Quite difficult wine to read. There's some red fruit and a hint of cellar must on the nose, followed by spices, pepper, and forest notes. Good acidity with brighter fruit notes, strawberries, cherries, underwood, and leather on the nose. It felt a lot fresher than the 1991 Tondonia Reserva next to it. Long finish. Very intriguing and lovely wine, although it requires attention and focus.
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Porzana (Porzana, Mpls): Medium dark red color with subtle bricking to a 1mm clear margin. PNP, drank a glass plus over an 2 hours. It's been almost 2 years sonce last having this. This bottle is a wow, showing great. The nose display a perfume of dried flowers, pencil, wonderful wood spices, dried forest floor, pine needles, and dried dill weed. The palate is classic, medium plus bodied, Burgundian, earth, leather, pencil, pretty red fruits abound, shellac, lacquer, black raspberry syrup, very long and soft. I loved it. It did fade some after an hour showing more dill and weediness. 95+ to 96pts.
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It has been 4 years since my last bottle and this wine is still just as beautiful as it was then. Elegant, pure and so fresh. Blueberries, spice, and black licorice. Watching this wine open up over an evening is something special.
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Guys Night - Anything Goes Blind!: PnP - Served double blind (except for the owner). This wine could immediately be identified as old world, and with some age. It had a very nice blend of fruit and tertiary flavors, and so much going on. It constantly evolved in the glass as the night wore on. I can't imagine this wine drinking any better for my palate! Mostly red fruit with hints of black fruit showing through periodically. Tertiary flavors included earth, mushroom, unagi and dried leather, with hints of dried flowers. The nose was perfumed and dusty at the same time. The tannins were smooth and polished with just enough acidity to keep the fruit alive and well. I would not have guessed this Spanish originally because the oak was so well integrated. A pleasure to drink! 96+ for me and WOTN, among some stiff competition!
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Guy's Night: Anything Goes Double Blind (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light medium bricked ruby color with 15mm transitional to clear, bricked margin. PNP, drank a couple glasses over 3 hours. My wine, double blind for everyone else. A great showing for my last bottle of this gem. When you figure out where it's from, what else can it be than Lopez. This is a mature, harmonious wine of nuance and complexity offering a stunning nose of leather, dried cherry, forest floor, anise, hydrocarbons, rose hips, beef blood, and red berries. The palate is equally sublime, light medium bodied, really featherweight, so elegant and integrated; offering cherry, leather, beef blood and loads of umami, tobacco, rose petals, dried strawberry, lacquer, dried earth, and it's so soft and very long on the finish. What a joy. My and group WOTN. 96+pts.
Medium ruby red core with a transitionally bricked 1.5cm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over over 2 hours. Simply stunning - I love this wine. My word, I'm so glad to taste this again after being tantalized the other night with a tiny pour. Another wine that builds and evolves for nicely over two hours. Splendid from the start but unfolding layers of nuance over 2 hours and even as I reluctantly took the last sip. Gorgeous complex nose that has pretty red fruits of cherry and raspberry, dried earth, hints of soy and fresh cut dill, dried earth, and then the perfume of dried roses hits you. The palate is the equal of the nose with that same elegance and finesse, leather, purity of cherry and red berry fruit, earth, and 90 second finish. Fantastic and it still feels so fresh and youthful - this can go for years. 96+pts. (
Rockstar wine. Starts out dusty with cellar aromas, but settles into a pure beauty of red berries, lovely minerality, cool cool fruit and freshness. Stunning quality for a 30 year old wine. Struck by its freshness, coolness and linear transparency. It is almost weightless in its balance, but still has the body and power of purity, minerality and a gorgeous backbone of fresh acidity. A beauty. Also my last bottle.
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Followed advise of others and did not decant and there was no sediment to be found so worked well. Tight at first, opened up with time. Best about 1-2 hours in. Perhaps pour a glass off an hour before drinking. Light, savory, lovely tertiary flavors with some red fruit and leather notes. Time left.
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At Spoon and Stable in North Loop Minneapolis with Siggy and Candie. My gang has drank a number of these over the years owned by several of us, and they’ve ranged from A+ (“this is freaking amazing”) to B (“it’s good but not as great as the one we had at...). This one earned a solid “A”. The classic Lopez notes of red fruits, minerals and sous bois. Classy and elegant from the first sip to the last at 30 years old. I have one left and it would an awesome science experiment to check in on it at age 40, although I doubt that will happen. Just a delight with Gavin’s duck and his pot roast.
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This has really improved since 6 years ago. More depth and body. Similar flavors of orange peel, vanilla, red fruit and light tobacco. I decanted this for an hour, which was required. This has years of life ahead and I will keep my last few bottles for awhile. Drank this from Burgundy style glasses and glad for it.
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Last bottle. Gorgeous stuff. Fading red with bricking. Lovely nose of dried fruit, oranges, roses and gingerbread. Candied red fruit in the mouth but not without delicacy and good acidity. So good for the money.
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Faithfully cellared since release/purchase. Pretty light clear ruby appearance w nice aromas of red stuff (cranberry rhubarb end of spectrum) and woodsy herbal floral notes - thin on palate; fleshless really - seeking improved palate presence I decanted this older wine against maxim arguing otherwise. After 30 mins or so the nose took on some caramel notes but alas the palate remained frightfully fleshless.
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Delightful but I made the mistake of decanting, which shortened the window of enjoyment. Won't decant in the future as Lopez de Heredia Gran Reservas of this age don't seem to have any sediment and can be fragile.
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From memory, released in USA in 2012, darker and redder, and I think more fruity and less earthy than the Tondonia, this is everything I love in a red wine, intense yet light, contemplative and refreshing, sip or gulp, a regal wine of no determinate age.
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This is a lovely aged bottle of Rioja from one of the classic producers. The nose is super complex and quite lovely. Red currant, dried cherry, leather, plowed earth, violet, orange peel, dried thyme, and just a hint of VA. The palate is elegant and delicious with still very fresh acidity and tannins that arrive late to provide finishing structure. Finishes quite nicely. Very good and should continue to hold nicely for some time.
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WTDS at Spoon (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus. Checked this with the Coravin before heading back to work at lunch and all was well. On pouring this had a wonky note that seemed a bit off to me. Lopez can have some pretty different aromatics, so I didn't say anything at first. It seemed to swirl away on the nose though I still had kind of a moldy basement thing on the palate too. Most didn't think that it was corked, but I have to wonder if it was lightly so. All that being said, after a good half hour the nose just blew up and was intensely aromatic with the classic mix of red fruits, lacquer, leather, dried cherry, potpourri and spices that I've come to expect from this. The palate too seemed brighter, very Burgundian, dried roses, lacquer, dried cherry and wood.
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Love these wines. At 27 years old this was youthful and dense. Showed a darkness and savory quality that I wasn't expecting. But dark round fruit was there and wrapped in Asian spices. Oak was fully integrated and not detected.
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In the ruby brick color palate, but shows so much delicacy with leather and red cherry on the palate. Has a good medium body and lots of acidity which works great with Spanish ham and sausage dishes, and finishes so light yet long. This was an above average GR of the Bosconia as I usually prefer Tondonia's slightly bigger mid-palate with the same long clean finish.
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Beautiful brick / ruby. Soaring nose of red fruits and tobacco. The oak marries beautifully with the fruit to present a complete and mature wine that is at peek yet will continue to drink well for years. This is glorious. (94)
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Same bottle as rocknroller and I'm in full agreement with his notes. This was certainly drinkable and enjoyable but it didn't touch my soul like several of these have in the recent past. The nose on several of those bottles was absolutely ethereal, with the palate to match. Tonight's bottle would have struck me more if I wasn't aware of how other bottles have shown in just the past 2-3 years. I still have 2 bottles of these left. I don't think they have to be popped immediately but will probably finish them within the next 3 years and hope they are closer to the 97 point wines we've had before.
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SpRhones at Borough (Borough, Mpls, MN): Medium translucent brick red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Hi toned on the nose and palate, lacquer, dried cherry, damp earth, a little thin in the middle, wood, and a fair amount of alcohol on the finish. This was one of those bottles of the '91 that didn't rock me. It didn't have the great perfume that some have had, and it felt a little tired with fruit slipping and the wood and alcohol showing through more than ideally.
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Tonight with Nita's paella. PnP in a Riedel Burg glass about 30 minute prior to dinner. Youthfully bright translucent red with just a hint of bricking on the very very outer edges. The color is more like that of a ten year old, traditionally styled, red than a 26yr old wine. Wow, this is truly "alluring" gorgeous Rioja! Orange peel, leather, spice and red fruit on the nose. On the palate this is precise and exquisitely defined with layers of; red fruit, earth, underbrush, dried roses, saddle leather and mineral. Haunting complexity and purity. Elegant and refined tannins. A truly beautiful wine that would stand tall in any line up of aged greats from Burgundy while still unmistakably Rioja from Lopez Heredia. Can't tell you how much I loved this wine tonight and wish I had more! This was the last of few I've owned. There is some btl variation though. Thankfully, my last btl; was as good as any I can remember. Tonight's blt was utterly pristine with just the lightest amount of sediment imaginable, in light suspension. Absolutely no crud in the bottom of the btl or sides from laying down. Assume the fact that these may not get immediately bottled has some impact on the lack of sediment? An honest 12.5% Alc. Drinking fantastic right now but I could see the possibility for further positive evolution. This will surely last another decade plus.
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Consistent with the last few bottles. Ultra pretty and elegant, with flavors and aromas of tart red fruits, minerals and cigar box. A fairly long, saline-like finish. Vacuu-vinned and finished the next night. While not quite as showy, it still was lovely and gives me hope that these have perhaps a good 10 years of life left. Just an outstanding producer and always a joy to drink their wines.
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Light ruby color with notable tawny edges signals the maturity of the wine. It starts out with a floral, cherry, leathery aromatic that is fresher than the color would suggest, and more forward than the taste which is a bit thin and closed in. A little bit of air solves that as the fruit returns to the palate, along with the complimentary elements of leather, spice and old cedar. A half hour more brings a fully knit together wine of silken texture and complexity. It's not a world beating Bosconia, but given some time it's a lovely drink that would be better served with more delicate food than we threw at it.
