Really super floral at first like, dried flower arrangements. But then it's really dusty too so it's like an old flower arrangement dried and hung on the wall and left there to be a decoration for 20 years and it's covered in dust and cobwebs.
Or maybe It's an old wooden chest in a forgotten attic that hasn't been opened in way too long and the stale but fragrant air comes wafting out.
Definitely a fun and intriguing nose.
The drink is - well, an acquired taste. Very rustic, very savory. You can tell that the tannins on this wine were really tight and almost abrasive once upon a time but here we are 22 years later and yes, they've resolved themselves to some extent but it's still challenges the palate, because it's gritty and maybe even a little bitter.
None of this of course is bad or flawed or wrong in any way It's just sort of like an old man with a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows who has chainsmoked Lucky Strikes his whole life and drinks too much whiskey.
The label and the wine are so perfectly congruous you have to respect it. You get exactly what you'd expect from a wine that looks like this.
Here's the clincher on this wine. I can't think of one culinary dish that this wine couldn't stand up against. It is so assertive, aggressive, and stands for what it is so strongly, it would hold up to any meat, any stew, any combination of flavors, herbs or spices. Get it with some venison stew or something of the like, and you'll be a happy camper.
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This bottle similar to the tasting note back in 2015, much better than the bottle from 2019. Polished wood nose, old fruit. Red fruited on the palate with tertiary characteristics, touch of tart fruit. No great length and still doesn't feel like the finished article. A good bottle but not hitting the hights of this wonderful Bodega. More time I reckon.
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Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, black berries and black pepper. Flavors of black raspberries and black berries. Medium acidity, resolved tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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Mostly Older Rioja Dinner (San Francisco): Light ruby. Lean black fruit and quite acidic at first. Gradually, it kept unfolding, sweetening, and developing greater texture and feel. My conclusion is that it still has a long way to go and should turn out to be a classic vintage and excellent.
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Wine Cellar Spain (Wine Cellar): A light garnet colour towards an orange-brown rim. The nose offers warm scrubland heather, tar, banana, and subtle notes of stewed red fruits, rhubarb, plums, and damson. As it opens, there are liquorice, Christmas cake, and raisin elements. Light to medium-bodied, the wine feels a little dilute on entry but shows a firm acidity with flavours of raspberry leaf, tea leaf (I am thinking a rose petal infused Assam tea), cough syrup and a touch of 5 spice. It was not bad, but it lacked finish and mid-palate depth.
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From magnum and decanted for like 1 hour. The nose is beautiful, evelved, open with dark fruits, leather and light earth such a wonderful nose much like a well made bdx. The palate however is not there, a touch bitter, harsh and barnish out of balance most of the time and spoils the promise created by that lovely nose. 87
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Better than last bottle. Very nice nose with spice mint liquorice leather and a little floral. Fairly light with boysenberry dark cherry and leather. Still drink now.
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Color is an immediate tell that it's probably a little past prime. Lack of nose. A little cherry or raspberry combined with a fair amount of leather. Drink now or lose it to age.
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fresh, spicy, fruity bouquet, palate much more tar and savory, but the wine seemed deep like a well, with red fruit at the bottom and just barely there on the finish. wish this had more time to open up before my group finished the bottle.
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Pale tawny with a brown rim. Fully mature nose with some oxidative notes wrapped around a core of cherries, strawberries, tobacco and leather. Sweet and complex. Silky in palate with refreshing acidity and medium not completely ripe fine-grained tannins. Bitterness or brettiness on the finish.
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10/22/2023 - Jack Cranley Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really super floral at first like, dried flower arrangements. But then it's really dusty too so it's like an old flower arrangement dried and hung on the wall and left there to be a decoration for 20 years and it's covered in dust and cobwebs.
Or maybe It's an old wooden chest in a forgotten attic that hasn't been opened in way too long and the stale but fragrant air comes wafting out.
Definitely a fun and intriguing nose.
The drink is - well, an acquired taste. Very rustic, very savory. You can tell that the tannins on this wine were really tight and almost abrasive once upon a time but here we are 22 years later and yes, they've resolved themselves to some extent but it's still challenges the palate, because it's gritty and maybe even a little bitter.
None of this of course is bad or flawed or wrong in any way It's just sort of like an old man with a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows who has chainsmoked Lucky Strikes his whole life and drinks too much whiskey.
The label and the wine are so perfectly congruous you have to respect it. You get exactly what you'd expect from a wine that looks like this.
Here's the clincher on this wine. I can't think of one culinary dish that this wine couldn't stand up against. It is so assertive, aggressive, and stands for what it is so strongly, it would hold up to any meat, any stew, any combination of flavors, herbs or spices. Get it with some venison stew or something of the like, and you'll be a happy camper.
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4/29/2020 - rayq wrote: 91 Points
This bottle similar to the tasting note back in 2015, much better than the bottle from 2019. Polished wood nose, old fruit. Red fruited on the palate with tertiary characteristics, touch of tart fruit. No great length and still doesn't feel like the finished article. A good bottle but not hitting the hights of this wonderful Bodega. More time I reckon.
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5/25/2019 - wineismylife wrote: 91 Points
WIML91
Tasted non blind. Tasted from magnum.
Garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of leather, black berries and black pepper. Flavors of black raspberries and black berries. Medium acidity, resolved tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold.
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10/5/2018 - drwine2001 wrote:
Mostly Older Rioja Dinner (San Francisco): Light ruby. Lean black fruit and quite acidic at first. Gradually, it kept unfolding, sweetening, and developing greater texture and feel. My conclusion is that it still has a long way to go and should turn out to be a classic vintage and excellent.
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2/16/2018 - cc.smith44@gmail.com wrote:
A big red
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2/16/2018 - cc.smith44@gmail.com wrote:
A big red. Lots of tanis
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10/21/2017 - danckie Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice wine. Berries and mint.yuicy. Medium finish. This house maken wines that age very well and this shows. Plenty of life left in this wine.
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5/10/2014 - Brett and Megan Likes this wine: 94 Points
black pepper, little hot, red berries, dried fruits, cured meat - this has aged very well
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9/4/2013 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 87 Points
Wine Cellar Spain (Wine Cellar): A light garnet colour towards an orange-brown rim. The nose offers warm scrubland heather, tar, banana, and subtle notes of stewed red fruits, rhubarb, plums, and damson. As it opens, there are liquorice, Christmas cake, and raisin elements. Light to medium-bodied, the wine feels a little dilute on entry but shows a firm acidity with flavours of raspberry leaf, tea leaf (I am thinking a rose petal infused Assam tea), cough syrup and a touch of 5 spice.
It was not bad, but it lacked finish and mid-palate depth.
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5/11/2013 - Papies wrote: 87 Points
From magnum and decanted for like 1 hour.
The nose is beautiful, evelved, open with dark fruits, leather and light earth such a wonderful nose much like a well made bdx. The palate however is not there, a touch bitter, harsh and barnish out of balance most of the time and spoils the promise created by that lovely nose. 87
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4/4/2013 - Bill Johnson Likes this wine: 89 Points
Better than last bottle. Very nice nose with spice mint liquorice leather and a little floral. Fairly light with boysenberry dark cherry and leather. Still drink now.
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1/15/2013 - Bill Johnson wrote: 87 Points
Color is an immediate tell that it's probably a little past prime. Lack of nose. A little cherry or raspberry combined with a fair amount of leather. Drink now or lose it to age.
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12/1/2012 - Necowine Likes this wine: 89 Points
fresh, spicy, fruity bouquet, palate much more tar and savory, but the wine seemed deep like a well, with red fruit at the bottom and just barely there on the finish. wish this had more time to open up before my group finished the bottle.
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12/10/2011 - Dokken wrote: 90 Points
Pale tawny with a brown rim. Fully mature nose with some oxidative notes wrapped around a core of cherries, strawberries, tobacco and leather. Sweet and complex. Silky in palate with refreshing acidity and medium not completely ripe fine-grained tannins. Bitterness or brettiness on the finish.
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11/8/2011 - EMichels wrote: 86 Points
Not much nose; A little funk on the palate; A bit of acid
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