At Hispania - consistent with last time - mouth-filling, rich, red and black berries, liquorice, smoke, touch of chocolate even, great depth here, soft tannins, vibrant acids, long finish. Drinking beautifully, no hurry.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Better than my previous one and unfortunately my last bottle. Nose had some mushrooms at first, but came out nicely after 30 min decant. The mouth is so incredible, lots of mature fruit with the American oak nicely integrated. Really hope my younger vintage bottles will taste like that, 15 years from now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Wow quel beau vin, je fus très impressionné ! Sur des notes de mure fraîche, légère touche végétale, c'est soyeux, long en bouche, tannins souple, équilibre impeccable. J'étais en USA Bordeaux blend avec 20 ans d'age. Belle surprise lors du dévoilement, grand vin !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Near perfection. Paid $200 cad for this recently and worth every penny. Better than Faustino. God 2001 was such a special vintage in tbis region of spain.
This still has super strong fuit. Sour cherries that still come together with a long smooth finish. Spectacular tannis. And it all comes together.
My guess is this wine last another 30 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drinking at peak and should hold here for 3-5 years. A cross of older rioja with seams of fruit, and the acidity/caramel/elegance of Sangiovese. I don't think the 2015 will evolve into this, given its bigger presence today and higher alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
What a gorgeous, fully mature Rioja. Decanted for sediment, allowed to open up for an hour, and then consumed over the next few after that. Very pretty with notes of spice box, tobacco, dried fruit, worn leather, and sandalwood. Tannins are nicely resolved. There's no rush to drink this wine, but I don't see much room for improvement. Excellent stuff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
At Hispania with FC and AW. Lovely bright nose, ripe red fruit - strawberry - vanlla, spice, smoke, liquirice. Medium/full bodied, soft and velvety, round tannins, strawberry fruit, spice, smoke, quite polished but with lovely vibrant acids which carry a very good length finish. Excellent, touching outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In one of its wonderful places. First 01 to reach harmony of bouquet, flavors and finish. Reminds me of 70 Prado Enea at the same point. The balance is so distinct. No signs of sweetness. Difficult to decide on whether to let last 750 go further or to savor again soon. Either way, though, it will not be the same. Oh, the glories of matured fine wines!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Better than the last one i had. Served blind I thought it was italian. A very good wine but lacked the characteristics one usually associate with this region
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
[From Magnum]. Another magnum of this work of art. Near perfect - as we now know. Vanilla, sweet moist pipe tobacco. Look - I've talked about this wine enough. This is true greatness. Perfect acidity, perfect texture, balance you would not believe - transcendental, profound, unforgettable. I am crying.
Generous oak, but very tastefully done. Lusty fruit, juicy, perfect ripeness, succulent acidity. Most enjoyable wine. Showing youth and vigor, and a long life is likely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
[Magnum]. Christ alive. The greatest vintage of the 21st Century so far in Rioja. Vanilla, leather, ribeye steak (all that juicy beefy fat mmmmmmm), moist pipe tobacco, carob... Exquisitely nuanced and seductive. Silky and velvety - two textural characteristics that rarely go together. Caresses you like the lover you always dreamed of. Simply sublime. Tears in my eyes. Unforgettably romantic and bafflingly profound. A true, true colossus. If you do not experience emotion with this you are not human. [Thoughts the day after: I didn't see this coming - I thought this Prado Enea had peaked a few years ago - how happily wrong I was!]
Absolutely singing tonight, intoxicating nose of Cedar mixed with vanilla,macerated fruit ,forest floor and allspice. Medium weight on the palate the wine is packed with flavors of oak, leather, red berries and cherries in liqueur, slight hint of VA still and the acid streak just carries the wine into a lovely finish that just lingers on....amazing quality for the price. I opened the Bottle in the morning ( 9:00AM) just with the cork out until (5:00PM), gave it 30 minutes in the decanter and back in the bottle before heading to the restaurant. I am in no rush to open the next 4, sitting comfortably in the middle of it's long drinking window. Will drink nicely until 2032 without a problem...perhaps even beyond.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Maybe my bottle is a dud I am not sure but it lacked fruit components, seemed dry. The nose was very attractive but on the palate the wine did not impress. Will see with the rest of the pack maybe the others will be better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
WOTN in a 7-wine tasting. Beautiful with lots of vanilla and oak as you would expect in a gran reserva, but it's well assembled and the finish is long. It's drinking well now but there is still fruit present towards the end which makes me think this bottle can last another 10 years easy as it will further develop. Great wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Medium garnet, brown at the rim. The nose sent a chill down my spine. Tomato, cooked strawberry, leather, cured meat, forest floor, cooked black plums, and dust. On the palate, all the elements are in harmony and in balance. Fruit, completely integrated tannins, alcohol, and acidity all on point. Exceptional wine. This is what Rioja is capable of producing in great vintages in the hands of great winemakers. Drink now and over the next decade or two.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I just can’t believe how youthful this still is. It’s 20 years old and nowhere near full mature. With extended decanting it shows coconut and luxurious coffee liqueur notes, together with the red fruits and leather commonly also with Rioja. A superb wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Prado enea 2001 Really drinking well. Lovely rich style. Spice, black cherries. Pretty smooth. Still some tannin in evidence. So quite a few yrs left. Still mid drinking window.
