tasting pretty fresh.
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I am on the fence with this one. I don’t mind the use of American oak in wines but I felt that the dill was very noticeable with this wines both on the nose and palate. I usually drink Vina Tondonia and Bosconia and they usually have a little more age on them but I wanted to give this a try. I will check back tomorrow to see if this improves
Termpanillo is aged for 3 years and Grenacha 3.5 years. Spicy balsamic reduction, licorice cinnamon I am being told. So wonderfully complex on the nose. Ripe strawberry. And wonderful tension on the palate.
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Having liked the 2010, we took this to share with some friends and it lived up to our expectations. The American oak in the nose jumped out first with dill and coconut. A savory wine, with forest floor, leather, and still more dill. The fruit was almost entirely absent, present only on the palate in the form of stewed cherry and plums. Licorice was there, too, but again -- savory. Dry, medium acidity, medium(+) tannin and body. Always a safe bet to share with friends.
One hour decant. Very deep ruby color, with a slightly rusty rim. Date, leather, tapioca, and subtle brisket on the nose. Smooth, very dry, spicy palate, with great acidity. Prototypical Rioja that paired well with our heavy tapas.
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Tasted at room temp' at the kitchen table dinner time, decanted 30 mins at least.
N....intense, young at 10 yrs old; mocha, espresso, leather, liquorice, oak is there but is subtle, some red black fruit. But it faded sooner than I expected (10 mins); big and bold but short-lived.
C....red with a hint of tawny at edge, doesn't yet look 10 yrs old.
T....lovely floury soft tannins give structure; soft mouth-feel and great fruit but it has elegance, it's not a mushy desperate-to-please mess, I'm pleased to say; it feels med-H body; gorgeous red/black fruit; style is med-dry; some decent length of flavour here; coffee, bitter dark chocolate, some savoury flavours; at 10 yrs is in a settled drinking window, a nice balance here. Just a lovely glass of Rioja.
Not yet mature, obviously; feels like it will get pongy and interesting - more interesting - later on towards maturity, maybe another 5 yrs?
VFMoney?....costs almost £25.00 but feels worth twice that. Proper bargain. Good Rioja off the shelf in the UK continues to be one of the great UK wine bargains. What's not to like about a 94 score wine with 10 yrs already on the clock for less than £25.00?
1 hour decant. Deep garnet with a hint of tanning at the rim. On the nose, in your face american oak, dill, coconut, cocoa, cedar with some sweet red cherry underneath. On the palate, medium + body and with a full mouth sandy mouthfeel. Tannin and acid are medium, maybe a tad more so. Finish is fruity and acidic. This is a well made wine, balanced enough, but with tons of oak. This needs time for the oak to integrate and settle to allow the fruit to compete, and to develop secondary fruit flavors. Im at a 90 now with 92+ potential. Will likely look for more to cellar; drink 2024-2034.
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Delicious and drinking great right now! Has a bit of a kick at the end and while not overly heavy it does have some weight to it, agree with other posts on here, this wine needs some food with it
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Spicy paprika and toast on nose a d palate, with redcurrants and red florals. Elegsnce is notable but it seems to be rather different from previous vintages that had been toasty and powerful
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So funky. Bright red fruits. This is a ringer among the 5 brunello and everyone thought it was brunello. Love it, but so humiliated because I cannot even pick out something I drink all the time.
This is an absolutely great wine. Medium bodied, aromatic tanins, red and dark fruits with complexity. Long final. It reached very good maturity after 10 years. I highly recommend this Rioja!
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Complex with many different aromas and flavors with a long finish. Decanted for 1.5 hrs and it reached it's peak taste after about 3.5 hrs. It was still tasting great at 4.5 hrs in with a noticible decline at about the 5 hr mark. Strawberry rhubarb pie with a hint of barnyard were my most prominent flavors on the palate. 92-93
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Colour: Medium garnet with some brown hues around the rim, legs are fast, no depot/particles Nose: Deep red fruit with blueberries, boisenberry, leather, tobacco, typical dill and Tempranillo notes, hints of coconut and maybe some red currant, very complex Mouth: Red currant, boisenberry, blackberry, leather, black tea, nice and complex oak notes, still a very refreshing and vibrant acidity Finish: Very long lasting and complex finish with oak, leather, interesting terroir notes and some sweetness and hints of strawberry jam with again a refreshing acidity and red currant.
An exceptional wine, with very classic and "classy" Rioja style, this wine is already very nicely aged but has the potential for more years of aging left. Nice pairing with Coq au Vin and a small Caesars salad.
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Here is how I conducted an unplanned experiment: Opened and recorked again. (My wife asked for a Brunello, instead). Left it in the fridge for 6 days with an astonishing result. Conclusion: this a great wine for aging, but given its QPR is better to enjoy it now with tons of previous airing.
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First of 2 ($29.99) from online discounter #4. On the nose and palate, moderate notes of black cherries, plums, red raspberries and currants, vanilla, oak, dill, dry earth, orange, herbality, and the first night, a touch of liquer. Medium ruby, light to medium bodied, light to medium legs. Medium++ acidity and tannins and acidity, just a bit of heat the first night. Good complexity, good+ persistence and intensity. I’m really at Square 1 as I get ready for Rioja in a few weeks, but friend Barry introduced me to this bottling with the ‘10 version, which impressed with balance and sophistication. Although I had that at a similar time of development (i.e., 2 years ago), that wine, or at least that bottle that night, presented an altogether more settled picture than this youngster, which seemed to be going through rebellious teen years, with large elements not playing all that smoothly with each other. Many of the notes I got in this were not dissimilar with what I’ve gotten from some fairly recent highly rated Chiantis, and like those wines, this tastes like it may have a better future (although it had 2 hours of air before drinking on night 1 and this is night 3) and was a completely different, read, better, wine with food, first a tomato-based shellfish stew then that old Spanish standby, pizza than without. I’ll let my other bottle of this sit for at least another couple of years, and likely give it more aeration when I pop it. Solid qpr, but unlike the ‘10, at least where this is at now, a niche wine for me. 90-91+
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Lots of spicy oak and vanilla, lovely silky texture, beautiful red berry flavors, matching acidity. A beautifully balanced wine and a classy Rioja Reserva. Ready for drinking. - 91 points
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Nese: før luft: Litt mørkere frukt enn Bosconia, litt tørket frukt, litt krydder og tobakk på nesen. etter luft: Litt mer markert frukt enn Bosconia, litt tørket frukt, litt sursøt frukt. Smak: før luft: Middels fyldig, fruktig, litt tobakk og lakris, god syre. Noe fat. OK lengde. etter luft: Opplevdes litt slankere, syrlig, litt lakris og tobakk, litt tørket frukt, god lengde.
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2022: Top Ten Wines; 1/1/2022-12/31/2023 (Redwood City, CA): Gave 1h air, doubt that's necessary. Medium garnet color. Aromas of dried strawberry, cedar, espresso, mushroom, dill and warm spices. Smooth and succulent on the palate. Medium-full bodied, with lively and tart red fruit, framed by fine-grained tannins and accented with mushroom and espresso in the smoky sweet finish. At this stage, this has depth and complexity with a lot of life left in it. Really exciting, especially considering the price.
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PNP. Burgundy core with an orange rim. Complex nose with a typical American oak note of dill/coconut that I find in other Spanish wines alongside dark cherry and balsamic. The acidity shines through on the palate and creates a bright wine with a long finish.
I can see this wine getting mixed reviews due to the large oak presence, but I feel its adds a nice layer of complexity that even very novice wine drinkers may be able to pick up during a tasting. For this reason and the mouthwatering acidity I see this as a super solid wine for the money and I quite enjoy it!
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Restaurant purchase at a Tapas Bar by the bottle; so popped and poured without decant. My first impression was New World, fruit forward, and oaky. I didn’t get the high alcohol feel that others noted. However, after an hour with vigorous swirling, the wine improved with aromas and flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries, licorice, figs, orange peel, and mocha. The wine softened and rounded out. It’s fruit and oak softened and became less dominant, revealing a more balanced and nuanced Rioja. Medium bodied with soft, polished tannins. Moderate finish. Drink now with decant.
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I'm not normally wowed by Rioja wines, but this one was really impressive. A blend of 78 percent Tempranillo and 22 percent Grenache, respectively aged for 36 and 30 months in used oak barrels. Decanted: one hour prior to tasting. Color: medium intense garnet red with slight bricking at the rim. Bouquet: gorgeous nose displaying scents of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, licorice, sweet spices and hints of tobacco and leather. On the palate: a very well-balanced, medium to full-bodied wine revealing juicy red and black fruit, a harmonious structure, polished tannins and a delicate acid structure. Finish: long elegant aftertaste. This wine is at its peak now and will remain there for another 4–5 years.
Ik ben niet echt een grote fan van Rioja-wijnen, maar deze vond ik toch wel indrukwekkend. Een blend van 78 percent Tempranillo en 22 percent Grenache, met een respectieve rijping van 36 en 30 maanden in gebruikte eiken vaten. Gedecanteerd: een uur voor consumptie. Kleur: medium intens granaatrood met wat lichte verkleuring aan de rand van het glas. Bouquet: prachtige neus met aroma’s van rijp kersen- en frambozenfruit, zoethout, zachte kruiden en nuances van tabak en leder. In de mond: een fraai uitgebalanceerde, vrij volle wijn met sappig rood en zwart fruit, een harmonieuze structuur, gepolijste tannines en een delicate aciditeitsstructuur. Finale: lange elegante afdronk. De wijn is nu op zijn hoogtepunt en blijft nog wel 4–5 jaar op dit niveau.
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Raisiny on the nose, drank well. Put up against a 2015, the 2015 had noticeable alcohol whereas this one didn't, even though they are both 14.5%. This was 375ml, so perhaps its aged faster. Not as good as my last bottle. Bottle variation seems to be high (granted only on a sample size of 3.) will try another half bottle later this week.
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First bottle from case. Had with ox cheeks braised slowly in red wine (flavoured with star anise). A lovely wine, this. Classic, traditional Rioja (i.e., not a fruit forward jelly doughnut). Double decanted plus glass aeration; one hour was sufficient, and it stayed on form for 3+ hours. Aromatic. Graceful. Elegant. At 10 years of age the oak is tamed, the fruit, spice, leather and vanilla are all evident but understated, and the acidity is gentle but dominant, making this a superb food wine. Ends with a long, satisfying finish.
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I've had the GR 904 before...wow, no mistaking the house style. Very good, and a good buy for $29. Red fruit and herbacious green notes, with the complexity and structure manifesting in the long finish. Dangerously light on its feet for a 14.5%. This is the kind of wine I'm excited to serve at a really successful dinner party: distinctive personality, with switch-hit potential as a high-end crowd pleaser that the wine nerds will enjoy too.
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Very very nice. Has all the classic Rioja notes of berries, oak, leather, tobacco and is supremely balanced. At $30 a bottle, I’m kicking myself for only buying 3. Will make up for it with other vintages! Decanted for 1.5 hours and it kept getting better as we went through the bottle over another 1.5 hours.
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Great anise and leather on the nose, with some redfruit and an undertone of sweet spices. Well-structured palate with bright acidity and tannins, with an impressively long finish at this price point. Great QPR.
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Smoke and red fruit on the nose. Tart red fruit and some minerality on the palate. Medium tannin, medium-high acidity. Decent, but reading the other reviews here I’m wondering if I drank the same wine as everyone else.
80% tempranillo, 20% garnacha Medium to deep garnet with slight bricking. The nose is all autumnal leaves with a touch of fennel. The palate on day 2 is pretty different than day 1. Much more fruit, and much less savory. The dill and balsamic which appeared on day 1 are nearly gone while fig and raspberry have emerged. Dark cherries, figs, raspberry, anise, subtle hints of vanilla that come in late with some leather. A much lighter feel than the 2008 Tondonia seemingly from the garnacha. Drink now-2030. Not the best Ardanza but as always, excellent QPR.
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Pours a dark maroon with a hint of orange in the rim.
On the nose: baking spices, sweet red fruits like wild ripe strawberries, and a hint of vanilla
On the palate: black and red fruits, mushrooms and black tea, medium to full bodied and medium acidity, very grippy tannins that will take a few year to resolve. Tasty wine and will have it with a steak to balance out the acidity and tannins.
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Rust red color. Smoky leather, nutmeg, sweet floral notes, perfume, caramel and tart red fruits. Silky mouthfeel with layers of flavors and pretty chalky tannins. The sweetness almost mimics a viognier and the Grenache has a solid presence. A nice surprise and drinking very well now.
p.s. homemade meatloaf, cauliflower purée and salad.
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Absolutely beautiful and complex for $40. I think this is one of the best, if not the best Rioja I've ever enjoyed in terms of QPR. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised as the only other wine of theirs I've tried, the $20 Alberdi, is equally as stellar for its price point and one of my fave budget wines of all time. In this case I feel like I might be underrating the Ardanza, simply because it's not completely my favorite style of wine (dried fruit is an important part of it, and that's just not always my favorite profile)- that said, there was way more to it than that, and it showed a frankly insane sense of balance.
Fairly powerful nose that was immediately expressive with all sorts of black fruits, dark red fruits, and vivid oak tones that *still let the fruit do the heavy lifting*, which is important to me. Just for a long list of things I got on the nose over the 18 hours the bottle was open (no decant, just corked overnight): blackberry compote, black cherry cobbler, baked plums, graham crackers, nutmeg, dusty old cabin, red licorice, pipe tobacco...I could just keep riffing. Such a wonderful nose, and I'm seriously impressed that the fruit was so present even with the powerful American oak.
The palate was less special for me, but still absolutely beautiful. Much brighter than the nose, in a surprising way, striking and vivacious, sometimes very tart acidity with dried cherries and nearly crunchy dark red raspberry. A little tiny echo of the vanilla oak too, but where the nose was rich and deep, the palate was high toned and incredibly tight. I'm actually pretty shocked at how much this turned out to be a food wine; even something as humble as frozen meatballs from Ikea (lol) totally tempered the dusty, brutal tannins, and didn't compete with the beautiful fruit in the wine at all.
For reference, this felt like a slightly less intense but much better-balanced expression of my first and only time trying LdH Tondonia, the 2007. Very similar with the deep autumnal oak, but I got much clearer fruit here as well, plus the structure and energy were far friendlier at this stage, even though this wine could very clearly age for many years longer. Thanks for reading my long note.
Color: deep ruby with garnet reflexes / Nose: very intense, ripe dark fruits like blackberries, red fruits like strawberries, balsamic notes, spices like black pepper, coffee / Palate: medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, great length, medium+ bodied, aromas are similar to the nose / Glass I used: Zalto Universal / Overall: This was my first wine from La Rioja Alta and I was impressed. It's very intense and extremely well balanced. On one side you find ripeness and power and on the other side you find elegance and freshness.
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This is beautiful. Nose is lifted with a bit of ethyl acetate, also full of oak, a leathery Tempranillo note, fresh butter, sweet tobacco, strawberry (Me thiobutyrate??), beta ionone. Palate has wonderful lifted acid, medium gentle tannin. Lets see if I can wait a few years to see what happens to another bottle.
Vibrant fruit showing so nicely balanced as soft tannins on the pallate. Paired with jamón Serrano that really brought out the characteristics and layers of the fruit so well.
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Half bottle..80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. In its drinking window now. Well integrated notes of bright ripe dark red fruit with sweet and savory spices. The tannins are resolved for a smooth delivery with plenty of acidity to go with meat or cheese.
https://winediplomats.com/
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Pleasant wine. Not a keeper. Soft texture. Cherry, mild leather, mildly acidic. Medium short finish. Ate with pork chops braised in red wine and Madeira.