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Medium red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. This started off slow and gradually shed its shyness and showed fairly well what it wants to be. Pretty dried earth notes, red fruits, tangy, energetic red berries on the palate, light dill, medium body, balanced and integrating. A very good bottle that needed the air to come out and play. We drank this next to the '91 Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco that i brought in what was a nice ode to the vintage. Boy, if you had a couple of these that were both showing at their best, you'd just be in heaven.
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I enjoyed a small pour of this tonight and found it to be more ethereal than another recent btl. Tonight it contrast nicely in a line up of more modern styled Rioja & Riberas. Light as a feather, fading fruit, terrific minerality and nuanced. I loved the small pour I got! Yes, I've had better btls this one but, this reserved and quietly elegant wine was a welcome diversion from the predominately somewhat higher octane & youthful wines we had with us.
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Perfect cork, no seepage. Popped and poured, tasted over 2h.
Another LdH GR from the 90s that has left me a bit cold. Dunno what is happening. Seemed thin and lacking charm and finesse. Palate was thin and acidic, and the wine remained flat and boring during the 2h it was on the table Everyone loves wine so it was eventually polished off, but the table preferred unanimously the 87 Tondonia GR. I'm not convinced this was ever substantially different when younger. Meh.
Drink up.
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I did not decant prior to drinking. I stood up for 8 hours to let sediment flow to bottom and opened upon arrival at venue. We started drinking this about an hour after arrival. I poured in a Reidel Burg glass. Some thought this was past its prime. I still enjoyed the weight and faded autumnal nature of this wine more than the other reds tonight. That said, far from outstanding like the June btl that may have seen a quick decant. I followed this over the evening but it never took flight. The btl and cork were in very good condition near as I could tell and was sourced from the same local distributor as the June btl? There were better overall blts tonight but I wasn't into thier richer more BDX like profiles. One of the other blts, a '94 Cunve might have merited a 93pts score as it was in very nice condition but with a richer, riper, bigger profile.
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Spanish at Costa Blanca (Costa Blanca, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color., no bricking. Drank 1 glass over 2+ hours. Same bottle as Chablis28. This was interesting, and I largely agree with Chablis28's take. We've had this wine a number of times now with varying results. It has always been good, but sometimes it has been great. I don't favor the opinion that it was OTH or tired. Simply bottle variation? Less advanced? Fake? Who knows, but it was reclusive and not showing the perfume of secondary and tertiary characteristics we've come to expect. If anything, this bottle was young and not really ready. Typical bottles in the past required no decanting. This didn't change drastically over the 2+ hours, but it did get somewhat better. The nose did show some leather, spice, smoke, red fruits. The palate was similar and the oak was more prominent and less integrated than previous bottles. Still good, just an enigma. There's more bottles to come, and I'm hopeful we will see that great bottle again. 90+ to 91pts.
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Tough towrite a full report. Consumed at the Casa Mono in New York City. Classic representation of Rioja, saddle, orange peel, dried cherry, dried earth. Perfectly aged a perfect representation.
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Stunning wine. Perfectly aged old school Spanish Rioja. Tons of nuance and secondary notes. Light-ish red color. Complex nose with black fruits and spice. While 25 years old this still offers a ton of flavor and a solid finish that is quite appealing. 95 pts tonight.
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At Spoon and Stable in North Loop Minneapolis with rocknroller, chablis28 and 4 other friends. I won't add much to their respective reviews other than to say it was a relief to pull the cork at home before walking over to the restaurant to find a lovely herbaceouness on the initial nose. The last bottle I had popped last summer at chablis28's birthday celebration was mildly corked. But this bottle was total bliss and an outstanding pairing with S&S's seared duck breast.
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When these Lopez Heredia are on, you want to go out the next day and horde every btl you can find. This was the most ethereal, elegant finessed wine tonight! Crystalline and superb. Nothing weird or funky which you do run across with these. There is btl variation but this one was as good as I've ever drank and near perfection. Dried red fruit, delicate soil minerally tones, shrooms. Light as a feather but fantastic concentration and intensity. My WOTN by a small margin over the two Vosnes. Beautiful translucent brilliant ambered crimson color.
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1991 & Everything Else (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Medium ruby red core with a transitionally bricked 1.5cm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over over 2 hours. Simply stunning - I love this wine. My word, I'm so glad to taste this again after being tantalized the other night with a tiny pour. Another wine that builds and evolves for nicely over two hours. Splendid from the start but unfolding layers of nuance over 2 hours and even as I reluctantly took the last sip. Gorgeous complex nose that has pretty red fruits of cherry and raspberry, dried earth, hints of soy and fresh cut dill, dried earth, and then the perfume of dried roses hits you. The palate is the equal of the nose with that same elegance and finesse, leather, purity of cherry and red berry fruit, earth, and 90 second finish. Fantastic and it still feels so fresh and youthful - this can go for years. 96+pts.
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Light red color. Aromas of strawberries, sour cherry and wood spices. Ripe, medium-bodied high acid fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Very lithe and suave on the palate. Still very fresh and lively after 25 years. An excellent, mature old-style Rioja and a great match with pork tenderloin.
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What a nose! Beautiful and elusive scents of soft red fruits and leather. The body is elegant, lithe, and feminine. The palate is acid driven with softened tannins - more fruit would improve this to the level of a stupendous wine.
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Very special. Fragrant aromas of flowers, field berries (a mix of strawberry and cherry). Beautifully rounded medium-light body with acidity on the finish. Seems young, but obviously not. Has length and components to age further. Very complex; long finish. Very fine on its own or with lighter foods (fowl would be best).
Attractive on opening, but better after decanting for 45 minutes. Sublime after 90 minutes.
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Garnet. Initial funky notes dissipate and then with time in a decanter the now-expressive nose reveals stewed strawberry, sweet cherry, old leather, and cedar. On the palate, youthful cherry dominates, with nice sweetness, and leathery, earthy accents. The finish shows just a hint of American oak, particularly dill. Such complexity! This is an elegant, aged, old-school Rioja that will likely drink well for another decade.
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Even garnet throughout. Some mustiness blew off; afterwards, gentle aromas of faded strawberry and herb. Light weight. Light red fruit, a twist of blood orange (as in some red Burgundy), and balsam wood. Gradually fading finish. Prototypical Lopez de Heredia subtlety and class, but this is missing the uncanny fruit that the greatest examples can seduce with even at this stage. A great pleasure but not as life altering as some other vintages (e.g., 1981) have been.
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Blåbær, blå plommer, svisker, røyk, våt asfalt, sedertre og lær. Konsentrert, ganske tight frukt og høy friskhet. Pent hint av sødme. Vokser fint utover i smakskurven, med veldig elegant struktur og et godt grep i avslutningen. Litt streng. Flott lengde. Denne har fremdeles mye å gå på. 91p.
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Couldn't agree more with ellenkf. What a wine! Intriguing nose of sweet cherry, some white pepper and tanned leather, red berries, some dust, but less than before. Amazingly complex, that mesh of flavors. So clean. Discreet sourness, stand-up acidity, bright, lively fruit. Just fresh and light, yet powerful enough to match flavorful food, like lamb with garlic potato gratin. Love.
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One of the great bottles of wine I've ever tasted. 21 years old and vibrant, exciting, youthful still. Cherry juice colored, no sediment to be found. Aromas for days- sweet cherries, leather, some spice, butterscotch? Complexity in flavors mesh with the aromas described above combined with some sour fruit notes and fresh acidity. Time in the glass opened the wine up even more, yet it retained it's verve. Long finish on a soft palate is so interesting, beguiling. Can't say enough about this wine.
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It is gratifying to see someone out there is still taking his/her time to make wine the old fashioned way: eight years in barrel and eight more years ageing in bottle! And what a wine. The colour could have fooled me: medium ruby core that goes almost all the way to the rim, very little bricking. Youthful. The nose shows a lot of high toned red fruit, dried strawberry, baking spice, notes of caramel. Sweet American oak well integrated. Medium plus acidity, silky tannins. Very long finish with more spice at the end. I have the feeling it can still benefit from bottle ageing although it's drinking very well now.
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This is outstanding classic Rioja. Pale garnet in color with a nose of red berry fruits, tobacco, mushroom, dried cranberry, dusty earth, with hints of vanilla. The palate is fresh and bright with medium body and lots of fruit. There is still structure but everything is integrated and balanced. This has years of great drinking ahead but is showing mature now. Fantastic example of what Rioja is capable of.
Clearly still young, mainly showing dark fruits, oak influence, and a hint of earth. Tannins and acids are prominent currently, though this did not interfere with the enjoyment of the wine. Very good but far away from peak.
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First time I tasted this. Light and transparent color. Delicate and tart. More elegant and less influenced by oak than the Tondonia. Intense and concentrated.
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Puro placer el abrir esta botella. Abierto, fragante, potente, lleno de aromas de fruta roja perfumada, reducida, ligeramente licorosa (endrinas, guindas, membrillo), pétalos, marchitos y un tostado de enorme calidad. Quizás aún no haya comenzado a desarrollarse en plenitud y su bouquet esté algo constreñido, sobre todo comparado con el grandísimo Bosconia GR 1981, pero se le augura una larga crianza y enormes expectativas. Van apareciendo notas especiadas, duelas evinadas, granos de café, un toque de brea y un recuerdo balsámico muy fino, a mondadura de cítricos.
En boca menos expresivo pero con una trama firme y estructura a prueba de seísmos. Gran acidez que contrasta con la ligereza general. Fresco, pulido, maduro, con taninos presentes, especiados muy intensos y un apunte de fruta roja reducida. Necesitado de mucha botella para que dé el máximo de sí mismo. Éste va para grande, si tenemos paciencia y le damos un porrón de años de guarda.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 80% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% mazuelo y graciano - 12.5% vol. Permanece durante 6 meses en depósitos de madera donde acabar de realizar la fermentación maloláctica. Criado durante 9 años en viejas barricas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la misma bodega. El vino es sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevo frescas. Embotellado directamente de la barrica, sin filtrar. Lacrado especial para favorecer su mejor evolución en botella y preservarlo de contaminaciones. Producción limitada a 5.000 botellas de 75 cl. Descansa un mínimo de 44 meses en botellero antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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I think I got my pour on the tail end of this bottle, as ROCKNROLLERs note echos my own. Really old school, intellectually interesting but not very enjoyable. Too much brett. At a tasting full of youngsters, this wine tasted over the hill.