Had with shepherds pie :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Muga Masterclass @ Park90: Tasted black cherries, grape skin, with tertiaries of earth and dried red fruits. This tasted younger than the 2004 and was tighter and more volatile with its tannins. It’s alcohol seemed stronger and was rather forthcoming as well. I was quite confused with this showing, although the glass did improve over the night. I would keep this away for 1-3 more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
An excellent traditional Rioja without any signs of overbearing american oak. Still very tannic and acidic with deep black cherry fruit and starting to evolve in a more savory direction. This vintage should last forever given the structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Our last bottle of this vintage. Seemed past its best at first but opened up nicely in glass. Soft cherry, cinnamon, earth and cedar. Full of life. Paired it with my daughter’s Pasta alla Norma and they were superb together.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
I feel that the oak has now receded into the background sufficiently, allowing the wine to express wonderfully. Seems fully or almost fully mature, with broad aromatics and a succulent, silky mouthfeel. Reminds me of the legendary 1991 vintage of this. Looking forward to drinking the leftovers tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bodegas Muga (Muga, Haro, Rioja): Darker in the glass than the 00 alongside, and far more fragrant and lifted. Gloss to the 2000's matt. Brighter, redder fruited. More lift and zip against a backdrop of worn leather and the sun on warm tiles. Hard to fault this. *****
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank this over two days alongside the ygay from the same vintage which was less enjoyable but still very good. Opened an hour prior but did not decant. The wine is in a beautiful place right now. Enticing fruit and violet aromas. The tannin and oak are perfectly integrated to make for a lovely smooth texture and mouthfeel. I don't have enough experience with Rioja to know how long this will last. What I will say is that the wine was much more enjoyable and certainly more complex than the last bottle I had which was several years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and poured. Ruby garnet core fading to a thickish pink rim. Good legs. Spicy wood and leather on the nose, same on palate but sweetness offset with a zip of acidity leaving a clean finish of considerable length. I noted a hint of violet at some point and sour stewed cherries on the finish. Lovely, so far. After a couple of hours, my first thought is that this wine has some life left in it but is lovely now. The spice woody notes on the nose are less appealing now, more harsh for some reason. The acidity in the wine paired well with lamb. Tannins remain soft and lush, and the lasting taste on the palate seems to go on and on, This is a cracking wine bought as part of a vertical 6 bottle-case from TWS, 2 x 2001, 2005, 2006. I'll keep the other bottle for a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Same bottle now opened up and decanted for 2 hours. Lots of oak and compared to Tondonia 2001 this is a lot more concentrated and heavy. Dark dense and concentrated fruit with clear dill notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A beauty. The nose is old secondary grape and wood. The palate is soft and gentle with nice red, acidic fruit and a bunch of earth and leather. Finishes savory. Just a really great, mature Rioja. From Muga in Haro.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
A privilege to have this wine twice within six months. This showing was slightly weaker than the one I had in April. Possibly because of the context - in April it was a more reverential tasting, and the only Rioja in an outstanding flight of wines. On this occasion, it was tasted side-by-side with more than a dozen Muga wines, so it needed to compete with phenomenal wines. In any case, this is beautiful, leathery, spicy, and a touch understated. Very possibly on the decline, but I can't imagine how that would be - these wines (and especially the 2001 vintage) last decades. Still tannic, salty and peppery. Good, but just short of great.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Coravin sample. Nose of earth (which blows away after a while), dark fruit with depth, dill. On the palate high acidity, still unresolved but fine grained almost silky tannin, lovely sweet n sour fresh fruit, dill, earth, cloves, some oak but not very prominent. Long lingering finish. Very appealing but could live for much longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This is an unquestionable classic. Soaring aromas of cherry, woodsmoke, tobacco/cigar box, cassia bark... Beautiful pinpoint precision and perfect density and weight. Silky tannins, velvety, linear, so elegant - a wine of impeccable poise and grace. Oak possibly too prominent for some, but actually for a Gran Reserva, the use of oak here is judicious. Already 17 years old, and yet so vibrant. Such a fabulous vintage. Yum!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
natural cork in very good shape. garnet red with orange reflexes, very fine sediment. this is very fruity, cherry-ish, with some cedar, tobacco and wet earth. Fruity and lively in mouth, astringent, with very nice acidity, it should hold up pretty well for years to come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
This wine is so completely out of sorts - I'm tempted to say the bottle is flawed, but there's no sign of oxidation or taint. Tasted over 3 nights (hoping it would get better), with similar notes. Smuckers cherry jam on the nose. Very one dimensional, light red fruit struggling to fight through the oak. Quite sour finish. Rather handsome ruby red in the glass - sort of pretty as it was swirling down the drain. And I thought I was going to love it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A mature colour, mahogany; quite full and round on the palate, with bramble, prune and some rather obvious oak; quite elegant, and with good length. There is a slight hardness to the wine, perhaps from the oak, but it is otherwise quite enjoyable. I think this should be drunk, as it is more likely to decline than improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Lovely, fragrant nose of dark jammy fruit, wet soil, lead, and cedar. Metallic and lead/graphite notes on the palate, along with black pepper, dark fruit. Velvety tannins. Firm acidity, holding up very well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nice moderate ruby color with a hint of garnet; heady sour plum, coconut, sandalwood and distinct iodine in the nose; very soft entry with spices, tangy strawberry, asian plum in the mouth; soft moderate tannins, slightly elevated acidity with a juicy tangy long finish. Delicious, in a really good place and will hold for a long time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Typical Rioja nose, with the added 20% Granache shining through more on the palate than on the nose. Old school nose, but a bit too heavy on the palate for my taste. I like the CVNE, Rioja Alta and other traditionalists better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A private dinner at a friend's (London, UK): A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. A prime example of a classic, mature Rioja. Gentle and supple but with real depth and energy, plums and spice, finely grained tannins, good length. Fully mature but will keep well. It's wonderful how classic Rioja marries ease and energy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Luftet 1 time. Mørk rubinrød. Nese dominert av mocca, treverk, jord, mørke bær og noe mineraler i form av jern. På en måte forventet med tanke på fatbruken her. I munnen er det bra med frukt og den oppviser god konsentrasjon og intensitet. Litt jordlig avslutning. Tilgjengelige tanniner. Best med mat til. Vil trolig utvikle seg videre, men drikk innen 5 år pga frukten.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
2 hr. decant. Dark cherry, violets, orange peel, Louisville Slugger (must be the American Oak), soy sauce, worcestershire. Just beginning to show that leathery tertiary characteristic. Great balance, nice sandy tannins. Drinking beautifully now, can't wait to see how it continues to evolve.
A fine, harmonious Rioja, with intense plum/prune fruit, well-integrated oak and good length. This is drinking very well now. No doubt it will keep well, but I doubt it will get any better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
55F, PnP. Medium red. Stone and fruit on the nose, strong tannins predominate followed by bright red fruit and acid with long finish. Opens up showing more leather, warm earth and other flavors I can't pinpoint. Amazing the freshness for age. Very nice and will be nice for a lot longer.
Nebbiolo Night: Came as a blind quite in late to the dinner, still easily recognizable as fairly traditional Rioja. It's got the mature side of leather, spices and tobacco, but manages to retain freshness and tasty fruity side as well. Delicious and savoury. Thus, I'd say this is in a good place right now. No hurry at all though, these are ageworthy wines.