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i am getting more and more impressed with this wine. aerated and decanted for 2 hours. great nose redolent of tobacco, smoke and game notes. ruby red color. notes of chocolate, tobacco, cedar and cherry on the palate with a long harmonious finish that is elegant but firm. Need to buy a case at this price point.
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Cherry, leather and vanilla on the nose. Beautifully integrated oak and refined tannins on the palette. For its style this is a very drinkable wine which will pair well with food due to its acidity
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Light to medium garnet. Classic Rioja with vibrant, lifted aromas of tobacco, Xmas cake, ripe red fruits, candied orange, worn leather jacket and vanilla. As it opened, it became more penetrating with the tobacco going to a leather jacket in a cigar lounge; red plums, double cream, marinated cherries in brandy and balsamic. Intense mid-bodied entry with lots of the nose continuing. A fleshy entry, silky, rich texture with vanilla, cinnamon, cherry cola, pressed red flowers and creme patisserie (vanilla cream). The oak adds structural support with chocolate and clove notes; the tannins are resolved and satin-smooth, and there is just enough acidity to keep the wine facing the right direction. An excellent wine! 94+
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Decanted 2 hours. What a beautiful well-rounded wine. Upon decanting pungent plum nose. Initial pour showed markedly pronounced legs w/firm tight fruit nose. Flavor of big Bing cherries, bold light leather w/pleasing finish. Served w/Pasta & Braciola and wine nicely balanced the soft acid of the sauce.
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2012 La Rioja Alta S. A. Viña Ardanza Reserva was elegant and expressive. The developing Tempranillo-based Rioja was clear and medium garnet in colour without any noticeable sediments. As recommended by NP1776 on CellarTracker, the wine was decanted for four hours. There were expressive aromas of raspberry, red cherry and rose petals. Over the four-hour decant, the American oak artifacts of dill and vanilla were better integrated, while subtleties of mushroom, dust and smoked meat emerged.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, balanced with medium level of polished tannin and medium-high level of acidity. There were flavours of strawberry, earth, complex spices and wet stone minerals in a rather long savoury finish. The 14.5% alcohol was well-concealed in its freshness and elegance. The empty bottle weighed 567 grams.
From the information on the winery website, the blend is composed of 78% Tempranillo and 22% Garnacha from vineyards in Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. The Tempranillo component is aged for thirty six months in American oak barrels averaging at four years of age. The Garnacha component is aged for thirty months in second or third fill barrels. The blend is bottled in March 2016. More than 600,000 bottles are produced. It surely represents a well-priced and widely distributed classic Rioja.
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Day 1: These wine remind me why I do the 3 day wine review thing. Previous poster did 4 hour decant and agree needs it. This on the pop and pour was a dill/wood overload so yes don't rate it yet. Two hours in the glass getting wood, mild dill, raspberries, minerals, earth and dark chocolate. Excellent wine and probably better than the last time I sampled it. 93 points Day 2: Still tight and needs to open up. After an hour in the glass featuring wood, dill, exotic spices, raspberries, minerals and dark chocolate. If you don't like Oak avoid this wine. For me excellent offering. 93 points Day 3: This is at its best. Lost some of the dill and wood which was heavy at times but still added to the wine. Raspberries, underbrush, dark chocolate, tobacco, minerals, mild dill and wood. Complex wine and one of the better under $30 wines I have sampled this year. 93+ points Recommendation: No doubt this wine will improve with some age. Really good now and needs a 4 plus hour decant if you are drinking it on day 1.
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Decanted four hours before drinking (based on difference between the sip I had when I opened it and the glass I had four hours later, it really needed it). Delicious. All the classic notes of a good Rioja: meat, red fruit, leather, tobacco, while still floral. Drinking really well now.
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“Everything” is pretty on par here. Only note the Nose opens up with a Brie characteristic before mellowing out in the decanter. Red acidic fruit up front, herbs, earthiness, and a hint of black pepper on the back. Soft tannin, medium-long finish.
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Nose: This was decanted for the better part of the day and it drastically helped. From the second your nose hits the glass, this is unmistakably Rioja with a good dose of sour red cherries, raspberries, sour red fruits, vanilla, dill, rose petals, tobacco, spice notes, herbs, and earth tones. There is excellent depth and balance with a classic take that is very alluring.
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The structure is youthful but not too overpowering. The feel is poised and balanced with sour red cherries, raspberries, sour red fruits, vanilla, rose petals, tobacco, herbs, and earth tones.
Overall: This could well age for plenty of years to come and it is also delicious right now. The fruit is well put together and this is pure, classic Rioja. I can see this having another gear with 5+ years of aging as there is plenty of stuffing.
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Lots of American oak on the nose, although it is seamlessly integrated with a wealth of red fruits (cherry, raspberry, cranberry). The acidity is refreshing and the oak presents some nice spice tones, in addition to the coconut and dill. This is what--so often-- Ridge Lytton Springs shoots for, but doesn't achieve in terms of American oak integration. This will age nicely for 5+ more years. Great companion to food (cheese, salami, paella etc.) This just screams Rioja.
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Following up the fabulous 2010 this is a lovely, classic Ardanza from La Rioja Alta. It pours medium garnet with light bricking. The nose is lifted, classic and complex showing strawberry, dried cherry, sweet cedar, grilled pork, rosewater, blood orange, cigar wrapper, touches of toasted coconut, and spicecake. Very appealing. The palate enters on bright acidty red fruit, recall the strawberry of the nose, moving to medium minus tannin and finishing on the dried cherries and blood orange of the nose. The finish lingers very impressively. All in all I'm absolutely loving this wine and find it to be extremely well balanced and beautiful. La Rioja Alta strikes again. I'm slowing finding I like this more than Lopez de Heredia.
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PnP. from 375ml. Drinking nicely upon opening, but improves with time in the glass (though didn't spend a lot of time with 375ml. :-) ). Typical and really nice vintage from Vina Ardanza.
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I really liked this. Raspberry and plum flavors with a strong herbal streak with sage flavor that almost reminded me of thanksgiving stuffing. Yummy, and glad I have more,
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Black raspberries, fresh leather, white pepper, slate, Shiitake mushroom and cranberry. A full body, with cottony tannins that are starting to relax, with a present middle. This has form but a lot of elegance, yet the staying power really draws you in. There’s granite on the palate. Such a nice, flowing finish. Drink now - 2030.
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Ruby with an orange tinge. The nose at first was surprisingly sweet (genuinely a bit like Sauternes!). Lovely notes or strawberry jam and oak
On the palate one could almost taste this sweetness despite it being a dry wine. Jammy fruits and beautiful vanilla creaminess from the oak. Smooth, balanced and a delight to drink.
As the wine evolved (and warmed up in the warm Singapore room temperature) one could detect balsamic notes and a certain herbiness. Possible hints of chocolate. I couldn't taste any Tempranillo leathery notes however.
This was decanted for 90 minutes before the first pour and enjoyed over 3 hours following. As the room temperature in Singapore is so high (25°C+ even with air conditioning) we took out of the fridge and let warm up in glass before putting the decanter back in fridge to avoid excessive heat.
This tasted it's best at the 12-14°C mark where the jammy notes and sweeter vanilla/cream from the oak were most discernable. At the best sips this was a point higher than the overall score I have given
A real delight not least as this wine is such good value for the quality.
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Beautiful Rioja - Ardanza went a more modern style with this one. Darker fruits and more alcohol than the previous vintages. I alternate between this one and the 09 depending on the mood.
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I know I should give this wine more time but it's pretty delicious now, gorgeous red fruit framed by bright acidity, moderate tannins, and a judicious application of oak. Drank after a six+ hour decant and it was singing. Crowd pleaser.
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Unglaublich vielschichtige Nase, in der sich Aromen von Kirsche, Zwetschge, Kräutern, Eukalyptus, Rosinen, Kaffee, Lakritze und Leder umtänzeln. Ein Hauch Stall lässt sich auch nicht leugnen. Langeweile ist definitiv keine Option. Am Gaumen fruchtig, frisch, erdig, würzig, pikant. Himbeere gesellt sich zur Kirsche, nach hinten raus zündet ein ganzer Kräutergarten. Dicht und druckvoll, mit mega viel Tiefe. Säure und seidig präsente Tannine befinden sich in harmonischem Einklang. Richtig gut strukturierter Stoff. Der Nachhall ist weich und unfassbar lang. Komplexe Granate!
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Eðalklúbbur, haustsmakk #2 2021 (Hlíðarás 10): Frekar ljós litur. Í nefinu mátti finna: Fjós, þroskaðan ost, vanillu og jarðarber. Á tungunni voru: Ávextir í bragði. Vanilla og smá fjós. Frekar létt vín með talsverðri sýru. Í eftirbragði var bruni og banani ásamt einhvers konar málmbragði. Það var rætt um það að þetta ætti örugglega vel með lambi. Fínt vín.
Better on day 2 after a night with a layer of argon. Medium bodied. Herbal nose of dark berries, dark cherry sage rosemary faint leather tobacco notes and slightly tangy sour cherry finish. Good acid and fruit. I expect it will age beautifully for another 8 years or more.
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The wine has what I would describe as a crimson color. The legs are slow and there was light sediment in the bottle. The aromas present reminded me of vanilla, smoke and tobacco. The tastes were very appealing with dark fruit being the strongest followed by tobacco, coffee and leather. The body is medium with a medium finish. The wine has medium acidity. We liked it a lot and will buy it again.
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drank this a week ago, so faint memory but do remember really liking it... my recent note applies, but I almost am thinking I would have given this a 92 if my memory were better
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Very nice cassis nose with notes of meat juices. More gravy in the flavour as well as a mich of blackberry and redcurrant fruits. Drinking very well now but with lots of potential. More Gran Reserva in style though it is a Reserva.
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Traditional Rioja, but with a modern slant. Beautifully oaked, balanced and refreshing. Alive and vibrant still. Very good. Over time, developing a plummy and fruity nose - exquisite! To food, but works surprisingly well on its own. If you want to introduce someone to the wonders of Rioja - this is the place to start.
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Beautiful nose, mid-weight / body, soft tannins and red fruit are the main descriptors I can come up with. On opening, a bit of bottle funk that took maybe 20 minutes to blow off, then followed over a few hours. Really lovely, an excellent Rioja and great QPR.
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This is an amazing Rioja. Extremely typical. Fabulously delicious, rich, balanced, complex with a beautiful backbone today. Will bloom over many years. Lovely!
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Benefits from opening up in plenty of time….it’s really got some lovely tertiary flavours and has the colour and hues of an old burgundy Drank alongside Bohorquez 2010 - think the Ardanza edged it…..
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Nose is muted straight from bottle, with a little hint of vanilla. Balsamic, dark fruit, leather, dried orange peel with spicy notes on the palate. Taste profile is very typical Ardanza and reminds me of the 2001 but with less astringent acidity. Tannins is very well polished and hidden behind the acidity. Very nice.
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Dinner at Wei Heng's (The Peak, Singapore): Rather too young, but this shows a lot of promise. The nose was big and bold, with deep notes of plums and blackberries, and then wafts of cigarette ash, dried earth and sprigs of dill and menthol around the sides of the bouquet. You could just about feel the 14.5% alcohol in the plush fulness on the palate, but it was still in balance, with velvety tannins and juicy acidity wrapped around ripe notes of black cherries, plums and blackberries laced with spice and smoke as the wine led into a full, dried fruited finish. A rather big bruiser at the moment - this needs time yet, or at least some food, but it will be a really lovely sip in another 5-6 years.
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Tydligt men integrerat fat. Kryddig. Liten animalisk ton. Vanilj. Körsbär. Läder. En härlig doft! Känns mogen men med en pigg intensitet. Otroligt fin i munnen. Sammetslen men med precis tillräckligt med tanniner för att den inte ska tappa strukturen. Perfekt balanserad. Medellång eftersmak.
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A nose of bright red fruit, oak notes of vanilla, cloves, and almost a caramel quality — and some umami-ish notes that remind me of the char of roasted vegetables like carrots, onions, and parsnips. The palate is elegant with ripe red berries, tobacco, some toasty oak notes that frame the fruit. Medium bodied, medium/medium- acid, high tannins that show though towards the finish.
Overall there’s nice power and drive bur also a fair amount of elegance too — very good stuff.
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Lovely wine very representative of the region and deserves 91 exactly no less nor more.
80% Tempranillo 20% Grenacha 36months American Oak
Sight: Light ruby very slight pink orange when held to the light.
Nose: Big high quality oak right up front very yummy vanilla, Ripe Cherry, Strawberries, Plum, Orange peel. Along with pepper spice and a slight clay typical Tempranillo note Really nice strong nose want to keep smelling !
Palate: this wine is all attack big juicey yummy ripe red fruits up front then completely changes from mode palate to finish to lots of spice signature rioja earthy clay quality and some bitterness in the finish. Honestly the finish kinda waters out and fades too quick that’s why this wine is all attack but damm is the attack delicious! The texture is silky lovely medium tannin and medium plus acid couldn drink all but itself no food.
OVERALL: A great rioja just a little bitter and short finish and the wine lacks a little depth. The style is higher elevation and lighter in style but delicious non the less I’m happy with this well know modern Rioja!
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91 for now, has 92-93 potential... really liked this Tempranillo, on the elegant side (which I like) and seemed like with age it would blossom even more, my son said it had burgundy character but with less fruit and more umami... I agree, should be great in 10 years but didn't notice much structure so not sure about longer
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Classic Ardanza, with a pleasant level of freshness and a touch less of the varnish oak that for me sometimes detracts with this marque. Opened up and improved even open for several days.
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Wine is showing very well now. Not sure if it was time or bottle variation, but it was much improved since my last sample. May consider buying more now, but its still a good bit away from the greatness of the 2010
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Half Bottle: This has filled out in 6mths but still not a patch on the 2010. Has fragrant aromas of leathery flowers, raspberries, clove+iron hints and sour cherries. Its chewy opulent medium bodied spherical blue and red fruits palate has the typical food friendly zingy Ardanza acidity and impressive depth with very good length+some visible tannin. As always well priced at around 24 Euros a bottle. The 14.5% is there but doesnt show, it just limits me to drinking this a glass at a time which is no bad thing either.
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It is a shame that more people do not appreciate that this may be one of the greatest quality red wine bargains out there. I have a couple of bottles in my cellar that I will hold for several years, as this one will definitely develop more secondary flavors in the next 5 to 10 years, but it is downright delicious now. A bit fruit forward as these tend to be, with lots of juiciness from the Grenache. This wine has breeding, delightful aromatics – – smoky moist soil, dark sweet cherry, oak, clay, and more cherry – with a palate that is most consistent. A nice accompaniment to a meal that spanned both Asian spice and traditional plates. A wine that is appealing both to newcomers and Spanish wine aficionados.
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Initially this bottle was oaky and tannic, but after 60 minutes it opened up nicely to reveal ripe cherry flavors, some leather and minerality and a smoother texture. Beginning to show its stuff, but will be better in two or three years.
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스페인 리오하, 뗌쁘라니요, 알콜 14.5% 브라운빛이 도는 벽돌색? 탄닌 3.2, 바디감 3.2 산도 3, 드라이 4...
바닐라, 초코, 담배향 투박한 느낌의 가죽향? 묵직한 검은과실과 새콤한 자두? 그리고 길게 이어지는 피니쉬까지... 비비노 4.3 내 평점 4.0- 비비노에 한국 스페인 리오하 레드와인 인기순위가 2위라는... 개인적인 5원원대 강추와인 하지만 개취로는 같은 금액대 No2로 랭크. 아직은 후안길 블루가 더 좋다.