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Solera, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I definitely liked this more than chablis28 and I think others did too that were in proximity. I thought it was quite pretty and refined. The nose has lots of earth, red fruit, and florals tied in a nicely perfumed bow. The palate also offers plenty of earth and minerality, cherry, medium body, still fresh, fairly fine grained tannins and a medium plus finish. I do think the palate faded somewhat in the glass after an hour and was a bit thinner and more woody then. 92pts at peak.
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2 years later and this wine impresses me less than last time? It even tasted like it was a tad old to me last night lacking freshness on the nose and palate both. Others seemed to enjoy it? Maybe it needs more time? I don't know but, I won't be going back for more. I'll stick to Lopez Herdia's reservas which I adore at 1/3 of the price.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): And again even more primary with a floral edge to it. Also on the nose: red currants, red cherries, strawberry, and a good dose of American oak. For me this was another wine that I was not crazy about, but it was pleasant nonetheless. Even more firm tannic structure on this shows promise for future development. Could use some more age.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): This was so primary.....cherry notes and funk with spice, herbs and leather The palate is quite mineral driven with flowers, funk, dark cherry and nutmeg. This needs more time....lots more. The finish is medium and primary. Give this another 10 years minimum.
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Year 2; Tasting 2 of 5; Andrew does Rioja (1954-1994) (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Popped and poured, followed approximately 2 hours. Garnet in the glass, no brick noted. On the nose, waxy red cherry, cranberry, baking spice, fresh picked herbs, cedar, coriander, earth, and a touch of leather. On the palate, has a sense of elegance, but still needs some time to come together. Medium plus acidity, moderate tannin, finishing a touch short and dry at this juncture, with tastes of cranberry, sour cherry, earth and a bit of spice. If you are thinking of opening this wine, do yourself a favour and tuck it back in the cellar and don't look at it for at least another 5 years.
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Not giving up much aroma after a three hour decant, but the palate is broad and umami -laden with dried fruits, leather, mushrooms. Beautiful, subtle and perfectly balanced.
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Not decanting here and given the wine feels delicate we would suggest avoiding a long aeration time. Ah! a good bottle from a messy 12-pack ( 6x6 with 1991 Tondonia). The burgundian style bottle actually suits the character of this wine which is more delicate and harmonious than its Sister the Tondonia from across the river. Quite earthy, with still a good amount of red fruit, well round and silky tannin. Lacks a touch of vitality after a bit of time in the glass ( another reason to avoid decanting). Still very good old school Rioja with none of the overdone features that the new styles. 90-91
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Gorgeous bottle. More fruit than the previous bottle, with all the other "stuff" that goes well beyond my already limited wine vocab. The texture is airy and silky. Unique to my experience is a refreshing sourness, which sounds odd but works marvelously here
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Scoring based on the final taste after 7+ hours of air. Upon opening this was very closed off and just plan bad. I checked it after 2 hours of air and it starting showing a little better. At 4 hours it was acceptable and from 6 hours + it was starting to sing but the bottle was running out of wine. :( This wine has so much more life left and is not ready to drink yet. If you are not giving this wine 4+ hours of air you are doing yourself and the wine a disservice. This is a filet and lobster dinner wine- red fruits, cedar and baking spices. Wow this wine can and will be good.
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Playground Fun (Playground - Santa Ana, CA): Wine is always better with a good story and this bottle had it. Patrick bought this from the winery on his visit to Spain and brought it back. Nice when you can buy direct on older vintage, no question about provenance.
This needs lots of air time to open up. There was some trepidation it might be gone after opening but slowly and gracefully it began to peal back the layers. Very light color, almost thin looking. Tannins were fully integrated and it led to a light mouthfeel mid palate. The fruit as muted but still showing well. Nice treat.
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Corked, unfortunately. I had a bottle of this with John Gilman on release when he was working on a LdH article and it was stellar. Unfortunately, the four bottles I've now had since have not performed well at all.
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Starts very volatile and varnish-smelling. After 40 minutes of air, calms down a bit and the nose turns to heavy spiced spirits, similar to the smell of gin. Signature Rioja cherry brandy flavor and quite high acidity, making it rather sour-tasting. Light-bodied. I want to like this but can't.
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EWG @ Ración: Kept changing in the glass. Hard to get a grip on. I really liked it times. At first it did seem pretty muted. I would say it still needs time.
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Racion: Deeper colored, tart ripe red berry fruit melange; soft warm leather and potting soil; still grippy with fines tannins but elegant nonetheless. Just a baby--this will get very fine in 10 years +. Scored moderately b/c my palate was spoiled from the '76 and '85 we drank previously. 91-93+ (in 10 years).
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Very tight and closed. Some musty notes give the impression of TCA, but this never really manifests. By the end of the night this is showing a bit more expressive with cherry notes and oak.
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Decanted 2 hours, but really only fully opened at about 4 hours (most of my notes are at the 2 hour mark, however). Garnet in color, no browning of note. Crushed cherries, mineral, anise, some leather on nose. Palate has light-medium fruit, that initially is a bit tart. Finishes with light, but firmish tannins and more pleasing acidity. Definite sense of complexity and finesse, but in an understated fashion. Great with food. Fruit felt fresh. Later in the evening, the cherries turned darker and the palate became softer, losing the tart impression completely. This needs more time or a longer than 3 hour decant. 91+
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Lopez de Heredia Vertical, with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Red colour with good amount of Tinting on the rim. Floral, light mint. Mineral nose. Big on the tannin. Fresh . Lighter on the sweetness. Sharp and focussed wine. Elegant but not as vibrant as the Tondonia 91. Less of a textbook Rioja. 90-91 and we would suggest one awaits.
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Tough, tart and thin right after a decant. With time opened up to a very nice nose of flowers and spice and caramel notes. Berry fruit on a nice palate. Light in the mouth, works well with food and alone. Medium finish. Excellent.
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This is fantastic. Light-bodied but really complex. Took a few minutes to open up, but then really enjoyable. Green wood on the nose, fruit on the palate - a bit tart, but then softer. Nice finish. Multilayered complexity. Would rate higher if it had a bit more body.
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I don't have a consistent view of this wine except that it doesn't quite wow me. Its just short of great. Very good for sure but I think I enjoy the '98 Rerseva more. Tonight it did get better after 4 hours of slow oxegenation.
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Pale garnet with some light bricking at the rim. Lovely complex nose with red petals, cedar, spice and a hint of ginger. Light and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweet red fruits and more floral notes. Long, fresh and very elegant. Excellent.
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DC Crew's Gem Tasting - 3rd Annual (Palena - Washington, DC): I tasted this wine in 2010, and I liked it even more this time. Aromas of sour cherry, but also some seaweed and cheese rind. The palate was soft and silky, with fresh cherry fruit. It still had this tomato paste and celery seed flavor, along with sour cherries and hemp. It's a funky wine, and it's really fun to have a glass of. But it is kind of abrasive, so share it with friends. Still, in my book, this gets serious crazy points.
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Light red. Dominated by dry, green wood on both the nose and palate. With air, it did become a little sweeter and less harsh, but it never achieved the balance of truly great Lopez de Heredia wines. When I drank my first bottle 2 years ago, I wondered if this would ever reach the heights of the 1981 Bosconia. Now that I have tasted these 2 vintages at similar ages, sadly, I think the answer is no. This just doesn't have the beautiful delicate fruit of the older wine that was able to balance the oak. Drink up before the wood completely overtakes what is left of the wine.
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Secondary. Spices and light menthol on the nose with some hints of tertiary character. Red fruit with verve to spare on the flawlessly integrated palate.
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Jan '12 edition (Montclair, NJ): Like the Tondonia, this looks much older than its 21 years but is drinking incredibly well. With air there's an amazing, compelling fragrance that's sweeter and more floral than the Tondonia, showing the same mature earthy, leathery and high toned red fruited flavours but accented with sweet baking spices and floral elements. The palate presence here is pure silk with all the flavours and structural elements coming together into a seamless whole that just resonates in the mouth. Incredible wine.
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This was really impressive, expansive but delicate. Good acidity and still has plenty life. Drinking this in an experience, similar to drinking a great Burgundy.
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This is bricking a bunch and kind of mellow. Pretty aromas of spice and dried roses. Elegant, textured and pretty. This blt seems fully mature to me but should hold for a while too.
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My first experience with a Rioja with a bit of age. The wine was gorgeous, very pure. Impeccable balance. great texture. Very Burgundian. Has another 20 years of life--I think it will be at it's peak in 10.
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Deep ruby red. Lots of stinky cheese, earth sous bois, dark/stemmy fruit. The stink blew off to show great primary fruit - strawberry and red fruit. Young on the palate with cherry, bright red fruit - strawberry, earth, mineral and stone. Bright acid. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 13/20.
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Good bottle and good wax seal. Similar to the Tondonia 1991 the wine has no vibrancy left and feels thin. nothing more to say unfort and judging from the comments below it feels liek we got a bad batch of bottles.
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Beautiful wine - I loved this but the wife thought it was too "delicate." Poor notes - apricots / sous bois, dried fruits on nose & palate. Silky mouthfeel and very long finish. Went well with a grilled filet. Beautiful aromatics. Will buy more and see how this evolves in the cellar. Tons of complexity for the price. Very old world. 93+ rating - I preferred the 1991 tondonia Gran Reserva to this wine but they are both excellent.
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Similar to the last showing--just a beautiful, young bottle of Rioja. Soaring aromatics of sweet cherries and earth introduce a medium-bodied palate of red fruits and minerals. And the texture is marvelous. This is still a baby, though, and does not yet exhibit the complexity and quicksand depth that I've witnessed from older LdH examples. Nor does it have the seductive non-fruit flavors that it should develop with time--as the '81 has started to do.
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Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano Mushroomy, leathery, slightly sweaty nose. Chave like. Well developed. Secondary development well underway. Rounded. Nice core of fruit to this. Really good wine. Excellent.
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Complex aromas of smoke, green leaves and meat all melding together. Strong acids backing up the somewhat tight fruit. Very precise and good. Should get better.
