Big wine, really good, tasted bling and guessed 20 year old Rioja over $100…. Drinking well now but just starting to develop a touch of terciary cualities so airy this will age nicely for another decade or two.
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Dark and opaque/cloudy garnet, some thinning at the edge. Nose showing red fruits, cedar, saddle leather. Classic Rioja palate, rustic and fruit forward. Dark cherry, orange zest. Dry and smooth palate. Medium body and finish.
Took about 30 minutes to show at the start. In a good spot right now, should drink at this level for a while. Fully mature (IMO) not going to improve much from here. Great showing on this night
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The flagship wine of Muga, made only in vintages great enough. The wine is a classic Tempranillo blend with small amounts of Mazuelo and Graciano. Fermented spontaneously, macerated for two to three weeks in oak vats. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques. 14% alcohol.
Dense, concentrated and quite opaque black cherry color with an evolved brick-red hue. Considering how the wine should be a textbook example of a modernist Rioja, it smells surprisingly rustic and funky with aromas of barnyard and horse's arse, followed by evolved nuances of wizened figs, some bretty notes of leather, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light pruney tones, a hint of forest floor, a touch of cherry marmalade and a boozy whiff of alcohol. The wine feels dense, dry and concentrated on the palate with a full body and savory flavors of ripe plums, wild strawberries, some extracted bitter notes of woody oak, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of meaty umami, bretty hints of leather saddle and stable floor and a touch of toasty oak spice. The overall feel is somewhat extracted and quite muscular, thanks to the high acidity and still moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is long, somewhat extracted and moderately grippy with dry flavors of bretty barnyard funk, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light sweet pruney tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of old leather.
For a modernist blockbuster - a style I really don't like, especially when it comes to Rioja - this was a surprisingly impressive, harmonious and delicious effort. Surprisingly funky, too - and in a good way! The wine certainly showed some very rustic animale notes, which stood in quite a stark contrast to the relatively concentrated and extracted nature of the wine, which had resolved quite little in these 20 years. All in all, a very serious, well-made and enjoyable effort that was certainly quite big and extracted for a Rioja, but at the same time remarkably harmonious and tasty for such. Highly recommended.
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Double decanted. Well rounded, fully mature bottle. Opens with violets, black fruits, light tar. Decent core and lingering finish. Not austere or delicate, but throughly enjoyable.
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Opened half an hour before lunch. Long cork in perfect condition. Deep ruby colour with watery edges. It displays its modern character on the nose with notes of black olives, artichoke-like vegetables or even roasted coffee. Restrained and very shy, it needed to be shaken for a while in the glass to release aromas of red berries. Anyway it seems that wood never finished to integrate properly and mazuelo grape won. Very atypical for a 2001 anyway. In the mouth density is crushed by a brimming acidity. Slightly unbalanced but with good length. A warm wine with an abrupt finish. Unusual and almost failed in my humble opinion. A Rioja devoid of interest. Drinkable and anything else. Really disappointed with this heavy bottle. The Dark Side of Muga if compared with last SE.
Abierta media hora antes del almuerzo. Largo corcho en perfecta condición. Profundo color rubí con bordes acuosos. Hace gala de su carácter moderno en nariz con notas a olivas negras, vegetales tipo alcachofas o incluso café tostado. Restringido y muy tímido, necesitó ser agitado un buen rato en copa para liberar aromas a bayas rojas. De todas formas pareciera que la madera nunca terminó de integrarse adecuadamente y la mazuelo ganó. Muy atípico para ser un 2001 de todas formas. En boca la densidad es aplastada por una bribrante acidez. Ligeramente desequilibrado pero con buena longitud. Un vino cálido y de final abrupto. Inusual y casi fallido en mi humilde opinión. Un Rioja carente de interés. Bebible sin más. Muy desilusionado con esta botella pesada. El lado oscuro de Muga comparada con la última SE.
Very impressive; very Bordeaux intro - nose, palate; great balance and very long finish; still fine, but notes of ripe age - leather, dry fruit, broken tannins.