Gorgeous mature Rioja: savoury, nuanced, resonant - a profound aged wine - yet still very fresh and vibrant, too. Rose petals, tobacco, medicinal aromas; heady spices, lively acidity and rich red berry and dark fruits on the palate. So much energy and depth. Very persistent. Truly satisfying and rewarding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Great classic aged Rioja! Nose of dark fruits overcome by dust and earth. This needs 30mins to open and become sliky smooth, almost Pinot Noir in texture. Dark ripe fruits galore. Tannins are mellowed, but still fresh. Blackberries, plums and tons of blueberries. Great! Drink over the next 3-5 years at its peak, but will be drinkable for 10+ years!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Silky wine, with sweet, powdery cherries, tobacco, wood spice and leather. Complex and long, with the only drawback being the overly prominent coconut and dill flavors which hopefully will diminish with further age. A savory wine with layers of flavors to contemplate. UPDATE: On day 2, the coconut and dill diminished and more fruit, earth and spice emerged. This is a repeat purchase and one to cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big earth and tobacco nose, ripe juicy red fruits combined with dry earthy leather make the palate; medium weight and very balanced, finishing silky smooth and fairly long. Drinking very well now. From a magnum.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep garnet. Intense nose of dark red fruits, tobacco, tea, vanilla and earth. Great presence on the palate. Dense, smooth and focused with sweet cherries, raspberries, minerals and earth. Very rioja. Very good. Bravo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Garnet in color, viscous. A bit shy on the nose, but expressive, rich palate of red fruit raspberry, cherry, cardamom, spice, vanilla/oak, lush tannins. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Bought it at Muga in Spain in 2010 and brought it back. Didn't want to open it too early, but decided to open this bottle after reading other comments. Opened it to taste, then decanted it and drank it over a couple of hours. Had it with herb-crusted roast pork, butternut squash, and brussel sprouts (copiously infused with parmesan cheese and walnuts). Lovely. We'll have to go back to Spain and get some more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
My first time trying this wine, believe it or not. I found it surprisingly youthful, approachable but a little bit tight, with appreciable depth. Very well structured, and in need of several more years to enter its maturity phase, which I predict will be long. A classic reborn, after a string of vintages that I found somewhat disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Typical core of ink and blackberries on the nose togather with more complex elements from the barrel ageing. Some cedar. On the palate the wine is still young but not closed. Full bodied and sweet but retrained fruit. You almost doesn't notice the depth of flavour until you have sunken the wine. Long finish. Must buy more, very good PQR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Color: Ruby with faint bricking Smell: Earth, mushrooms, grilled meats, and dark red fruits Taste: Dark red fruits, dried red fruits, and an almost rustic earthy note that seems to ebb and flow between being dusty and something that reminds me of the forest floor. Overall: Decanted for 30 minutes at the time of this note. Medium body, medium fruit, med+ acid, and a long mouth-watering finish. Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Drank over 2hours. Did not decant. Fragrant nose of spice, wood, cherries, strawberries and some earth. The palate matched with notes of mocha. A little tight at first, but it came around. Slight tannin suggests it could use a little more time. Medium finish. Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Stamford Book Club No. 3 - Spanish authors; 7/17/2012-7/18/2012 (Casa Vadel): Dark, brooding color. Nose is musty cinnamon at first - almost overwhelming, but then the complexity comes out - dried herbs or flowers, some chocolate, earth. Palate was smooth with well integrated tannins. Cherry, other fruits are strong, but not jammy, not a fruit bomb. This is a really nice wine and has many years left. I wish I had a few more bottles. (5+14+17+8). 92-94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted it at a Spanish wine tasting, and it was the wine of the night in my opinion. Blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignane) and Graciano. Very smooth but with good structure and medium plus tannins despite the more than ten years of age. Very complex palate with an nice spicy finish. It is still very youthful, with just a hint of oxidation after a double decant and two hours of aeration. A remarkeably ageworthy wine and a really good value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
From memory... This was outright delicious. the nose was enticing. I got cocoa covered cherries and a mix of dried flowers and herbs. Savory. The taste was soooo smooth. It included the perfect mix of cherry, some tart red fruit, some candied violets, and a touch a earth and minerals all wrapped in silky tannins. This was a pop n pour and was ready to drink within 5 minutes. I'm sure this could last another 5 years, but why wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Traditional v Modern Rioja (28-50, London): Still quite dark, but with lighter, redder fruit. A minerality here too, with a faint vanilla scent.Crisper and fresher. Good acidity. Oodles in this. A nice sour fruit acidityand lovely length. Complexity and interest in spades. ****1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Cigar box, olive, oak spices, cinnamon, and dusty leather on first approach. Funky earth and faint fruit on the nose. Decanted and enjoyed over 2 hours at dinner. Evolved quickly with air and uncovered more red fruit. The palate had bright fruit of cherry, cranberry, rhubarb, and wonderful acid that was laced with smooth tannins leading to a long dry finish. Couldn't keep my nose out of the glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Popped and enjoyed; Fat Greek. Ladies locker room, leather, strawberry jam, turmeric, mulberry and olive. Long and enticing; the tannins are very silky and egalitarian. Layered and developed - truly showing her stuff at the peak. Drink now - 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of freshly turned soil. Loads of earth. Funky cheese on the nose. Red fruit is downplayed. Flavors of plum, a nice earthiness, roasted coffee, sharp cheese. It's rich and complex with great structure. Wonderfully balanced!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A well developing rim - cherry, chocolate and I guess some oak on the nose. How beguiling, a little like Margaux with that silkiness masking underlying complex structures. A soft fruit approach with a little dryness, berries and wood on the mid palate. The length goes on and on with delicious soft tannins that hold the whole. Clearly the window is open and there's much more to follow but I wonder how it will develop. The length contains strawberries encased in soft tannins - the tannins remain almost unchanged on the length and last over a half minute but they remain soft and unchanged - they're cedar wood with no hint of lead. Maybe if I can leave a little in the bottle it might oxidise overnight a little and pretend its aged a tad and I can score a 94. Gorgeous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Nose of leather, rose petals and a hint of orange zest. Sour cherries with very smooth tannins. A hint of cedar and cinnamon on the finish Very smooth and well integrated wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Decanted about an hour. This does not give the impression of being 10 years past the vintage date, as it is still quite dark and primary. Loads of dark cherry, Earth, anise and some meaty character. Quite delicious. Tannins are evident but elegant, really silky. This is in a good place at the moment, but clearly has a long life ahead. 93.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
A fine Gran Reserva, very correct but at this age all its complexity is still ahead of it. Nose has nice orange zest, a bit of shoe polish and leather intermixed with red fruits. To taste it is the orange that really comes through with a bit of red fruit and oak. Rounded and great balance but probably need to leave it at least 10 years before it will reveal anything really beyond the good red wine caregory. Potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Served with Herb Crusted Bone-in Pork Roast, the Ripe fruit, Earthy and mildly dusty tannins all paired perfectly. Sour cherry and raspberry fruit with very nice balance with silky mouthfeel and acid. Drinking great now, and should drink well for 5 years easy...AM
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Say what you smell I'm told. The first impression on dipping my nose into this is babies nappies. Not in a bad way. Has an old world slant but full of fruit and body. Amazed this is 10 years old Well balanced on the palate with a longish finish. This lasts for years and years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Orange rim and a nice medium red color. Developed nose with hints of wet rocks, mushrooms, raisins and blackberries. Powerful but very balanced at the same time. Very long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Tasted about 30 minutes after opening. Ruby color. It looks young. Gorgeous nose of cinammon, cherry and earth. Great fruit with a little dustiness, a long finish and a reasonable tannin level. The fruit is intense but not over the top. This wine is full of life. Very well done. Best Rioja that I have had in a while. Highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