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Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: Not sure if the bottle was properly kept so will not rate. of the 4 we bought one was maderized so far. Will reserve comments for next try
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Very aromatic right out of the gate, more than usual for a Bosconia, but it quiets down pretty quickly. This has Bosconia's usual flawless texture, but it's very young and doesn't have the evocative flavors that more bottle age ought to bring. Instead it just shows soft reddish fruit with some youthful juiciness, probably suspended somewhere between the typical showing of a Reserva and a Gran Reserva, which means it's probably smarter to drink the former while holding on to this for a while.
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Tempranillo tasting (Weygandt Wines, DC): More clear and less barnyard driven than the Tondonia Gran Reserva. A bit more plush at first, but when the wine settles, it is a touch hollow on the nose. With swirling there is a vegetal quality that emerges (some beet root and tomato vine). With more air, there is some beautiful kirsch that is reticent to emerge. On the palate, there is a nice cherry element but it doesn't seem to ever put the pieces together. A wine with plenty of great facets but can't seem to quite work in harmony.
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Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): ruby red, orangey color. nose shows tomato paste, caramel and celery seed. the celery seed is very distinct. funky, a bit odd on the palate. chalk, tomatoes, baked red apples. a bit tough to drink, but definitely unique. again, one of those wines that's a fun experience, although i don't know how much of this i could actually drink.
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Tasted non-blind during the World Cup final. Smooth, burgundian style of tempranillo with red cherry notes in the forefront followed by a smooth finish of leather and mocha.
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Beautiful wine, epitomizing the unique brilliance of Lopez de Heredia. Still very young and, of course, very vibrant at nearly 20 years of age, this wine is intensely fragrant--with savory cherries and tobacco leaves--and has a lovely texture on the palate. To use over-used descriptors that are nonetheless apt, this wine seduces you with its lacy texture and beguiling fruit. This is like bizarro Burgundy, with all of the virtues of great Cote de Nuits Pinot--the ruby color, sexy nose, medium body, piercing fruit, complexity, earth--but a different flavor profile. This does not yet possess the depth and tertiary notes that it will likely develop, but it is in a great middle stage that showcases bright fruits but also a bit of age-earned complexity. This charming Bosconia will reach greater heights once it develops the non-fruit character that older LdH develops.
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Pretty fresh stuff with stewed winter melon tea, lively ripe creamy strawberry bouquet. Stewed has flakes with just a touch of beef blood (just a drop) with a bit of florals. This is like a multi blend of aged burgundies. Very refined in poise. Dead ringer for a burg.
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Yikes, what happened here? Nothing like I expected, feeling surprisingly old and dried out with a raisined character to the red fruited flavours, nuances of leather and faintly sherried and balsamic notes in the background. The volatile acidity takes over with time as this feels increasingly shrill and hard to drink.
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Spaniards meeting at Irit (participants of the June 2009 wine-trip to Ribera & Rioja) (at Irit): Light & mature red color, delicate old-Riojan style aromas of spice, dried fruit and dried rose that takes us back 9 months to the views of the winery. Seems to be at optimal drinking-window (that may last very long). Very elegant, medium-bodied, balanced & tannic comme il faut, with flavors of dried berry, tea, vanilla and spice. An enjoyment for old-Riojan traditional-style lovers with its distinctive character.
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Showing savory, soy sauce-like notes on the nose, as well as more power than the Tondonia GR from 91, A very solid and balanced wine, if not quite as exquisite in its fruit as the previous wine. Very vibrant and alive for its age. (Did not score at the time)
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Limpid, clear, light red. Redolent of rose petals at first, then as it opened, anise, mint, espresso, and finally, some black cherry fruit. It took almost 2 hours for any fruit to show. Dry with some obvious wood and strong acidity, light, it did gain weight with time in the decanter and showed the coffee/chocolate notes that are previewed in the nose. May benefit from more time in the bottle, but I must say that I don't find it as ethereal or lovely as the '81-will this ever have the subtle, sweet fruit of that wine? Whereas old Lopez de Heredia can be a dead ringer for Burgundy, something about this was more evocative of Barolo.
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Vivid wines at Don's. (Don's): Hmm seems like a typically maddening LdH showing. A bottle I tried last year was stellar. It had tons of fruit with plenty to back it up and a great character. This bottle is muted with much higher acidity and much less fruit than the last one. Tart red fruit, worn wood, tea, spice and citrus. Which is the right wine? Guess I’ll need to try another one for a tie breaker. A disappointing B. Fwiw, the one I had a year ago I rated an A/A-.
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Light bricky garnet. Aromatic nose with asian five spice, polished cedar wood and light oxidative notes. Elegant and stylish on the palate with fragrant red flowers and sweet cherry fruit. Lovely.
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moderate fruit (red berries), moderate tanning, good acidity and integration, the finish doesn't stop. Excllent pairing with rich fish, meats up to lamb, and any Burgundian fare. I've been told by reputable sources that will last 50 years. I don't see it but I'm going to put one in the back and find out
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The nose has sweetish red fruit with lots and lots of volatility. It actually feels very Burgundian. Lovely palate with lots of acidity. This is the sort of wine that Musar aspires to be. Very light and clean in the mouth, with tannins coming along after.
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3/8/2024 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 94 Points
Quite difficult wine to read. There's some red fruit and a hint of cellar must on the nose, followed by spices, pepper, and forest notes. Good acidity with brighter fruit notes, strawberries, cherries, underwood, and leather on the nose. It felt a lot fresher than the 1991 Tondonia Reserva next to it. Long finish. Very intriguing and lovely wine, although it requires attention and focus.
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2/21/2024 - rocknroller wrote: 95 Points
Porzana (Porzana, Mpls): Medium dark red color with subtle bricking to a 1mm clear margin. PNP, drank a glass plus over an 2 hours. It's been almost 2 years sonce last having this. This bottle is a wow, showing great. The nose display a perfume of dried flowers, pencil, wonderful wood spices, dried forest floor, pine needles, and dried dill weed. The palate is classic, medium plus bodied, Burgundian, earth, leather, pencil, pretty red fruits abound, shellac, lacquer, black raspberry syrup, very long and soft. I loved it. It did fade some after an hour showing more dill and weediness. 95+ to 96pts.
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11/27/2022 - CADomer Likes this wine: 95 Points
It has been 4 years since my last bottle and this wine is still just as beautiful as it was then. Elegant, pure and so fresh. Blueberries, spice, and black licorice. Watching this wine open up over an evening is something special.
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4/14/2022 - I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine Likes this wine: 96 Points
Guys Night - Anything Goes Blind!: PnP - Served double blind (except for the owner). This wine could immediately be identified as old world, and with some age. It had a very nice blend of fruit and tertiary flavors, and so much going on. It constantly evolved in the glass as the night wore on. I can't imagine this wine drinking any better for my palate! Mostly red fruit with hints of black fruit showing through periodically. Tertiary flavors included earth, mushroom, unagi and dried leather, with hints of dried flowers. The nose was perfumed and dusty at the same time. The tannins were smooth and polished with just enough acidity to keep the fruit alive and well. I would not have guessed this Spanish originally because the oak was so well integrated. A pleasure to drink! 96+ for me and WOTN, among some stiff competition!
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4/14/2022 - galewskj wrote: 96 Points
Guys night - Anything goes: I lost my notes, but this was fantastic. The color looks like pinot noir. There are secondary flavors all over the place.
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4/14/2022 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Guy's Night: Anything Goes Double Blind (Jason P's, St. Paul, MN): Light medium bricked ruby color with 15mm transitional to clear, bricked margin. PNP, drank a couple glasses over 3 hours. My wine, double blind for everyone else. A great showing for my last bottle of this gem. When you figure out where it's from, what else can it be than Lopez. This is a mature, harmonious wine of nuance and complexity offering a stunning nose of leather, dried cherry, forest floor, anise, hydrocarbons, rose hips, beef blood, and red berries. The palate is equally sublime, light medium bodied, really featherweight, so elegant and integrated; offering cherry, leather, beef blood and loads of umami, tobacco, rose petals, dried strawberry, lacquer, dried earth, and it's so soft and very long on the finish. What a joy. My and group WOTN. 96+pts.
Medium ruby red core with a transitionally bricked 1.5cm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over over 2 hours. Simply stunning - I love this wine. My word, I'm so glad to taste this again after being tantalized the other night with a tiny pour. Another wine that builds and evolves for nicely over two hours. Splendid from the start but unfolding layers of nuance over 2 hours and even as I reluctantly took the last sip. Gorgeous complex nose that has pretty red fruits of cherry and raspberry, dried earth, hints of soy and fresh cut dill, dried earth, and then the perfume of dried roses hits you. The palate is the equal of the nose with that same elegance and finesse, leather, purity of cherry and red berry fruit, earth, and 90 second finish. Fantastic and it still feels so fresh and youthful - this can go for years. 96+pts. (
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3/16/2022 - DaleW wrote:
Herbal, long,. Young. Red cherries and raspberries, smoke, needs time. B+ with A potential.
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11/27/2021 - goska wrote: 94 Points
Rockstar wine. Starts out dusty with cellar aromas, but settles into a pure beauty of red berries, lovely minerality, cool cool fruit and freshness.
Stunning quality for a 30 year old wine.
Struck by its freshness, coolness and linear transparency.
It is almost weightless in its balance, but still has the body and power of purity, minerality and a gorgeous backbone of fresh acidity. A beauty.
Also my last bottle.
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5/4/2021 - I1bearup Likes this wine: 90 Points
A bit tired but still so enjoyable.
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4/19/2021 - Rechrom wrote: 94 Points
Followed advise of others and did not decant and there was no sediment to be found so worked well. Tight at first, opened up with time. Best about 1-2 hours in. Perhaps pour a glass off an hour before drinking. Light, savory, lovely tertiary flavors with some red fruit and leather notes. Time left.
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3/24/2021 - minndavid60 Likes this wine: 96 Points
At Spoon and Stable in North Loop Minneapolis with Siggy and Candie. My gang has drank a number of these over the years owned by several of us, and they’ve ranged from A+ (“this is freaking amazing”) to B (“it’s good but not as great as the one we had at...). This one earned a solid “A”. The classic Lopez notes of red fruits, minerals and sous bois. Classy and elegant from the first sip to the last at 30 years old. I have one left and it would an awesome science experiment to check in on it at age 40, although I doubt that will happen. Just a delight with Gavin’s duck and his pot roast.