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Poured from a Coravin’d bottle. Aromas of dried cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and balsamic. Flavors of dried cherry, dried raspberry, earth, balsamic and hoisin sauce. Ends with a long cherry and balsamic finish of 25-30 seconds. Showing some nice age but no where near over the hill.
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Wow, no signs of age whatsoever... Monolith of a heavy glass bottle maybe shields it! :) Inky dark, fresh and clean nose of dark fruit, cinnamon, cassis.. Silky and seamless on the palate.. Lovely.
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Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of pepper, plum,black berries and dish water. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and raspberries. Medium to tangy acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean towards drink now.
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Decanted and run through a Venturi 3 times before bringing to a friend’s house to drink with Venison Tacos. This wine is bright medium dark garnet with no sign of age. It looks like a very young wine. The nose has vanilla, blackberry and spice. It has medium+ acidity and still some gripping tannin. Very bright sharp mouth feel with flavors of slightly tart blackberry, vanilla and perhaps some pomegranate. The finish is moderately long but lacking in a distinctive flavor and like most Tempranillo wines, for me, lacking the depth and complexity to quallify as a really great bottle of wine.
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Deep ruby color. Nose of turned earth, sweet black cherry, spicebox, and tobacco leaf. Medium bodied on the palate with great depth and persistence. Some residual ripe tannins on the finish.
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Decanted at 4pm and tasted over several hours. Good with Chipotle burgers I grilled. I don’t think age is helping build any complexity into this wine as I had hoped. I know it is my bias but I just never seem to be impressed with anything Tempranillo. The best of them are blends to get any complexity since Tempranillo is such a one dimensional grape IMO. This is true here. It is powerful and big in nose with lots of oak but and a dark black fruit but little else of interest to me.
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I really enjoyed this wine. Decanted about three hours. Dark plum. Very nice old-world Spanish nose. Still with very ripe fruit with a bit of cherry and spice. Very nuanced and complex. Could take a sip and enjoy for two minutes. Probably can go another 20+ years.
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LBTG 2001 Rioja Flight. Outstanding wine. Decant about 3 hours. Still not full mature - probably 10 years to get there, but worth opening at this stage. Red fruit and meaty spice with an earthy herbal component. Strong stuff but smooth and elegant. Bought this about 10 years ago to age. Should have bought more. The good news is that the 2001 Seleccion Especial, which is about a third the price, was Outstanding now with sweeter fruit. Probably technically a bit more advanced but in a great spot right now.
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Best Torre Muga I've had. Mix of old world and new. Great with food. Herbal qualities (thyme, oregano) and some leather and also a little blackberry. Hope that other bottle is still downstairs. WOW.
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Brought to Espana in Princeton, dinner with Valerie and Ryan. Opened about an hour in advanced to slow ox. Fair amount of sediment in this bottle
From prior notes: "Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance." Secondary notes of leather and dusted dark cherry more pronounced. Continued to evolve a bit from last tasting, the air time made this a bit more expressive (from memory)
At this point the wine is fully mature. Classic Torre Muga, no need to wait, will drink remaining bottles over next few years
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Deep ruby color. Aromas of incense, spicebox, blackberry, and turned earth. Medium to full bodied on the palate with lots of juicy, ripe tannins on the finish.
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Surprise find in the cellar. Dark cherry and raspberry fruit with leather notes and that nice rotting leaves complexity I get from Tempranillo. Good mid-palate with ripe tannins, nearly resolved. Good balance overall and a great finish. Classic Rioja.
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Drank from magnum last nite at Saltaire. Still inky in color, not much browning that I could detect, though it was dark in the restaurant. Funk on the nose initially, which eventually blew off. Lots of tobacco, earth & barnyard aromas. Medium bodied, still some black fruit but this wine is clearly in its tertiary stage--cigar, tobacco, cedar, leather & earth dominate this wine. Tannins mostly resolved. I would have liked a bit more fruit & balance here, but still a very nice example of a well-aged Rioja. Drink up, as I believe this wine has already been to the mountain top.