In the words of the taste aficionados at the wine store, "Deep garnet colored, the nose of dried flowers, brown spices, cedar and cherry . . " The nose of dried flowers did dominate. Very classic old world that needed time to open up as it was still tight & tannic, but open up it did, very impressive. Deep rich, fruit (red & dark) flavors well balanced with deep earthy/woodsy character, and an excellent sense of terroir. Excellent complexity. Very Rioja but showing a lot more fruit integration than most old world style wines!! Drinkeable now but will likely evolve for 15-20 years. At $50 can't say I'm happy about the QPR, but I may still get some for a special occassion or two. ;-) (0 views)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
EWG tastes Umami (Umami Burger, Hollywood, CA): The nose shows spicy American oak with a strong dill note. Bright and fresh palate, very pretty. Strong fruit concentration showing off some blackberry notes today in front of beautiful structure. Lovely today with a long future ahead of it. It kept me coming back for more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
By the glass at Jean-Georges. Nose: Dark, earth, dark fruit, roasted (in a good way - not baked or overripe, but baked like hot earth or stones). Very Perfumed & sweet. Dark flowers, meaty. Palate: Amazing concentration. Dusty red fruit, almost crystalline and jammy. Nearly searing intensity. Young, but singing. Nose: 4/6, Palate: 6/6, Finish: 5/6, Je ne sais quoi (wild card): 2/2 = 17/20 = 94/100. Very impressive. The 91 is one of my favorite wines. No surprise that the 01 hits my palate in the sweet spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Consistent with my last note, except that now I'm finding a lot of walnut on the nose and palate. Beautiful wine with pinpoint acidity cutting through the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Deep cherry colour. Nose has nice mix of leather and fruit. For a traditional wine it seems surprisingly fruity. However no doubting where this is going. This is really delicious wine-perfect balance. With time cherry fruit appears and bizarrely seems fresher and more vibrant on the second day. A long life ahead of this. No rush with this. I look forward to trying this again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. Dark cherry core with garnet at the rim. Traditional rioja style nose. Blood, meaty, spice, earthy. Very silky mouthfeel. Really coats the mouth. Lovely long finish. Very Very Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Muga (haro, Rioja): Gorgeous nose. Mulberry, spice, a touch of iron, some meat and the slightest hint of nascent orange peel. Positive entry, very rounded. Lovely fruit. Seamless floow through to the mid-palate and long finish. Good balancing acidity. effortless. Yes! ***(**)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
The nose showed cranberry, mushrooms, earth and old oak with a hint of candied sugar. On the palate, I found dark red fruits with leather and tobacco , leading to a long sour berry finish that was at first very tannic but ended fresh.
This bottle performed very nicely with three hours of air in bottle and accompanied our Thanksgiving dinner with ease.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Big, concentrated, competent international style point-seeker. Quite delicious if undistinguished. Good value relative to, say, an upper mid level Bordeaux. Drinks a lot like a modern Italian, not that I would mistake it... I will not seek this out again but would be happy enough to run into it on the street. A good match for a big slab of meat. Big tannins well balanced by big body. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Deep ruby color turning slightly garnet at the rim. Intense nose of tart red fruits, well integrated spice, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Very pretty, with floral aromas coming later on. Masses of lively fruit on the palate, medium bodied, silky and mouthcoating. Excellent Rioja with loads of promise. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark red Aroma: Ripe red fruits with barrel notes Good body and integrated oak. Soft and available tannins. Very good balance and structure. Vanilla and red fruit on the palate Very good length
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
2/9/2024 - Paul D wrote: 95 Points
At Hispania - consistent with last time - mouth-filling, rich, red and black berries, liquorice, smoke, touch of chocolate even, great depth here, soft tannins, vibrant acids, long finish. Drinking beautifully, no hurry.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/3/2024 - greedy wrote: 97 Points
Flawless
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/29/2023 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 94 Points
Better than my previous one and unfortunately my last bottle. Nose had some mushrooms at first, but came out nicely after 30 min decant. The mouth is so incredible, lots of mature fruit with the American oak nicely integrated. Really hope my younger vintage bottles will taste like that, 15 years from now!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2023 - Michelle521cn Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still incredibly fruity, well balance with good structure and intensity. Soft tannin.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/30/2023 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 95 Points
Wow quel beau vin, je fus très impressionné !
Sur des notes de mure fraîche, légère touche végétale, c'est soyeux, long en bouche, tannins souple, équilibre impeccable.
J'étais en USA Bordeaux blend avec 20 ans d'age.
Belle surprise lors du dévoilement, grand vin !
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/20/2023 - greedy wrote: 98 Points
Near perfection. Paid $200 cad for this recently and worth every penny. Better than Faustino. God 2001 was such a special vintage in tbis region of spain.
This still has super strong fuit. Sour cherries that still come together with a long smooth finish. Spectacular tannis. And it all comes together.
My guess is this wine last another 30 years.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/4/2023 - SARED wrote: 95 Points
Drinking at peak and should hold here for 3-5 years. A cross of older rioja with seams of fruit, and the acidity/caramel/elegance of Sangiovese. I don't think the 2015 will evolve into this, given its bigger presence today and higher alcohol.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2023 - futronic wrote: 95 Points
What a gorgeous, fully mature Rioja. Decanted for sediment, allowed to open up for an hour, and then consumed over the next few after that. Very pretty with notes of spice box, tobacco, dried fruit, worn leather, and sandalwood. Tannins are nicely resolved. There's no rush to drink this wine, but I don't see much room for improvement. Excellent stuff.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/9/2023 - Paul D wrote: 95 Points
At Hispania with FC and AW. Lovely bright nose, ripe red fruit - strawberry - vanlla, spice, smoke, liquirice. Medium/full bodied, soft and velvety, round tannins, strawberry fruit, spice, smoke, quite polished but with lovely vibrant acids which carry a very good length finish. Excellent, touching outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/6/2022 - Carlo Sarto Likes this wine:
In one of its wonderful places. First 01 to reach harmony of bouquet, flavors and finish. Reminds me of 70 Prado Enea at the same point. The balance is so distinct. No signs of sweetness. Difficult to decide on whether to let last 750 go further or to savor again soon. Either way, though, it will not be the same. Oh, the glories of matured fine wines!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/1/2022 - Hanibal wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last one i had. Served blind I thought it was italian. A very good wine but lacked the characteristics one usually associate with this region
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/29/2022 - ricard Likes this wine: 98 Points
[From Magnum]. Another magnum of this work of art. Near perfect - as we now know. Vanilla, sweet moist pipe tobacco. Look - I've talked about this wine enough. This is true greatness. Perfect acidity, perfect texture, balance you would not believe - transcendental, profound, unforgettable. I am crying.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
6/12/2022 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
Generous oak, but very tastefully done. Lusty fruit, juicy, perfect ripeness, succulent acidity. Most enjoyable wine. Showing youth and vigor, and a long life is likely.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/27/2022 - ricard Likes this wine: 98 Points
[Magnum]. Christ alive. The greatest vintage of the 21st Century so far in Rioja. Vanilla, leather, ribeye steak (all that juicy beefy fat mmmmmmm), moist pipe tobacco, carob... Exquisitely nuanced and seductive. Silky and velvety - two textural characteristics that rarely go together. Caresses you like the lover you always dreamed of. Simply sublime. Tears in my eyes. Unforgettably romantic and bafflingly profound. A true, true colossus. If you do not experience emotion with this you are not human. [Thoughts the day after: I didn't see this coming - I thought this Prado Enea had peaked a few years ago - how happily wrong I was!]
4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/10/2022 - Nick72wine wrote: 93 Points
Absolutely singing tonight, intoxicating nose of Cedar mixed with vanilla,macerated fruit ,forest floor and allspice.
Medium weight on the palate the wine is packed with flavors of oak, leather, red berries and cherries in liqueur, slight hint of VA still and the acid streak just carries the wine into a lovely finish that just lingers on....amazing quality for the price.
I opened the Bottle in the morning ( 9:00AM) just with the cork out until (5:00PM), gave it 30 minutes in the decanter and back in the bottle before heading to the restaurant.
I am in no rush to open the next 4, sitting comfortably in the middle of it's long drinking window. Will drink nicely until 2032 without a problem...perhaps even beyond.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/12/2022 - Hanibal wrote: 90 Points
Maybe my bottle is a dud I am not sure but it lacked fruit components, seemed dry. The nose was very attractive but on the palate the wine did not impress. Will see with the rest of the pack maybe the others will be better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2022 - BillBell73 wrote:
Oddly quiet and subdued relative to where it should be- perhaps this is in a quiet place. I will wait on the last bottle.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2021 - EvoPeteMTL Likes this wine: 93 Points
WOTN in a 7-wine tasting. Beautiful with lots of vanilla and oak as you would expect in a gran reserva, but it's well assembled and the finish is long. It's drinking well now but there is still fruit present towards the end which makes me think this bottle can last another 10 years easy as it will further develop. Great wine.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2021 - streethawk wrote:
Medium garnet, brown at the rim. The nose sent a chill down my spine. Tomato, cooked strawberry, leather, cured meat, forest floor, cooked black plums, and dust. On the palate, all the elements are in harmony and in balance. Fruit, completely integrated tannins, alcohol, and acidity all on point. Exceptional wine. This is what Rioja is capable of producing in great vintages in the hands of great winemakers. Drink now and over the next decade or two.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
10/25/2021 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
Absolutely beautiful to drink right now. I think it's mature, but should hold for a very long time.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2021 - gtilley wrote:
I just can’t believe how youthful this still is. It’s 20 years old and nowhere near full mature. With extended decanting it shows coconut and luxurious coffee liqueur notes, together with the red fruits and leather commonly also with Rioja. A superb wine.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2020 - emym wrote: 94 Points
Aunque poco oxidado, no demerita en frescura. Amaderado, frutos secos. Astringente pero agradable al paladar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/15/2020 - pcwoz Likes this wine: 93 Points
Prado enea 2001
Really drinking well. Lovely rich style. Spice, black cherries. Pretty smooth. Still some tannin in evidence. So quite a few yrs left. Still mid drinking window.
Had with shepherds pie :-)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/16/2019 - andreel Likes this wine: 93 Points
Exceptionally nice, very elegant, balanced and perfumed.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/6/2019 - dnnk88 wrote: 91 Points
Muga Masterclass @ Park90: Tasted black cherries, grape skin, with tertiaries of earth and dried red fruits. This tasted younger than the 2004 and was tighter and more volatile with its tannins. It’s alcohol seemed stronger and was rather forthcoming as well. I was quite confused with this showing, although the glass did improve over the night. I would keep this away for 1-3 more years.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
6/12/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
An excellent traditional Rioja without any signs of overbearing american oak. Still very tannic and acidic with deep black cherry fruit and starting to evolve in a more savory direction. This vintage should last forever given the structure.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2019 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Our last bottle of this vintage. Seemed past its best at first but opened up nicely in glass. Soft cherry, cinnamon, earth and cedar. Full of life. Paired it with my daughter’s Pasta alla Norma and they were superb together.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/1/2019 - robmatic wrote: 94 Points
I feel that the oak has now receded into the background sufficiently, allowing the wine to express wonderfully. Seems fully or almost fully mature, with broad aromatics and a succulent, silky mouthfeel. Reminds me of the legendary 1991 vintage of this. Looking forward to drinking the leftovers tomorrow.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/1/2019 - SimonG wrote: 95 Points
Bodegas Muga (Muga, Haro, Rioja): Darker in the glass than the 00 alongside, and far more fragrant and lifted. Gloss to the 2000's matt. Brighter, redder fruited. More lift and zip against a backdrop of worn leather and the sun on warm tiles. Hard to fault this. *****
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/21/2019 - RaggaMat Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank this over two days alongside the ygay from the same vintage which was less enjoyable but still very good. Opened an hour prior but did not decant. The wine is in a beautiful place right now. Enticing fruit and violet aromas. The tannin and oak are perfectly integrated to make for a lovely smooth texture and mouthfeel. I don't have enough experience with Rioja to know how long this will last. What I will say is that the wine was much more enjoyable and certainly more complex than the last bottle I had which was several years ago.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/13/2018 - ProfAvi Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured.
Ruby garnet core fading to a thickish pink rim.
Good legs.
Spicy wood and leather on the nose, same on palate but sweetness offset with a zip of acidity leaving a clean finish of considerable length. I noted a hint of violet at some point and sour stewed cherries on the finish.
Lovely, so far.
After a couple of hours, my first thought is that this wine has some life left in it but is lovely now. The spice woody notes on the nose are less appealing now, more harsh for some reason. The acidity in the wine paired well with lamb. Tannins remain soft and lush, and the lasting taste on the palate seems to go on and on,
This is a cracking wine bought as part of a vertical 6 bottle-case from TWS, 2 x 2001, 2005, 2006.
I'll keep the other bottle for a couple of years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2018 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Same bottle now opened up and decanted for 2 hours.
Lots of oak and compared to Tondonia 2001 this is a lot more concentrated and heavy. Dark dense and concentrated fruit with clear dill notes.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2018 - diggydan wrote: 94 Points
A beauty. The nose is old secondary grape and wood. The palate is soft and gentle with nice red, acidic fruit and a bunch of earth and leather. Finishes savory. Just a really great, mature Rioja. From Muga in Haro.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 92 Points
A privilege to have this wine twice within six months. This showing was slightly weaker than the one I had in April. Possibly because of the context - in April it was a more reverential tasting, and the only Rioja in an outstanding flight of wines. On this occasion, it was tasted side-by-side with more than a dozen Muga wines, so it needed to compete with phenomenal wines. In any case, this is beautiful, leathery, spicy, and a touch understated. Very possibly on the decline, but I can't imagine how that would be - these wines (and especially the 2001 vintage) last decades. Still tannic, salty and peppery. Good, but just short of great.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
8/12/2018 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Coravin sample.
Nose of earth (which blows away after a while), dark fruit with depth, dill.
On the palate high acidity, still unresolved but fine grained almost silky tannin, lovely sweet n sour fresh fruit, dill, earth, cloves, some oak but not very prominent. Long lingering finish. Very appealing but could live for much longer.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/11/2018 - ricard Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is an unquestionable classic. Soaring aromas of cherry, woodsmoke, tobacco/cigar box, cassia bark... Beautiful pinpoint precision and perfect density and weight. Silky tannins, velvety, linear, so elegant - a wine of impeccable poise and grace. Oak possibly too prominent for some, but actually for a Gran Reserva, the use of oak here is judicious. Already 17 years old, and yet so vibrant. Such a fabulous vintage. Yum!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2018 - rcvx Likes this wine: 93 Points
natural cork in very good shape. garnet red with orange reflexes, very fine sediment. this is very fruity, cherry-ish, with some cedar, tobacco and wet earth. Fruity and lively in mouth, astringent, with very nice acidity, it should hold up pretty well for years to come.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/19/2017 - brianakrin wrote: 92 Points
Excellent,smooth,tertiary,drink
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2017 - robmatic wrote: 92 Points
Showing some significant wood, but gradually coming into focus.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2016 - Double J Does not like this wine: 80 Points
This wine is so completely out of sorts - I'm tempted to say the bottle is flawed, but there's no sign of oxidation or taint. Tasted over 3 nights (hoping it would get better), with similar notes. Smuckers cherry jam on the nose. Very one dimensional, light red fruit struggling to fight through the oak. Quite sour finish. Rather handsome ruby red in the glass - sort of pretty as it was swirling down the drain. And I thought I was going to love it.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/31/2016 - NickM Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fully evolved. Very little fruit, but a wonderful integrated mix of earth, blood, and sweet liqueur.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2016 - La Grappe wrote: 89 Points
A mature colour, mahogany; quite full and round on the palate, with bramble, prune and some rather obvious oak; quite elegant, and with good length. There is a slight hardness to the wine, perhaps from the oak, but it is otherwise quite enjoyable. I think this should be drunk, as it is more likely to decline than improve.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/24/2016 - behm0027 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely, fragrant nose of dark jammy fruit, wet soil, lead, and cedar. Metallic and lead/graphite notes on the palate, along with black pepper, dark fruit. Velvety tannins. Firm acidity, holding up very well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
3/11/2016 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Volnay tasting: Blind. Dark fruit, a hint of rubber, smoke and minerals, pleasant but a bit short. Guessed old school Rioja.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/3/2016 - kchwd Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fantastic. 90pts? A joke. Seemingly everything on CT is 89-91 points. This is really, really good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/6/2016 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Nice moderate ruby color with a hint of garnet; heady sour plum, coconut, sandalwood and distinct iodine in the nose; very soft entry with spices, tangy strawberry, asian plum in the mouth; soft moderate tannins, slightly elevated acidity with a juicy tangy long finish. Delicious, in a really good place and will hold for a long time.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2016 - UTPK wrote:
Typical Rioja nose, with the added 20% Granache shining through more on the palate than on the nose. Old school nose, but a bit too heavy on the palate for my taste. I like the CVNE, Rioja Alta and other traditionalists better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/30/2015 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 92 Points
A private dinner at a friend's (London, UK): A blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano. A prime example of a classic, mature Rioja. Gentle and supple but with real depth and energy, plums and spice, finely grained tannins, good length. Fully mature but will keep well. It's wonderful how classic Rioja marries ease and energy.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/13/2015 - kfinsrud wrote: 90 Points
Luftet 1 time. Mørk rubinrød. Nese dominert av mocca, treverk, jord, mørke bær og noe mineraler i form av jern. På en måte forventet med tanke på fatbruken her. I munnen er det bra med frukt og den oppviser god konsentrasjon og intensitet. Litt jordlig avslutning. Tilgjengelige tanniner. Best med mat til. Vil trolig utvikle seg videre, men drikk innen 5 år pga frukten.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/13/2015 - TavyDog Likes this wine: 93 Points
2 hr. decant. Dark cherry, violets, orange peel, Louisville Slugger (must be the American Oak), soy sauce, worcestershire. Just beginning to show that leathery tertiary characteristic. Great balance, nice sandy tannins. Drinking beautifully now, can't wait to see how it continues to evolve.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
4/3/2014 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 90 Points
A fine, harmonious Rioja, with intense plum/prune fruit, well-integrated oak and good length. This is drinking very well now. No doubt it will keep well, but I doubt it will get any better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/29/2014 - chifred wrote: 91 Points
55F, PnP. Medium red. Stone and fruit on the nose, strong tannins predominate followed by bright red fruit and acid with long finish. Opens up showing more leather, warm earth and other flavors I can't pinpoint. Amazing the freshness for age. Very nice and will be nice for a lot longer.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comments (1)
11/2/2013 - Antti wrote:
Nebbiolo Night: Came as a blind quite in late to the dinner, still easily recognizable as fairly traditional Rioja. It's got the mature side of leather, spices and tobacco, but manages to retain freshness and tasty fruity side as well. Delicious and savoury. Thus, I'd say this is in a good place right now. No hurry at all though, these are ageworthy wines.
3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comments (1)
10/6/2013 - Dr AJ Likes this wine: 89 Points
Gorgeous mature Rioja: savoury, nuanced, resonant - a profound aged wine - yet still very fresh and vibrant, too. Rose petals, tobacco, medicinal aromas; heady spices, lively acidity and rich red berry and dark fruits on the palate. So much energy and depth. Very persistent. Truly satisfying and rewarding.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
4/4/2013 - Alemany wrote: 90 Points
AWESOME good bouquet plenty hydrocarbons good with heavy meats
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/18/2013 - AMM3RD wrote: 94 Points
Great classic aged Rioja! Nose of dark fruits overcome by dust and earth. This needs 30mins to open and become sliky smooth, almost Pinot Noir in texture. Dark ripe fruits galore. Tannins are mellowed, but still fresh. Blackberries, plums and tons of blueberries. Great! Drink over the next 3-5 years at its peak, but will be drinkable for 10+ years!
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
2/9/2013 - Lulu2 wrote: 91 Points
Wow!! Words fail me..:) super!!!;)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/31/2013 - mdefreitas wrote: 91 Points
Silky wine, with sweet, powdery cherries, tobacco, wood spice and leather. Complex and long, with the only drawback being the overly prominent coconut and dill flavors which hopefully will diminish with further age. A savory wine with layers of flavors to contemplate. UPDATE: On day 2, the coconut and dill diminished and more fruit, earth and spice emerged. This is a repeat purchase and one to cellar.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
1/5/2013 - bullmrkt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Big earth and tobacco nose, ripe juicy red fruits combined with dry earthy leather make the palate; medium weight and very balanced, finishing silky smooth and fairly long. Drinking very well now. From a magnum.