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7/15/2020 - acidqueen wrote: 93 Points
This has really improved since 6 years ago. More depth and body. Similar flavors of orange peel, vanilla, red fruit and light tobacco. I decanted this for an hour, which was required. This has years of life ahead and I will keep my last few bottles for awhile. Drank this from Burgundy style glasses and glad for it.
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2/11/2020 - short and confused wrote: 95 Points
Last bottle. Gorgeous stuff. Fading red with bricking. Lovely nose of dried fruit, oranges, roses and gingerbread. Candied red fruit in the mouth but not without delicacy and good acidity. So good for the money.
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10/10/2019 - Tgood wrote: 89 Points
Faithfully cellared since release/purchase. Pretty light clear ruby appearance w nice aromas of red stuff (cranberry rhubarb end of spectrum) and woodsy herbal floral notes - thin on palate; fleshless really - seeking improved palate presence I decanted this older wine against maxim arguing otherwise. After 30 mins or so the nose took on some caramel notes but alas the palate remained frightfully fleshless.
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9/9/2019 - short and confused wrote: flawed
Corked. Uggh.
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8/8/2019 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
Delightful but I made the mistake of decanting, which shortened the window of enjoyment. Won't decant in the future as Lopez de Heredia Gran Reservas of this age don't seem to have any sediment and can be fragile.
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6/15/2019 - SteveG wrote: 94 Points
From memory, released in USA in 2012, darker and redder, and I think more fruity and less earthy than the Tondonia, this is everything I love in a red wine, intense yet light, contemplative and refreshing, sip or gulp, a regal wine of no determinate age.
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4/30/2019 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is a lovely aged bottle of Rioja from one of the classic producers. The nose is super complex and quite lovely. Red currant, dried cherry, leather, plowed earth, violet, orange peel, dried thyme, and just a hint of VA. The palate is elegant and delicious with still very fresh acidity and tannins that arrive late to provide finishing structure. Finishes quite nicely. Very good and should continue to hold nicely for some time.
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3/28/2019 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
WTDS at Spoon (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour plus. Checked this with the Coravin before heading back to work at lunch and all was well. On pouring this had a wonky note that seemed a bit off to me. Lopez can have some pretty different aromatics, so I didn't say anything at first. It seemed to swirl away on the nose though I still had kind of a moldy basement thing on the palate too. Most didn't think that it was corked, but I have to wonder if it was lightly so. All that being said, after a good half hour the nose just blew up and was intensely aromatic with the classic mix of red fruits, lacquer, leather, dried cherry, potpourri and spices that I've come to expect from this. The palate too seemed brighter, very Burgundian, dried roses, lacquer, dried cherry and wood.
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10/12/2018 - CADomer Likes this wine: 94 Points
Love these wines. At 27 years old this was youthful and dense. Showed a darkness and savory quality that I wasn't expecting. But dark round fruit was there and wrapped in Asian spices. Oak was fully integrated and not detected.
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10/5/2018 - portman63 Likes this wine: 93 Points
In the ruby brick color palate, but shows so much delicacy with leather and red cherry on the palate. Has a good medium body and lots of acidity which works great with Spanish ham and sausage dishes, and finishes so light yet long. This was an above average GR of the Bosconia as I usually prefer Tondonia's slightly bigger mid-palate with the same long clean finish.
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8/13/2018 - dbkitc wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful brick / ruby. Soaring nose of red fruits and tobacco. The oak marries beautifully with the fruit to present a complete and mature wine that is at peek yet will continue to drink well for years. This is glorious. (94)
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8/2/2018 - minndavid60 wrote: 92 Points
Same bottle as rocknroller and I'm in full agreement with his notes. This was certainly drinkable and enjoyable but it didn't touch my soul like several of these have in the recent past. The nose on several of those bottles was absolutely ethereal, with the palate to match. Tonight's bottle would have struck me more if I wasn't aware of how other bottles have shown in just the past 2-3 years. I still have 2 bottles of these left. I don't think they have to be popped immediately but will probably finish them within the next 3 years and hope they are closer to the 97 point wines we've had before.
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8/2/2018 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
SpRhones at Borough (Borough, Mpls, MN): Medium translucent brick red color. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. Hi toned on the nose and palate, lacquer, dried cherry, damp earth, a little thin in the middle, wood, and a fair amount of alcohol on the finish. This was one of those bottles of the '91 that didn't rock me. It didn't have the great perfume that some have had, and it felt a little tired with fruit slipping and the wood and alcohol showing through more than ideally.
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12/12/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 97 Points
Tonight with Nita's paella. PnP in a Riedel Burg glass about 30 minute prior to dinner. Youthfully bright translucent red with just a hint of bricking on the very very outer edges. The color is more like that of a ten year old, traditionally styled, red than a 26yr old wine. Wow, this is truly "alluring" gorgeous Rioja! Orange peel, leather, spice and red fruit on the nose. On the palate this is precise and exquisitely defined with layers of; red fruit, earth, underbrush, dried roses, saddle leather and mineral. Haunting complexity and purity. Elegant and refined tannins. A truly beautiful wine that would stand tall in any line up of aged greats from Burgundy while still unmistakably Rioja from Lopez Heredia. Can't tell you how much I loved this wine tonight and wish I had more! This was the last of few I've owned. There is some btl variation though. Thankfully, my last btl; was as good as any I can remember. Tonight's blt was utterly pristine with just the lightest amount of sediment imaginable, in light suspension. Absolutely no crud in the bottom of the btl or sides from laying down. Assume the fact that these may not get immediately bottled has some impact on the lack of sediment? An honest 12.5% Alc. Drinking fantastic right now but I could see the possibility for further positive evolution. This will surely last another decade plus.
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9/22/2017 - minndavid60 Likes this wine: 96 Points
Consistent with the last few bottles. Ultra pretty and elegant, with flavors and aromas of tart red fruits, minerals and cigar box. A fairly long, saline-like finish. Vacuu-vinned and finished the next night. While not quite as showy, it still was lovely and gives me hope that these have perhaps a good 10 years of life left. Just an outstanding producer and always a joy to drink their wines.
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9/12/2017 - Rieslingfan wrote:
Light ruby color with notable tawny edges signals the maturity of the wine. It starts out with a floral, cherry, leathery aromatic that is fresher than the color would suggest, and more forward than the taste which is a bit thin and closed in. A little bit of air solves that as the fruit returns to the palate, along with the complimentary elements of leather, spice and old cedar. A half hour more brings a fully knit together wine of silken texture and complexity. It's not a world beating Bosconia, but given some time it's a lovely drink that would be better served with more delicate food than we threw at it.
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6/16/2017 - Lype Likes this wine: 90 Points
Fairly attractive but a bit thin, the vintage probably comes through. Still likeable, Heredia's Burgundy style wine.
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1/22/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 93 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (The Kenwood, Mpls, MN): Medium red color. Drank 1 glass over an hour plus. This started off slow and gradually shed its shyness and showed fairly well what it wants to be. Pretty dried earth notes, red fruits, tangy, energetic red berries on the palate, light dill, medium body, balanced and integrating. A very good bottle that needed the air to come out and play. We drank this next to the '91 Tondonia Gran Reserva Blanco that i brought in what was a nice ode to the vintage. Boy, if you had a couple of these that were both showing at their best, you'd just be in heaven.
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1/22/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
I enjoyed a small pour of this tonight and found it to be more ethereal than another recent btl. Tonight it contrast nicely in a line up of more modern styled Rioja & Riberas. Light as a feather, fading fruit, terrific minerality and nuanced. I loved the small pour I got! Yes, I've had better btls this one but, this reserved and quietly elegant wine was a welcome diversion from the predominately somewhat higher octane & youthful wines we had with us.
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12/26/2016 - Tony Molester wrote:
Perfect cork, no seepage. Popped and poured, tasted over 2h.
Another LdH GR from the 90s that has left me a bit cold. Dunno what is happening. Seemed thin and lacking charm and finesse. Palate was thin and acidic, and the wine remained flat and boring during the 2h it was on the table Everyone loves wine so it was eventually polished off, but the table preferred unanimously the 87 Tondonia GR. I'm not convinced this was ever substantially different when younger. Meh.
Drink up.
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12/10/2016 - T.E.D. wrote: 92 Points
Another perfect bottle. Dried herb, orange peel, stewed fruit and rustic cherry. Still powerful and alive.
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11/23/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 90 Points
I did not decant prior to drinking. I stood up for 8 hours to let sediment flow to bottom and opened upon arrival at venue. We started drinking this about an hour after arrival. I poured in a Reidel Burg glass. Some thought this was past its prime. I still enjoyed the weight and faded autumnal nature of this wine more than the other reds tonight. That said, far from outstanding like the June btl that may have seen a quick decant. I followed this over the evening but it never took flight. The btl and cork were in very good condition near as I could tell and was sourced from the same local distributor as the June btl? There were better overall blts tonight but I wasn't into thier richer more BDX like profiles. One of the other blts, a '94 Cunve might have merited a 93pts score as it was in very nice condition but with a richer, riper, bigger profile.
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11/22/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Spanish at Costa Blanca (Costa Blanca, Mpls, MN): Very dark red color., no bricking. Drank 1 glass over 2+ hours. Same bottle as Chablis28. This was interesting, and I largely agree with Chablis28's take. We've had this wine a number of times now with varying results. It has always been good, but sometimes it has been great. I don't favor the opinion that it was OTH or tired. Simply bottle variation? Less advanced? Fake? Who knows, but it was reclusive and not showing the perfume of secondary and tertiary characteristics we've come to expect. If anything, this bottle was young and not really ready. Typical bottles in the past required no decanting. This didn't change drastically over the 2+ hours, but it did get somewhat better. The nose did show some leather, spice, smoke, red fruits. The palate was similar and the oak was more prominent and less integrated than previous bottles. Still good, just an enigma. There's more bottles to come, and I'm hopeful we will see that great bottle again. 90+ to 91pts.
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9/25/2016 - Enfantterrible wrote: 93 Points
Simply excellent. Opened about 2 hours before first pour. Evolved beautifully over the course of the evening.
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8/3/2016 - T.E.D. wrote: 91 Points
Tough towrite a full report. Consumed at the Casa Mono in New York City. Classic representation of Rioja, saddle, orange peel, dried cherry, dried earth. Perfectly aged a perfect representation.