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Drank over 2 days. Wine is certainly ready to drink but could continue to age and improve over the next 2-4 years. Good fruit, lots of cigar and cedar flavors. Tannins are smooth and finish is long and very nice.
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At Charlotte's graduation with friends. Consistent with prior notes: "Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance."
Really in a good spot.
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Double decanted and enjoyed for a couple of hours from magnum. Nice depth and modern, but not overly so. Broad and harmonious. Mellowed out and developing pleasant middle-aged characteristics. This mag could drink -2022 but recommend checking on any 750s every year until then.
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Decanted at 5pm and drunk over 3 hours. Medium dark garnet color. Mose of vanilla, some leather, and red fruit. Mouth feel is lean but balanced and bright. On the palate I get a lot of pepper, cranberry and vanilla. Aftertaste not too long. Good with a spicy chili.
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I think this wine may be peaking. The fruit is still sweet and distinct but less vibrant than in the past. I will hold my last couple for a bit to see what develops but if balance is what you seek over secondary/tertiary flavors you might want to open one of these now. Delicious.
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Black with a deep ruby rim. Nose of focused black cherry, blackberry, mineral, and spice aromas. Medium to full bodied on the palate with racy acidity and great presence through the finish.
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On the patio, al fresco dining with Valerie, Stephanie and Chiemi...Spanish wines tonight to celebrate our trip to Rioja
Consistent with prior notes on nose and palate. Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance.
Drinking really well right now, good that I have a decent stash of this vintage...drink now or hold
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Excellent dark fruit, cassis, cedar and earth on the nose and palate. Rich and dense on the palate. This is forward and modern, although less oak than more recent vintages, but clearly will improve will more time.
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5+ years since I last tried this. Aging gracefully, this is a ripe wine that nobody would mistake for old school Rioja, but there really is a lot to like about this, even for fans of old school old world wines. I suspect this will continue to age into something really interesting. Try again in another 5 years.
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With Wendy and Joe at their house, great night, drank this prior to a d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, great contrast
Classic Muga funk on the palate, leather dark fruits. Palate was sophisticated/fruit forward with red and dark fruits, cedar, spices, leather, oak. Finishes medium.
Drinks with character and elegance now, I don't think it will improve much but will probably last a bit. Unique flavor profile and a nice break from more common drinking varietals.
Medium ruby. Delicious aromatics - black fruit, herbs and toast. Palate is round with medium-to-full body. Chalky and even gritty tannin not quite integrated with the fruit. Component parts are there but seems in an awkward and un-integrated phase.
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Chicago Wine Flock..."Dennis Shares Spain" (Casa de la Mata - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in mostly 2001 Rioja flight. Ripe black fruit aromas with spice dominated by new oak. Very ripe and rich again on palate, just slightly flabby and bitter towards finish. Became less interesting with more time open.
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First meal of 2014 - decanted our last 2001 and compared alongside with a friend's 2004. This '01 was very good but the '04 won out with a broader nose of savoury fruit, herbs and leather, a gorgeous weight, and much richer finish.
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With A and H at Lorenas.. H oopped and poured, no decant.. Initially bottle stink blew off after about an hour.. Rich and smooth, with lots of coconut on the nose.. Significantly improved on the second day, with better integration and fruit. I'd recommend a 1-2 hour decant or waing a few more years.. 90 first day, 92 second day.
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Exceptional Rioja, drank at Ad Hoc. Very modern in style, almost cabernet-like fruit, cassis, smoke, well integrated oak. Great depth of flavour. Richness in the mouth balanced with tannin and some acid. Will last a few more years and integrate further.
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Light brownish red in color with earth tones on the nose and hints of spice; light bodied, with leather and berries on the palate and full 1 minute finish. Excellent balance of acidity and tannins ... could go on another 10 years before peaking. A very fine Rioja and light on the alcohol.
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This was an excellent wine. It has wonderful characters of leather, dark fresh and dried cherries, general funk, cedar, allspice...I could go on. I don't really see it improving and wonder how long it will hold on. While it has healthy acidity and solid grip paired with a full mid-palate, I don't think the flavor profile will last as long as the palate structure. As a result I say drink up and enjoy!