2 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
12/11/2012 - short and confused wrote: 94 Points
Deep garnet. Intense nose of dark red fruits, tobacco, tea, vanilla and earth. Great presence on the palate. Dense, smooth and focused with sweet cherries, raspberries, minerals and earth. Very rioja. Very good. Bravo.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/9/2012 - burr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Garnet in color, viscous. A bit shy on the nose, but expressive, rich palate of red fruit raspberry, cherry, cardamom, spice, vanilla/oak, lush tannins. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/23/2012 - drunkstar wrote: 91 Points
Yes Martyn. Still smells of nappies. Delicious.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/2/2012 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Perfect. At Restaurante Egaña Oriza in Seville. Glad they still had some of the 2001 left.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/28/2012 - Its5o'clockSomewhere Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bought it at Muga in Spain in 2010 and brought it back. Didn't want to open it too early, but decided to open this bottle after reading other comments. Opened it to taste, then decanted it and drank it over a couple of hours. Had it with herb-crusted roast pork, butternut squash, and brussel sprouts (copiously infused with parmesan cheese and walnuts). Lovely. We'll have to go back to Spain and get some more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/15/2012 - robmatic wrote: 93 Points
My first time trying this wine, believe it or not. I found it surprisingly youthful, approachable but a little bit tight, with appreciable depth. Very well structured, and in need of several more years to enter its maturity phase, which I predict will be long. A classic reborn, after a string of vintages that I found somewhat disappointing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/4/2012 - UTPK wrote:
Typical core of ink and blackberries on the nose togather with more complex elements from the barrel ageing. Some cedar. On the palate the wine is still young but not closed. Full bodied and sweet but retrained fruit. You almost doesn't notice the depth of flavour until you have sunken the wine. Long finish. Must buy more, very good PQR
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/11/2012 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: Ruby with faint bricking
Smell: Earth, mushrooms, grilled meats, and dark red fruits
Taste: Dark red fruits, dried red fruits, and an almost rustic earthy note that seems to ebb and flow between being dusty and something that reminds me of the forest floor.
Overall: Decanted for 30 minutes at the time of this note. Medium body, medium fruit, med+ acid, and a long mouth-watering finish. Outstanding.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/22/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Drank over 2hours. Did not decant. Fragrant nose of spice, wood, cherries, strawberries and some earth. The palate matched with notes of mocha. A little tight at first, but it came around. Slight tannin suggests it could use a little more time. Medium finish. Enjoyable.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/17/2012 - gbm wrote: 93 Points
Stamford Book Club No. 3 - Spanish authors; 7/17/2012-7/18/2012 (Casa Vadel): Dark, brooding color. Nose is musty cinnamon at first - almost overwhelming, but then the complexity comes out - dried herbs or flowers, some chocolate, earth. Palate was smooth with well integrated tannins. Cherry, other fruits are strong, but not jammy, not a fruit bomb. This is a really nice wine and has many years left. I wish I had a few more bottles. (5+14+17+8). 92-94 points.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/6/2012 - Yngve wrote: 90 Points
A good Rioja. A soft, easily accessible wine. A little weak in the end with some tannins.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/20/2012 - TannicBeast wrote: 93 Points
Tasted it at a Spanish wine tasting, and it was the wine of the night in my opinion. Blend of Tempranillo, Garnacha, Mazuelo (Carignane) and Graciano. Very smooth but with good structure and medium plus tannins despite the more than ten years of age. Very complex palate with an nice spicy finish. It is still very youthful, with just a hint of oxidation after a double decant and two hours of aeration. A remarkeably ageworthy wine and a really good value.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/15/2012 - darrenhe wrote: 90 Points
Brilliant wine and just the type of traditional rioja I like. So smooth and lovely strawberry and light vanilla fruit. Beautiful!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2012 - lolo66 wrote: 94 Points
From memory... This was outright delicious. the nose was enticing. I got cocoa covered cherries and a mix of dried flowers and herbs. Savory. The taste was soooo smooth. It included the perfect mix of cherry, some tart red fruit, some candied violets, and a touch a earth and minerals all wrapped in silky tannins. This was a pop n pour and was ready to drink within 5 minutes. I'm sure this could last another 5 years, but why wait.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/2/2012 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Traditional v Modern Rioja (28-50, London): Still quite dark, but with lighter, redder fruit. A minerality here too, with a faint vanilla scent.Crisper and fresher. Good acidity. Oodles in this. A nice sour fruit acidityand lovely length. Complexity and interest in spades. ****1/2
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/21/2012 - oenophilip wrote: 93 Points
Cigar box, olive, oak spices, cinnamon, and dusty leather on first approach. Funky earth and faint fruit on the nose. Decanted and enjoyed over 2 hours at dinner. Evolved quickly with air and uncovered more red fruit. The palate had bright fruit of cherry, cranberry, rhubarb, and wonderful acid that was laced with smooth tannins leading to a long dry finish. Couldn't keep my nose out of the glass.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/6/2012 - sawira wrote:
This will be superb 10-20 years from now, but is barely a glimmer of its future self. Kevin H nailed it. HOLD! 82 pts now, 94+ later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/24/2011 - tendring Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Education Service - Rioja - Gran Reservas (Imperial College): Substantial age, just opaque.
Delicate scent, oak with a little fruit.
Tannin, baked and dried fruit, very long, will keep well.
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment
11/8/2011 - EMichels wrote: 87 Points
A little heat on the nose; Good body; Nice strength; Good finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
10/21/2011 - Matt Scott wrote: 94 Points
Popped and enjoyed; Fat Greek. Ladies locker room, leather, strawberry jam, turmeric, mulberry and olive. Long and enticing; the tannins are very silky and egalitarian. Layered and developed - truly showing her stuff at the peak. Drink now - 2016.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/11/2011 - bablues wrote: 93 Points
Drinking very well right. Amazing old world smell and taste. I couldn't take my nose out ofnthe glass and each taste got better.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/10/2011 - vegasoenophile wrote: 93 Points
Nose of freshly turned soil. Loads of earth. Funky cheese on the nose. Red fruit is downplayed. Flavors of plum, a nice earthiness, roasted coffee, sharp cheese. It's rich and complex with great structure. Wonderfully balanced!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2011 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with previous note. An excellent wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/8/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote: 93 Points
A well developing rim - cherry, chocolate and I guess some oak on the nose. How beguiling, a little like Margaux with that silkiness masking underlying complex structures. A soft fruit approach with a little dryness, berries and wood on the mid palate. The length goes on and on with delicious soft tannins that hold the whole. Clearly the window is open and there's much more to follow but I wonder how it will develop. The length contains strawberries encased in soft tannins - the tannins remain almost unchanged on the length and last over a half minute but they remain soft and unchanged - they're cedar wood with no hint of lead. Maybe if I can leave a little in the bottle it might oxidise overnight a little and pretend its aged a tad and I can score a 94. Gorgeous.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/5/2011 - bonjovibon wrote: 91 Points
I mus t to confess that I liked a lot. Smooth and delicate. Really good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/1/2011 - lewisrise wrote: 93 Points
Nose of leather, rose petals and a hint of orange zest. Sour cherries with very smooth tannins. A hint of cedar and cinnamon on the finish Very smooth and well integrated wine.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
8/29/2011 - jmull wrote: 93 Points
Decanted about an hour. This does not give the impression of being 10 years past the vintage date, as it is still quite dark and primary. Loads of dark cherry, Earth, anise and some meaty character. Quite delicious. Tannins are evident but elegant, really silky. This is in a good place at the moment, but clearly has a long life ahead. 93.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
6/26/2011 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
A fine Gran Reserva, very correct but at this age all its complexity is still ahead of it. Nose has nice orange zest, a bit of shoe polish and leather intermixed with red fruits. To taste it is the orange that really comes through with a bit of red fruit and oak. Rounded and great balance but probably need to leave it at least 10 years before it will reveal anything really beyond the good red wine caregory. Potential.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/25/2011 - AMM3RD wrote: 92 Points
Served with Herb Crusted Bone-in Pork Roast, the Ripe fruit, Earthy and mildly dusty tannins all paired perfectly. Sour cherry and raspberry fruit with very nice balance with silky mouthfeel and acid. Drinking great now, and should drink well for 5 years easy...AM
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/23/2011 - bsreid wrote: 93 Points
Tasted with grilled skirt steak. Subtle flavors, nicely balanced with hints of vanilla.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/18/2011 - drunkstar wrote: 91 Points
Say what you smell I'm told. The first impression on dipping my nose into this is babies nappies. Not in a bad way. Has an old world slant but full of fruit and body. Amazed this is 10 years old Well balanced on the palate with a longish finish. This lasts for years and years.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/17/2011 - askoje wrote: 92 Points
Orange rim and a nice medium red color. Developed nose with hints of wet rocks, mushrooms, raisins and blackberries.