10빈 좋고 12빈은 그에 비해 아쉽다는 평 다수 10빈 구할수 있다면 다시 트라이
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Closed up and tight. Subtle black cherry fennel and oak. I can tell it’s going to be hours before this one opens up. Pouring a glass for now and will enjoy the rest of the bottle tomorrow. Got a feeling it will be a different wine. Day 2: way more integrated and more fruit. Out of whack right now but lots of promise. But still rough and Aggressive. Tastes like it’s 4 years old not 9. There is a bright future. not going to look at another bottle for 2-3 years. It’s not the 2010 but what rioja is.
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Good traditional Rioja. Mouth-watering orange zest, cherries, and minerals, along with plum and sweet tobacco. Still has room to grow. The main negative for me was a note of charred oak that I found too assertive.
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This was nice, but fell short of expectations given the triple 94+ reviews. Had an "older Rioja" taste to it. Plus, this wine needed quite a bit of TLC (3 hour decant) to be enjoyable. Given a choice between this and say, the Peciña Crianza (at <60% the price and more enjoyable than LRA Ardanza even with a pop and pour), the Peciña is the hands down winner. Not really a rebuy. If I wanted an older higher end Rioja, probably would go with Lopez de Heredia Tondonia which is not that much more expensive. Perhaps this wine needs a few more years to meet its supposed potential, but I'm not seeing it as "Best Spanish Red of 2020" as described by Decanter.
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One glass. 90/91. I wrote an email to the customer services at La Rioja Alta lamenting the new highish alcohol level of all their wines: the Vina Alberdi 2015 is 14.5% and the 904 2011 is 14.5%.They were very nice. Sure there is global warming but this wine is Southern Rhone like with its high Garnacha and alcohol level. Anyway despite the alcohol this is still very much Vina Ardanza with its leathery blue fruits, volcanic rocks, vanilla hints and cherries aromas. Its voluptuous blue fruits and vanilla hints palate has zingy food friendly acidity lovely texture and good length. Unfortunately I will have only just have one glass at a time with this wine now. Drink now to next 5 years. This is definitely not the 2010.
Great value, medium bodied...great structure and flavor profile with regard to complexity...soft and feminine, bright cherries, pepper and spice accents short finish
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First, I don't have a lot of experience with Rioja. Opened in the morning and sampled: translucent deep red color, with some orange/brick mixed in, dark fruit flavor, with mouth puckering acidity.
Then, slow-oxed for 10+ hours. Everything came together very well. Plum and blackberry with some cocoa powder and smoke. The tannins were still teeth-staining when swirled around in the mouth, but everything was really nicely integrated.
Drinking nicely now with a long slow-ox, but I will tuck anotehr bottle away in the cellar for 5-10 years to see what develops.
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Cherries, herbs, and oak on the nose. Palate is consistent, with smokey tones and hints of licorice. Very well put together, and still primary, whilst lively, concentrated and round. Long persistent finish. Will be superb in another 5 years.
Night Two: Closed down. Concentrated primary fruit, polished tannins, slightly tart finish. Will open next one 2024.
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Can't drink this without comparing it to the 2010 Seleccion Especial and it falls short. A drinkable rioja but the Seleccion Especial is worth the extra cost.
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Really well made and drinking well with aeration and decant. Smooth and more full bodied and rich than a typical Rioja but still has signature acidity and mineral / stone notes.
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Typical Alta rioja with flavours of plum, cherries, oak and some spice. Its also starting do develop some earthy aromas. Started to really open up after about 3 hours in a wide decanter.
Although it cant compete with the 2010 vintage, its still a great wine If you like Rioja.
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Really enjoyable, still a little young and perhaps a bit oaky but lots of classic Rioja elements - leather, clove, dark fruit, mint. Drinking well now but with more time to mellow and integrate this should be even better. High 80s-low 90s.
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Zoom tasting of La Rioja Alta wines hosted by Caviste, UK, with wines presented by Francisco Copas from the winery. This wine is not produced every year. Tempranillo blended with some garnacha. 6 years in bottle before release. Medium plum colour, with a hint of ageing at the edges. Lovely depth in the nose, showing its 7 years maturity, plummy, raspberries. Full rich palate, ripe red berry fruits, good length, pepper and spice.
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Smooth with dark cherry and hint of vanilla, not overpowering oak in my opinion. Great pairing with a big charcuterie spread at the beach in Oak Island, NC
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Medium garnet color. Offers sour cherry, cedar, volcanic rock and black olive. Tangy red and black fruit on the palate, with hints of ash, cedar, olive and licorice. Medium-full bodied, satin texture, with broad chalky tannins. Dense and edgy, this is a really satisfying wine that's only just beginning to show off.
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The oak treatment here may have gone a little overboard...I'm getting assaulted by coconut, buttered popcorn, and vanilla before I get to the leathery, dusty cherry fruit that I love in tempranillo. Has this wine seen an increasing percentage of new American oak over the years or has my palate just changed?
Light red, brown and orange hints. Oak, coconut, cedar, herbal Strawberry. Medium body. High (-) Acidity. Strong and pretty well structured tannins. Medium finish. Needs more than 3 hours aeration
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Medium+ ruby in color with some garnet at the edge. Medium + intensity of black fruit - plum a little cooked. Balsamic and some fresh Mediterranean herbs. Secondary pretty strong vanilla and tertiary of sweet pipe tobacco and leather. On the palette is medium in intensity, black plum and vanilla and herbs again. Medium finish. Overall decent balance for a big production reserva. Vanilla is a little too dominant for me and palette still a touch acidic. Medium + length. Overall a decent readily available Rioja. Probably won’t evolve much more depth. That said it is good quality, well made, and at a good price.
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Classic rioja nose; red berries, leather, prune and raisin. A rather light palate. Acidic, some bitternes and with a balsamic note. Long persistent finish.
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A warm medium to deep garnet color greets you to this wine. Its slightly browning edges give welcoming hints of its now nine year story in bottle.
Medium+ intensity on the nose evoking earthy notes of cedar and leather. The wine has medium tannins that did well to decant for 2 hours. Flavors of gooseberry, thyme, dried fruits, and a hint of anise offer a lovely medium finish.
While certainly not as complex or well rounded as the 2010 vintage, it nonetheless presents itself as a lovely wine.
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La Rioja Alta Zoom Tasting with Sunfish Cellars; 1/19/2021-1/20/2021 (Online Zoom): Day 1: Preparing for the La Rioja Alta tasting with Sunfish Cellars Thursday night. These are not pop and pour wines and need some cellaring. Very nice complexity with Christmas spice, raspberries, Bing Cherries, wood, minerals and dark chocolate. A hint of dill on the finish but adds not detracts. Medium to long finish. This might be my favorite Spanish wine for the money year in and year out. 92 plus. Day 2: More fragrant and complex on day 2. Opening up featuring mild oak, cherry, rose petals, raspberries, spices, minerals and bitter chocolate. Medium plus finish. Very well made wine and Ardanza is always a favorite. 92 plus. Day 3: A bit of a drop off. Lacks the intensity of the first 2 days. Rustic with sour raspberries, spices, subtle dill and minerals. Medium finish. Recommendation: I don't see this as a long term ager Ardanza like the 09. Drink now to 2026.
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Lovely Old school Rioja in the glass again Farven er flot dyb, klar rubinrød.
Duften er smooth..af, kirsebær med et sødligt touch af Amarena kirsebærsauce, kølig solbær, jordbær, et flot touch af vanilje, orange toner, sød virginia tobak, fin lille røg tone, rød fin kvindeparfume/røde blomster friske/tørret + violer.
Smagen er Smooth...af duften på en kølig måde. Frugten/smagen virker let men har også en fløjlsblød konsistens over sig.
En lille kølig frugt syre frisker det hele op.
En yders behagelig kølig frugtrig eftersmag til den medium side af et mix af, hindbær/kirsebær/jordbær.
Ekstra: Ultra let drikkelig og kan sagtens drikkes fra nu af.
"2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, Selección Especial", har lige det ekstra niveau mere ind denne.
(Garnacha 20% + 80% Tempranillo)
94 P: RP: "Outer quote mark Garnacha is an important component in the 2012 Viña Ardanza Reserva". 95 P: James Suckling: "Outer quote mark Traditional and beautiful in character".
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Very fruit forward nose for a 2012 vintage; color and body are light to medium; taste is bone dry with significant acid; not experienced with Rioja so not sure if this is expected to mellow any more over time, but to me this wine would be best with fatty foods to complement the acid.
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Very nice. Really quaffable, and can be savoured. It's a relatively compact experience - very smooth fruity oak, a twinge of spice and an acid balsamic twist in the tail - but extremely moreish. An earthy warm tone lingers; mild, very polished tannins. The 2010 has more energy & structure (I've preferred half bottles at this point, I bought a bunch of 375ml 2010s) but this is perhaps more approachable.
This was also excellent value - 18 GBP on gourmethunters. Pleasure to price ratio off the charts.
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PNP shortly after purchase. Nice ripe fruit, oak, some coconut on the nose. Red fruit and vanilla, oak on the palate with a nice finish. Maybe not the height of my last note but still this is really good Rioja for drinking now. B+/A-
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I drank another year in the berks earlier this year and didn’t care for it...this is really fantastic for such a mass produced wine. Red fruit, tar, and nice tannins. Drank w mama papa and Mikey in Miami
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Decanted 2 hours but out of the bottle this was pretty good with ripe red cherry and strawberry fruit and of course some vanilla and oak. At 2 hours this was very nice and expansive on its own with a nice long finish and good with and without food. Very enjoyable, drinking better than the 2010 even with ample decanting, and although I am not a numbers rater I think those rating this below 90 points are rating it too low...drink now but should drink well for some time. A-
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Palate: dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, high alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body, medium+ concentration, long finish, black cherry, red plum, black plum, ripe strawberry, dusty earth, cream cheese, toasted coconut, dill, balsamic, allspice, dark chocolate, fig, cooked strawberry, prune, walnut.
Overall: Certainly a riper style this vintage; the 14.5% alcohol is noticeable and the acid feels just a tad bit softer than previous vintages. While not a flabby wine in any way, the fruit character does feel a bit jammy; I think the Grenache is really coming through strong here. But overall it still has a rather classical flavor profile, with lots of savory oak, some appetizing earthiness, and generally a more oxidative and acid-driven style. A well made wine with a long finish (if just a tad hot), but not a vintage that I would intentionally seek out again. It is definitely a tasty wine, but I normally love Viña Ardanza more than this, so it comes across just a bit disappointing. It certainly has the structure to age, but honestly this feels pretty developed at the moment and I think this vintage lends itself to more mid-term drinking rather than long aging.
PmP through an aerator. Warm vanillin oak, with berries on the nose. Medium bodied, with red & black berries, leather, dusty spice, and acids. All framed by that oakiness. Probably would’ve benefitted from a decant. So I’ll give it a 92 assuming an hour or two to breathe from a 90/91 PnP. Not as good as the ‘10, but still pretty damn good.
A nice wine but a far cry from the 2008, 2009 and especially the 2010. Body is a little watery, more fruity than prior vintages and light tannins. Will stick to those prior vintages and skip 2012. Not bad just not as good as the others.
Cata 275 de la Penya La Verema -26/10/2017. Picota cubierto. Nariz intensa, algún recuerdo animal, cacao, especias dulces, fruta roja. En boca tiene buen ataque, cierta calidez, tanino firme, con algunas aristas por pulir, bien de acidez, con buenos amargos y bastante persistencia.
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5/10/2024 - LayTan wrote: 92 Points
DCBell's notes are spot on. Rich and complex albeit with fairly sharp acidity begging for food pairing. This wine is most delicious on day 3, when the acidity has mellowed down leaving one to savour the black berry fruit and spicy, perfumy finish. Should develop further over the next few years.
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4/14/2024 - ThijsV Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle of my 2012 case. Really good, stood firmly for 4 days. Elegant nose with fire stone, black cherry, licorice. Medium+ acidic, medium sandy integrated tannins, medium+ finish
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4/7/2024 - dcbell Likes this wine: 93 Points
On day one this was a little hollow and out of kilter, but was absolutely super on days two and three - so decant if drinking now or leave another few years.
Intense, rich, and complex nose which really draws you in - an absolute joy to keep coming back to and one where you keep finding yourself discovering new aromas. Ripe red and black berries, woody spicy and perfume, musk, slightly animal notes, some engine oil - the whole menagerie. Quite a dense palate, still with a lot of tannin and acidity which perhaps outstrips the flavour intensity a little and makes it one which shines more with some food presently. Nonetheless a very well made wine which offers a lot of pleasure, great value too as is always the case for Ardanza.
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3/17/2024 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
Women Who Wine & Their Arm Candy (Estelle, St. Paul, MN): Corked, though somewhat less overt.
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3/16/2024 - DB Lawton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Has continued to mellow out and evolve a bit since my last note. Had this at a dinner party with corned beef (St Patrick’s) so not as much of a contemplative tasting as it deserved. That probably cost it a point or two. No issues with alcohol, or oak. Good comments from the hostess too.
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3/13/2024 - Rhone Rick Likes this wine: 93 Points
You know how you taste a bottle out of a case & it is just “off” relative to the others & you chalk it up to being a bit corked or such… is there an opposite to that?!! Just opened one expecting to really like it, like Leya but only because I have hots for the cuter sister Rachel (the 904)… but this blows the doors off. Not watery, smooth and super balanced, funk and tobacco and acid. Makes me swoon….
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3/9/2024 - tooby2 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Savoury tertiary aromas: mushroom, cigar box, also figs, dark fruits, hints of rose water, cinnamon, spice on the nose; Smooth, elegant peppery palate; tannins are well-integrated; slightly chalky. The acidity comes quite powerfully on the finish. Wears it’s hefty 14.5% alcohol very well. I can drink this quite happily without food. As ever Ardanza delivers.
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2/25/2024 - Acove Likes this wine: 91 Points
3rd (or fourth?) time having this wine and it continues to become more enjoyable. There is still notable oak that has morphed from woody vanilla to an interesting coconut character that imparts and interesting complexity on the nose and palate. What I really love is the fruit beneath the oak here is quite red fruited and elegant, with a light lifted body and a great balance of acid and tannin on the finish. I can see how some people could still be put off by the oak but I don't mind it and think it does contribute something here (ideally it could be lessened here as I do believe it is taking away from otherwise elegant fruit). Glad I have one more and have been buying more recent vintages, still one of the best red values in this price point. 91-92 points and drink now-2032.
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2/16/2024 - Brendel Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of the best riojas we have had. We haven’t had that many. This one has a wonderful, rich rose, and struck us as left bank Bordeaux, although it has perhaps a bit more vibrancy and fruit. Very enjoyable!
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2/11/2024 - CHINACAT wrote: 92 Points
Ripe strawberries, sappy and leathery, with a silky texture, good length and plenty of remaining structure. Early in a long maturity window. Excellent wine for the price.
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2/9/2024 - Fatty Cat wrote: 91 Points
0.375 L bottle early Feb 2024: not decanted; deep crimson color; aromas of red fruits and vanilla in the nose; fruity and smooth on the palate; slightly tannic.
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1/13/2024 - MarcRQuark Likes this wine: 90 Points
Intense nose and aroma of stewed blackberries
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1/12/2024 - Rond wrote: flawed
Seems off, with a moldy cork. Not nearly as good as previous bottles.