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OK, there seems to be a fair amount of controversy over when this wine should be consumed. First of all, the obvious - it's really yummy. Secondly, I served it yesterday at a barbecue, and my friends, all of whom are big cab lovers - Montelena, Seavey, Plumpjack, etc. - really liked it. I decanted it for a couple of hours, but we all agree it is still well short of its peak! My friend was quite surprised when I told him the reason I served it was because I had sorted my wines by Cellartracker drinking windows and this one came up close to the back end of its window! I plan to put my other two bottles away for at least five years!
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Impression only; drank this several weeks ago and mad at myself since I really wanted to post a note but forgot, and now I don't remember details. That said, this was really good. It came across as a blend of Cali and old world; the richness of cali but less cloying, more acid than most cal cab. Still primary, this hasn't entered a secondary window but I'm not sure it will improve, only change. All rough edges have worn off and this is a pleasure to drink now.
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This bottle was taken to a party so notes are not complete. Nevertheless this is probably the best Rioja I've had. I'm not usually a fan of Tempranillo as I feel it is usually a one dimensional wine. This is deep in color with a moderately floral bouquet and fairly viscous. Nice dark fruit flavors with a little cedar but I think it could evolve favorably with more time. It definitely improves with air. I disagree that this is nearing the end of life. Actually I think it needs a good bit more time by my standards and hope it will be more layeered afterwards. I will probably try it again in 2-3 years.
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more evlolved than I would have thought for such an initially massive bottle. Not all components aging as gracefully. a bit discombolulatled for me, a bit porty. Not afraid of these big boys but this one was just probably caught at a bad time.
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This is a fabulous wine for lovers of really good California Cab. Definitely modern style with really nothing to suggest Spain, but when it's this good, who really cares? Deep ruby/garnet to the rim with no sign of bricking. Bright red fruit/cassis on the nose with some definite spice. Rich plum, cherry with some nice spice - GREAT balance of lush fruit with good acidity. A lashing of oak that is nicely integrated here. The tannins are fine and smoothing out. Not much secondary development. This is terrific to drink now if you love the rich primary fruit in wine. If you want added complexity and secondary flavors leave it to sit.......but, there is a risk in cellaring this as my experience with older Torre Mugas is that they don't always age all that well, so check in often. I really like this. Bonnie not so much.
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Deep purple, big fruit, tons of earth, mouth-filling flavors of plum and tobacco, good acidity and totally in balance. Long, pleasant finish. Incredible wine, Rioja at its best!
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Dark cherry, leather, rotting leaves complexity (a good thing). Palate show great structure with ripe tannins balances with intense sweet fruit and acidity leading to a great finish.
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great wine. with lamb chops from grill. bought this bottle on vacation in spain. good dark color, nice elegant balanced nose and lovely fruit with tannins on the palate. top drinking window now. wont get better. good combination.
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Big, muscular wine with high acid and nice floral notes. Some espresso. Nicely mature, I think this is ready to drink, although it would be nice if some of the acid faded a bit. A little tightly wound. B/B+
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The wine was not as robust as previous tastings of this great Rioja wine. Not sure why. It was luxurious but it did not have the lingering after taste that was experienced in prior consumptions.
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75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo and 10% Graciano.(2006 cepage) Aged for 6 months in wooden vats, 18 months in new French oak barrels and at least 12 months in bottle before release. More 'slutty' than the Prado Enea. Hints of vanilla. Black fruits. Minerality. Certainlt tastes 'modern' but lovely silky palate. Nice sweetness. However if the '94 is nything to go by this will morph into a different wine. Very Good.
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Muga (haro, Rioja): Slightly fuller colour. red-Black fruit with vanilla spice. Again, good attack leading to a slightly rounder, easier mid-palate before returning to a fresh acidity-balanced finish. A bit richer and more obvious than the PE, but lots of potential here if a recent 94 is anything to go by. ***(*1/2)
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A bit stiff, took a little while to open up. Dense with strong blackish fruit and a floral pretty note as well as some coffee. