Not the first time I’ve had this wine. This current bottle was past it’s prime. It felt slightly deconstructed and had a faint oxidized finishing note. I’m hoping it’s a bottle variation and not a sign that this vintage is on its tail end of life.
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One hour slow-ox, four hour decant. Black pepper seasoned sun dried tomato smeared on leather I get on the nose, alongside coconut cream. There is some red fruit on the palette but it is hard to decipher which, maybe red cherry. But definitely roasted herbs, rosemary, thyme, etc.
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Great bottle, drinking very well. Tight at open and for the first 30 minutes in the decanter. Opened up beautifully with time and after double decanting back to the bottle. Deep red, Great nose with secondary notes of earth and herb layered on top of the still noticeable primary fruit. Great plate, good length. Wonderful.
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Stood up a week in advance. One hour slow oxidation. Decanted for four hours. Bottom neck. Cork in good shape. Medium garnet in the glass. Complex and layered with slightly damp leather, stewed tomatoes seasoned with cracked black pepper, black shoe polish, dried rosemary and thyme, and a feint hint of aniseed. Sleek, polished and structured.
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This had a smoky, spicy, cherry nose with a small hint of mustiness or "old wine smell." The palate echoed the spice, smoke, and cherry--rather tertiary in character overall. There is still a lot of acidity there, and finish was very long. This was very complex and pleasurable. It's probably best suited for wine nerds rather than casual drinkers as the savory/tertiary notes are more prominent than the fruit. But we loved it. I think this is unlikely to improve from here, so I suggest drinking now -> 2028.
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5/6. Showing red fruit, spice, leather, some soil notes. Light/medium bodied, elegant, linear even leanish, but attractive with it, leather, dried red fruit, spice, saline notes, long. Lovely.
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Rather evolved, the fill was great, the cork almost saturated to the top but hadn’t leaked yet, purchased on release direct from the distributor. And yet this is quite evolved, quite tawny in color, spicy, ;eathery, and earthy on the nose, light on the palate, which shows a hint of berry fruit, lots of spice, a strong acid driven spine of freshness, good length, some nuance, just quite fully tertiary and savory, Juicy and a delightful texture, just want a bit more fruitiness. Gamey.
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Big Al & Janelle's Spanish Inspired Blowout (Big Al & Janelle's, St. Anthony, MN): Medium ruby color with a 12mm bricked margin. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. I thought I'd had the '91 Tondonia before, but I'd always had the Bosconia in the past. Same bottle as Chablis28 and i like his take on this. This bottle, like the best of the '91 Bosconia, offers a serene drinking experience. Resolved and gorgeous, this offers up an amazing nose of spice box, dried cherries, blood, rose water, rose petals, and clove. The palate has resolved tannins, red currants and dried cherry, blood and minerals, lacquer, clove, baked raspberry, and is somewhat savory in a harmonious medium frame. Loved it.
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Siggy's tonight at Big Al' & Janelle's epic Spain inspired dinner. Felt like we dinned in Seville :) Don't believe this saw more than 30 minutes of air before we partook. Also, I believe there were 2 btls tonight and I'm unsure where my pours came from as this was more dinner party than hard core wine geek event & I was having fun sharing stories with guest I had not met before. Disclaimers out of the way it would be impossible not to notice the calm stateliness of this fully realized and placid glass of wine. Color is a nearly translucent ruby - garnet red. Captivating aromas of cigar box, dried roses and forest floor. A feather weight with deceptive concentration. Retreating red fruit along w/ mushroom, tea, herbs and mineral. Mostly, left me with a feeling of zen like grace and satisfaction. Might have a slight personal preference for some previous '91 Bosconia Gran Reservas of past years but this a treat.
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From memory so fewer detailed notes. Surprisingly delicate wine dominated by cigar box and cranberry? Aging well but the basic materials are not in the same league as the awesome 1981 we had a few months ago. Score: 92. Relative to expectations: 0
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A private lunch (Restaurant Schloss Berg ***, Perl/Nennig, Germany): Decanted for two hours. Fascinating wine. How can a wine which is so mature and tertiary still be so fresh and youthful? Medium garnet colour with a broad mahogany rim; deep and rich nose, nutty and balsamic but transparent and fresh, with notes of mint and almond, red berries and forest floor and subtle spicy oak; fresh and energetic palate, medium body but full of flavour, retains its juicy fruit, light but firm tannins, seamless and flowing; candied fruit on the long finish.
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Pale garnet on the edge. I was expecting more brown since this is nearly 30 years old, so pretty impressive color. Red fruit - strawberry, cherry, raspberry. Nose is pretty spectacular. Floral and potpourri aside from the fruit. There might be a bit of underlying age aromas (meat, leather, cocoa) but it's hard to pick out from the sweet notes coming off this. Very dry, sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry. Meaty notes coming through on the palate. Lots of acidity. Food wine. Dried herbs. Tobacco leaf. Savory. Medium body. Wood notes, but not in a bad way. No tannins left but the acid provides all the structure this needs. Good length on this. Old-fashioned Rioja is not a style for everyone. For me, I enjoyed it with food, but not so much drinking it by itself. Interesting that it does taste fresh. No oxidative notes although there is a hint of prune in the finish.
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4/6, cork fully soaked. Decanted 1 hour, #906,396. Pale/medium garnet core, pale mahogany rim. Developed nose, dried red fruit, tobacco, aromatic with spice and a touch of orange peel. Light/medium bodied, savoury, lithe, elegant and harmonious, fully resolved, touch of brine, very good length spicy finish. Excellent
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Complex, smoky and savory nose...light and graceful on the palate with high acidity and cranberry fruit. This is a very good Tondonia that seems surprisingly mature with a lot of bricking around the edges and a fairly tertiary profile.
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Cork came out fine. Light red with lots of orange bricking on the edge. Much of what I hoped for was there on the nose. Cherry fruits with game, leather and spic. In the mouth there is still some good acidity and fruit with some of the weightlessness that I love from these old Riojas from Lopez de Heredia. But overall, I was a little disappointed based on other experiences. The overall experience was not as complex and balanced as I wanted from this winery at this price. I still have 1 more of this and 2 1991 Bosconia and I am excited to experience them!
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Medium red color. Aromas of strawberries, leather, sage and oak spices. Medium-bodied, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with very good depth, surprising acidity and oak, excellent length and well-integrated tannins. This bottle was decanted and began as an 88 point wine and finished a half hour later as a 92! Delicious with spicy pork tenderloin. In sweet spot of maturity with another 10+ years of useful life. An interesting Spanish curiosity but not a particularly good value.
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Medium ruby, bright, clear. Powerful, but balanced nose at first, this took about an hour to really open up and harmonize. The palate is understated, classy, and drips with purity and pedigree. By the final glass, this had fleshed out, the finish was nearly a minute at that point. Constantly evolving nose, full of nuances and breadth. This is clearly going to continue along its path, likely hitting peak in 8-10 years based on this showing. That said, it's terrific now, as well; not sure I'd wait if I had some only because it's exciting now, too. recommended
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Opened 3 hours before serving; elected to slow-ox and not decant. Other CT notes have this wine nailed. Served right after the 96 Pesquera reserva and the comparison between these two great tempranillos was fun. This had a much lighter color, less signs of aging, a way more focused fruit profile and brightening acidity than the Pesquera. I will confidently hold my remaining bottle for years as this is still on the young side; again in contrast to the 96 Pesquera.
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Decanted 1/2 hr. Cork soaked. Pale/medium garnet/mahogany core, wide pale mahogany rim. Nose is complex, developed showing smoke, underlying sweet red fruit, spice, touches of menthol, fig and orange peel. Medium bodied, spicy red/brown fruit, touch of orange peel, fully resolved tannins, crisp (but balanced) acidity and finishes well - harmonious, broad and long. Excellent, drinking well.
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The nose is rich. Ripe berries, steel, leather and old oak.
The taste of the wine is juicy, lively, velvety and well balanced. Just enough acidity. Quite intense, but not massive. Lots of cherry, forest strawberry and fine oak.
The after taste is long, nuanced and kind of austere
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Served at about 16C. Pale/medium garnet core, wide pale garnet/mahogany rim. Nose immediately aromatic, pure dark fruit, lots of cigar box, touch of leather, florals. Extremely complex, beguiling. Medium bodied, fine-boned and elegant, cool, pure, tobaccoey dark fruit, fine but still slightly firm tannic spine, elegance with depth, lovely fresh acidity, long finish. Exquisite. Can be approached now but with many years of life ahead still.
Lovely dusty and rich leather aromas. Gorgeous, silky texture and svelte, dusty, sweet tempranillo fruit. Beautiful, earthy flavors on the finish with a nice kick of acid and dillweed. Very good showing, but this still has plenty of room for development and improvement with more time on its side.
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Perfumed aromatics here with a slight metallic twang on the back of the palate, before all those beef-stock elements start to waft out of the glass. High acidity, and benefits from food. Good but not great.
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Sweet syrupy taste, bitter orange, apricot, elegant acidity balanced by the aromas. The GRs require a lot time but this vintage is ready to drink. Must get more of these, unfortunately easier said than done.
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Dark and moderately translucent pomegranate color with a luminous cherry red rim. Very distinctive and characterful nose with somewhat off - yet not off-putting - aromas of nuttiness, something waxy, dried red cherries, some beetroot notes, a little bit of wild Campari character, light dusty earth tones, a hint of blueberries and a lifted touch of VA. The wine is smooth, lively and medium-bodied on the palate with complex and slightly wild flavors of wild strawberries, sour cherries, some herbal bitterness, a little bit of tart cranberries, light earthy tones, a hint of leather and a touch of savory old wood. The wine is high in acidity, whereas the tannins feel quite light and almost fully resolved. The finish is long, tangy and quite acid-driven with pretty dry flavors of leather, sour cherries, some tart cranberries, a little bit of herbal spice and a touch of earthiness.
A wonderfully complex, developed and quite earthy Tondonia Gran Reserva from a rather difficult vintage that shows: the wine is lacking the depth and intensity the best vintages of Tondonia GR, there are some slightly underripe herbal tones and the overall feel is somewhat muddled and lacking definition. Nevertheless - and a true testament to the Heredia level of quality - the wine is very enjoyable, nuanced and classically built in every aspect. Even though it might not reach the quality of the best vintages of Tondonia Gran Reserva, it still is a very impressive wine for an old-school Rioja. Very lovely.