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12/28/2023 - Callum's Corkers Likes this wine: 95 Points
N….is like walking into a saddle room, with dusty barrels; some coffee and cigar.
C….light red brick, starting to get tawny on the edge. L-med body.
T….a dry red with rich intense red/black fruit before the dry end; some coffee and bitter dark chocolate and sweet oak, some baccy and liquorice, complex and interesting wine with plenty of charm; real elegance here, some poise and tension, light-medium body only but that doesn’t mean insipid; powerful enough to tell me it’s going to get even better in the cellar.
Drinking v well at 11 yrs old but my guess properly mature at 15-18 yrs old.
Score: 95/100 but maybe a 96 wine when mature?
VFMoney? ….cost around £20 in 2021 on promo at Magestic UK but feels like a £30-40 wine. V gd value for money.
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12/16/2023 - K&J Likes this wine: 92 Points
Elegant, between traditional and modern styles of Rioja. Well constructed. My bottle was corked though so hopefully my other is not!
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12/10/2023 - Everything Ahead wrote:
Too much oak at this point at least, with lots of dill and coconut (man, I prefer French over American oak, but I get that the Spaniards don't) which will hopefully integrate over time. It did open a up a bit with air (decanted a couple hrs and followed over 2 nights). Still, not a very impressive showing with the wood outshining the fruit. Alas, it was much better 2 years ago ...
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12/1/2023 - Rhone Rick wrote: 91 Points
Everything you'd expect if you've had La Rioja Alta wines before & were expecting one of their entry level wines. Great QPR and a delight... except.. it comes across as just a little bit light, almost watery, like it is teasing you like a waiter who poured some water in your Gran Reserva 904.
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11/17/2023 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Mature Tempranillo tasting (Rioja, Ribera-del-Duero, Toro); 11/16/2023-11/17/2023: 24 hours after:
An excellent expression of traditional Rioja! Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha (20%) blend.
Aromas of rose petals, leather and dark fruit.
Palate is full of plum, raspberry, cherry cola, balsamic vinegar and spices. Hint of orange peel. Soft/silky/dusty tannins, elegant balance and a long and memorable finish. Better the second day.
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11/3/2023 - F_&_M Likes this wine: 91 Points
Old fashioned rioja, but excellent example. Does need an hour or more decanted for some of the musty nose to blow off.
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10/27/2023 - Darbus123 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agree with Moany Rhoney. Excellent QPR. Just a bit too much oak/vanilla for me currently, decant or hold.
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9/21/2023 - bin905 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pepper, earth, clove, red currant and a bit of stewed tomato. After breathing, it integrated, mocha became more prominent and the stewed tomato disappeared.
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9/20/2023 - P.L.A. Likes this wine: 94 Points
Intensive Brombeere mit Gewürzen und leichten Holzaromen und Vanillespuren in der Nase.
Am Gaumen säurebetont, komplex mit Brombeere, Kräutern und leichten Holznoten. Mäßige und sanfte Tannine mit sehr langen Nachhall. Alle Komponenten sehr schön integriert. Toller Rioja.
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9/7/2023 - moany rhoney Likes this wine: 91 Points
Spicy oaky red fruit. A very traditional Rioja. Great quality just short of great wine as oak overpowering the fruit. Might resolve in time but atm still very enjoyable.
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9/5/2023 - vandal16 wrote: 93 Points
An excellent expression of traditional Rioja! Tempranillo (80%) and Garnacha (20%) blend. Aromas of rose petals, leather and dark fruit. Palate is full of plum, raspberry, cherry cola, balsamic vinegar and spices. Hint of orange peel. Soft/silky/dusty tannins, elegant balance and a long and memorable finish. Better the second day. Brilliant!
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8/9/2023 - pilatus88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark ruby red color. Intense nose of blackberry with hint of vanilla and some red fruit. Full body and very well structured and balanced dark fruit. Some wood, dried fruit blackberries and an elegant, balanced long finish. Very nice and lovely age.
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8/7/2023 - Yagil wrote: 90 Points
Rioja & Ribera-del-Duero tasting: too young to enjoy
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7/28/2023 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
Day 1: Not rated
Day 2: These wines are so much better on day 2. Heavy on the dill on day 1. Sour cherry, wood, minerals, leather, a touch of dill and earth. Super complex and tasty wine. What a wonderful bargain for $30.00. 92 points
Day 3: Showing really nice fruit featuring sour cherry, raspberries and unripe plums. Leather, earth, tobacco and a touch of oak. This wine needs some time. 92 points
Recommendation: I would hold these for 4 to 5 years.
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7/23/2023 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second of 2 (see my prior note from 4/22 on the earlier bottle) brought to dinner at Steve & Patty’s, and an altogether more harmonious experience. Compositionally and characteristically similar to that bottle, we opened this 3+ hours before dinner with no tasting on opening or in the interim, and once opened, it was downed quickly by 5 drinkers during the dinner of a well-seasoned chicken tagine, which it complemented beautifully. While I can’t speak what this would have been like now as a cocktail wine, off the pour—or how it would hold up over multiple nights—at the point of consumption, it was perfectly balanced and mostly integrated, with prior notes of dill, oak and vanilla barely present and in synch with the wine’s other elements. With several hours of aeration, I think that this is now in, probably closer to the start of, its prime drinking window, which I’m ballparking at 5 years, taking in my prior window by 2 years. At what I paid, $29.99, killer value and highly recommended. Definitely getting a bit more bullish on Spanish wines, probably aided by last summer’s trip to Rioja, including this producer’s tasting room in Haro, and the VSU at Wineapalooza this May. 92-93+
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7/21/2023 - Lanzelot Likes this wine: 93 Points
The color is medium ruby with garnet to the rim. Otherwise I refer to my tasting note from 6 March 2022 with the following modifications: I don't find the balsamic notes anymore. But I find in addition tobacco, smoke, leather and coconut. I used the Zalto Universal glass again. The time since the last bottle has been good for the wine. Everything is much more integrated and the wine gained elegance. Looking forward to open the next bottle in one or two years.
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7/18/2023 - Sauvyfan Likes this wine: 92 Points
One of my favorites.
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6/26/2023 - Lemmy-W wrote: 93 Points
best bottle so far.
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6/19/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still showing its juvenile oakiness -- the initial flavor is all dill, backed by elevated but not scary acidity. Even though it's still a long way from its prime, there is still a lot of excitement here. Drinkable now but will improve.
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6/15/2023 - t_moderne wrote: 90 Points
Opened, poured into a decanter, and enjoyed. tasted primarily with food (fideua with seafood and linguica, in case you were wondering). Tasted along with a 2010 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva Unica.
Garnet maroon color.
Nose offers plum and cherry notes with a hint of oak. Some mushroom notes as well.
Nice balanced wine, with good fruit. Tannins nicely integrated.
A very good wine, paired well with food.
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6/11/2023 - Acove Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted and followed for a few hours. Medium garnet with slight bricking and fading. Nose was rather complex and old-world esque with clove, licorice, dill, dried earth, red cherry, sugarplum, fig. Palate was in great balance, medium bodied, decent concentration, good length, fine tannins and decent acid on the finish. I agree that this is just entering its drinking window as about a year ago this was too oaky but it has integrated and evolved into complex spices. I think this is great for the price and a classic example of Rioja. 91+ and drink now-2033
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6/10/2023 - redz wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted, ready to go an hour later. Typical Vina Ardanza flavors, just entering drinking window.
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6/7/2023 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 91 Points
Day 2: Solid overall but a bit heavy. Wood, spice, mild dill, tar, earth and black licorice. Lacks the balance of previous efforts of this wine and other vintages. Hold at this point. 90 points
Day 3: Better but needs some cellaring time at this point. Floral, dust, pepper, spice, red currants, wood and mild dill. Good but will improve with more time. 91 points
Recommendation: Hold until 2025.
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5/26/2023 - bin905 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Woody spice scent. Dark fruit, spice and tar flavor with dusty tannins.
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5/15/2023 - BoxerBee wrote: 90 Points
Coconut, tobacco, leather, mature plum, orange, and cherry. Powerful and complex, with velvety tannins and plump fruit. The oak, however, is too prominent for my liking, even if I must admit that it is less bombastic on day two. Drink now - 2032, the oak may be better integrated in a couple of years. 90+ points.
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4/26/2023 - Carlo Sarto Likes this wine:
As an old school consumer I wait until the wine is close to maturity, as best I can guess, then open and pour immediately. This is wonderful in the traditional style. With grilled NY Strip it was a perfect companion.
Have been drinking Ardanza Reserva since the 1959 vintage, as many vintages as i have found. This bottle and the previous one seem to me to be at their peak. I do not see improvement from this point. I do not see rapid decline either. This is at the point of drink now and enjoy, or "make hay while the sun shines". These are not as long-lived as the 60's -- 90's were.
¡ Salud !
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4/23/2023 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
Mature Rioja tasting (at my home): a good solid Rioja
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4/2/2023 - MosheDehsoM Likes this wine: 92 Points
It evoleves uniquely over the time since being open. Two hours passed... still did not settle🍷
Cloudy red, not too bright, not too dark, very vague sgades of brown.
Medium body. Medium acidity. Soft tanines but the structure is still there. Quite smooth.
Mildly aromatic, barrels first one then earthy then ageing and fruits. Quite rich and interesting as well as rewarding.
Same completely and richness on the palate, but in a very mild and balanced manner. Oak, spices, black fruits, red fruits, ageing & earthy
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3/19/2023 - CorkoRosso Likes this wine:
Decanted for about 90 minutes, and the wine continued to evolve through the last glass. Drinking beautifully right now. Silky, elegant, fine tannins, good structure. A pleasure in the glass and a great companion to a seared ribeye with anchovy butter.
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3/19/2023 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 92 Points
As consistent as it always is.
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3/18/2023 - Balsamwine wrote: 90 Points
Good wine ,oak ,espresso ,smooth ,enjoyable , long finish
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3/17/2023 - stuartwh wrote:
Great
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3/14/2023 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Decanted, poured the first glass after about 45 minutes. Dark garnet colour. Red and some dark fruit, dill, espresso, spices, vanilla, and coconut, with medium-level acidity, fine, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Very oaky, lightly warming, and disjointed at first, but the wine pulled itself together after two hours of aeration, and kept improving as time passed. Drink with extended aeration, or hold.
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3/14/2023 - topherwhatever wrote:
I like 2015 more.
Do these wines need another decade to integrate the oak into the mix, or does the style stay full-on vanilla tomato juice?
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3/10/2023 - shallowdrift Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good, though I might expect this to be even better in a couple of years. Feels like there is room for everything to integrate more. In the price range, I would say Bosconia is more my style.
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2/25/2023 - Manuaia wrote: 92 Points
What a difference a year makes. Delicious rioja. Decanted for 4 hours. Color just barley brick orange. Cherry, pomegranate cranberry and other crunchy fresh red fruit. Big acidity, fair amount of tannins but theres enough fruit to balance it all out. Should last a while.
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2/14/2023 - Peter Weltman wrote: 89 Points
Good balance, not overly complex, medium finish, was expecting a bit more complexity from a wine this age
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2/3/2023 - talid Likes this wine: 93 Points
No significant change from prior tastings. Excellent wine with a heavy dose of oak, tobacco, cherry and vanilla notes. Excellent acid and tannin balance. But definitely not a subtle wine.
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1/27/2023 - BaroloBucky Likes this wine: 92 Points
Took 45 min in the glass to come around (didn’t decant). Cigar box, leather, and raspberry on the nose. Similar on the palate, but the expressive nose is the most impressive part of this wine for me. Medium body, fine tannins. Very nice. I have a feeling it could go another 4-7 years but it’s great now.
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1/24/2023 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
Opened 75 minutes prior to diner. Finding the tannins a smidge strong I decanted immediately and returned to the btl 15 minutes prior to dinner. We had a couple predinner pours in 2 Riedel Burgs. Served in the high 50s /very low 60s. The extra air opened this up beautifully and resolved any residual tannins. Very true to the grapes and terroir along with excellent intensity, balance and energy. Does an amazing job of hiding its 14.5% alc. Fun to mix in a great Rioja now and then. Color was a semi translucent garnet red.
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1/23/2023 - madia wrote: 93 Points
Intense nose- red fruits, cigar box, earth. Medium+ body, medium+acidity, rich and intense in the palate too. Can be aged for some more years, but it seems like it is at its pick right now.
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1/20/2023 - MarcRQuark wrote: 88 Points
Nose: Cigar box
Palate: Cedar, faint cherry. Little fruit and surprisingly acidic.
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1/8/2023 - pmarlo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Good pull on cork, end stained medium magenta, and fully intact. Seems faded to me, as fruit receded. In glass more translucent than most wines I've had, including pinot. Acid low. First save legs very fast, but second wave really slow. Later it was soft but not flabby, as the fruit perked up a wee bit. Tannins still present but not aggressive. A good food wine .
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1/3/2023 - PacoHigon Likes this wine:
Catado en magnum. Rubí de buena capa con ribete algo abierto. Nariz intensa, de corte clásico, matices especiados, moka, frutilla roja licorosa, flores secas, nueces tostadas, suaves tostados, final balsámico. En boca tiene buen ataque, cuerpo medio, notable frescura, tanino atractivo, pulido y bien integrado, buena acidez, estructura media, amargos ligero y notable persistencia. Un clásico muy bien definido.
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1/2/2023 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Back to another and a very hot vintage of gorgeous reserva. Made from Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha, wine was aged for 3 years in US oak. Medium ruby colour. Medium intensity fresh aroma of dried cherries, plums, leather, balsamic, spices, rose petals. Medium body, fresh and harmonious, quite lean lively and vivid texture with concentrated rich flavours, smoky and oaky touches, powdery tannins, fresh and bright acidity continues to a long persistent finish.
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12/30/2022 - Luke275 Likes this wine:
Classic rioja nose, with cherry and christmas cake. Still young for me.
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12/25/2022 - wayfarer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour. Fresh red fruit, oak, delicious, but still a bit tight. Lovely wine, glad to have a couple more. Great on its own and with dinner--grilled brined heirloom pork chops, polenta, chamoy roasted carrots.
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12/25/2022 - Arsene Wengert Likes this wine: 92 Points
Süße, reife dunkle Beerenfrucht, dunkle Kirsche, Brombeere, trifft sich im Duft mit Sojasauce, vegetabilen Eindrücken, Nori, Laub, Milchschokolade, Gewürz, Nelke, Teer, ganz leichte Reife; im Mund dunkle Beerenfrucht, etwas Erdbeere, regelrecht süß wirkend, voluminös und dicht, ohne marmeladig zu sein, Säure fehlt nicht, perfekt integriert. Wunderschön strukturiert mit nicht wenig, aber sehr feinem Tannin, Kakao. Sehr gute Länge. Schwarzer Tee. Salz, Nori.
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12/23/2022 - Rond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Notes of fig, plum and chocolate. The Grenache in this blend shows through in the ripe fruit.
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12/10/2022 - christianminer Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine is a prototype of polished and aged Rioja with a ruby color with some orange and a developed nose with subtle aromas of decayed leaves, sweet spices and some cherries in liqueur even, quite complex and harmonious. The palate is velvety but rich, with resolved tannins and a fine chalky mouthfeel, sleek and elegant, terribly balanced. The flavors are pure and defined, and there is an overall sense of harmony that I like very much. Brilliant Ardanza!
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11/12/2022 - G.O. wrote: 92 Points
Well, I loved this! Especially that cedar note. For the Reserva - perfect.