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7/4/2016 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning wine. Perfectly aged old school Spanish Rioja. Tons of nuance and secondary notes. Light-ish red color. Complex nose with black fruits and spice. While 25 years old this still offers a ton of flavor and a solid finish that is quite appealing. 95 pts tonight.
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6/29/2016 - minndavid60 Likes this wine: 97 Points
At Spoon and Stable in North Loop Minneapolis with rocknroller, chablis28 and 4 other friends. I won't add much to their respective reviews other than to say it was a relief to pull the cork at home before walking over to the restaurant to find a lovely herbaceouness on the initial nose. The last bottle I had popped last summer at chablis28's birthday celebration was mildly corked. But this bottle was total bliss and an outstanding pairing with S&S's seared duck breast.
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6/29/2016 - chablis28 wrote: 98 Points
When these Lopez Heredia are on, you want to go out the next day and horde every btl you can find. This was the most ethereal, elegant finessed wine tonight! Crystalline and superb. Nothing weird or funky which you do run across with these. There is btl variation but this one was as good as I've ever drank and near perfection. Dried red fruit, delicate soil minerally tones, shrooms. Light as a feather but fantastic concentration and intensity. My WOTN by a small margin over the two Vosnes. Beautiful translucent brilliant ambered crimson color.
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6/29/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
1991 & Everything Else (Spoon & Stable, Mpls, MN): Medium ruby red core with a transitionally bricked 1.5cm margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over over 2 hours. Simply stunning - I love this wine. My word, I'm so glad to taste this again after being tantalized the other night with a tiny pour. Another wine that builds and evolves for nicely over two hours. Splendid from the start but unfolding layers of nuance over 2 hours and even as I reluctantly took the last sip. Gorgeous complex nose that has pretty red fruits of cherry and raspberry, dried earth, hints of soy and fresh cut dill, dried earth, and then the perfume of dried roses hits you. The palate is the equal of the nose with that same elegance and finesse, leather, purity of cherry and red berry fruit, earth, and 90 second finish. Fantastic and it still feels so fresh and youthful - this can go for years. 96+pts.
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6/25/2016 - rocknroller wrote: 94 Points
Sunfish Cellar High End Tasting (Sunfish Cellars, St. Paul, MN): Tasting pour x2. Right there with the best of the night. Really a nice bottle, bright medium ruby red color, cherry, earthy, quite fresh, balanced, memorable.
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4/9/2016 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light red color. Aromas of strawberries, sour cherry and wood spices. Ripe, medium-bodied high acid fruit in the mouth with excellent depth and length and well-integrated tannins. Very lithe and suave on the palate. Still very fresh and lively after 25 years. An excellent, mature old-style Rioja and a great match with pork tenderloin.
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3/27/2016 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Pale, browning, and there's a marked earthy streak, fine strawberry fruit, high acidity - attractive old school rioja
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2/5/2016 - diggydan wrote: 92 Points
What a nose! Beautiful and elusive scents of soft red fruits and leather. The body is elegant, lithe, and feminine. The palate is acid driven with softened tannins - more fruit would improve this to the level of a stupendous wine.
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1/16/2016 - aChave Likes this wine: 95 Points
Very special. Fragrant aromas of flowers, field berries (a mix of strawberry and cherry). Beautifully rounded medium-light body with acidity on the finish. Seems young, but obviously not. Has length and components to age further. Very complex; long finish. Very fine on its own or with lighter foods (fowl would be best).
Attractive on opening, but better after decanting for 45 minutes. Sublime after 90 minutes.
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1/3/2016 - rlove wrote: 93 Points
Garnet. Initial funky notes dissipate and then with time in a decanter the now-expressive nose reveals stewed strawberry, sweet cherry, old leather, and cedar. On the palate, youthful cherry dominates, with nice sweetness, and leathery, earthy accents. The finish shows just a hint of American oak, particularly dill. Such complexity! This is an elegant, aged, old-school Rioja that will likely drink well for another decade.
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10/5/2015 - WillersC wrote: 94 Points
Really lovely wine. Dusty bookshelf, red fruits and warm leather on the nose. Medium body and perfumed on the palate. Delicious!
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8/13/2015 - rocknroller wrote: flawed
The Godfather Turns Sixty: Go Big or Go Home - Rousseau, Margaux, Lynch, a Trio '02 Champagnes and More! (La Belle Vie, Mpls): Sad; corked, hints of what lurked.
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7/13/2015 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Now this was just darn delicious. Seems to have put on weight this time. Can go longer.
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5/17/2015 - drwine2001 wrote:
Even garnet throughout. Some mustiness blew off; afterwards, gentle aromas of faded strawberry and herb. Light weight. Light red fruit, a twist of blood orange (as in some red Burgundy), and balsam wood. Gradually fading finish. Prototypical Lopez de Heredia subtlety and class, but this is missing the uncanny fruit that the greatest examples can seduce with even at this stage. A great pleasure but not as life altering as some other vintages (e.g., 1981) have been.
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3/29/2015 - loegaute wrote: 91 Points
Blåbær, blå plommer, svisker, røyk, våt asfalt, sedertre og lær. Konsentrert, ganske tight frukt og høy friskhet. Pent hint av sødme. Vokser fint utover i smakskurven, med veldig elegant struktur og et godt grep i avslutningen. Litt streng. Flott lengde. Denne har fremdeles mye å gå på. 91p.
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3/26/2015 - goska wrote: 94 Points
Couldn't agree more with ellenkf. What a wine! Intriguing nose of sweet cherry, some white pepper and tanned leather, red berries, some dust, but less than before.
Amazingly complex, that mesh of flavors. So clean. Discreet sourness, stand-up acidity, bright, lively fruit. Just fresh and light, yet powerful enough to match flavorful food, like lamb with garlic potato gratin.
Love.
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12/14/2014 - Ellenkf Likes this wine: 94 Points
One of the great bottles of wine I've ever tasted. 21 years old and vibrant, exciting, youthful still. Cherry juice colored, no sediment to be found. Aromas for days- sweet cherries, leather, some spice, butterscotch? Complexity in flavors mesh with the aromas described above combined with some sour fruit notes and fresh acidity. Time in the glass opened the wine up even more, yet it retained it's verve. Long finish on a soft palate is so interesting, beguiling. Can't say enough about this wine.
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11/16/2014 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
Moments of showing its greatness interspersed with heavy doses of anise or tar. When on it was deep , minerally and alluring.
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10/17/2014 - Libiamo! Likes this wine: 93 Points
It is gratifying to see someone out there is still taking his/her time to make wine the old fashioned way: eight years in barrel and eight more years ageing in bottle! And what a wine. The colour could have fooled me: medium ruby core that goes almost all the way to the rim, very little bricking. Youthful. The nose shows a lot of high toned red fruit, dried strawberry, baking spice, notes of caramel. Sweet American oak well integrated. Medium plus acidity, silky tannins. Very long finish with more spice at the end. I have the feeling it can still benefit from bottle ageing although it's drinking very well now.
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9/21/2014 - jnewman77 Likes this wine:
This is outstanding classic Rioja. Pale garnet in color with a nose of red berry fruits, tobacco, mushroom, dried cranberry, dusty earth, with hints of vanilla. The palate is fresh and bright with medium body and lots of fruit. There is still structure but everything is integrated and balanced. This has years of great drinking ahead but is showing mature now. Fantastic example of what Rioja is capable of.
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9/6/2014 - jkuanl Likes this wine:
Clearly still young, mainly showing dark fruits, oak influence, and a hint of earth. Tannins and acids are prominent currently, though this did not interfere with the enjoyment of the wine. Very good but far away from peak.
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8/29/2014 - acidqueen wrote: 91 Points
Medium red. No brown. Still young. Light weight, cedar, tobacco, cherry, prunes. Perhaps a touch sharp on the finish. But needs more time.
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8/16/2014 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
First time I tasted this. Light and transparent color. Delicate and tart. More elegant and less influenced by oak than the Tondonia. Intense and concentrated.
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5/13/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 93 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/10/vina-bosconia-1991-gran-reserva.html
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De color rubí rojizo de capa media, brillante, limpio. Reflejos cobrizos y anaranjados, muy claro. Borde estrecho, atejado, sin apenas diferencias con el menisco.
Puro placer el abrir esta botella. Abierto, fragante, potente, lleno de aromas de fruta roja perfumada, reducida, ligeramente licorosa (endrinas, guindas, membrillo), pétalos, marchitos y un tostado de enorme calidad. Quizás aún no haya comenzado a desarrollarse en plenitud y su bouquet esté algo constreñido, sobre todo comparado con el grandísimo Bosconia GR 1981, pero se le augura una larga crianza y enormes expectativas. Van apareciendo notas especiadas, duelas evinadas, granos de café, un toque de brea y un recuerdo balsámico muy fino, a mondadura de cítricos.
En boca menos expresivo pero con una trama firme y estructura a prueba de seísmos. Gran acidez que contrasta con la ligereza general. Fresco, pulido, maduro, con taninos presentes, especiados muy intensos y un apunte de fruta roja reducida. Necesitado de mucha botella para que dé el máximo de sí mismo. Éste va para grande, si tenemos paciencia y le damos un porrón de años de guarda.
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80% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% mazuelo y graciano - 12.5% vol.
Permanece durante 6 meses en depósitos de madera donde acabar de realizar la fermentación maloláctica. Criado durante 9 años en viejas barricas de roble americano de 225 litros elaboradas por los toneleros de la misma bodega. El vino es sometido a 2 trasiegas manuales cada año. Clarificado con claras de huevo frescas. Embotellado directamente de la barrica, sin filtrar. Lacrado especial para favorecer su mejor evolución en botella y preservarlo de contaminaciones. Producción limitada a 5.000 botellas de 75 cl. Descansa un mínimo de 44 meses en botellero antes de ser comercializado.
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5/6/2014 - Ali wrote: flawed
mild tca. tasted dirty
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5/1/2014 - galewskj wrote: 87 Points
I think I got my pour on the tail end of this bottle, as ROCKNROLLERs note echos my own. Really old school, intellectually interesting but not very enjoyable. Too much brett. At a tasting full of youngsters, this wine tasted over the hill.
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4/27/2014 - rocknroller wrote: 92 Points
Monthly Tasting Group: Spain (Solera, Mpls, MN): Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 2 hours. I definitely liked this more than chablis28 and I think others did too that were in proximity. I thought it was quite pretty and refined. The nose has lots of earth, red fruit, and florals tied in a nicely perfumed bow. The palate also offers plenty of earth and minerality, cherry, medium body, still fresh, fairly fine grained tannins and a medium plus finish. I do think the palate faded somewhat in the glass after an hour and was a bit thinner and more woody then. 92pts at peak.
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4/27/2014 - chablis28 wrote: 88 Points
2 years later and this wine impresses me less than last time? It even tasted like it was a tad old to me last night lacking freshness on the nose and palate both. Others seemed to enjoy it? Maybe it needs more time? I don't know but, I won't be going back for more. I'll stick to Lopez Herdia's reservas which I adore at 1/3 of the price.
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2/8/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 91 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): And again even more primary with a floral edge to it. Also on the nose: red currants, red cherries, strawberry, and a good dose of American oak. For me this was another wine that I was not crazy about, but it was pleasant nonetheless. Even more firm tannic structure on this shows promise for future development. Could use some more age.
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2/8/2014 - Dave Canada wrote: 90 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): This was so primary.....cherry notes and funk with spice, herbs and leather
The palate is quite mineral driven with flowers, funk, dark cherry and nutmeg. This needs more time....lots more.
The finish is medium and primary.
Give this another 10 years minimum.
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2/8/2014 - alittle wrote: 91 Points
Year 2; Tasting 2 of 5; Andrew does Rioja (1954-1994) (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Popped and poured, followed approximately 2 hours. Garnet in the glass, no brick noted. On the nose, waxy red cherry, cranberry, baking spice, fresh picked herbs, cedar, coriander, earth, and a touch of leather. On the palate, has a sense of elegance, but still needs some time to come together. Medium plus acidity, moderate tannin, finishing a touch short and dry at this juncture, with tastes of cranberry, sour cherry, earth and a bit of spice. If you are thinking of opening this wine, do yourself a favour and tuck it back in the cellar and don't look at it for at least another 5 years.
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9/7/2013 - BillBell73 wrote: 94 Points
Not giving up much aroma after a three hour decant, but the palate is broad and umami -laden with dried fruits, leather, mushrooms. Beautiful, subtle and perfectly balanced.
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9/4/2013 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Not decanting here and given the wine feels delicate we would suggest avoiding a long aeration time.
Ah! a good bottle from a messy 12-pack ( 6x6 with 1991 Tondonia). The burgundian style bottle actually suits the character of this wine which is more delicate and harmonious than its Sister the Tondonia from across the river. Quite earthy, with still a good amount of red fruit, well round and silky tannin. Lacks a touch of vitality after a bit of time in the glass ( another reason to avoid decanting). Still very good old school Rioja with none of the overdone features that the new styles. 90-91
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8/31/2013 - Enfantterrible wrote: 93 Points
Gorgeous bottle. More fruit than the previous bottle, with all the other "stuff" that goes well beyond my already limited wine vocab. The texture is airy and silky. Unique to my experience is a refreshing sourness, which sounds odd but works marvelously here
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7/27/2013 - VinoPKM wrote: 91 Points
Scoring based on the final taste after 7+ hours of air. Upon opening this was very closed off and just plan bad. I checked it after 2 hours of air and it starting showing a little better. At 4 hours it was acceptable and from 6 hours + it was starting to sing but the bottle was running out of wine. :( This wine has so much more life left and is not ready to drink yet. If you are not giving this wine 4+ hours of air you are doing yourself and the wine a disservice. This is a filet and lobster dinner wine- red fruits, cedar and baking spices. Wow this wine can and will be good.
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6/30/2013 - brigcampbell wrote:
Playground Fun (Playground - Santa Ana, CA): Wine is always better with a good story and this bottle had it. Patrick bought this from the winery on his visit to Spain and brought it back. Nice when you can buy direct on older vintage, no question about provenance.
This needs lots of air time to open up. There was some trepidation it might be gone after opening but slowly and gracefully it began to peal back the layers. Very light color, almost thin looking. Tannins were fully integrated and it led to a light mouthfeel mid palate. The fruit as muted but still showing well. Nice treat.
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6/27/2013 - BradKNYC wrote: flawed
Corked, unfortunately. I had a bottle of this with John Gilman on release when he was working on a LdH article and it was stellar. Unfortunately, the four bottles I've now had since have not performed well at all.
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5/6/2013 - kstoddard wrote: 89 Points
G6 (Dale): Pale brick color. Red fruit with some cinnamon notes. Soft finish. At the end of its life.
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3/5/2013 - cooberp wrote: 87 Points
Starts very volatile and varnish-smelling. After 40 minutes of air, calms down a bit and the nose turns to heavy spiced spirits, similar to the smell of gin. Signature Rioja cherry brandy flavor and quite high acidity, making it rather sour-tasting. Light-bodied. I want to like this but can't.
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1/26/2013 - goska wrote: 93 Points
Even better than my last bottle. Fresher, younger. Very nice wine, lovely fruit, just great balance. Elegant, long and beautiful. 93+
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1/13/2013 - jasonh wrote:
EWG @ Ración: Kept changing in the glass. Hard to get a grip on. I really liked it times. At first it did seem pretty muted. I would say it still needs time.
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1/13/2013 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Racion: Deeper colored, tart ripe red berry fruit melange; soft warm leather and potting soil; still grippy with fines tannins but elegant nonetheless. Just a baby--this will get very fine in 10 years +. Scored moderately b/c my palate was spoiled from the '76 and '85 we drank previously. 91-93+ (in 10 years).
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1/13/2013 - gregg g wrote:
Very tight and closed. Some musty notes give the impression of TCA, but this never really manifests. By the end of the night this is showing a bit more expressive with cherry notes and oak.
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12/9/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hours, but really only fully opened at about 4 hours (most of my notes are at the 2 hour mark, however). Garnet in color, no browning of note. Crushed cherries, mineral, anise, some leather on nose. Palate has light-medium fruit, that initially is a bit tart. Finishes with light, but firmish tannins and more pleasing acidity. Definite sense of complexity and finesse, but in an understated fashion. Great with food. Fruit felt fresh. Later in the evening, the cherries turned darker and the palate became softer, losing the tart impression completely. This needs more time or a longer than 3 hour decant. 91+
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10/10/2012 - baroloboy55 wrote: flawed
lightly corked
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8/3/2012 - cooberp wrote: 90 Points
Ripe nose of cherries and licorice. Medium-bodied and a bit sour in the mouth. Nicely persistent on the back palate.
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5/16/2012 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
Lopez de Heredia Vertical, with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Red colour with good amount of Tinting on the rim. Floral, light mint. Mineral nose. Big on the tannin. Fresh . Lighter on the sweetness. Sharp and focussed wine. Elegant but not as vibrant as the Tondonia 91. Less of a textbook Rioja. 90-91 and we would suggest one awaits.
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5/9/2012 - cpsmith33 wrote: 90 Points
Tasting with Maria Jose of Lopez de Heredia and Jose Manuel of Perez Pascuas; 5/8/2012-5/9/2012 (Union Square Wine): Seemed a bit harsh and wood dominated. Light red fruit, very nice to try...
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4/30/2012 - yofog wrote: 93 Points
This is a baby. Needs at least another ten years
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4/20/2012 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Tough, tart and thin right after a decant. With time opened up to a very nice nose of flowers and spice and caramel notes. Berry fruit on a nice palate. Light in the mouth, works well with food and alone. Medium finish. Excellent.
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3/18/2012 - spv wrote: 94 Points
This is fantastic. Light-bodied but really complex. Took a few minutes to open up, but then really enjoyable. Green wood on the nose, fruit on the palate - a bit tart, but then softer. Nice finish. Multilayered complexity. Would rate higher if it had a bit more body.
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2/27/2012 - chablis28 wrote: 92 Points
I don't have a consistent view of this wine except that it doesn't quite wow me. Its just short of great. Very good for sure but I think I enjoy the '98 Rerseva more. Tonight it did get better after 4 hours of slow oxegenation.
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2/16/2012 - Biggsy wrote: 93 Points
Pale garnet with some light bricking at the rim. Lovely complex nose with red petals, cedar, spice and a hint of ginger. Light and perfectly balanced with a touch of sweet red fruits and more floral notes. Long, fresh and very elegant. Excellent.
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2/12/2012 - muredskin14 wrote: 95 Points
Fantastic depth, length and complexity in a well healed wine lost to today’s modernity
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2/7/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 89 Points
DC Crew's Gem Tasting - 3rd Annual (Palena - Washington, DC): I tasted this wine in 2010, and I liked it even more this time. Aromas of sour cherry, but also some seaweed and cheese rind. The palate was soft and silky, with fresh cherry fruit. It still had this tomato paste and celery seed flavor, along with sour cherries and hemp. It's a funky wine, and it's really fun to have a glass of. But it is kind of abrasive, so share it with friends. Still, in my book, this gets serious crazy points.
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2/4/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Light red. Dominated by dry, green wood on both the nose and palate. With air, it did become a little sweeter and less harsh, but it never achieved the balance of truly great Lopez de Heredia wines. When I drank my first bottle 2 years ago, I wondered if this would ever reach the heights of the 1981 Bosconia. Now that I have tasted these 2 vintages at similar ages, sadly, I think the answer is no. This just doesn't have the beautiful delicate fruit of the older wine that was able to balance the oak. Drink up before the wood completely overtakes what is left of the wine.
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1/29/2012 - bpj87 wrote: 93 Points
Secondary. Spices and light menthol on the nose with some hints of tertiary character. Red fruit with verve to spare on the flawlessly integrated palate.
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1/29/2012 - salil wrote: 94 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Jan '12 edition (Montclair, NJ): Like the Tondonia, this looks much older than its 21 years but is drinking incredibly well. With air there's an amazing, compelling fragrance that's sweeter and more floral than the Tondonia, showing the same mature earthy, leathery and high toned red fruited flavours but accented with sweet baking spices and floral elements. The palate presence here is pure silk with all the flavours and structural elements coming together into a seamless whole that just resonates in the mouth. Incredible wine.
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12/18/2011 - tdelorme wrote:
This was really impressive, expansive but delicate. Good acidity and still has plenty life. Drinking this in an experience, similar to drinking a great Burgundy.