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Guessed this was my wine (only 2 left so pretty easy). Opened and poured into a new bottle 30 minutes before tasting. Light red color with substantial meniscus. Dirt, iodine, dried cherry, orange peel on nose (very unique). On palate, dried cherry, sweet cherry, apricots. High acids, medium body with faint tannins. Very long finish. Some in group thought this was an older Burgundy. Wonderful old school Rioja. 93+
Came in 2nd for WOTN.
[My note from 12/2010 - Classic old school Rioja. Very light red color - showing it's age. Apricots, burnt oak, licorice, spice box on nose. On palate, dried red fruits, red licorice, - very rich acidity and a very long finish - I can still recall the taste 24 hours later - this is one of the best wines that I have ever had]
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Clearly a phenomenal wine, but this bottle was tainted by contact with the stinky wax capsule while pouring into a decanter. Make sure to remove that nasty stuff from the tip of the bottle before pouring.
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rather too young and without enough breathing (45mins) - but lovely pure scented fruit and concentration behind the tannins. wait at least 5 years, maybe 20...
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Monthly Tasting Group HWS #102; Rioja (By CvR): Very mature bouquet with nutty flavors, iodine, mushrooms and autumn forest. On the palate chocolate, tea, coffee and leather. Some caramel as well. The acidity is refined and pleasurable. Very mature, but also a very lovely and elegant wine. Special!
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It is always exciting to open a bottle of Tondonia Gran Reserva. This bottle did not disappoint. Very light ruby color with some brown around the edges. On the initial pour, the nose showed a lot of cedar, spice and a hint of vanilla and smoke. The palate showed much of the same but also pleasant notes of tart cherry and black tea. As the wine has evolved, notes of orange zest emerge. There's nice, refreshing acidity here as one always seems to get with LdH. This wine is so nicely balanced as to be almost weightless on the palate. This is a fun wine to drink! I think it is fantastic now but given LdH's track record, feel free to continue to hold for several more decades.
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So much to enjoy here. Incredibly fresh tasting. I was happy that I didn't decant. At the end of the bottle there was just a very faint cloudiness to the wine, almost no sediment. The wine closed up on itself, or faded, after being open for a few hours.
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Nov '14 edition (Txikito, NY): The texture here suggests this is fully mature with the tannin mostly integrated, but the fruit here feels much deeper-complexioned and richer than in the '85, which was much more about its tertiary savoury notes. The ripe red berried and apple flavours stand out more strongly here, with a sappy intensity to the fruit, and the earthy/cedary notes are more understated in the background. A remarkable contrast with the other two older Heredias, and a fantastic trio of wines.
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A fabulous wine! The nose of red berries, strawberry, licorice and tobacco, a hint of earth cellar and forest. A complex flavor with lovely balance, leather cherry and spice. Long and good taste, a lovely wine!
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Dinner at Browntrout (Browntrout, Chicago IL): Nose: It was incredible how youthful the nose was with dark red cherries, licorice, dark red berries, leather, herbs, black tea, spices, and a touch of VA. The depth and layering show off the age, but there is a real immediacy to the tones.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The feel is polished and silky with dark red cherries, licorice, black tea, earth tones, leather, and dark red berries.
Overall: This was a beautiful bottle of LdH Tondonia. This still had a very primary nature to it and it feels like a marathon runner.
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Dinner at Browntrout (Browntrout - Chicago, IL): Tons of the dusty Lopez nose of leather, dried florals, some tobacco, and earth. Palate had a really sweet, dense red fruit tone to it...some mushroomy notes, and florals. Lots to love here, and plenty of life ahead of it!
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Dinner in Chicago with new friends (Browntrout (Chicago, Il)): Very young still. Nose shows good spice, some sweet oak, a beautiful strawberry fruit note, good acid, soy, meaty. Young and tart on the palate but the depth is in there - good acid, spice. Tart strawberry and stone finish. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5+/6, Finish - 4.5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5+/20 (with 17.5/20 potential).
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Dinner at Browntrout (Chicago, IL): When you open a bottle like this, you have to ask yourself, why do I not buy this by the case? The nose is leather and pencil and all sorts of secondary character. The palate's a bit austere, and though there's still some black fruit, it's the leather again that shows up in full force. Earthy and dusty. Fine-grained tannins.
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True, it did not have the drama of the '80 or '76 (which was magnificent) but it is still rather sensational wine. Although one of the sensations of the night was learning that this apparently all get re-corked at the winery, which is not to my liking. But still delicious wine.
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Excellent showing. A stunning, intense nose of tobacco, leather, great big dollops of aged cedar, cherry and orange. After that remarkable nose, the palate was a little light, but after an hour it blossomed and took on much more weight. This particular bottle was in a perfect place. Addition time wouldn't have improved it at all.
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Muy potente, especiado, con notas balsámicas casi asilvestradas (laurel, geranio, yedra, laurel). Todo él indica que está necesitado de años de guarda para acabar de domarse. Salen aromas de fruta roja madura, algo reducida y licorosa, flores marchitas, con apuntes de cueros viejos, ahumados, duelas envinadas, frutos secos y un fondo animal a faisandage. Muy buena impresión general aunque todavía por desarrollarse.
En boca es pura energía, fresco, nervioso, con bastante cantidad de fruta roja cítrica y taninos marcados, vivos pero dulces. Tiene finas notas tostadas, maderas de calidad, un rastro de cacao y un potencial de guarda enorme. Un Tondonia que hace honor a la bodega, de gran pureza y clasicismo. Una apuesta segura que ya se disfruta pero que irá a más. Las últimas cosechas embotelladas del Gran Reserva están a la altura de la historia de López de Heredia.
Wine Info - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo - 12% 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 15.000 botellas. Descansa un mínimo de 44 meses en botellero antes de ser comercializado. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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Crumbly cork. Upon opening wine was a bit closed. After 30 minutes it began to blossom with ripe fruit, balance and finesse and continued to do so over the next couple of hours. Finished with earthy elegance.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): Similarly to the '91 Bosconia served beside it this showed young, but for me showed a bit more promise. Nose of saline, sweat, sweet and sour pork, cherries, soil, vanilla, and some nutty brown spice notes. Again we have a bit of a tough palate with drying tannin and fierce acid. Young and should improve.
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Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): Inviting nose of violets, spice, earth, mushroom and dark cherry and some obvious american oak The palate shows minerals, mushroom, earth, dark cherry, spice and lively acidity. The finish is medium+ and quite complex. Again....wait on this at least 10 years.
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Year 2; Tasting 2 of 5; Andrew does Rioja (1954-1994) (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Garnet in the glass, leaning a touch darker in shade than the Bosconia served alongside it. On the nose, rather tight, but with some coaxing, deep red cherry, cranberry, orange zest, sandalwood, light herbal notes, a touch of unintegrated oak, baking spice, and some very light oxidative notes. On the palate, much like the Bosconia, this has very lively acidity; medium plus; as well as some moderate unintegrated tannin that really dries out the finish. There is a lot brooding in this wine with a ton of upside and class, but it definitely needs another 5-10 years to strut its stuff. Did not budge over the time followed.
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P&P and served in Riedel Burg Stems. At first almost overwhelmingly acidic, I was a little worried that this wasn’t going to yield much in the way of actual enjoyment. Fortunately, dinner came to rescue (Lamb skewers and sautéed polenta), harnessing that acidic bite, and allowing the wines true flavors to shine. I must admit, I read the notes on this particular wine very thoroughly, so I fully admit I was cued to seek out the orange peel and mushroom traits so often described, and they were pretty easy to detect. Very elegant and classy tannic structure, hard to say what additional aging would do, but this was a very educational not to mention fun wine to drink, glad for the opportunity.
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For us this wine is a story of one good bottle and 5 bottles looking for a repeat of that experience but to no unveil. We tried we promise. Today the wine was light in colour and looked way older than a 91. Sweet Rioja core, good fruit , spice, delicate wine. A lot of earthy, mushroom notes. Good wine but given bottle variation we are not sure how characteristic of the wine this bottle was.
Totally fun wine. Starts a bit awkward but opens up over 30 minutes. Continues to change over an hour or so. Cherries, strawberries, brown sugar, aged wood, and all kinds of foresty, earthy, funky smells. Some VA. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, and some wood on the palate. Strong acidity, long tasty finish, tannins still quite present. Overall, this was a great wine to keep going back to over the course of a meal. The acidity calls for certain kinds of food, like sherry vinaigrette or sheep cheese.
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Light amber brick color. The legs are Medium. The nose is like Dust, Mushroom, and Fur. Not fruity at all. It tastes like Stoniness, Dust, and Mushroom. Lots of acidity and the acidity does not blend in well. The body is Light. The wine has Silky texture. Acidity makes the finish quite long, but it is not in total balance. This seems like over it's prime to me. Similar taste on the second day.
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Tarte and acidic. The third bottle I have had of this - not sure it will ever swing round into a brilliant wine. There is just too much acidity getting in the way.
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Lived up to expectations. Sl carmel red. Somewhat earthy nose. 1 hour decant lead to beautiful wine with sour cherries, a little earth, great acidity and extremely long enjoyable finish. Ready to drink now. I will be looking for more!
Rioja tasting (Vadebacus (Sant Cugat - Spain)): Following a kind advice from a CT fellow the wine was opened for 1 hour. Very subtle but complex bouquet, with black olives, subtle cedar, leather, small forrest strawberries, mushrooms and earth... unfortunately had some sulphurous notes. Despite all those notes, after 20 min in glass the wine shut down and didnt start to show again until the tasting was done. On palate had a metallic taste, leather, red dried fruit and underbrush. Finish was a bit short. That was my first Heredia GR and I ended somehow disappointed... maybe needed more time to taste or maybe was the bottle.. or me ;) 87-88
Is there a better value than rioja? Better than lopez? Even with the recent price increases, this bottle destroys bottles in similar price ranges.
Strawberries and cream on the nose with a touch of funk. Could smell this for days. On the palate, tight for the first hour but explodes with goodness. The tannins could be resolved with another 10 years but nonetheless the mouthfeel is tremendous. Cigar box and strawberries. Wish i had kept this in the cellar.
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Smooth as silk and went down like water. I have always thought these could age forever but this feels so complete I am not sure whereelse it could possibly go.
And as a side note -- man do these LdH wines not like being shipped. For about three months after shipping they go dead (this has been sitting for eight months).
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A big variation on the bottles here - very high acidity here that really juts into the fruit. So much so that it is a struggle to make it through a second glass. Really needs food to counteract the acidity. At this age I guess the variation is to be expected.
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Aaaaahhh the wonder of Tondonia. Is it cooked? Is it corked? Is it too old? Is it brilliant? It treats the line between all these elements. This flickers and flutters between ugly and beautiful. Whispy and delicate, sour and meaty. On the palate this undoubtedly has high acidity and a zingy palate but then the cherries and funk kick in. Ugly beautiful is the way I would describe it. The anthithesis of the fruit bomb. Time is on its side to let those leathery and feral elements come to the fore.
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Decanted and drunk over next four hours. Light brick red. Striking nose of flowers, tar, forest floor. Great palate with tart cherry, herb notes, tannin and acid in good balance. Finish good but a tiny bit bitter and clipped, which is the only thing holding this back from outstanding. Excellent bottle with food and pleasant alone. Can clearly age further, and likely benefit from age.
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Heredia Tasting; 5/7/2012-5/8/2012 (Palena, Washington, DC): This was served with the fifth group of wines. N red berries, pine, earth P red raspberry, pine, barnyard, spice Good structure and finish. Not as impressed this time around. 90-91
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Finally a good bottle! or decent we should say. We have had a lot of bottle variation with these. In neck level with solid but fully wet cork. Nose is earthy with light fruit, elegant and long with a rioja sweet core through it. On the palate is seems to have lost its vitaliity and it was on the Thin side. Again this could well be bottle variability. Good but nowhere close to how good the first bottle we had was (that was from a direct source) and we would suggest one buys direct from Tondonia if one needs old bottles of these. Else the risk is high. 91ish and drinks very nicely now.
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2012 - ES #2 (Extra Space Boon Keng): Alcohol :: 12% Light ruby red. This has some funkiness and muskiness which mellowed down with time, though not completely gone. The bouquet offers lots of plum, preserved and fresh one, surrounded by earth, blackberry and saline mineral. Light - medium bodied, the palate is fresh and delicate with good delineation and balance. I like the freshness and friendliness of this wine. Feminine, medium length finish. Quite simple but a wine I can keep drinking.
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Incredible nose... best described as the smell of a wonderfully old musty oak wine cellar. Beautiful chocolate color! Very balanced and moderate body. Rich dark berries, earthy leather, and a slow relaxed finish. Will need to buy more of this wine to keep on hand! Enjoyed with a well marbled sirloin!
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Jan '12 edition (Montclair, NJ): Remarkably pale and advanced in colour. It's drinking superbly though with a stunning fragrance combining all sorts of floral, tarry, leathery and high toned red fruited elements, and an incredibly polished, graceful palate presence. This seems fully mature with the tannins fully resolved, a spine of bright acidity keeping the flavours very fresh and lively and wonderful balance.
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Strong smell of wet earth and mushrooms. Always seems a bit corked to me at the start. Swirling brings up chocolate, roasted walnuts, sour cherries. Palate is wonderfully silky.
Very interesting night. In a field of Gran Reservas, this certainly distinguished itself. Even more interesting is the drinking time frame of the Gran Reservas. It seemed to me that the "young" Gran Reservas, meaning under 25 years of age, almost all seemed a little bit corky or musty. Then post year twenty five (and this is all just guess work) the corky note fades into a walnut / chocolate / sour cherry note. Just my guess work. So my thought is to drink Gran Reservas between 25 and 45 years of age.
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Tasted blind. Very translucent brick color. Show polish, quince, dried figs and some mushrooms on the nose. Fully mature, perfectly balanced, silky and very very smooth. A pleasure.
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So, it was 50% off night at the local tapas place and we picked this up for $60! Fantastic value. COlor was tough given the lighting in the restaurant, but it looked a rahter pale garnet. The nose was very expressive. Off the cork you could find orange peel or prange marmalade, mushrooms, and cigar smoke. The palate was smooth and mature. Very low acidity. Not a lot of fruit left, but what was there was wonderful - a little reminiscent of red licorice. This is really a terrific wine. (5+14+18+9)
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My 3rd time with this wine, and there seems to be a fair bit of bottle variation here. The most recent notes score this 96,94, but my impression are more along the lines of Zweder's and Richard's. This absolutely begs for food. Fair on its own, but the acids are a bit too lively and the fruit not really up to the task of standing on its own. I think this bottle had a Slow-O of 2 hours, and perhaps could have benefited from a 2 hour aeration in a decanter. Drink thru 2027, score: B+/A-
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PNP. Pale brick with surprising structure despite its appearance. Lovely; tasted alongside the 2001 Reserva. Brussel sprouts, stewed cherry, vanilla, old used leather, burnt sugar, game meat, metalworking oils, tar on the nose. A minute or so of flavors evolving on the palate as the finish carries you on a nice little journey. Evolved rather rapidly in the glass with the peak at about 30 minutes, after which it started gaining a bit more balance but losing some of the depth and complexity. Marvelous at $70.
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Purchased in June and allowed to rest a few months before opening. PnP, bright medium brick core with tawny rim. Luscious mature aromas of roses, leather, spices, fruitcake, caramel, coconut, and wet fall leaves leading into a burst of complex, elegant, layered flavors with a smooth but lively feel in the mouth. Superb balance and exceptional length with the firmness to indicate many years before any decline. Served with a selection of spanish cheeses and fig marmalade…happy, happy mouth.
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Amazing vibrant nose of raspberry, rose, and dash of cocoa. Nice dark bricking. Mouth of puckering acidity, red fruits, leather, and game. Wonderful wine!
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At Coq d'Argent: sadly I didn't have time to give this the attention it deserved, but it seemed to be on form, lots of intrigue, high acid, dried fruit
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Friday Night Dinner (Medium Rare - Cleveland Park, Washington, DC): A real treat. Nose had a good deal of sherry with lithe red fruit and potpourri. The palate featured nice smokey herbs, subtle florals, and a reductive fruit quality that was interestingly not abrasive. This was my first time having the 1991 Gran Reserva and would like to try another to see if the reductive qualities are consistent.
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Old school barrelled out nose. I love it. Great palate weight and concentration. Exceptional finish with length.
11 hours later: nose of coffee, cooked fruits, figs, jasmine (yes, jasmine, ok, well coconut), black pepper, walnuts. Leather, animal. Palate is soft and silky, in harmony all the way through. Drinks like water. The acidity and tannins ride up just a touch on the finish. I actually could see this going further in bottle. Seemless, a beauty to me although I can understand why some would lean against it.
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Maybe this was a bad bottle. It was light, with a nose of berry coming out of the bottle. It oxidized very quickly in the glass and offered little to be excited about.
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Serious. Elegant, earthy, gentle, berry, a little citrus. Heaven with a grilled pork tenderloin with apple-chipotle salsa... and with the 1987 LdH white.
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Complete and complex...opened with friends with no chance for formal tasting notes. A wonderful expression of Rioja....lithe and light bodied with good acidty. A food wine that deserves attention and thought.
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Attention! If the bottle I had is representative of all the other bottles, you can expect something special and not everyone will like it! The color is quite light orange brown/red. Complex and mature bouquet with earthy and autumn forest impressions. Very tasteful, but hardly any fruit left. Some currants, earthy and underbrush and oxidized impressions. Soft tannin and good acidity. Complex and a long finish. Will be lovely with small game meat. I score it "only" 91 because I think this wine will not be so great without appropriate food. With a good food match and truffle/mushrooms it will be great!
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I close my drinking of 1991 gv tondonias. Still several left for opening in couple of years but this will be another exciting step Now buying 1994 vintage I will rate the wine now. First.Never decant this wine. You will spoil it. Brick colour, scents of chocolate, cuban cigar and dried fruits, delicate texture,good acidity and rusty freshness. Long, very long and elegant.
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Good bottle, good cork and perfect wax seal. Wine is a bit thin and lacks vibrancy. Good fruit around but the age has taken away the best of this. Very different to the wine we tried 6 months ago.
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Dinner with Jesus Madrazo (28-50, London): Deep ruby. Red fruit. A touch of orange. Lovely freshness and acidity. A little on the young side but freshness probably accentuated after the Beaucastels. Classic trad Rioja. ****
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This wine is very difficult to understand and not for amateurs. I would say that is probably one of the best wines I´ve tried ever. I will not describe it. Frenchies would price this wine in 200€ only for its cost of bringing it up. Enormous.
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Dinner at Table 16 for Barb's Birthday. As I read back through my notes and remember this bottle I question myself a bit on how I found this to be the most enjoyable of the reds tonight but that was definitely the case, if by a slight margin. Clearly old world in style, it showed notes of sweet fruit mixed with cedar and cigar box. The cigar box note is why I question myself not normally being a fan of wines like this. Tannins clamp down hard on the finish and this clearly has several years of positive development to go. A real surprise for me. 50+14+13+9+9= 95
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Taste at Elysian. Showing a lot of age. Color is medium light tawny brown. Nose showed predominantly notes of oxidization, some light molasses and really light orange marmalade action. Still tastes ok and definitely intriguing but past its prime without a doubt. The bottle was barely finished. Some didn't care for this at all but I saw the more subtle qualities that I believe most experienced wine lovers would appreciate.
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Loved this wine - tasted blind in a flight with 3 other "old-world" reds. This was a touch better than the '82 Chateau La Lagune and way better than an '05 Bordeaux (Chateau Peyraud). Classic old school Rioja. Very light red color - showing it's age. Apricots, burnt oak, licorice, spice box on nose. On palate, dried red fruits, red licorice, - very rich acidity and a very long finish - I can still recall the taste 24 hours later - this is one of the best wines that I have ever had - cork was soaked through but the wine was still in great condition - wine of the night. Don't have enough experience to truly describe this wine - 94+ for me.
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Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano. Slightly more high toned nose than the Bosconia. More classic orange peel nuance on the nose. 12% alcohol. Lovely foil to the Bosconia. Excellent.
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Lopez de Heredia Tour & Tasting (Haro, Rioja): Denser, plusher nose. More rounded on the attack with less obvious sous-bois. orange peel starting to come through. Again, lovely. ****
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This is seriously nice. Already had a few other wines before that one so can't remember all of the details but delivers a beautiful mix between the transparence of a good red burg and the density of a good bordeaux. Recommended and underpriced...
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I am a huge Lopez de Heredia fan and this wine really underscores my love affair with the vineyard. Like all of these wines it is a full "round" wine that is absolutely pure on the palate. Wines like this really can not be described other to say they are simply delicious and elegant. I have had the pleasure of meeting Maria Jose de Heredia, winemaker, on two occasions. She is one of the most knowledgeable winemakers I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She says, because her wines are aged so long in cask (usually large 100+ year old American oak) and bottle, you should never decant them. "Since they have be deprived of oxygen about 10 years, decanting will cause you to miss their evolution in the glass" she says. From my experience she is on the money. In any case this is superb!
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Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: Not sure as to the quality of the bottle and for sure nothing to do with the wine we had on 5th of Sep. Earlier comment as it is more valid
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Tempranillo tasting (Weygandt Wines, DC): Grand and light meaty notes. Opens mercurial with its lovely orange crimson tinge. Very mooth and clearly old school in complexion and philosophy. With swirling, some very interesting fruit emerges: cherry and tons of apricot. The palate is beauitful with a high acidic pitch, but perhaps a bit out of touch on its own, requiring some food to pair. Finish a touch buttery as the remnance of its sleep in barrique pokes through. Complex and fun, but not profound. Nevertheless, a very elegant wine.
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Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): light ruby, almost orange colored. the nose on this shows a really interesting caramel aspect, along with gran marnier, raisins and green pepper. it still has life on the palate. good acid, medium body, silky tannins. sour cherry, plums, a bit of toast, but there's also a bit of apricot as well. nicely made wine, and the age has helped develop some good complexity. this was the wine of the night, but, for me, it just didn't have enough to make it exceptional.
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Turning brick and showing its age. Well kept restaurant bottle and had with no decanting. Really the wine is ready to go from the word go. And a very nice wine indeed. A very seductive nose, full of complexity and finesse. Stayed with the wine over 2 hours that i kept a bit ( more like defended it from Nicol's advances) int he glass. Fine and mild on the palate with lots of charecter and beautifull rioja earthiness to it. We really loved this wine and although not of the calibre of the 1964 we tried a coule of months ago we are now big Tondonia fans. Great.
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Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Light garnet color. Nose of mint, beeswax, pencil lead and dry herbs. Light bodied on the palate and mouthcoating with fine tannins and good acidity. Definitely a friendly, easy drinking wine, but is it worth the tariff?
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At El Portal in Rioja. Stunning nose, everything you would hope for. Not so sure on the palate though, I can live with a lot of acidity, but this didn't' seem balanced to me, just a little too shrill and harsh. Not an off bottle in the sense of flawed, but not fully convinced it was spot on either. The sommelier thought it was fine, and air did open it up a bit, maybe it just needed longer. I love their wines, but this wasn't quite what I hoped for.
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Wild, rustic, savory, bloody, yet lively and elegant with bright acidity, layers of flavor and concentration, and a long finish. Tannins are there on the finish, but they are subtle and mostly resolved. There is a bit of hardness to this wine that makes it more intellectually pleasurable than purely sexual, but the pleasure is real nonetheless.
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Aged claret styled with a bit of aged burg nose. Dried fruits, dried figs, dry wine with just a drop of honeysuckle and stewed winter melon tea. Very amateurish, rootish.
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A more beautiful nose than the rest of the range so far, with fuller fruit that shows more age but also possesses a sweetness that really pushes this wine into the range of truly memorable. Very impressive that the wine is showing so impactfully at this point. Just a thrilling nose - it's got openness, a little oxidative note, a hint of something a bit diesel-like, some savory notes - just so much going on here. Really, really terrific.
Palate is the same - just a wonderful example of balance, harmony. Has everything - beautiful acidity, pleasing sweet fruit, spice for complexity. Notions of dried herbs, flowers, etc. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. Truly special. 96-98
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Garnet with browning at the rim. Tarry red fruits, polish and subtle charred oak on the nose. Pure and elegant with long, well defined dried cherry flavour. Lovely precision and balance with long lingering flavours.
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3/8/2024 - glou.sf wrote: flawed
Corked
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12/28/2023 - mick978@gmail.com Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not the first time I’ve had this wine. This current bottle was past it’s prime. It felt slightly deconstructed and had a faint oxidized finishing note. I’m hoping it’s a bottle variation and not a sign that this vintage is on its tail end of life.
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12/11/2023 - Amberissey Likes this wine: 90 Points
One hour slow-ox, four hour decant. Black pepper seasoned sun dried tomato smeared on leather I get on the nose, alongside coconut cream. There is some red fruit on the palette but it is hard to decipher which, maybe red cherry. But definitely roasted herbs, rosemary, thyme, etc.
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11/19/2023 - Rechrom wrote: 96 Points
Great bottle, drinking very well. Tight at open and for the first 30 minutes in the decanter. Opened up beautifully with time and after double decanting back to the bottle. Deep red, Great nose with secondary notes of earth and herb layered on top of the still noticeable primary fruit. Great plate, good length. Wonderful.
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11/11/2023 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 90 Points
Stood up a week in advance. One hour slow oxidation. Decanted for four hours. Bottom neck. Cork in good shape. Medium garnet in the glass. Complex and layered with slightly damp leather, stewed tomatoes seasoned with cracked black pepper, black shoe polish, dried rosemary and thyme, and a feint hint of aniseed. Sleek, polished and structured.
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2/3/2023 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 97 Points
60 min double decant. Drinking great, not going to get better. Strong Sour cherry fruit
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2/1/2023 - Michael T. Zoppo Likes this wine:
This had a smoky, spicy, cherry nose with a small hint of mustiness or "old wine smell." The palate echoed the spice, smoke, and cherry--rather tertiary in character overall. There is still a lot of acidity there, and finish was very long. This was very complex and pleasurable. It's probably best suited for wine nerds rather than casual drinkers as the savory/tertiary notes are more prominent than the fruit. But we loved it. I think this is unlikely to improve from here, so I suggest drinking now -> 2028.
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6/10/2022 - Paul D wrote: 93 Points
5/6. Showing red fruit, spice, leather, some soil notes. Light/medium bodied, elegant, linear even leanish, but attractive with it, leather, dried red fruit, spice, saline notes, long. Lovely.
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3/12/2022 - Gregory Dal Piaz wrote: 90 Points
Rather evolved, the fill was great, the cork almost saturated to the top but hadn’t leaked yet, purchased on release direct from the distributor. And yet this is quite evolved, quite tawny in color, spicy, ;eathery, and earthy on the nose, light on the palate, which shows a hint of berry fruit, lots of spice, a strong acid driven spine of freshness, good length, some nuance, just quite fully tertiary and savory, Juicy and a delightful texture, just want a bit more fruitiness. Gamey.
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12/27/2021 - T G F wrote:
decant narrow decanter 1 hour before drinking. Very nice bottle of wine. Buy 1-2 more to consume over next 5-15 years.
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11/20/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 96 Points
Big Al & Janelle's Spanish Inspired Blowout (Big Al & Janelle's, St. Anthony, MN): Medium ruby color with a 12mm bricked margin. PNP, drank a glass over an hour. I thought I'd had the '91 Tondonia before, but I'd always had the Bosconia in the past. Same bottle as Chablis28 and i like his take on this. This bottle, like the best of the '91 Bosconia, offers a serene drinking experience. Resolved and gorgeous, this offers up an amazing nose of spice box, dried cherries, blood, rose water, rose petals, and clove. The palate has resolved tannins, red currants and dried cherry, blood and minerals, lacquer, clove, baked raspberry, and is somewhat savory in a harmonious medium frame. Loved it.
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11/20/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 96 Points
Siggy's tonight at Big Al' & Janelle's epic Spain inspired dinner. Felt like we dinned in Seville :) Don't believe this saw more than 30 minutes of air before we partook. Also, I believe there were 2 btls tonight and I'm unsure where my pours came from as this was more dinner party than hard core wine geek event & I was having fun sharing stories with guest I had not met before. Disclaimers out of the way it would be impossible not to notice the calm stateliness of this fully realized and placid glass of wine. Color is a nearly translucent ruby - garnet red. Captivating aromas of cigar box, dried roses and forest floor. A feather weight with deceptive concentration. Retreating red fruit along w/ mushroom, tea, herbs and mineral. Mostly, left me with a feeling of zen like grace and satisfaction. Might have a slight personal preference for some previous '91 Bosconia Gran Reservas of past years but this a treat.
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10/13/2021 - Enfantterrible wrote: 94 Points
Pristine. So enjoyable. About an hour decant along with a 100 day porterhouse. Excellent match. Aged wine and aged beef. Chef’s kiss.
I looked to pick up some new bottles, as this was my last one. What used to cost $70 is now $300++. Dang…
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7/4/2021 - JJYoyo Likes this wine: 92 Points
From memory so fewer detailed notes. Surprisingly delicate wine dominated by cigar box and cranberry? Aging well but the basic materials are not in the same league as the awesome 1981 we had a few months ago.
Score: 92. Relative to expectations: 0
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6/12/2021 - TwoSmoochies wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Light but delicious. Still a lot of fruit left.
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3/27/2021 - snsharma Likes this wine: 92 Points
Popped and poured, ready to go right of the bottle.
Medium bodied, lively, well-balanced, fruit has faded, more earthy.
This felt like it was right at the edge of beginning its decline. I would drink up now.
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8/29/2020 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 94 Points
A private lunch (Restaurant Schloss Berg ***, Perl/Nennig, Germany): Decanted for two hours. Fascinating wine. How can a wine which is so mature and tertiary still be so fresh and youthful? Medium garnet colour with a broad mahogany rim; deep and rich nose, nutty and balsamic but transparent and fresh, with notes of mint and almond, red berries and forest floor and subtle spicy oak; fresh and energetic palate, medium body but full of flavour, retains its juicy fruit, light but firm tannins, seamless and flowing; candied fruit on the long finish.
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5/16/2020 - winesteward Likes this wine: 88 Points
Pale garnet on the edge. I was expecting more brown since this is nearly 30 years old, so pretty impressive color. Red fruit - strawberry, cherry, raspberry. Nose is pretty spectacular. Floral and potpourri aside from the fruit. There might be a bit of underlying age aromas (meat, leather, cocoa) but it's hard to pick out from the sweet notes coming off this. Very dry, sour cherry, raspberry, strawberry. Meaty notes coming through on the palate. Lots of acidity. Food wine. Dried herbs. Tobacco leaf. Savory. Medium body. Wood notes, but not in a bad way. No tannins left but the acid provides all the structure this needs. Good length on this. Old-fashioned Rioja is not a style for everyone. For me, I enjoyed it with food, but not so much drinking it by itself. Interesting that it does taste fresh. No oxidative notes although there is a hint of prune in the finish.
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4/12/2020 - Paul D wrote: 92 Points
4/6, cork fully soaked. Decanted 1 hour, #906,396.
Pale/medium garnet core, pale mahogany rim. Developed nose, dried red fruit, tobacco, aromatic with spice and a touch of orange peel. Light/medium bodied, savoury, lithe, elegant and harmonious, fully resolved, touch of brine, very good length spicy finish. Excellent
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12/21/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
Complex, smoky and savory nose...light and graceful on the palate with high acidity and cranberry fruit. This is a very good Tondonia that seems surprisingly mature with a lot of bricking around the edges and a fairly tertiary profile.
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7/21/2019 - short and confused wrote: 92 Points
Cork came out fine. Light red with lots of orange bricking on the edge. Much of what I hoped for was there on the nose. Cherry fruits with game, leather and spic. In the mouth there is still some good acidity and fruit with some of the weightlessness that I love from these old Riojas from Lopez de Heredia. But overall, I was a little disappointed based on other experiences. The overall experience was not as complex and balanced as I wanted from this winery at this price. I still have 1 more of this and 2 1991 Bosconia and I am excited to experience them!
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6/7/2019 - Paul D wrote: flawed
3/6. Corked
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1/7/2019 - Lype Likes this wine: 92 Points
No formal notes, generally speaking not a good vintage in Rioja but this is truly impressive.
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11/20/2018 - rraaffaa wrote: 94 Points
Medium body, lively, lots of cherry, perfectly smooth, well integrated wood. it changed a lot over the hour we decanted it, it's worth the wait.
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7/28/2018 - hsacks Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium red color. Aromas of strawberries, leather, sage and oak spices. Medium-bodied, nicely structured fruit in the mouth with very good depth, surprising acidity and oak, excellent length and well-integrated tannins. This bottle was decanted and began as an 88 point wine and finished a half hour later as a 92! Delicious with spicy pork tenderloin. In sweet spot of maturity with another 10+ years of useful life. An interesting Spanish curiosity but not a particularly good value.
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12/19/2017 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:
Medium ruby, bright, clear. Powerful, but balanced nose at first, this took about an hour to really open up and harmonize. The palate is understated, classy, and drips with purity and pedigree. By the final glass, this had fleshed out, the finish was nearly a minute at that point. Constantly evolving nose, full of nuances and breadth. This is clearly going to continue along its path, likely hitting peak in 8-10 years based on this showing. That said, it's terrific now, as well; not sure I'd wait if I had some only because it's exciting now, too. recommended
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8/20/2017 - thomaskeil Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 3 hours before serving; elected to slow-ox and not decant. Other CT notes have this wine nailed. Served right after the 96 Pesquera reserva and the comparison between these two great tempranillos was fun. This had a much lighter color, less signs of aging, a way more focused fruit profile and brightening acidity than the Pesquera. I will confidently hold my remaining bottle for years as this is still on the young side; again in contrast to the 96 Pesquera.
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7/10/2017 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 97 Points
90 min decant. The best rioja I've had and drinking perfect right now.
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5/29/2017 - jerhardt wrote:
Fully mature. Soft and pretty, with lingering traces of its oak. Good, but not knock your socks off.
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5/19/2017 - Paul D Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted 1/2 hr. Cork soaked. Pale/medium garnet/mahogany core, wide pale mahogany rim. Nose is complex, developed showing smoke, underlying sweet red fruit, spice, touches of menthol, fig and orange peel. Medium bodied, spicy red/brown fruit, touch of orange peel, fully resolved tannins, crisp (but balanced) acidity and finishes well - harmonious, broad and long. Excellent, drinking well.
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3/12/2017 - Jonezky Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose is rich. Ripe berries, steel, leather and old oak.
The taste of the wine is juicy, lively, velvety and well balanced. Just enough acidity. Quite intense, but not massive. Lots of cherry, forest strawberry and fine oak.
The after taste is long, nuanced and kind of austere
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3/5/2017 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very fine gran reserva, sappy oak, cherries, a long warm spicy finish.
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2/24/2017 - Paul D Likes this wine: 96 Points
Served at about 16C. Pale/medium garnet core, wide pale garnet/mahogany rim. Nose immediately aromatic, pure dark fruit, lots of cigar box, touch of leather, florals. Extremely complex, beguiling. Medium bodied, fine-boned and elegant, cool, pure, tobaccoey dark fruit, fine but still slightly firm tannic spine, elegance with depth, lovely fresh acidity, long finish. Exquisite. Can be approached now but with many years of life ahead still.
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2/4/2017 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Lovely dusty and rich leather aromas. Gorgeous, silky texture and svelte, dusty, sweet tempranillo fruit. Beautiful, earthy flavors on the finish with a nice kick of acid and dillweed. Very good showing, but this still has plenty of room for development and improvement with more time on its side.
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12/22/2016 - pjaines wrote:
Perfumed aromatics here with a slight metallic twang on the back of the palate, before all those beef-stock elements start to waft out of the glass. High acidity, and benefits from food. Good but not great.
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8/18/2016 - Lype Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sweet syrupy taste, bitter orange, apricot, elegant acidity balanced by the aromas. The GRs require a lot time but this vintage is ready to drink. Must get more of these, unfortunately easier said than done.
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7/28/2016 - Mr T wrote:
shared with too many people and not sure this every real strutted its stuff, at least for me. This might just be a corollary of my issues with Burgs
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6/12/2016 - empire80 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful traditional Rioja. Fading cherry fruit, hints of tea, leather, orange. Gentle acidity and a lightly spiced and long finish.
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3/9/2016 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
12% alcohol.
Dark and moderately translucent pomegranate color with a luminous cherry red rim. Very distinctive and characterful nose with somewhat off - yet not off-putting - aromas of nuttiness, something waxy, dried red cherries, some beetroot notes, a little bit of wild Campari character, light dusty earth tones, a hint of blueberries and a lifted touch of VA. The wine is smooth, lively and medium-bodied on the palate with complex and slightly wild flavors of wild strawberries, sour cherries, some herbal bitterness, a little bit of tart cranberries, light earthy tones, a hint of leather and a touch of savory old wood. The wine is high in acidity, whereas the tannins feel quite light and almost fully resolved. The finish is long, tangy and quite acid-driven with pretty dry flavors of leather, sour cherries, some tart cranberries, a little bit of herbal spice and a touch of earthiness.
A wonderfully complex, developed and quite earthy Tondonia Gran Reserva from a rather difficult vintage that shows: the wine is lacking the depth and intensity the best vintages of Tondonia GR, there are some slightly underripe herbal tones and the overall feel is somewhat muddled and lacking definition. Nevertheless - and a true testament to the Heredia level of quality - the wine is very enjoyable, nuanced and classically built in every aspect. Even though it might not reach the quality of the best vintages of Tondonia Gran Reserva, it still is a very impressive wine for an old-school Rioja. Very lovely.
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1/17/2016 - CWilliam wrote: 93 Points
Barolo vs. Old School Rioja vs. Burgundy (BB House): Wine # 7 (tasted blind)
Guessed this was my wine (only 2 left so pretty easy). Opened and poured into a new bottle 30 minutes before tasting. Light red color with substantial meniscus. Dirt, iodine, dried cherry, orange peel on nose (very unique). On palate, dried cherry, sweet cherry, apricots. High acids, medium body with faint tannins. Very long finish. Some in group thought this was an older Burgundy. Wonderful old school Rioja. 93+
Came in 2nd for WOTN.
[My note from 12/2010 - Classic old school Rioja. Very light red color - showing it's age. Apricots, burnt oak, licorice, spice box on nose. On palate, dried red fruits, red licorice, - very rich acidity and a very long finish - I can still recall the taste 24 hours later - this is one of the best wines that I have ever had]
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1/2/2016 - mrosse wrote: 91 Points
Aromatics quite lovely but was hoping for more even after an hour and a half it still hadn't fleshed out
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12/25/2015 - WST wrote: flawed
Clearly a phenomenal wine, but this bottle was tainted by contact with the stinky wax capsule while pouring into a decanter. Make sure to remove that nasty stuff from the tip of the bottle before pouring.
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11/24/2015 - presterjohn Likes this wine:
rather too young and without enough breathing (45mins) - but lovely pure scented fruit and concentration behind the tannins. wait at least 5 years, maybe 20...
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10/14/2015 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #102; Rioja (By CvR): Very mature bouquet with nutty flavors, iodine, mushrooms and autumn forest. On the palate chocolate, tea, coffee and leather. Some caramel as well. The acidity is refined and pleasurable. Very mature, but also a very lovely and elegant wine. Special!
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6/29/2015 - Old School Fan wrote: 94 Points
It is always exciting to open a bottle of Tondonia Gran Reserva. This bottle did not disappoint. Very light ruby color with some brown around the edges. On the initial pour, the nose showed a lot of cedar, spice and a hint of vanilla and smoke. The palate showed much of the same but also pleasant notes of tart cherry and black tea. As the wine has evolved, notes of orange zest emerge. There's nice, refreshing acidity here as one always seems to get with LdH. This wine is so nicely balanced as to be almost weightless on the palate. This is a fun wine to drink! I think it is fantastic now but given LdH's track record, feel free to continue to hold for several more decades.
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5/17/2015 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
So much to enjoy here. Incredibly fresh tasting. I was happy that I didn't decant. At the end of the bottle there was just a very faint cloudiness to the wine, almost no sediment. The wine closed up on itself, or faded, after being open for a few hours.
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11/17/2014 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Nov '14 edition (Txikito, NY): The texture here suggests this is fully mature with the tannin mostly integrated, but the fruit here feels much deeper-complexioned and richer than in the '85, which was much more about its tertiary savoury notes. The ripe red berried and apple flavours stand out more strongly here, with a sappy intensity to the fruit, and the earthy/cedary notes are more understated in the background. A remarkable contrast with the other two older Heredias, and a fantastic trio of wines.
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10/17/2014 - Normann Likes this wine: 93 Points
A fabulous wine! The nose of red berries, strawberry, licorice and tobacco, a hint of earth cellar and forest. A complex flavor with lovely balance, leather cherry and spice. Long and good taste, a lovely wine!
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9/20/2014 - Sennma wrote:
Still a baby but showing really well. There's a lot of upside from where it is today. Always left thinking I don't own enough Lopez...
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9/18/2014 - KeithAkers wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Browntrout (Browntrout, Chicago IL): Nose: It was incredible how youthful the nose was with dark red cherries, licorice, dark red berries, leather, herbs, black tea, spices, and a touch of VA. The depth and layering show off the age, but there is a real immediacy to the tones.
Taste: Medium bodied with medium+ acidity and silky tannins. The feel is polished and silky with dark red cherries, licorice, black tea, earth tones, leather, and dark red berries.
Overall: This was a beautiful bottle of LdH Tondonia. This still had a very primary nature to it and it feels like a marathon runner.
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9/18/2014 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Browntrout (Browntrout - Chicago, IL): Tons of the dusty Lopez nose of leather, dried florals, some tobacco, and earth. Palate had a really sweet, dense red fruit tone to it...some mushroomy notes, and florals. Lots to love here, and plenty of life ahead of it!
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9/18/2014 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 93 Points
Dinner in Chicago with new friends (Browntrout (Chicago, Il)): Very young still. Nose shows good spice, some sweet oak, a beautiful strawberry fruit note, good acid, soy, meaty. Young and tart on the palate but the depth is in there - good acid, spice. Tart strawberry and stone finish. Nose - 5.5/6, Palate - 5+/6, Finish - 4.5+/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1.5/2 = 16.5+/20 (with 17.5/20 potential).
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9/18/2014 - acyso wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Browntrout (Chicago, IL): When you open a bottle like this, you have to ask yourself, why do I not buy this by the case? The nose is leather and pencil and all sorts of secondary character. The palate's a bit austere, and though there's still some black fruit, it's the leather again that shows up in full force. Earthy and dusty. Fine-grained tannins.
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8/30/2014 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
True, it did not have the drama of the '80 or '76 (which was magnificent) but it is still rather sensational wine. Although one of the sensations of the night was learning that this apparently all get re-corked at the winery, which is not to my liking. But still delicious wine.
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7/18/2014 - sunnylea57 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Excellent showing. A stunning, intense nose of tobacco, leather, great big dollops of aged cedar, cherry and orange. After that remarkable nose, the palate was a little light, but after an hour it blossomed and took on much more weight. This particular bottle was in a perfect place. Addition time wouldn't have improved it at all.
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4/15/2014 - Los 12 Glotones Likes this wine: 93 Points
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Els12golafres Wine Tasting Group: http://vinosclasicos.blogspot.com.es/2013/09/vina-tondonia-1991-gran-reserva.html
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De color rubí marronoso de capa media, limpio, claro, bastante evolucionado para la "corta edad" tratándose de un Tondonia con apenas 20 años de edad. Reflejos ambarinos y rojizos, brillante, borde anaranjado.
Muy potente, especiado, con notas balsámicas casi asilvestradas (laurel, geranio, yedra, laurel). Todo él indica que está necesitado de años de guarda para acabar de domarse. Salen aromas de fruta roja madura, algo reducida y licorosa, flores marchitas, con apuntes de cueros viejos, ahumados, duelas envinadas, frutos secos y un fondo animal a faisandage. Muy buena impresión general aunque todavía por desarrollarse.
En boca es pura energía, fresco, nervioso, con bastante cantidad de fruta roja cítrica y taninos marcados, vivos pero dulces. Tiene finas notas tostadas, maderas de calidad, un rastro de cacao y un potencial de guarda enorme. Un Tondonia que hace honor a la bodega, de gran pureza y clasicismo. Una apuesta segura que ya se disfruta pero que irá a más. Las últimas cosechas embotelladas del Gran Reserva están a la altura de la historia de López de Heredia.
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75% tempranillo, 15% garnacho, 5% graciano, 5% mazuelo - 12% 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 15.000 botellas. Descansa un mínimo de 44 meses en botellero antes de ser comercializado.
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4/9/2014 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
Crumbly cork. Upon opening wine was a bit closed. After 30 minutes it began to blossom with ripe fruit, balance and finesse and continued to do so over the next couple of hours. Finished with earthy elegance.
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2/8/2014 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Cambridge, ON): Similarly to the '91 Bosconia served beside it this showed young, but for me showed a bit more promise. Nose of saline, sweat, sweet and sour pork, cherries, soil, vanilla, and some nutty brown spice notes. Again we have a bit of a tough palate with drying tannin and fierce acid. Young and should improve.
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2/8/2014 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points
Year 2 - Super Tasting 2 of 5 - Andrew does Rioja (Langdon Hall, Blair, Ontario): Inviting nose of violets, spice, earth, mushroom and dark cherry and some obvious american oak
The palate shows minerals, mushroom, earth, dark cherry, spice and lively acidity.
The finish is medium+ and quite complex. Again....wait on this at least 10 years.
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2/8/2014 - alittle wrote: 92 Points
Year 2; Tasting 2 of 5; Andrew does Rioja (1954-1994) (Red Room, Langdon Hall, Cambridge, Ontario): Garnet in the glass, leaning a touch darker in shade than the Bosconia served alongside it. On the nose, rather tight, but with some coaxing, deep red cherry, cranberry, orange zest, sandalwood, light herbal notes, a touch of unintegrated oak, baking spice, and some very light oxidative notes. On the palate, much like the Bosconia, this has very lively acidity; medium plus; as well as some moderate unintegrated tannin that really dries out the finish. There is a lot brooding in this wine with a ton of upside and class, but it definitely needs another 5-10 years to strut its stuff. Did not budge over the time followed.
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11/26/2013 - elledeca wrote:
excellent. roses, tobacco, redu fruit, leather...seamless and very long
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9/24/2013 - Dale M wrote:
P&P and served in Riedel Burg Stems. At first almost overwhelmingly acidic, I was a little worried that this wasn’t going to yield much in the way of actual enjoyment. Fortunately, dinner came to rescue (Lamb skewers and sautéed polenta), harnessing that acidic bite, and allowing the wines true flavors to shine. I must admit, I read the notes on this particular wine very thoroughly, so I fully admit I was cued to seek out the orange peel and mushroom traits so often described, and they were pretty easy to detect. Very elegant and classy tannic structure, hard to say what additional aging would do, but this was a very educational not to mention fun wine to drink, glad for the opportunity.
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9/3/2013 - mikeaukenbals Likes this wine: 93 Points
wouldn't wait much longer. bargain at $80
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8/28/2013 - Papies wrote:
For us this wine is a story of one good bottle and 5 bottles looking for a repeat of that experience but to no unveil. We tried we promise.
Today the wine was light in colour and looked way older than a 91. Sweet Rioja core, good fruit , spice, delicate wine. A lot of earthy, mushroom notes. Good wine but given bottle variation we are not sure how characteristic of the wine this bottle was.
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8/12/2013 - CWilliam wrote:
Didn't take notes - still drinking very well - earthy, mushrooms, orange peel & sweet cherry on the nose.
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7/5/2013 - Janstan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great with char-grilled chicken. Plum skin, cherry pit, smooth leather, mushroom, hints of indian spices and barn mud. Very pretty.
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6/21/2013 - rmh66 wrote: 90 Points
Totally fun wine. Starts a bit awkward but opens up over 30 minutes. Continues to change over an hour or so. Cherries, strawberries, brown sugar, aged wood, and all kinds of foresty, earthy, funky smells. Some VA. Tart cherry, red cherry, earth, and some wood on the palate. Strong acidity, long tasty finish, tannins still quite present. Overall, this was a great wine to keep going back to over the course of a meal. The acidity calls for certain kinds of food, like sherry vinaigrette or sheep cheese.
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5/18/2013 - wcchang wrote: 88 Points
Light amber brick color.
The legs are Medium. The nose is like Dust, Mushroom, and Fur. Not fruity at all.
It tastes like Stoniness, Dust, and Mushroom. Lots of acidity and the acidity does not blend in well. The body is Light. The wine has Silky texture. Acidity makes the finish quite long, but it is not in total balance. This seems like over it's prime to me.
Similar taste on the second day.
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5/10/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Distinctly orange hue throughout, and after just 15 minutes in the glass, the wine opens up beautifully. Elegant Tempranillo with a long silky finish
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5/3/2013 - Yagil wrote: 91 Points
(at Eli F)
earthy mature tertiary aromas
elegant and enjoyable during the first 30 min - then get oxidised too fast.
still alive and kicking.
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3/27/2013 - Mr T wrote:
This one really never got going......
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12/31/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Tarte and acidic. The third bottle I have had of this - not sure it will ever swing round into a brilliant wine. There is just too much acidity getting in the way.
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12/9/2012 - kennyg wrote: 94 Points
Lived up to expectations. Sl carmel red. Somewhat earthy nose. 1 hour decant lead to beautiful wine with sour cherries, a little earth, great acidity and extremely long enjoyable finish. Ready to drink now. I will be looking for more!
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9/20/2012 - Periko wrote: 88 Points
Rioja tasting (Vadebacus (Sant Cugat - Spain)): Following a kind advice from a CT fellow the wine was opened for 1 hour. Very subtle but complex bouquet, with black olives, subtle cedar, leather, small forrest strawberries, mushrooms and earth... unfortunately had some sulphurous notes. Despite all those notes, after 20 min in glass the wine shut down and didnt start to show again until the tasting was done. On palate had a metallic taste, leather, red dried fruit and underbrush. Finish was a bit short. That was my first Heredia GR and I ended somehow disappointed... maybe needed more time to taste or maybe was the bottle.. or me ;) 87-88
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9/1/2012 - redwhiteandrich wrote: 92 Points
Is there a better value than rioja? Better than lopez? Even with the recent price increases, this bottle destroys bottles in similar price ranges.
Strawberries and cream on the nose with a touch of funk. Could smell this for days. On the palate, tight for the first hour but explodes with goodness. The tannins could be resolved with another 10 years but nonetheless the mouthfeel is tremendous. Cigar box and strawberries. Wish i had kept this in the cellar.
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8/24/2012 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Smooth as silk and went down like water. I have always thought these could age forever but this feels so complete I am not sure whereelse it could possibly go.
And as a side note -- man do these LdH wines not like being shipped. For about three months after shipping they go dead (this has been sitting for eight months).
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7/14/2012 - pjaines wrote:
A big variation on the bottles here - very high acidity here that really juts into the fruit. So much so that it is a struggle to make it through a second glass. Really needs food to counteract the acidity. At this age I guess the variation is to be expected.
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7/6/2012 - pjaines wrote:
Aaaaahhh the wonder of Tondonia. Is it cooked? Is it corked? Is it too old? Is it brilliant? It treats the line between all these elements. This flickers and flutters between ugly and beautiful. Whispy and delicate, sour and meaty. On the palate this undoubtedly has high acidity and a zingy palate but then the cherries and funk kick in. Ugly beautiful is the way I would describe it. The anthithesis of the fruit bomb. Time is on its side to let those leathery and feral elements come to the fore.
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5/24/2012 - DRob wrote:
Tawny brick color, touch of hay, elegant cherry skin. Still has great acidity. Lively on the tongue, tea leaf in the finish.
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5/18/2012 - Rechrom wrote: 93 Points
Decanted and drunk over next four hours. Light brick red. Striking nose of flowers, tar, forest floor. Great palate with tart cherry, herb notes, tannin and acid in good balance. Finish good but a tiny bit bitter and clipped, which is the only thing holding this back from outstanding. Excellent bottle with food and pleasant alone. Can clearly age further, and likely benefit from age.
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5/16/2012 - Papies wrote: 92 Points
Lopez de Heredia Vertical, with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Red colour, brown tint on the rim. More textbook Rioja with a sweet core of fruit. Red/Dark fruit combo on the nose. Light smoky and earthy notes. Powerful wine with lots of length . Feels a lot younger than a 1991. 92 and drink at will. Good life ahead.
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5/8/2012 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Heredia Tasting; 5/7/2012-5/8/2012 (Palena, Washington, DC): This was served with the fifth group of wines.
N red berries, pine, earth
P red raspberry, pine, barnyard, spice
Good structure and finish.
Not as impressed this time around.
90-91
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4/12/2012 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Finally a good bottle! or decent we should say. We have had a lot of bottle variation with these.
In neck level with solid but fully wet cork.
Nose is earthy with light fruit, elegant and long with a rioja sweet core through it. On the palate is seems to have lost its vitaliity and it was on the Thin side. Again this could well be bottle variability. Good but nowhere close to how good the first bottle we had was (that was from a direct source) and we would suggest one buys direct from Tondonia if one needs old bottles of these. Else the risk is high. 91ish and drinks very nicely now.
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3/23/2012 - Sleepy Dave wrote: 86 Points
2012 - ES #2 (Extra Space Boon Keng): Alcohol :: 12%
Light ruby red. This has some funkiness and muskiness which mellowed down with time, though not completely gone. The bouquet offers lots of plum, preserved and fresh one, surrounded by earth, blackberry and saline mineral. Light - medium bodied, the palate is fresh and delicate with good delineation and balance. I like the freshness and friendliness of this wine. Feminine, medium length finish. Quite simple but a wine I can keep drinking.
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3/21/2012 - lowereastscott wrote:
The Wines of López de Heredia with María José López de Heredia (Cork Market Tasting Room, Washington, DC): Light red with slight bricking on the edges; cedar and cigar box nose; palate unbelievably fresh for its age with lovely sweet cherries emerging after a few minutes in the glass. A revelation.
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3/20/2012 - salcorn wrote: 94 Points
Earth, dill from the American oak, leather, mushrooms, smoked ham rind.
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2/25/2012 - italio39 wrote: 94 Points
Incredible nose... best described as the smell of a wonderfully old musty oak wine cellar. Beautiful chocolate color!
Very balanced and moderate body. Rich dark berries, earthy leather, and a slow relaxed finish. Will need to buy more of this wine to keep on hand! Enjoyed with a well marbled sirloin!
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1/29/2012 - salil wrote: 92 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Jan '12 edition (Montclair, NJ): Remarkably pale and advanced in colour. It's drinking superbly though with a stunning fragrance combining all sorts of floral, tarry, leathery and high toned red fruited elements, and an incredibly polished, graceful palate presence. This seems fully mature with the tannins fully resolved, a spine of bright acidity keeping the flavours very fresh and lively and wonderful balance.
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11/26/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Strong smell of wet earth and mushrooms. Always seems a bit corked to me at the start. Swirling brings up chocolate, roasted walnuts, sour cherries. Palate is wonderfully silky.
Very interesting night. In a field of Gran Reservas, this certainly distinguished itself. Even more interesting is the drinking time frame of the Gran Reservas. It seemed to me that the "young" Gran Reservas, meaning under 25 years of age, almost all seemed a little bit corky or musty. Then post year twenty five (and this is all just guess work) the corky note fades into a walnut / chocolate / sour cherry note. Just my guess work. So my thought is to drink Gran Reservas between 25 and 45 years of age.
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11/22/2011 - Rani Likes this wine: 95 Points
Tasted blind.
Very translucent brick color. Show polish, quince, dried figs and some mushrooms on the nose. Fully mature, perfectly balanced, silky and very very smooth. A pleasure.
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11/18/2011 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
As superb as last bottle. My previous comments remain in tact.
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11/13/2011 - gbm wrote: 96 Points
So, it was 50% off night at the local tapas place and we picked this up for $60! Fantastic value. COlor was tough given the lighting in the restaurant, but it looked a rahter pale garnet. The nose was very expressive. Off the cork you could find orange peel or prange marmalade, mushrooms, and cigar smoke. The palate was smooth and mature. Very low acidity. Not a lot of fruit left, but what was there was wonderful - a little reminiscent of red licorice. This is really a terrific wine. (5+14+18+9)
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11/12/2011 - Tim Heaton wrote:
My 3rd time with this wine, and there seems to be a fair bit of bottle variation here. The most recent notes score this 96,94, but my impression are more along the lines of Zweder's and Richard's. This absolutely begs for food. Fair on its own, but the acids are a bit too lively and the fruit not really up to the task of standing on its own. I think this bottle had a Slow-O of 2 hours, and perhaps could have benefited from a 2 hour aeration in a decanter. Drink thru 2027, score: B+/A-
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10/27/2011 - atubbs wrote: 93 Points
PNP. Pale brick with surprising structure despite its appearance. Lovely; tasted alongside the 2001 Reserva. Brussel sprouts, stewed cherry, vanilla, old used leather, burnt sugar, game meat, metalworking oils, tar on the nose. A minute or so of flavors evolving on the palate as the finish carries you on a nice little journey. Evolved rather rapidly in the glass with the peak at about 30 minutes, after which it started gaining a bit more balance but losing some of the depth and complexity. Marvelous at $70.
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10/18/2011 - VTCellarDweller Likes this wine: 93 Points
Purchased in June and allowed to rest a few months before opening.
PnP, bright medium brick core with tawny rim. Luscious mature aromas of roses, leather, spices, fruitcake, caramel, coconut, and wet fall leaves leading into a burst of complex, elegant, layered flavors with a smooth but lively feel in the mouth. Superb balance and exceptional length with the firmness to indicate many years before any decline. Served with a selection of spanish cheeses and fig marmalade…happy, happy mouth.
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10/11/2011 - joewarmelink wrote: 92 Points
Amazing vibrant nose of raspberry, rose, and dash of cocoa. Nice dark bricking. Mouth of puckering acidity, red fruits, leather, and game. Wonderful wine!
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9/22/2011 - Rupert wrote:
At Coq d'Argent: sadly I didn't have time to give this the attention it deserved, but it seemed to be on form, lots of intrigue, high acid, dried fruit
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9/9/2011 - tooch wrote:
Friday Night Dinner (Medium Rare - Cleveland Park, Washington, DC): A real treat. Nose had a good deal of sherry with lithe red fruit and potpourri. The palate featured nice smokey herbs, subtle florals, and a reductive fruit quality that was interestingly not abrasive. This was my first time having the 1991 Gran Reserva and would like to try another to see if the reductive qualities are consistent.
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8/24/2011 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Old school barrelled out nose. I love it. Great palate weight and concentration. Exceptional finish with length.
11 hours later: nose of coffee, cooked fruits, figs, jasmine (yes, jasmine, ok, well coconut), black pepper, walnuts. Leather, animal. Palate is soft and silky, in harmony all the way through. Drinks like water. The acidity and tannins ride up just a touch on the finish. I actually could see this going further in bottle. Seemless, a beauty to me although I can understand why some would lean against it.
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8/16/2011 - Blackland wrote: 88 Points
Maybe this was a bad bottle. It was light, with a nose of berry coming out of the bottle. It oxidized very quickly in the glass and offered little to be excited about.
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8/13/2011 - Charlie Pendejo wrote: 93 Points
Serious. Elegant, earthy, gentle, berry, a little citrus. Heaven with a grilled pork tenderloin with apple-chipotle salsa... and with the 1987 LdH white.
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6/21/2011 - Papies wrote: 85 Points
Rioja through the Decades (The Sampler, South Ken, London): Another dissapointing showing from this. Om the last year we have had one great and 5 bad bottles from a variety of sources.
Wine is a bit thin, broken and lacks life.
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6/13/2011 - Kirk Grant wrote: 93 Points
Complete and complex...opened with friends with no chance for formal tasting notes. A wonderful expression of Rioja....lithe and light bodied with good acidty. A food wine that deserves attention and thought.
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4/22/2011 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
Attention! If the bottle I had is representative of all the other bottles, you can expect something special and not everyone will like it! The color is quite light orange brown/red. Complex and mature bouquet with earthy and autumn forest impressions. Very tasteful, but hardly any fruit left. Some currants, earthy and underbrush and oxidized impressions. Soft tannin and good acidity. Complex and a long finish. Will be lovely with small game meat. I score it "only" 91 because I think this wine will not be so great without appropriate food. With a good food match and truffle/mushrooms it will be great!
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4/18/2011 - mcases wrote: 96 Points
I close my drinking of 1991 gv tondonias. Still several left for opening in couple of years but this will be another exciting step Now buying 1994 vintage
I will rate the wine now.
First.Never decant this wine. You will spoil it.
Brick colour, scents of chocolate, cuban cigar and dried fruits, delicate texture,good acidity and rusty freshness. Long, very long and elegant.
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3/23/2011 - Papies wrote: 85 Points
Good bottle, good cork and perfect wax seal.
Wine is a bit thin and lacks vibrancy. Good fruit around but the age has taken away the best of this. Very different to the wine we tried 6 months ago.
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2/16/2011 - SimonG wrote:
Dinner with Jesus Madrazo (28-50, London): Deep ruby. Red fruit. A touch of orange. Lovely freshness and acidity. A little
on the young side but freshness probably accentuated after the Beaucastels. Classic trad Rioja. ****
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2/7/2011 - mcases wrote:
This wine is very difficult to understand and not for amateurs. I would say that is probably one of the best wines I´ve tried ever. I will not describe it. Frenchies would price this wine in 200€ only for its cost of bringing it up. Enormous.
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2/5/2011 - JeffGMorris wrote: 95 Points
Dinner at Table 16 for Barb's Birthday. As I read back through my notes and remember this bottle I question myself a bit on how I found this to be the most enjoyable of the reds tonight but that was definitely the case, if by a slight margin. Clearly old world in style, it showed notes of sweet fruit mixed with cedar and cigar box. The cigar box note is why I question myself not normally being a fan of wines like this. Tannins clamp down hard on the finish and this clearly has several years of positive development to go. A real surprise for me. 50+14+13+9+9= 95
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12/7/2010 - beezer6 wrote: 88 Points
Taste at Elysian.
Showing a lot of age. Color is medium light tawny brown. Nose showed predominantly notes of oxidization, some light molasses and really light orange marmalade action.
Still tastes ok and definitely intriguing but past its prime without a doubt. The bottle was barely finished.
Some didn't care for this at all but I saw the more subtle qualities that I believe most experienced wine lovers would appreciate.
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11/27/2010 - CWilliam wrote: 95 Points
Loved this wine - tasted blind in a flight with 3 other "old-world" reds. This was a touch better than the '82 Chateau La Lagune and way better than an '05 Bordeaux (Chateau Peyraud). Classic old school Rioja. Very light red color - showing it's age. Apricots, burnt oak, licorice, spice box on nose. On palate, dried red fruits, red licorice, - very rich acidity and a very long finish - I can still recall the taste 24 hours later - this is one of the best wines that I have ever had - cork was soaked through but the wine was still in great condition - wine of the night. Don't have enough experience to truly describe this wine - 94+ for me.
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11/25/2010 - rayq wrote:
Tempranillo (75%), Garnacha (15%), Mazuelo and Graciano. Slightly more high toned nose than the Bosconia. More classic orange peel nuance on the nose. 12% alcohol. Lovely foil to the Bosconia. Excellent.
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11/25/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Lopez de Heredia Tour & Tasting (Haro, Rioja): Denser, plusher nose. More rounded on the attack with less obvious sous-bois. orange peel starting to come through. Again, lovely. ****
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11/9/2010 - don_quichotte wrote: 93 Points
This is seriously nice. Already had a few other wines before that one so can't remember all of the details but delivers a beautiful mix between the transparence of a good red burg and the density of a good bordeaux. Recommended and underpriced...
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11/8/2010 - cardsandwine Likes this wine:
I am a huge Lopez de Heredia fan and this wine really underscores my love affair with the vineyard. Like all of these wines it is a full "round" wine that is absolutely pure on the palate. Wines like this really can not be described other to say they are simply delicious and elegant. I have had the pleasure of meeting Maria Jose de Heredia, winemaker, on two occasions. She is one of the most knowledgeable winemakers I have ever had the pleasure to meet. She says, because her wines are aged so long in cask (usually large 100+ year old American oak) and bottle, you should never decant them. "Since they have be deprived of oxygen about 10 years, decanting will cause you to miss their evolution in the glass" she says. From my experience she is on the money. In any case this is superb!
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11/5/2010 - Papies wrote:
Lanessan Re-United at Chez Papies, London: Not sure as to the quality of the bottle and for sure nothing to do with the wine we had on 5th of Sep. Earlier comment as it is more valid
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10/20/2010 - ews3 wrote: 92 Points
Zachys Robin Hood 2010 Wine Tasting (La venue, NYC): nice leather and tobacco notes with some fruit (mostly dried fruit) remaining. medium(+) finish. impressive
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10/14/2010 - aagrawal wrote:
Wine & Spirits Top 100 Tasting- Brief Notes (San Francisco Design Center): Nice woody aromas, subtle and understated but awesome. For a wine with just a hint of fruit, it has a lot of flavor.
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9/28/2010 - Faryan wrote: 93 Points
Tempranillo tasting (Weygandt Wines, DC): Grand and light meaty notes. Opens mercurial with its lovely orange crimson tinge. Very mooth and clearly old school in complexion and philosophy. With swirling, some very interesting fruit emerges: cherry and tons of apricot. The palate is beauitful with a high acidic pitch, but perhaps a bit out of touch on its own, requiring some food to pair. Finish a touch buttery as the remnance of its sleep in barrique pokes through. Complex and fun, but not profound. Nevertheless, a very elegant wine.
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9/28/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 94 Points
Nose of green pepper, cherry, funk, barnyard. Palate of dried cherry, barnyard, funk, lanolin, spice, red licorice. Great mouthfeel. My WOTN.
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9/28/2010 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 90 Points
Dios, Mio, Tempranillo! (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): light ruby, almost orange colored. the nose on this shows a really interesting caramel aspect, along with gran marnier, raisins and green pepper. it still has life on the palate. good acid, medium body, silky tannins. sour cherry, plums, a bit of toast, but there's also a bit of apricot as well. nicely made wine, and the age has helped develop some good complexity. this was the wine of the night, but, for me, it just didn't have enough to make it exceptional.
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9/5/2010 - Papies wrote: 93 Points
Turning brick and showing its age. Well kept restaurant bottle and had with no decanting. Really the wine is ready to go from the word go.
And a very nice wine indeed. A very seductive nose, full of complexity and finesse. Stayed with the wine over 2 hours that i kept a bit ( more like defended it from Nicol's advances) int he glass. Fine and mild on the palate with lots of charecter and beautifull rioja earthiness to it. We really loved this wine and although not of the calibre of the 1964 we tried a coule of months ago we are now big Tondonia fans. Great.
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7/12/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 91 Points
Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Light garnet color. Nose of mint, beeswax, pencil lead and dry herbs. Light bodied on the palate and mouthcoating with fine tannins and good acidity. Definitely a friendly, easy drinking wine, but is it worth the tariff?
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6/8/2010 - abh wrote:
At El Portal in Rioja. Stunning nose, everything you would hope for. Not so sure on the palate though, I can live with a lot of acidity, but this didn't' seem balanced to me, just a little too shrill and harsh. Not an off bottle in the sense of flawed, but not fully convinced it was spot on either. The sommelier thought it was fine, and air did open it up a bit, maybe it just needed longer. I love their wines, but this wasn't quite what I hoped for.
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5/13/2010 - jwwinec Likes this wine:
Wild, rustic, savory, bloody, yet lively and elegant with bright acidity, layers of flavor and concentration, and a long finish. Tannins are there on the finish, but they are subtle and mostly resolved. There is a bit of hardness to this wine that makes it more intellectually pleasurable than purely sexual, but the pleasure is real nonetheless.
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5/9/2010 - Alex H wrote: 80 Points
Aged claret styled with a bit of aged burg nose. Dried fruits, dried figs, dry wine with just a drop of honeysuckle and stewed winter melon tea. Very amateurish, rootish.
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4/15/2010 - jjoyce wrote: 92 Points
WLTV Forum Offline Montclair (Table 8, Montclair, NJ): Dill, smoke and earthy nose. Beautifully smooth, well balanced Rioja. Perfect cherry flavor with no sweetness, just a pleasing citrus finish.
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3/16/2010 - amateurwino wrote: 97 Points
A more beautiful nose than the rest of the range so far, with fuller fruit that shows more age but also possesses a sweetness that really pushes this wine into the range of truly memorable. Very impressive that the wine is showing so impactfully at this point. Just a thrilling nose - it's got openness, a little oxidative note, a hint of something a bit diesel-like, some savory notes - just so much going on here. Really, really terrific.
Palate is the same - just a wonderful example of balance, harmony. Has everything - beautiful acidity, pleasing sweet fruit, spice for complexity. Notions of dried herbs, flowers, etc. Wonderful, wonderful stuff. Truly special. 96-98
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2/21/2010 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
An earthy edge to the fruit, soft, fragrant, strawberryish, long and nicely layered
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12/11/2009 - Biggsy wrote: 94 Points
Garnet with browning at the rim. Tarry red fruits, polish and subtle charred oak on the nose. Pure and elegant with long, well defined dried cherry flavour. Lovely precision and balance with long lingering flavours.
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11/18/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
An evening of López de Heredia wines (Islington, London): This had less on the nose than the Bosconia, but this grows on the palate as the dried cherry and sweetness blazes through - lovely
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10/10/2009 - bin905 wrote: 89 Points
Clay, copper red color. Light fruit, spice, oak and a hint of caramel. Somewhat thin in the middle. Good tannins. The best years have passed.
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9/13/2009 - JJL wrote: 91 Points
Spainish Treasures #3 over Lunch at Mugaritz (San Sebastian, Spain): This started off weak too, but again with air it opened up nicely. Nice body and fruit, but too light for me.
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