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11/11/2022 - TexasBob Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lite garnet color. Leather, and sharp raspberries on the nose. Sweet and sour raspberries. Paired wonderfully with a wild mushroom tarte.
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10/30/2022 - all of the s'mores Likes this wine:
decant 6+ hrs, day 1 high acid and complex, day 2 high acid less complex, day 4/5 the acid integrated and the wine (turned to lactic acid??) turned wonderfully creamy and complex. Great QPR
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10/24/2022 - Al-Vino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium bodied with soft tannins. An enjoyable bottle that is ready now but can also be aged further.
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10/22/2022 - Stoic Warrior Likes this wine: 93 Points
Many people here have this wine in their cellars and rate it highly, and rightly so.
I can add nothing to the myriad of tasting notes already expressed. This is a flat out lovely wine.
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10/20/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Colour - purple / garnet. On the nose - vibrant, a gorgeous kind of almost grassiness. On the palate - the American oak is prominent but in balance, and underneath it a lean tannic core with red fruits and nice acidity. Lighter on its feet than its 14.5% abv would suggest, but there is some heat and a lactic note that keep this from being as truly wonderful as some vintages of this wine.
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10/19/2022 - MRGeo Likes this wine: 94 Points
All recent comments hit this wine spot on. Little pricey for a restaurant purchase, but was excellent. Medium bodied, dark red fruit, nice spice, very dry.
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10/16/2022 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Expressive opening, showing stewed summer fruits, old leather, vanilla, a touch of spice. Soaring acidity, soft tannin and fleshy palate. Traditional, medium bodied, classic Rioja. This is at the cusp of developing into a far more evocative wine as it starts to gain tertiary characteristics. Revisit in 5, 10 years when I’d expect something altogether more serious. 91+
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10/7/2022 - auldalliance wrote:
Finished remainder of bottle started with Coravin. Still a bit too much oak for my preference. Will leave the other bottle for some time.
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10/1/2022 - auldalliance wrote:
Coravined two glasses. Big oak influence still. It calms down in the glass but still not fully integrated.
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9/20/2022 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pours a clear deep ruby with a garnet rim. Clean on the nose with a pronounced intensity of (mostly secondary) aromas, which include red cherries, coconut, charred wood, vanilla and dill that you have to dig for a bit. This wine is developing.
On the palate, this is dry with a medium body, medium acid, medium alcohol and medium + tannins. Flavors include red cherry, cumin, charred wood, cloves and cedar. Maybe a hint of that dill buried deep down somewhere. A lovely medium + finish. You can drink this now; but it also has potential for further aging.
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9/20/2022 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: Heavy dill on the pop and pour but that blew off after an hour. Wonderful wine featuring earth, mild dill, cherry, wood, spice, baking chocolate and raspberry. Picks up some nice minerality on the finish. Super complex wine and medium plus finish. $30 a bottle is hard to beat this quality. 93 points
Day 2: Dill has faded some. Earth, cherry, wood, spices, raspberries and baking chocolate. Medium plus finish. Outstanding. 93 points
Recommendation: Buy it. Not many wine in the world better for the money.
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9/18/2022 - motuski Likes this wine: 93 Points
The more I drink this the more I appreciate what this wine is all about - balance.
Cherry and red fruit with balsamic notes. Such an unfussy wine
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9/10/2022 - klezman wrote:
My first try for this bottling, and it's pretty good. Cherries, earth, leather, leaves, and a healthy dose of oak. I hope the oak integrates better in time, but that's my only kvetch with this. At 10 years old it's tasting pretty fresh.
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9/9/2022 - Rond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Notes of red cherry, chocolate and earth. Nice acidity and smooth tannins. Very nice.
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9/2/2022 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 93 Points
App: Med Ruby
Nose: Med+ intensity, toast, orange peel, dark plum, blueberry, vanilla, clove, cinnamon, dark cherry, salted plum, coconut, developing.
Palate: Dry, high acidity, high alcohol, med+ tannins (velvety) ,med+ body, med+ intensity, dark plum (wumei juice) savoury, toast, coffee, orange peel, med+ finish with lingering coffee after taste.
Overall, a very good wine. Very plummy on the palate with savoury notes.
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8/25/2022 - WilD wrote: 93 Points
Great as always
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8/20/2022 - Hiker4life70 wrote: 88 Points
I am on the fence with this one. I don’t mind the use of American oak in wines but I felt that the dill was very noticeable with this wines both on the nose and palate. I usually drink Vina Tondonia and Bosconia and they usually have a little more age on them but I wanted to give this a try. I will check back tomorrow to see if this improves
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8/12/2022 - poetwarrior1973 wrote:
Really good. Redo
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8/9/2022 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Termpanillo is aged for 3 years and Grenacha 3.5 years. Spicy balsamic reduction, licorice cinnamon I am being told. So wonderfully complex on the nose. Ripe strawberry. And wonderful tension on the palate.
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7/31/2022 - Jessie and Max Likes this wine: 91 Points
Having liked the 2010, we took this to share with some friends and it lived up to our expectations. The American oak in the nose jumped out first with dill and coconut. A savory wine, with forest floor, leather, and still more dill. The fruit was almost entirely absent, present only on the palate in the form of stewed cherry and plums. Licorice was there, too, but again -- savory. Dry, medium acidity, medium(+) tannin and body. Always a safe bet to share with friends.
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7/21/2022 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 92 Points
One hour decant. Very deep ruby color, with a slightly rusty rim. Date, leather, tapioca, and subtle brisket on the nose. Smooth, very dry, spicy palate, with great acidity. Prototypical Rioja that paired well with our heavy tapas.
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7/15/2022 - Callum's Corkers Likes this wine: 94 Points
Bought Majestic UK £24.99 Sept 2021
Tasted at room temp' at the kitchen table dinner time, decanted 30 mins at least.
N....intense, young at 10 yrs old; mocha, espresso, leather, liquorice, oak is there but is subtle, some red black fruit. But it faded sooner than I expected (10 mins); big and bold but short-lived.
C....red with a hint of tawny at edge, doesn't yet look 10 yrs old.
T....lovely floury soft tannins give structure; soft mouth-feel and great fruit but it has elegance, it's not a mushy desperate-to-please mess, I'm pleased to say; it feels med-H body; gorgeous red/black fruit; style is med-dry; some decent length of flavour here; coffee, bitter dark chocolate, some savoury flavours; at 10 yrs is in a settled drinking window, a nice balance here. Just a lovely glass of Rioja.
Not yet mature, obviously; feels like it will get pongy and interesting - more interesting - later on towards maturity, maybe another 5 yrs?
VFMoney?....costs almost £25.00 but feels worth twice that. Proper bargain. Good Rioja off the shelf in the UK continues to be one of the great UK wine bargains. What's not to like about a 94 score wine with 10 yrs already on the clock for less than £25.00?
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6/21/2022 - Acove Likes this wine: 90 Points
1 hour decant. Deep garnet with a hint of tanning at the rim. On the nose, in your face american oak, dill, coconut, cocoa, cedar with some sweet red cherry underneath. On the palate, medium + body and with a full mouth sandy mouthfeel. Tannin and acid are medium, maybe a tad more so. Finish is fruity and acidic. This is a well made wine, balanced enough, but with tons of oak. This needs time for the oak to integrate and settle to allow the fruit to compete, and to develop secondary fruit flavors. Im at a 90 now with 92+ potential. Will likely look for more to cellar; drink 2024-2034.
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6/15/2022 - Ktstefanopoulos Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious and drinking great right now! Has a bit of a kick at the end and while not overly heavy it does have some weight to it, agree with other posts on here, this wine needs some food with it
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6/14/2022 - vinhonotte wrote: 89 Points
Spicy paprika and toast on nose a d palate, with redcurrants and red florals. Elegsnce is notable but it seems to be rather different from previous vintages that had been toasty and powerful
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6/13/2022 - StewartDowd Likes this wine: 92 Points
Color: Garnet
Nose: Dried cherry, thyme, prune.
Palate: Big and powerful. Lots of leather and tobacco. Dark fruits. Needs food
Body: Full bodied, almost chewy.
Finish: Bold and long. Tannic, but not overly acidic.
Not what I expected from this wine. Great taste and balance. Much bigger than I expected, therefore food is required. Very good overall.
After a 1.5 hour decant, the wine completely settled down. Body dropped to medium plus, with much more balanced tannins.
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6/11/2022 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 93 Points
So funky. Bright red fruits. This is a ringer among the 5 brunello and everyone thought it was brunello. Love it, but so humiliated because I cannot even pick out something I drink all the time.
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5/22/2022 - tristand Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is an absolutely great wine.
Medium bodied, aromatic tanins, red and dark fruits with complexity. Long final.
It reached very good maturity after 10 years.
I highly recommend this Rioja!
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5/4/2022 - patprovost@ymail.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Complex with many different aromas and flavors with a long finish. Decanted for 1.5 hrs and it reached it's peak taste after about 3.5 hrs. It was still tasting great at 4.5 hrs in with a noticible decline at about the 5 hr mark. Strawberry rhubarb pie with a hint of barnyard were my most prominent flavors on the palate. 92-93
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5/2/2022 - Hrtiii wrote: 94 Points
Excellent, balanced, cherry
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5/1/2022 - thomasbahr80 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Colour: Medium garnet with some brown hues around the rim, legs are fast, no depot/particles
Nose: Deep red fruit with blueberries, boisenberry, leather, tobacco, typical dill and Tempranillo notes, hints of coconut and maybe some red currant, very complex
Mouth: Red currant, boisenberry, blackberry, leather, black tea, nice and complex oak notes, still a very refreshing and vibrant acidity
Finish: Very long lasting and complex finish with oak, leather, interesting terroir notes and some sweetness and hints of strawberry jam with again a refreshing acidity and red currant.
An exceptional wine, with very classic and "classy" Rioja style, this wine is already very nicely aged but has the potential for more years of aging left. Nice pairing with Coq au Vin and a small Caesars salad.
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4/30/2022 - Alvarovazquez Likes this wine: 92 Points
Here is how I conducted an unplanned experiment: Opened and recorked again. (My wife asked for a Brunello, instead). Left it in the fridge for 6 days with an astonishing result. Conclusion: this a great wine for aging, but given its QPR is better to enjoy it now with tons of previous airing.
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4/29/2022 - fanglangzhe Likes this wine: 90 Points
red & dark berries, nice juicy acid, well-integrated toasty oak, slight mocha & vanilla. hint of dill.
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4/24/2022 - sfwinelover1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
First of 2 ($29.99) from online discounter #4. On the nose and palate, moderate notes of black cherries, plums, red raspberries and currants, vanilla, oak, dill, dry earth, orange, herbality, and the first night, a touch of liquer. Medium ruby, light to medium bodied, light to medium legs. Medium++ acidity and tannins and acidity, just a bit of heat the first night. Good complexity, good+ persistence and intensity. I’m really at Square 1 as I get ready for Rioja in a few weeks, but friend Barry introduced me to this bottling with the ‘10 version, which impressed with balance and sophistication. Although I had that at a similar time of development (i.e., 2 years ago), that wine, or at least that bottle that night, presented an altogether more settled picture than this youngster, which seemed to be going through rebellious teen years, with large elements not playing all that smoothly with each other. Many of the notes I got in this were not dissimilar with what I’ve gotten from some fairly recent highly rated Chiantis, and like those wines, this tastes like it may have a better future (although it had 2 hours of air before drinking on night 1 and this is night 3) and was a completely different, read, better, wine with food, first a tomato-based shellfish stew then that old Spanish standby, pizza than without. I’ll let my other bottle of this sit for at least another couple of years, and likely give it more aeration when I pop it. Solid qpr, but unlike the ‘10, at least where this is at now, a niche wine for me. 90-91+
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4/21/2022 - AlanM68 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Impressive, classically styled, all eucalyptus. Great length. Still early days.
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4/17/2022 - isbjoern wrote: 91 Points
Lots of spicy oak and vanilla, lovely silky texture, beautiful red berry flavors, matching acidity. A beautifully balanced wine and a classy Rioja Reserva. Ready for drinking. - 91 points
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4/16/2022 - Arska70 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nese: før luft: Litt mørkere frukt enn Bosconia, litt tørket frukt, litt krydder og tobakk på nesen.
etter luft: Litt mer markert frukt enn Bosconia, litt tørket frukt, litt sursøt frukt.
Smak: før luft: Middels fyldig, fruktig, litt tobakk og lakris, god syre. Noe fat. OK lengde.
etter luft: Opplevdes litt slankere, syrlig, litt lakris og tobakk, litt tørket frukt, god lengde.
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4/16/2022 - daveyk39 wrote: 94 Points
2022: Top Ten Wines; 1/1/2022-12/31/2023 (Redwood City, CA): Gave 1h air, doubt that's necessary. Medium garnet color. Aromas of dried strawberry, cedar, espresso, mushroom, dill and warm spices. Smooth and succulent on the palate. Medium-full bodied, with lively and tart red fruit, framed by fine-grained tannins and accented with mushroom and espresso in the smoky sweet finish. At this stage, this has depth and complexity with a lot of life left in it. Really exciting, especially considering the price.
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4/16/2022 - WillHughes wrote:
Unfortunately a corked wine. Too bad after reading some solid reviews.
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4/13/2022 - Francophile1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dang! This was delicious. Who would have ever thought Rioja would pair perfectly with BBQ Chicken? I will buy more.
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4/11/2022 - Bgropp4 wrote: 93 Points
PNP. Burgundy core with an orange rim. Complex nose with a typical American oak note of dill/coconut that I find in other Spanish wines alongside dark cherry and balsamic. The acidity shines through on the palate and creates a bright wine with a long finish.
I can see this wine getting mixed reviews due to the large oak presence, but I feel its adds a nice layer of complexity that even very novice wine drinkers may be able to pick up during a tasting. For this reason and the mouthwatering acidity I see this as a super solid wine for the money and I quite enjoy it!
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4/10/2022 - Endodr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Restaurant purchase at a Tapas Bar by the bottle; so popped and poured without decant. My first impression was New World, fruit forward, and oaky. I didn’t get the high alcohol feel that others noted. However, after an hour with vigorous swirling, the wine improved with aromas and flavors of sweet cherries, blackberries, licorice, figs, orange peel, and mocha. The wine softened and rounded out. It’s fruit and oak softened and became less dominant, revealing a more balanced and nuanced Rioja. Medium bodied with soft, polished tannins. Moderate finish. Drink now with decant.
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4/5/2022 - huse wrote: 92 Points
I'm not normally wowed by Rioja wines, but this one was really impressive. A blend of 78 percent Tempranillo and 22 percent Grenache, respectively aged for 36 and 30 months in used oak barrels. Decanted: one hour prior to tasting. Color: medium intense garnet red with slight bricking at the rim. Bouquet: gorgeous nose displaying scents of ripe cherry and raspberry fruit, licorice, sweet spices and hints of tobacco and leather. On the palate: a very well-balanced, medium to full-bodied wine revealing juicy red and black fruit, a harmonious structure, polished tannins and a delicate acid structure. Finish: long elegant aftertaste. This wine is at its peak now and will remain there for another 4–5 years.
Ik ben niet echt een grote fan van Rioja-wijnen, maar deze vond ik toch wel indrukwekkend. Een blend van 78 percent Tempranillo en 22 percent Grenache, met een respectieve rijping van 36 en 30 maanden in gebruikte eiken vaten. Gedecanteerd: een uur voor consumptie. Kleur: medium intens granaatrood met wat lichte verkleuring aan de rand van het glas. Bouquet: prachtige neus met aroma’s van rijp kersen- en frambozenfruit, zoethout, zachte kruiden en nuances van tabak en leder. In de mond: een fraai uitgebalanceerde, vrij volle wijn met sappig rood en zwart fruit, een harmonieuze structuur, gepolijste tannines en een delicate aciditeitsstructuur. Finale: lange elegante afdronk. De wijn is nu op zijn hoogtepunt en blijft nog wel 4–5 jaar op dit niveau.
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4/2/2022 - happy712 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Much less fruit forward than previous vintages. Lots of oak and cigar, burnt cherry. Eat smoky meats or cheeses.
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4/2/2022 - jonboy74 wrote: 87 Points
Raisiny on the nose, drank well. Put up against a 2015, the 2015 had noticeable alcohol whereas this one didn't, even though they are both 14.5%. This was 375ml, so perhaps its aged faster. Not as good as my last bottle. Bottle variation seems to be high (granted only on a sample size of 3.) will try another half bottle later this week.
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4/2/2022 - Stoic Warrior Likes this wine: 92 Points
First bottle from case. Had with ox cheeks braised slowly in red wine (flavoured with star anise). A lovely wine, this. Classic, traditional Rioja (i.e., not a fruit forward jelly doughnut). Double decanted plus glass aeration; one hour was sufficient, and it stayed on form for 3+ hours. Aromatic. Graceful. Elegant. At 10 years of age the oak is tamed, the fruit, spice, leather and vanilla are all evident but understated, and the acidity is gentle but dominant, making this a superb food wine. Ends with a long, satisfying finish.
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4/2/2022 - Mark van Delft wrote: 90 Points
Decent Rioja Reserva with a tad too much oak: mature cherry, leather, plum, soft fig, strong vanilla, spicey oaky finish.
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3/31/2022 - finlero Likes this wine: 90 Points
I've had the GR 904 before...wow, no mistaking the house style. Very good, and a good buy for $29. Red fruit and herbacious green notes, with the complexity and structure manifesting in the long finish. Dangerously light on its feet for a 14.5%. This is the kind of wine I'm excited to serve at a really successful dinner party: distinctive personality, with switch-hit potential as a high-end crowd pleaser that the wine nerds will enjoy too.
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3/27/2022 - talid Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very very nice. Has all the classic Rioja notes of berries, oak, leather, tobacco and is supremely balanced. At $30 a bottle, I’m kicking myself for only buying 3. Will make up for it with other vintages! Decanted for 1.5 hours and it kept getting better as we went through the bottle over another 1.5 hours.
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3/27/2022 - jtreger Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great anise and leather on the nose, with some redfruit and an undertone of sweet spices. Well-structured palate with bright acidity and tannins, with an impressively long finish at this price point. Great QPR.
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3/24/2022 - papak wrote: 85 Points
Smoke and red fruit on the nose. Tart red fruit and some minerality on the palate. Medium tannin, medium-high acidity. Decent, but reading the other reviews here I’m wondering if I drank the same wine as everyone else.
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3/23/2022 - rhit wrote:
Balanced with plenty of classic flavor. Satisfying and a very solid value that could age a while longer.
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3/21/2022 - Joseph Grassa Likes this wine:
80% tempranillo, 20% garnacha
Medium to deep garnet with slight bricking. The nose is all autumnal leaves with a touch of fennel. The palate on day 2 is pretty different than day 1. Much more fruit, and much less savory. The dill and balsamic which appeared on day 1 are nearly gone while fig and raspberry have emerged. Dark cherries, figs, raspberry, anise, subtle hints of vanilla that come in late with some leather. A much lighter feel than the 2008 Tondonia seemingly from the garnacha. Drink now-2030. Not the best Ardanza but as always, excellent QPR.
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3/18/2022 - chmorc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pours a dark maroon with a hint of orange in the rim.
On the nose: baking spices, sweet red fruits like wild ripe strawberries, and a hint of vanilla
On the palate: black and red fruits, mushrooms and black tea, medium to full bodied and medium acidity, very grippy tannins that will take a few year to resolve. Tasty wine and will have it with a steak to balance out the acidity and tannins.
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3/17/2022 - dkentaustin Likes this wine: 93 Points
Rust red color. Smoky leather, nutmeg, sweet floral notes, perfume, caramel and tart red fruits. Silky mouthfeel with layers of flavors and pretty chalky tannins. The sweetness almost mimics a viognier and the Grenache has a solid presence. A nice surprise and drinking very well now.
p.s. homemade meatloaf, cauliflower purée and salad.
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3/11/2022 - jroberts86 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Quite good and enjoyed by all in a happy hour lineup. Dried fruit, nice complexity. Not jammy or hot. Long medium soft finish.
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3/10/2022 - A Loech wrote: 88 Points
Fine daily drinker.
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3/9/2022 - sid_loves_wine Likes this wine: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful and complex for $40. I think this is one of the best, if not the best Rioja I've ever enjoyed in terms of QPR. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised as the only other wine of theirs I've tried, the $20 Alberdi, is equally as stellar for its price point and one of my fave budget wines of all time. In this case I feel like I might be underrating the Ardanza, simply because it's not completely my favorite style of wine (dried fruit is an important part of it, and that's just not always my favorite profile)- that said, there was way more to it than that, and it showed a frankly insane sense of balance.
Fairly powerful nose that was immediately expressive with all sorts of black fruits, dark red fruits, and vivid oak tones that *still let the fruit do the heavy lifting*, which is important to me. Just for a long list of things I got on the nose over the 18 hours the bottle was open (no decant, just corked overnight): blackberry compote, black cherry cobbler, baked plums, graham crackers, nutmeg, dusty old cabin, red licorice, pipe tobacco...I could just keep riffing. Such a wonderful nose, and I'm seriously impressed that the fruit was so present even with the powerful American oak.
The palate was less special for me, but still absolutely beautiful. Much brighter than the nose, in a surprising way, striking and vivacious, sometimes very tart acidity with dried cherries and nearly crunchy dark red raspberry. A little tiny echo of the vanilla oak too, but where the nose was rich and deep, the palate was high toned and incredibly tight. I'm actually pretty shocked at how much this turned out to be a food wine; even something as humble as frozen meatballs from Ikea (lol) totally tempered the dusty, brutal tannins, and didn't compete with the beautiful fruit in the wine at all.
For reference, this felt like a slightly less intense but much better-balanced expression of my first and only time trying LdH Tondonia, the 2007. Very similar with the deep autumnal oak, but I got much clearer fruit here as well, plus the structure and energy were far friendlier at this stage, even though this wine could very clearly age for many years longer. Thanks for reading my long note.
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3/6/2022 - Lanzelot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Color: deep ruby with garnet reflexes / Nose: very intense, ripe dark fruits like blackberries, red fruits like strawberries, balsamic notes, spices like black pepper, coffee / Palate: medium+ acidity, medium+ tannins, great length, medium+ bodied, aromas are similar to the nose / Glass I used: Zalto Universal / Overall: This was my first wine from La Rioja Alta and I was impressed. It's very intense and extremely well balanced. On one side you find ripeness and power and on the other side you find elegance and freshness.
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3/5/2022 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
This is beautiful. Nose is lifted with a bit of ethyl acetate, also full of oak, a leathery Tempranillo note, fresh butter, sweet tobacco, strawberry (Me thiobutyrate??), beta ionone. Palate has wonderful lifted acid, medium gentle tannin. Lets see if I can wait a few years to see what happens to another bottle.
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2/26/2022 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Vibrant fruit showing so nicely balanced as soft tannins on the pallate. Paired with jamón Serrano that really brought out the characteristics and layers of the fruit so well.
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2/25/2022 - jgdpz Likes this wine: 91 Points
맛있다!
불금에 안창살과 함께 마심
미디움바디에 완벽한 밸런스
산도 알콜 탄닌 뭐 하나 튀는거 없이 좋음
색상은 잘 익은 오렌지색 테두리
첫 향은 하늘하늘한 체리향 바를로인줄
그뒤로 여러가지 부케 뿜뿜
오픈후 두시간 후부터 과실향 뿜뿜
한방이 있는 강한 와인이 아닌 밸런스 좋은 우아한 와인
강추
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2/20/2022 - MichaelMA wrote: 94 Points
Fantastic example of reserve rioja. Drank amazingly
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2/18/2022 - boblee wrote:
Love this wine!
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2/17/2022 - Rudolph Schmidt Likes this wine:
Upon first sip - was met with bracing acidity. Decanted for 2h but from the way the wine evolved in the glass afterwards - I'd say decant 4h+.
78% Tempranillo & 22% Garnacha. Tempranillo is aged for 36m in older American oak barrels. Garnacha aged for 30m second use plus barrels.
Strawberry, sweet dusty earthiness, well cared for leather, orange peel, cigar humidor, pomegranate, cherry, black olives.
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2/16/2022 - Wine Diplomats Likes this wine: 93 Points
Half bottle..80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. In its drinking window now. Well integrated notes of bright ripe dark red fruit with sweet and savory spices. The tannins are resolved for a smooth delivery with plenty of acidity to go with meat or cheese.
https://winediplomats.com/
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2/15/2022 - Stosh_Izzy Likes this wine: 85 Points
Pleasant wine. Not a keeper. Soft texture. Cherry, mild leather, mildly acidic. Medium short finish. Ate with pork chops braised in red wine and Madeira.
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2/4/2022 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 93 Points
i am getting more and more impressed with this wine. aerated and decanted for 2 hours. great nose redolent of tobacco, smoke and game notes. ruby red color. notes of chocolate, tobacco, cedar and cherry on the palate with a long harmonious finish that is elegant but firm. Need to buy a case at this price point.
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1/29/2022 - Vinrommet wrote:
Drukket
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1/27/2022 - motuski Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, leather and vanilla on the nose. Beautifully integrated oak and refined tannins on the palette. For its style this is a very drinkable wine which will pair well with food due to its acidity
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1/25/2022 - Julian Sims Likes this wine: 80 Points
Pleasant example, good fruit and clean. Sl disappointed as lacked some complexity
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1/20/2022 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light to medium garnet.
Classic Rioja with vibrant, lifted aromas of tobacco, Xmas cake, ripe red fruits, candied orange, worn leather jacket and vanilla. As it opened, it became more penetrating with the tobacco going to a leather jacket in a cigar lounge; red plums, double cream, marinated cherries in brandy and balsamic.
Intense mid-bodied entry with lots of the nose continuing. A fleshy entry, silky, rich texture with vanilla, cinnamon, cherry cola, pressed red flowers and creme patisserie (vanilla cream). The oak adds structural support with chocolate and clove notes; the tannins are resolved and satin-smooth, and there is just enough acidity to keep the wine facing the right direction. An excellent wine! 94+
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1/16/2022 - casaallora Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 2 hours. What a beautiful well-rounded wine. Upon decanting pungent plum nose. Initial pour showed markedly pronounced legs w/firm tight fruit nose. Flavor of big Bing cherries, bold light leather w/pleasing finish. Served w/Pasta & Braciola and wine nicely balanced the soft acid of the sauce.
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1/2/2022 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 92 Points
2012 La Rioja Alta S. A. Viña Ardanza Reserva was elegant and expressive. The developing Tempranillo-based Rioja was clear and medium garnet in colour without any noticeable sediments. As recommended by NP1776 on CellarTracker, the wine was decanted for four hours. There were expressive aromas of raspberry, red cherry and rose petals. Over the four-hour decant, the American oak artifacts of dill and vanilla were better integrated, while subtleties of mushroom, dust and smoked meat emerged.
The mouthfeel was dry and medium-bodied, balanced with medium level of polished tannin and medium-high level of acidity. There were flavours of strawberry, earth, complex spices and wet stone minerals in a rather long savoury finish. The 14.5% alcohol was well-concealed in its freshness and elegance. The empty bottle weighed 567 grams.
From the information on the winery website, the blend is composed of 78% Tempranillo and 22% Garnacha from vineyards in Rioja Alta and Rioja Oriental. The Tempranillo component is aged for thirty six months in American oak barrels averaging at four years of age. The Garnacha component is aged for thirty months in second or third fill barrels. The blend is bottled in March 2016. More than 600,000 bottles are produced. It surely represents a well-priced and widely distributed classic Rioja.
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12/29/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 93 Points
Day 1: These wine remind me why I do the 3 day wine review thing. Previous poster did 4 hour decant and agree needs it. This on the pop and pour was a dill/wood overload so yes don't rate it yet. Two hours in the glass getting wood, mild dill, raspberries, minerals, earth and dark chocolate. Excellent wine and probably better than the last time I sampled it. 93 points
Day 2: Still tight and needs to open up. After an hour in the glass featuring wood, dill, exotic spices, raspberries, minerals and dark chocolate. If you don't like Oak avoid this wine. For me excellent offering. 93 points
Day 3: This is at its best. Lost some of the dill and wood which was heavy at times but still added to the wine. Raspberries, underbrush, dark chocolate, tobacco, minerals, mild dill and wood. Complex wine and one of the better under $30 wines I have sampled this year. 93+ points
Recommendation: No doubt this wine will improve with some age. Really good now and needs a 4 plus hour decant if you are drinking it on day 1.
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12/24/2021 - NP1776 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted four hours before drinking (based on difference between the sip I had when I opened it and the glass I had four hours later, it really needed it). Delicious. All the classic notes of a good Rioja: meat, red fruit, leather, tobacco, while still floral. Drinking really well now.
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12/21/2021 - Vinsaint Likes this wine: 92 Points
“Everything” is pretty on par here. Only note the Nose opens up with a Brie characteristic before mellowing out in the decanter. Red acidic fruit up front, herbs, earthiness, and a hint of black pepper on the back. Soft tannin, medium-long finish.
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12/20/2021 - KeithAkers wrote: 92 Points
Nose: This was decanted for the better part of the day and it drastically helped. From the second your nose hits the glass, this is unmistakably Rioja with a good dose of sour red cherries, raspberries, sour red fruits, vanilla, dill, rose petals, tobacco, spice notes, herbs, and earth tones. There is excellent depth and balance with a classic take that is very alluring.
Taste: The feel is Medium bodied with tart, medium+ acidity and silky, medium+ tannins. The structure is youthful but not too overpowering. The feel is poised and balanced with sour red cherries, raspberries, sour red fruits, vanilla, rose petals, tobacco, herbs, and earth tones.
Overall: This could well age for plenty of years to come and it is also delicious right now. The fruit is well put together and this is pure, classic Rioja. I can see this having another gear with 5+ years of aging as there is plenty of stuffing.
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12/14/2021 - Everything Ahead wrote: 90 Points
Lots of American oak on the nose, although it is seamlessly integrated with a wealth of red fruits (cherry, raspberry, cranberry). The acidity is refreshing and the oak presents some nice spice tones, in addition to the coconut and dill. This is what--so often-- Ridge Lytton Springs shoots for, but doesn't achieve in terms of American oak integration. This will age nicely for 5+ more years. Great companion to food (cheese, salami, paella etc.) This just screams Rioja.
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12/9/2021 - Wine Canuck wrote: 93 Points
Following up the fabulous 2010 this is a lovely, classic Ardanza from La Rioja Alta. It pours medium garnet with light bricking. The nose is lifted, classic and complex showing strawberry, dried cherry, sweet cedar, grilled pork, rosewater, blood orange, cigar wrapper, touches of toasted coconut, and spicecake. Very appealing. The palate enters on bright acidty red fruit, recall the strawberry of the nose, moving to medium minus tannin and finishing on the dried cherries and blood orange of the nose. The finish lingers very impressively. All in all I'm absolutely loving this wine and find it to be extremely well balanced and beautiful. La Rioja Alta strikes again. I'm slowing finding I like this more than Lopez de Heredia.
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12/7/2021 - Lemmy-W wrote: 92 Points
PnP. from 375ml. Drinking nicely upon opening, but improves with time in the glass (though didn't spend a lot of time with 375ml. :-) ). Typical and really nice vintage from Vina Ardanza.
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12/6/2021 - mreinitz Likes this wine: 93 Points
I really liked this. Raspberry and plum flavors with a strong herbal streak with sage flavor that almost reminded me of thanksgiving stuffing. Yummy, and glad I have more,
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12/3/2021 - Matt Scott Likes this wine: 93 Points
Black raspberries, fresh leather, white pepper, slate, Shiitake mushroom and cranberry. A full body, with cottony tannins that are starting to relax, with a present middle. This has form but a lot of elegance, yet the staying power really draws you in. There’s granite on the palate. Such a nice, flowing finish. Drink now - 2030.
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12/3/2021 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 94 Points
Ruby with an orange tinge. The nose at first was surprisingly sweet (genuinely a bit like Sauternes!). Lovely notes or strawberry jam and oak
On the palate one could almost taste this sweetness despite it being a dry wine. Jammy fruits and beautiful vanilla creaminess from the oak. Smooth, balanced and a delight to drink.
As the wine evolved (and warmed up in the warm Singapore room temperature) one could detect balsamic notes and a certain herbiness. Possible hints of chocolate. I couldn't taste any Tempranillo leathery notes however.
This was decanted for 90 minutes before the first pour and enjoyed over 3 hours following. As the room temperature in Singapore is so high (25°C+ even with air conditioning) we took out of the fridge and let warm up in glass before putting the decanter back in fridge to avoid excessive heat.
This tasted it's best at the 12-14°C mark where the jammy notes and sweeter vanilla/cream from the oak were most discernable. At the best sips this was a point higher than the overall score I have given
A real delight not least as this wine is such good value for the quality.
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11/29/2021 - GeorgeOfTheWine Likes this wine: 92 Points
Beautiful Rioja - Ardanza went a more modern style with this one. Darker fruits and more alcohol than the previous vintages. I alternate between this one and the 09 depending on the mood.
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11/21/2021 - PhillyVine2112 Likes this wine:
I know I should give this wine more time but it's pretty delicious now, gorgeous red fruit framed by bright acidity, moderate tannins, and a judicious application of oak. Drank after a six+ hour decant and it was singing. Crowd pleaser.
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11/20/2021 - Ölprinz Likes this wine: 95 Points
Unglaublich vielschichtige Nase, in der sich Aromen von Kirsche, Zwetschge, Kräutern, Eukalyptus, Rosinen, Kaffee, Lakritze und Leder umtänzeln. Ein Hauch Stall lässt sich auch nicht leugnen. Langeweile ist definitiv keine Option. Am Gaumen fruchtig, frisch, erdig, würzig, pikant. Himbeere gesellt sich zur Kirsche, nach hinten raus zündet ein ganzer Kräutergarten. Dicht und druckvoll, mit mega viel Tiefe. Säure und seidig präsente Tannine befinden sich in harmonischem Einklang. Richtig gut strukturierter Stoff. Der Nachhall ist weich und unfassbar lang. Komplexe Granate!
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11/20/2021 - kkreinicke Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cherry, plum raspberry floral notes. Dry mid tones medium leather and spice
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11/12/2021 - bitdrerik wrote: 91 Points
Eðalklúbbur, haustsmakk #2 2021 (Hlíðarás 10): Frekar ljós litur. Í nefinu mátti finna: Fjós, þroskaðan ost, vanillu og jarðarber. Á tungunni voru: Ávextir í bragði. Vanilla og smá fjós. Frekar létt vín með talsverðri sýru. Í eftirbragði var bruni og banani ásamt einhvers konar málmbragði. Það var rætt um það að þetta ætti örugglega vel með lambi. Fínt vín.
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11/11/2021 - Shane B Likes this wine: 93 Points
Better on day 2 after a night with a layer of argon. Medium bodied. Herbal nose of dark berries, dark cherry sage rosemary faint leather tobacco notes and slightly tangy sour cherry finish. Good acid and fruit. I expect it will age beautifully for another 8 years or more.
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11/11/2021 - Reeny's Cellar Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine has what I would describe as a crimson color. The legs are slow and there was light sediment in the bottle. The aromas present reminded me of vanilla, smoke and tobacco. The tastes were very appealing with dark fruit being the strongest followed by tobacco, coffee and leather. The body is medium with a medium finish. The wine has medium acidity. We liked it a lot and will buy it again.
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11/8/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote:
drank this a week ago, so faint memory but do remember really liking it... my recent note applies, but I almost am thinking I would have given this a 92 if my memory were better
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11/6/2021 - Saunders.justin Likes this wine: 94 Points
Big hit of American oak. Liked it a lot
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11/2/2021 - Otaku Oenophile Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very fresh red fruit. Raspberries, tart cherries coming across with good use of American oak. Some dill, coconut. Leather.
I actually liked this more than the 2005 904 I had years ago.
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11/1/2021 - Porters Wines Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very very good representation of Rioja.
It definitely needs to open up, aprx 1 hr.
Has a lot of life, more to give, Will crack another in a year .
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11/1/2021 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
Very nice cassis nose with notes of meat juices. More gravy in the flavour as well as a mich of blackberry and redcurrant fruits. Drinking very well now but with lots of potential. More Gran Reserva in style though it is a Reserva.
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10/29/2021 - CMohawk Likes this wine: 89 Points
Quite lovely. May be slowly fading (to blue-grey)
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10/14/2021 - Chasse_spleen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Traditional Rioja, but with a modern slant. Beautifully oaked, balanced and refreshing. Alive and vibrant still. Very good. Over time, developing a plummy and fruity nose - exquisite! To food, but works surprisingly well on its own. If you want to introduce someone to the wonders of Rioja - this is the place to start.
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10/13/2021 - sfochild Likes this wine: 91 Points
Beautiful nose, mid-weight / body, soft tannins and red fruit are the main descriptors I can come up with. On opening, a bit of bottle funk that took maybe 20 minutes to blow off, then followed over a few hours. Really lovely, an excellent Rioja and great QPR.
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9/24/2021 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is an amazing Rioja.
Extremely typical.
Fabulously delicious, rich, balanced, complex with a beautiful backbone today. Will bloom over many years. Lovely!
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9/23/2021 - Spoiler68 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Benefits from opening up in plenty of time….it’s really got some lovely tertiary flavours and has the colour and hues of an old burgundy
Drank alongside Bohorquez 2010 - think the Ardanza edged it…..
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9/22/2021 - Lemmy-W wrote: 91 Points
Still at 9 years, this is a baby. Drinking well with decent decant. Traditional Rioja in a good way.
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9/12/2021 - Gjagai Likes this wine: 91 Points
Color hue clarity: inky, murky, ruby
Aroma bouquet: sweet, floral, perfume
Taste texture finish balance: light body, tannins, less fruit, more earthy, astringent finish
Overall: 4/5. Good on it's own, better with tapas.
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9/11/2021 - alphalam Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose is muted straight from bottle, with a little hint of vanilla. Balsamic, dark fruit, leather, dried orange peel with spicy notes on the palate. Taste profile is very typical Ardanza and reminds me of the 2001 but with less astringent acidity. Tannins is very well polished and hidden behind the acidity. Very nice.
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9/11/2021 - Rond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark cherry, plum, and spice notes. Notable acidity and medium tannins; everything well in balance. Very enjoyable.
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9/3/2021 - NickRioja wrote: 94 Points
Top 5 riojas
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8/24/2021 - Paul S wrote: 91 Points
Dinner at Wei Heng's (The Peak, Singapore): Rather too young, but this shows a lot of promise. The nose was big and bold, with deep notes of plums and blackberries, and then wafts of cigarette ash, dried earth and sprigs of dill and menthol around the sides of the bouquet. You could just about feel the 14.5% alcohol in the plush fulness on the palate, but it was still in balance, with velvety tannins and juicy acidity wrapped around ripe notes of black cherries, plums and blackberries laced with spice and smoke as the wine led into a full, dried fruited finish. A rather big bruiser at the moment - this needs time yet, or at least some food, but it will be a really lovely sip in another 5-6 years.
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8/21/2021 - hooods Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tydligt men integrerat fat. Kryddig. Liten animalisk ton. Vanilj. Körsbär. Läder. En härlig doft! Känns mogen men med en pigg intensitet.
Otroligt fin i munnen. Sammetslen men med precis tillräckligt med tanniner för att den inte ska tappa strukturen. Perfekt balanserad. Medellång eftersmak.
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8/20/2021 - OaktownRush Likes this wine: 92 Points
A nose of bright red fruit, oak notes of vanilla, cloves, and almost a caramel quality — and some umami-ish notes that remind me of the char of roasted vegetables like carrots, onions, and parsnips. The palate is elegant with ripe red berries, tobacco, some toasty oak notes that frame the fruit. Medium bodied, medium/medium- acid, high tannins that show though towards the finish.
Overall there’s nice power and drive bur also a fair amount of elegance too — very good stuff.
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8/18/2021 - AdrianBonilla Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle was elegant and really easy to drink. It had decent complexity on the nose and really grew on me. Very nice and desirable.
Sight: pale ruby with little to no staining and decent legs (it’s 14.5%)
Nose: very red fruit forward (strawberries, raspberries, etc.) good amount of spice, vanilla, and oaking
Palate: followed the nose with good amounts of red fruit and oaking( i.e. vanilla) with subtle hints of balsamic
I would gladly drink again. I loved how I can have this with or without a food pairing as it’s really easy drinking. Great use of oaking.
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8/18/2021 - WyattTheSomm Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely wine very representative of the region and deserves 91 exactly no less nor more.
80% Tempranillo 20% Grenacha
36months American Oak
Sight: Light ruby very slight pink orange when held
to the light.
Nose: Big high quality oak right up front very yummy vanilla, Ripe Cherry, Strawberries, Plum, Orange peel. Along with pepper spice and a slight clay typical Tempranillo note Really nice strong nose want to keep smelling !
Palate: this wine is all attack big juicey yummy ripe red fruits up front then completely changes from mode palate to finish to lots of spice signature rioja earthy clay quality and some bitterness in the finish. Honestly the finish kinda waters out and fades too quick that’s why this wine is all attack but damm is the attack delicious! The texture is silky lovely medium tannin and medium plus acid couldn drink all but itself no food.
OVERALL: A great rioja just a little bitter and short finish and the wine lacks a little depth. The style is higher elevation and lighter in style but delicious non the less I’m happy with this well know modern Rioja!
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8/13/2021 - sempervinum wrote:
Light brown. Leather, smoke, vanilla from wood , developes some fruit with air. Balsamic notes are dominant. Meaty, thick and a touch of bitterness.
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8/12/2021 - WoodieBayArea wrote: 91 Points
91 for now, has 92-93 potential... really liked this Tempranillo, on the elegant side (which I like) and seemed like with age it would blossom even more, my son said it had burgundy character but with less fruit and more umami... I agree, should be great in 10 years but didn't notice much structure so not sure about longer
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8/11/2021 - sjw_11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Classic Ardanza, with a pleasant level of freshness and a touch less of the varnish oak that for me sometimes detracts with this marque. Opened up and improved even open for several days.
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8/5/2021 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine is showing very well now. Not sure if it was time or bottle variation, but it was much improved since my last sample. May consider buying more now, but its still a good bit away from the greatness of the 2010
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8/1/2021 - HWG99 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Dry oak well balance, easy drinking rioja with good feeling after it. Quite complex on the nose, great for happy quality drinking.
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7/25/2021 - kristen.jomas Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rød frukt, litt kirsebær. Noe eik og vanilje. Nydelig balanse. Tydelig, men smude tanniner.
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7/12/2021 - macaujames wrote: 92 Points
Half Bottle: This has filled out in 6mths but still not a patch on the 2010. Has fragrant aromas of leathery flowers, raspberries, clove+iron hints and sour cherries. Its chewy opulent medium bodied spherical blue and red fruits palate has the typical food friendly zingy Ardanza acidity and impressive depth with very good length+some visible tannin. As always well priced at around 24 Euros a bottle. The 14.5% is there but doesnt show, it just limits me to drinking this a glass at a time which is no bad thing either.
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7/7/2021 - maxima wrote: 87 Points
Trop austère et boisé en ce moment.
...à revoir, possiblement!
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7/3/2021 - Sotto325 wrote: 92 Points
It is a shame that more people do not appreciate that this may be one of the greatest quality red wine bargains out there. I have a couple of bottles in my cellar that I will hold for several years, as this one will definitely develop more secondary flavors in the next 5 to 10 years, but it is downright delicious now. A bit fruit forward as these tend to be, with lots of juiciness from the Grenache. This wine has breeding, delightful aromatics – – smoky moist soil, dark sweet cherry, oak, clay, and more cherry – with a palate that is most consistent. A nice accompaniment to a meal that spanned both Asian spice and traditional plates. A wine that is appealing both to newcomers and Spanish wine aficionados.
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7/1/2021 - CHINACAT wrote: 91 Points
Initially this bottle was oaky and tannic, but after 60 minutes it opened up nicely to reveal ripe cherry flavors, some leather and minerality and a smoother texture. Beginning to show its stuff, but will be better in two or three years.
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6/9/2021 - mayakacz wrote:
Garnet. Saline, leather, dried cherry.
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6/9/2021 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
That is great. Right on.
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6/6/2021 - soon.wine Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very fruit forward, tannic. Needs time to come together.
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6/3/2021 - progenitive Likes this wine: 92 Points
Just beautiful classic oak on this wine. Probably a long term goer, but very nice now. Buy it if you can get it for less than $40, I think.
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6/3/2021 - xeenee Likes this wine: 89 Points
스페인 리오하, 뗌쁘라니요, 알콜 14.5%
브라운빛이 도는 벽돌색?
탄닌 3.2, 바디감 3.2
산도 3, 드라이 4...
바닐라, 초코, 담배향
투박한 느낌의 가죽향?
묵직한 검은과실과 새콤한 자두?
그리고 길게 이어지는 피니쉬까지...
비비노 4.3 내 평점 4.0-
비비노에 한국 스페인 리오하 레드와인 인기순위가 2위라는...
개인적인 5원원대 강추와인
하지만 개취로는 같은 금액대 No2로 랭크.
아직은 후안길 블루가 더 좋다.
10빈 좋고 12빈은 그에 비해 아쉽다는 평 다수
10빈 구할수 있다면 다시 트라이
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6/2/2021 - Manuaia wrote: 90 Points
Closed up and tight. Subtle black cherry fennel and oak. I can tell it’s going to be hours before this one opens up. Pouring a glass for now and will enjoy the rest of the bottle tomorrow. Got a feeling it will be a different wine.
Day 2: way more integrated and more fruit. Out of whack right now but lots of promise. But still rough and Aggressive. Tastes like it’s 4 years old not 9. There is a bright future. not going to look at another bottle for 2-3 years. It’s not the 2010 but what rioja is.
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5/25/2021 - WineJ2019 wrote:
Meh. Nothing specifically wrong but just lacked the intensity or character I’ve gotten from other riojas recently. Not a repeat buy for me.
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5/18/2021 - rmalloy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good traditional Rioja. Mouth-watering orange zest, cherries, and minerals, along with plum and sweet tobacco. Still has room to grow. The main negative for me was a note of charred oak that I found too assertive.
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5/16/2021 - Onericht1@gmail.com wrote: 89 Points
Gorgeous wine. Floral, light, blended oak. Great with food. Great without. At £21 good qpr and just a lovely wine in its own right.
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5/14/2021 - FelineAvenger Likes this wine:
This was nice, but fell short of expectations given the triple 94+ reviews. Had an "older Rioja" taste to it. Plus, this wine needed quite a bit of TLC (3 hour decant) to be enjoyable. Given a choice between this and say, the Peciña Crianza (at <60% the price and more enjoyable than LRA Ardanza even with a pop and pour), the Peciña is the hands down winner. Not really a rebuy. If I wanted an older higher end Rioja, probably would go with Lopez de Heredia Tondonia which is not that much more expensive. Perhaps this wine needs a few more years to meet its supposed potential, but I'm not seeing it as "Best Spanish Red of 2020" as described by Decanter.
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5/2/2021 - Alvarovazquez Likes this wine: 92 Points
90 on day 1, 91 in day 2 and 92 in day 3. This one needs time in bottle or lots of air. After evolution, the result is outstanding. Great QPR
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4/30/2021 - macaujames Likes this wine: 91 Points
One glass. 90/91. I wrote an email to the customer services at La Rioja Alta lamenting the new highish alcohol level of all their wines: the Vina Alberdi 2015 is 14.5% and the 904 2011 is 14.5%.They were very nice. Sure there is global warming but this wine is Southern Rhone like with its high Garnacha and alcohol level. Anyway despite the alcohol this is still very much Vina Ardanza with its leathery blue fruits, volcanic rocks, vanilla hints and cherries aromas. Its voluptuous blue fruits and vanilla hints palate has zingy food friendly acidity lovely texture and good length. Unfortunately I will have only just have one glass at a time with this wine now. Drink now to next 5 years. This is definitely not the 2010.
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4/27/2021 - JimRusche wrote: 90 Points
Wonderful vintage with integrated fruit body and finish. Drink now.
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4/26/2021 - richshoes Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value, medium bodied...great structure and flavor profile with regard to complexity...soft and feminine, bright cherries, pepper and spice accents short finish
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4/24/2021 - MaineMark Likes this wine: 92 Points
First, I don't have a lot of experience with Rioja. Opened in the morning and sampled: translucent deep red color, with some orange/brick mixed in, dark fruit flavor, with mouth puckering acidity.
Then, slow-oxed for 10+ hours. Everything came together very well. Plum and blackberry with some cocoa powder and smoke. The tannins were still teeth-staining when swirled around in the mouth, but everything was really nicely integrated.
Drinking nicely now with a long slow-ox, but I will tuck anotehr bottle away in the cellar for 5-10 years to see what develops.
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4/18/2021 - agirlandherglass Likes this wine: 91 Points
Delicious with well integrated berry fruits, tobacco, savory herbs, working in Harmony. Long finish elegant
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4/9/2021 - Foch Likes this wine: 90 Points
👀 Deep ruby
👃 Pronounced oak
👅 Dry, unripe red fruits, long finish
Fin balans mellan tanniner och syra. Aningen sträv. Jag minns vinet som mjukare i tidigare årgångar där den var smörigt len i eftersmaken.
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4/2/2021 - anna.peter Likes this wine: 92 Points
decanter avant
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3/27/2021 - Vinoguy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours.
Night One:
Cherries, herbs, and oak on the nose. Palate is consistent, with smokey tones and hints of licorice. Very well put together, and still primary, whilst lively, concentrated and round. Long persistent finish. Will be superb in another 5 years.
Night Two:
Closed down. Concentrated primary fruit, polished tannins, slightly tart finish. Will open next one 2024.
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3/26/2021 - jps3@columbia.edu Likes this wine:
Can't drink this without comparing it to the 2010 Seleccion Especial and it falls short. A drinkable rioja but the Seleccion Especial is worth the extra cost.
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3/21/2021 - GlenviewGSW Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really well made and drinking well with aeration and decant. Smooth and more full bodied and rich than a typical Rioja but still has signature acidity and mineral / stone notes.
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3/20/2021 - GAVK wrote: 90 Points
Typical Alta rioja with flavours of plum, cherries, oak and some spice. Its also starting do develop some earthy aromas. Started to really open up after about 3 hours in a wide decanter.
Although it cant compete with the 2010 vintage, its still a
great wine If you like Rioja.
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3/12/2021 - de lege ferenda Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great price to value.
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3/8/2021 - Rob MacKay wrote: flawed
corked
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3/6/2021 - barrkel Likes this wine: 89 Points
Good. Oak with balsamic twist and a banana aftertaste.
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3/5/2021 - englishman's claret wrote:
Really enjoyable, still a little young and perhaps a bit oaky but lots of classic Rioja elements - leather, clove, dark fruit, mint. Drinking well now but with more time to mellow and integrate this should be even better. High 80s-low 90s.
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2/28/2021 - Doc2 Likes this wine:
Wonderful but young. Deep fruit, leather and tannins.
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2/21/2021 - Jakobbt wrote: 90 Points
Warm ripe dark fruit and cherries.
Heavy full body, oak and vanilla. Long finish.
Maybe a little too heavy?, would like a little more complexity.
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2/19/2021 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 89 Points
Zoom tasting of La Rioja Alta wines hosted by Caviste, UK, with wines presented by Francisco Copas from the winery. This wine is not produced every year. Tempranillo blended with some garnacha. 6 years in bottle before release. Medium plum colour, with a hint of ageing at the edges. Lovely depth in the nose, showing its 7 years maturity, plummy, raspberries. Full rich palate, ripe red berry fruits, good length, pepper and spice.
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2/19/2021 - DB Lawton Likes this wine: 90 Points
Smooth with dark cherry and hint of vanilla, not overpowering oak in my opinion. Great pairing with a big charcuterie spread at the beach in Oak Island, NC
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2/13/2021 - daveyk39 wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet color. Offers sour cherry, cedar, volcanic rock and black olive. Tangy red and black fruit on the palate, with hints of ash, cedar, olive and licorice. Medium-full bodied, satin texture, with broad chalky tannins. Dense and edgy, this is a really satisfying wine that's only just beginning to show off.
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2/13/2021 - dvirrr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great
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2/12/2021 - Kriwin Likes this wine:
.
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2/8/2021 - BillBell73 wrote:
The oak treatment here may have gone a little overboard...I'm getting assaulted by coconut, buttered popcorn, and vanilla before I get to the leathery, dusty cherry fruit that I love in tempranillo. Has this wine seen an increasing percentage of new American oak over the years or has my palate just changed?
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2/4/2021 - nnektarios wrote: 90 Points
Light red, brown and orange hints. Oak, coconut, cedar, herbal
Strawberry. Medium body. High (-) Acidity. Strong and pretty well structured tannins. Medium finish. Needs more than 3 hours aeration
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2/3/2021 - Alanna1962 wrote: 94 Points
this was delicious
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1/31/2021 - Hermosabritdad Likes this wine: 89 Points
Medium+ ruby in color with some garnet at the edge. Medium + intensity of black fruit - plum a little cooked. Balsamic and some fresh Mediterranean herbs. Secondary pretty strong vanilla and tertiary of sweet pipe tobacco and leather. On the palette is medium in intensity, black plum and vanilla and herbs again. Medium finish. Overall decent balance for a big production reserva. Vanilla is a little too dominant for me and palette still a touch acidic. Medium + length. Overall a decent readily available Rioja. Probably won’t evolve much more depth. That said it is good quality, well made, and at a good price.
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1/30/2021 - A1002 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classic rioja nose; red berries, leather, prune and raisin. A rather light palate. Acidic, some bitternes and with a balsamic note. Long persistent finish.
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1/29/2021 - TheWhitneyWineDown Likes this wine: 91 Points
A warm medium to deep garnet color greets you to this wine. Its slightly browning edges give welcoming hints of its now nine year story in bottle.
Medium+ intensity on the nose evoking earthy notes of cedar and leather. The wine has medium tannins that did well to decant for 2 hours. Flavors of gooseberry, thyme, dried fruits, and a hint of anise offer a lovely medium finish.
While certainly not as complex or well rounded as the 2010 vintage, it nonetheless presents itself as a lovely wine.
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1/25/2021 - KAT9 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sour cherry? Vinyl, floral, slight herbal, spices. On the palate, dry, medium plus finish. Very nice but not as complex as 2010 vintage.
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1/20/2021 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 92 Points
La Rioja Alta Zoom Tasting with Sunfish Cellars; 1/19/2021-1/20/2021 (Online Zoom): Day 1: Preparing for the La Rioja Alta tasting with Sunfish Cellars Thursday night. These are not pop and pour wines and need some cellaring. Very nice complexity with Christmas spice, raspberries, Bing Cherries, wood, minerals and dark chocolate. A hint of dill on the finish but adds not detracts. Medium to long finish. This might be my favorite Spanish wine for the money year in and year out. 92 plus.
Day 2: More fragrant and complex on day 2. Opening up featuring mild oak, cherry, rose petals, raspberries, spices, minerals and bitter chocolate. Medium plus finish. Very well made wine and Ardanza is always a favorite. 92 plus.
Day 3: A bit of a drop off. Lacks the intensity of the first 2 days. Rustic with sour raspberries, spices, subtle dill and minerals. Medium finish.
Recommendation: I don't see this as a long term ager Ardanza like the 09. Drink now to 2026.
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1/9/2021 - pkbowen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Short decant. Really excellent dark cherry, berry, bramble, charcoal, and earth. Structure leaning to the mature side. Drink now, excellent, 92.
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12/29/2020 - Lionshield Likes this wine: 92 Points
Lovely Old school Rioja in the glass again
Farven er flot dyb, klar rubinrød.
Duften er smooth..af, kirsebær med et sødligt touch af Amarena kirsebærsauce, kølig solbær, jordbær, et flot touch af vanilje, orange toner, sød virginia tobak, fin lille røg tone, rød fin kvindeparfume/røde blomster friske/tørret + violer.
Smagen er Smooth...af duften på en kølig måde. Frugten/smagen virker let men har også en fløjlsblød konsistens over sig.
En lille kølig frugt syre frisker det hele op.
En yders behagelig kølig frugtrig eftersmag til den medium side af et mix af, hindbær/kirsebær/jordbær.
Ekstra: Ultra let drikkelig og kan sagtens drikkes fra nu af.
"2010 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva, Selección Especial", har lige det ekstra niveau mere ind denne.
(Garnacha 20% + 80% Tempranillo)
94 P: RP: "Outer quote mark Garnacha is an important component in the 2012 Viña Ardanza Reserva".
95 P: James Suckling: "Outer quote mark Traditional and beautiful in character".
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12/26/2020 - Oberhau wrote: 89 Points
Very fruit forward nose for a 2012 vintage; color and body are light to medium; taste is bone dry with significant acid; not experienced with Rioja so not sure if this is expected to mellow any more over time, but to me this wine would be best with fatty foods to complement the acid.
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12/21/2020 - barrkel Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice. Really quaffable, and can be savoured. It's a relatively compact experience - very smooth fruity oak, a twinge of spice and an acid balsamic twist in the tail - but extremely moreish. An earthy warm tone lingers; mild, very polished tannins. The 2010 has more energy & structure (I've preferred half bottles at this point, I bought a bunch of 375ml 2010s) but this is perhaps more approachable.
This was also excellent value - 18 GBP on gourmethunters. Pleasure to price ratio off the charts.
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12/16/2020 - MC wrote:
PNP shortly after purchase. Nice ripe fruit, oak, some coconut on the nose. Red fruit and vanilla, oak on the palate with a nice finish. Maybe not the height of my last note but still this is really good Rioja for drinking now. B+/A-
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12/15/2020 - JimTaft Likes this wine: 92 Points
A very solid bottle, fantastic and delicious. Great value at $27.
Day two is just as good, maybe better !
I have laid in a small supply and intend to have one of these in 2030. My guess, will be exceptional.
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12/12/2020 - Big Dog E Likes this wine: 92 Points
I drank another year in the berks earlier this year and didn’t care for it...this is really fantastic for such a mass produced wine. Red fruit, tar, and nice tannins. Drank w mama papa and Mikey in Miami
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12/6/2020 - MC wrote:
Decanted 2 hours but out of the bottle this was pretty good with ripe red cherry and strawberry fruit and of course some vanilla and oak. At 2 hours this was very nice and expansive on its own with a nice long finish and good with and without food. Very enjoyable, drinking better than the 2010 even with ample decanting, and although I am not a numbers rater I think those rating this below 90 points are rating it too low...drink now but should drink well for some time. A-
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11/24/2020 - bvivio Likes this wine: 90 Points
Appearance: medium ruby, garnet highlights, slight bricking, no staining, heavy tearing, no sediment.
Nose: clean, medium+ intensity, developing, black cherry, ripe strawberry, black plum, dusty earth, potpourri, toasted coconut, dill, balsamic, allspice, fig, cooked strawberry, walnut.
Palate: dry, medium+ acid, medium+ tannin, high alcohol (14.5%), medium+ body, medium+ concentration, long finish, black cherry, red plum, black plum, ripe strawberry, dusty earth, cream cheese, toasted coconut, dill, balsamic, allspice, dark chocolate, fig, cooked strawberry, prune, walnut.
Overall: Certainly a riper style this vintage; the 14.5% alcohol is noticeable and the acid feels just a tad bit softer than previous vintages. While not a flabby wine in any way, the fruit character does feel a bit jammy; I think the Grenache is really coming through strong here. But overall it still has a rather classical flavor profile, with lots of savory oak, some appetizing earthiness, and generally a more oxidative and acid-driven style. A well made wine with a long finish (if just a tad hot), but not a vintage that I would intentionally seek out again. It is definitely a tasty wine, but I normally love Viña Ardanza more than this, so it comes across just a bit disappointing. It certainly has the structure to age, but honestly this feels pretty developed at the moment and I think this vintage lends itself to more mid-term drinking rather than long aging.
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10/30/2020 - Jobu wrote: 92 Points
PmP through an aerator. Warm vanillin oak, with berries on the nose. Medium bodied, with red & black berries, leather, dusty spice, and acids. All framed by that oakiness. Probably would’ve benefitted from a decant. So I’ll give it a 92 assuming an hour or two to breathe from a 90/91 PnP. Not as good as the ‘10, but still pretty damn good.
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10/19/2020 - despore wrote: 90 Points
Lovely well made wine, more fruit driven than the 2010, less structure, but great mouthfeel and finish.
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10/16/2020 - SPLJEG Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine looks garnet colored, is medium body, finishes medium and has high acidity at 8 years. Let age more to mellow the acidity.
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10/15/2020 - jonboy74 Likes this wine: 87 Points
A nice wine but a far cry from the 2008, 2009 and especially the 2010. Body is a little watery, more fruity than prior vintages and light tannins. Will stick to those prior vintages and skip 2012. Not bad just not as good as the others.
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10/4/2020 - mercer22 Likes this wine:
Hello old friend. I’ve missed you.
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9/26/2020 - enruma@hotmail.com wrote:
To keep 2/3 years according to Billy
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9/9/2020 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Restaurant wine at Curate, drank with assorted Tapas, elegant fruit and earth mixture, soft, beautifully done
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12/31/2017 - PacoHigon Likes this wine:
Cata 275 de la Penya La Verema -26/10/2017. Picota cubierto. Nariz intensa, algún recuerdo animal, cacao, especias dulces, fruta roja. En boca tiene buen ataque, cierta calidez, tanino firme, con algunas aristas por pulir, bien de acidez, con buenos amargos y bastante persistencia.
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