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8/24/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
What a fablous nose. And then lively across the mid palate. Ends with acid. Beautiful stuff.
11 hours later: leather and game on the nose. Tastes like old wine, goes down like water. Soft, smooth, rounded, wonderful finish.
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8/4/2011 - chablis28 wrote: 93 Points
This is bricking a bunch and kind of mellow. Pretty aromas of spice and dried roses. Elegant, textured and pretty. This blt seems fully mature to me but should hold for a while too.
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7/30/2011 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
WineSpectator Forums Offline; 7/29/2011-7/30/2011 (Piperade, San Francisco): Funky leather, hint of mint; great acid, clean, good red fruit. Very lovely.
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6/25/2011 - BlumJ wrote:
My first experience with a Rioja with a bit of age. The wine was gorgeous, very pure. Impeccable balance.
great texture. Very Burgundian. Has another 20 years of life--I think it will be at it's peak in 10.
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3/23/2011 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 86 Points
Deep ruby red. Lots of stinky cheese, earth sous bois, dark/stemmy fruit. The stink blew off to show great primary fruit - strawberry and red fruit. Young on the palate with cherry, bright red fruit - strawberry, earth, mineral and stone. Bright acid. Nose - 4/6, Palate - 5/6, Finish - 4/6, Je Ne Sais Quoi - 0/2 = 13/20.
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3/23/2011 - Papies wrote: 85 Points
Good bottle and good wax seal.
Similar to the Tondonia 1991 the wine has no vibrancy left and feels thin. nothing more to say unfort and judging from the comments below it feels liek we got a bad batch of bottles.
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3/19/2011 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Beautiful wine - I loved this but the wife thought it was too "delicate." Poor notes - apricots / sous bois, dried fruits on nose & palate. Silky mouthfeel and very long finish. Went well with a grilled filet. Beautiful aromatics. Will buy more and see how this evolves in the cellar. Tons of complexity for the price. Very old world. 93+ rating - I preferred the 1991 tondonia Gran Reserva to this wine but they are both excellent.
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1/19/2011 - Rani wrote: 90 Points
Tasted blind. Light red/orange hue. Rust, roses on the nose, light and silky mouth feel. Very old world, slightly thin but elegant. A nice food wine.
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1/4/2011 - rc@ughey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similar to the last showing--just a beautiful, young bottle of Rioja. Soaring aromatics of sweet cherries and earth introduce a medium-bodied palate of red fruits and minerals. And the texture is marvelous. This is still a baby, though, and does not yet exhibit the complexity and quicksand depth that I've witnessed from older LdH examples. Nor does it have the seductive non-fruit flavors that it should develop with time--as the '81 has started to do.
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12/27/2010 - Mr T wrote:
goska below sums it up right for me...really delicate and yet flavorful....not nearly as shy or retiring as I might have feared
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12/4/2010 - goska wrote: 92 Points
Oh la la. Mature and lovely. Brick orange. Dusty nose. Ripe plum, lovely body, nice acidity. Still very much alive. Joy.
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11/25/2010 - rayq wrote:
Tempranillo (80%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano Mushroomy, leathery, slightly sweaty nose. Chave like. Well developed. Secondary development well underway. Rounded. Nice core of fruit to this. Really good wine. Excellent.
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11/25/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Lopez de Heredia Tour & Tasting (Haro, Rioja): Lovely nose. A touch of sous-bois, mushroomy. Bright fruit. Good acidity and decent length. Lovely. ****
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11/19/2010 - WetRock wrote:
Complex aromas of smoke, green leaves and meat all melding together. Strong acids backing up the somewhat tight fruit. Very precise and good. Should get better.
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11/19/2010 - G_H wrote: 79 Points
Rust and iodine in the nose. Quite some aggressive tannins in the palate and unbalanced acidity. rather light in the finish. Interesting but not good
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11/5/2010 - Papies wrote:
Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: Not sure if the bottle was properly kept so will not rate. of the 4 we bought one was maderized so far. Will reserve comments for next try
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11/5/2010 - Papies wrote: flawed
Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: Maderized
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10/3/2010 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 90 Points
Very aromatic right out of the gate, more than usual for a Bosconia, but it quiets down pretty quickly. This has Bosconia's usual flawless texture, but it's very young and doesn't have the evocative flavors that more bottle age ought to bring. Instead it just shows soft reddish fruit with some youthful juiciness, probably suspended somewhere between the typical showing of a Reserva and a Gran Reserva, which means it's probably smarter to drink the former while holding on to this for a while.
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9/28/2010 - Faryan wrote: 91 Points
Tempranillo tasting (Weygandt Wines, DC): More clear and less barnyard driven than the Tondonia Gran Reserva. A bit more plush at first, but when the wine settles, it is a touch hollow on the nose. With swirling there is a vegetal quality that emerges (some beet root and tomato vine). With more air, there is some beautiful kirsch that is reticent to emerge. On the palate, there is a nice cherry element but it doesn't seem to ever put the pieces together. A wine with plenty of great facets but can't seem to quite work in harmony.
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9/28/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 88 Points
Nose of celary, tomatoe leaf. Palate was kinda disjointed with tomatoe, celary, a little chalk. Interesting and complex, but not really good.
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9/28/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 88 Points
Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): ruby red, orangey color. nose shows tomato paste, caramel and celery seed. the celery seed is very distinct. funky, a bit odd on the palate. chalk, tomatoes, baked red apples. a bit tough to drink, but definitely unique. again, one of those wines that's a fun experience, although i don't know how much of this i could actually drink.
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7/31/2010 - DaveDonalson Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted non-blind during the World Cup final. Smooth, burgundian style of tempranillo with red cherry notes in the forefront followed by a smooth finish of leather and mocha.
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6/6/2010 - rc@ughey Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, epitomizing the unique brilliance of Lopez de Heredia. Still very young and, of course, very vibrant at nearly 20 years of age, this wine is intensely fragrant--with savory cherries and tobacco leaves--and has a lovely texture on the palate. To use over-used descriptors that are nonetheless apt, this wine seduces you with its lacy texture and beguiling fruit. This is like bizarro Burgundy, with all of the virtues of great Cote de Nuits Pinot--the ruby color, sexy nose, medium body, piercing fruit, complexity, earth--but a different flavor profile. This does not yet possess the depth and tertiary notes that it will likely develop, but it is in a great middle stage that showcases bright fruits but also a bit of age-earned complexity. This charming Bosconia will reach greater heights once it develops the non-fruit character that older LdH develops.
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5/9/2010 - Alex H wrote: 87 Points
Pretty fresh stuff with stewed winter melon tea, lively ripe creamy strawberry bouquet. Stewed has flakes with just a touch of beef blood (just a drop) with a bit of florals. This is like a multi blend of aged burgundies. Very refined in poise. Dead ringer for a burg.
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4/5/2010 - salil wrote: flawed
Yikes, what happened here? Nothing like I expected, feeling surprisingly old and dried out with a raisined character to the red fruited flavours, nuances of leather and faintly sherried and balsamic notes in the background. The volatile acidity takes over with time as this feels increasingly shrill and hard to drink.
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3/23/2010 - Yagil wrote: 93 Points
Spaniards meeting at Irit (participants of the June 2009 wine-trip to Ribera & Rioja) (at Irit): Light & mature red color, delicate old-Riojan style aromas of spice, dried fruit and dried rose that takes us back 9 months to the views of the winery. Seems to be at optimal drinking-window (that may last very long). Very elegant, medium-bodied, balanced & tannic comme il faut, with flavors of dried berry, tea, vanilla and spice. An enjoyment for old-Riojan traditional-style lovers with its distinctive character.
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3/16/2010 - amateurwino wrote:
Showing savory, soy sauce-like notes on the nose, as well as more power than the Tondonia GR from 91, A very solid and balanced wine, if not quite as exquisite in its fruit as the previous wine. Very vibrant and alive for its age. (Did not score at the time)
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2/13/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Limpid, clear, light red. Redolent of rose petals at first, then as it opened, anise, mint, espresso, and finally, some black cherry fruit. It took almost 2 hours for any fruit to show. Dry with some obvious wood and strong acidity, light, it did gain weight with time in the decanter and showed the coffee/chocolate notes that are previewed in the nose. May benefit from more time in the bottle, but I must say that I don't find it as ethereal or lovely as the '81-will this ever have the subtle, sweet fruit of that wine? Whereas old Lopez de Heredia can be a dead ringer for Burgundy, something about this was more evocative of Barolo.
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1/25/2010 - BradKNYC wrote:
Vivid wines at Don's. (Don's): Hmm seems like a typically maddening LdH showing. A bottle I tried last year was stellar. It had tons of fruit with plenty to back it up and a great character. This bottle is muted with much higher acidity and much less fruit than the last one. Tart red fruit, worn wood, tea, spice and citrus. Which is the right wine? Guess I’ll need to try another one for a tie breaker. A disappointing B. Fwiw, the one I had a year ago I rated an A/A-.
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1/22/2010 - Biggsy wrote: 92 Points
Light bricky garnet. Aromatic nose with asian five spice, polished cedar wood and light oxidative notes. Elegant and stylish on the palate with fragrant red flowers and sweet cherry fruit. Lovely.
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1/3/2010 - Aiko165 wrote: 91 Points
New years at okemo
Tannic still...but yummy
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1/1/2010 - greenwalter wrote: 90 Points
Light and silky. Well integrated tannins. Aged in color, but still bright. Cherries, rose petals, and spice.
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11/18/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
An evening of López de Heredia wines (Islington, London): Charred oak edge to the nose, light, floaty, volatile, sharp - and yet it's absolutely compelling and delicious
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10/24/2009 - don_quichotte wrote: 94 Points
Beautiful, in an almost burgundian sort of way. Recommended.
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8/8/2009 - unrelenting wrote: 93 Points
moderate fruit (red berries), moderate tanning, good acidity and integration, the finish doesn't stop. Excllent pairing with rich fish, meats up to lamb, and any Burgundian fare. I've been told by reputable sources that will last 50 years. I don't see it but I'm going to put one in the back and find out
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12/5/2008 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
The nose has sweetish red fruit with lots and lots of volatility. It actually feels very Burgundian. Lovely palate with lots of acidity. This is the sort of wine that Musar aspires to be. Very light and clean in the mouth, with tannins coming along after.
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