Powerful but very balanced at the same time. Very long finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/10/2011 - tantotinto wrote: 92 Points
Tasted about 30 minutes after opening. Ruby color. It looks young. Gorgeous nose of cinammon, cherry and earth. Great fruit with a little dustiness, a long finish and a reasonable tannin level. The fruit is intense but not over the top. This wine is full of life. Very well done. Best Rioja that I have had in a while. Highly recommended.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
2/10/2011 - MoTheMan wrote: 93 Points
In the words of the taste aficionados at the wine store, "Deep garnet colored, the nose of dried flowers, brown spices, cedar and cherry . . " The nose of dried flowers did dominate.
Very classic old world that needed time to open up as it was still tight & tannic, but open up it did, very impressive.
Deep rich, fruit (red & dark) flavors well balanced with deep earthy/woodsy character, and an excellent sense of terroir. Excellent complexity. Very Rioja but showing a lot more fruit integration than most old world style wines!!
Drinkeable now but will likely evolve for 15-20 years. At $50 can't say I'm happy about the QPR, but I may still get some for a special occassion or two. ;-) (0 views)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/30/2011 - WetRock wrote:
EWG tastes Umami (Umami Burger, Hollywood, CA): The nose shows spicy American oak with a strong dill note. Bright and fresh palate, very pretty. Strong fruit concentration showing off some blackberry notes today in front of beautiful structure. Lovely today with a long future ahead of it. It kept me coming back for more.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/8/2011 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 94 Points
By the glass at Jean-Georges. Nose: Dark, earth, dark fruit, roasted (in a good way - not baked or overripe, but baked like hot earth or stones). Very Perfumed & sweet. Dark flowers, meaty. Palate: Amazing concentration. Dusty red fruit, almost crystalline and jammy. Nearly searing intensity. Young, but singing. Nose: 4/6, Palate: 6/6, Finish: 5/6, Je ne sais quoi (wild card): 2/2 = 17/20 = 94/100. Very impressive. The 91 is one of my favorite wines. No surprise that the 01 hits my palate in the sweet spot.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/27/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with my last note, except that now I'm finding a lot of walnut on the nose and palate. Beautiful wine with pinpoint acidity cutting through the fruit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
12/26/2010 - rayq wrote:
Deep cherry colour. Nose has nice mix of leather and fruit.
For a traditional wine it seems surprisingly fruity. However no doubting where this is going.
This is really delicious wine-perfect balance. With time cherry fruit appears and bizarrely seems fresher
and more vibrant on the second day.
A long life ahead of this. No rush with this. I look forward to trying this again.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2010 - rayq wrote:
80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, Mazuelo and Graciano.
Dark cherry core with garnet at the rim.
Traditional rioja style nose. Blood, meaty, spice, earthy. Very silky mouthfeel.
Really coats the mouth. Lovely long finish.
Very Very Good.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/27/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Muga (haro, Rioja): Gorgeous nose. Mulberry, spice, a touch of iron, some meat and the slightest hint of nascent orange peel. Positive entry, very rounded. Lovely fruit. Seamless floow through to the mid-palate and long finish. Good balancing acidity. effortless. Yes! ***(**)
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/25/2010 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose showed cranberry, mushrooms, earth and old oak with a hint of candied sugar. On the palate, I found dark red fruits with leather and tobacco , leading to a long sour berry finish that was at first very tannic but ended fresh.
This bottle performed very nicely with three hours of air in bottle and accompanied our Thanksgiving dinner with ease.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/18/2010 - BailliSacks Likes this wine: 90 Points
Big, concentrated, competent international style point-seeker. Quite delicious if undistinguished. Good value relative to, say, an upper mid level Bordeaux. Drinks a lot like a modern Italian, not that I would mistake it... I will not seek this out again but would be happy enough to run into it on the street. A good match for a big slab of meat. Big tannins well balanced by big body. Long finish.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/9/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 93 Points
Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Deep ruby color turning slightly garnet at the rim. Intense nose of tart red fruits, well integrated spice, tobacco leaf and vanilla. Very pretty, with floral aromas coming later on. Masses of lively fruit on the palate, medium bodied, silky and mouthcoating. Excellent Rioja with loads of promise. 93+
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/11/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 92 Points
Quite good, with some funky earth aromas, better than the 2000 recently tasted.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/17/2010 - bonjovibon wrote: 86 Points
Shy nose and good acidity. But on the other hand, wood wood and more wood in the mouth. What should I have to do with my last bottle? We'll see...
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/5/2010 - Serge Birbrair Likes this wine:
Good notes, AlexH. Wine still delivers one year later.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/23/2010 - Yagil wrote: 89 Points
Spaniards meeting at Irit (participants of the June 2009 wine-trip to Ribera & Rioja) (at Irit): Dark red color, fruity-smoky heavy Riojan style aroma, crisp & tannic in taste, not smooth & round as expected, perhaps requires further aging. Did not deliver our expectations.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/4/2010 - admid wrote: 88 Points
Dark red
Aroma: Ripe red fruits with barrel notes
Good body and integrated oak. Soft and available tannins. Very good balance and structure. Vanilla and red fruit on the palate
Very good length
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
11/28/2009 - Alex H wrote: 87 Points
Wine Gallery Italy , Spain and SA tasting; 11/28/2009-11/29/2009 (Wine Gallery): Enticing nose of perfumed cherries and strawberries. Oak nicely held back with a very elegant and pretty fruit expression. Silky and gentle wine. Excellent clean delivery and just as glamorous an exit.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment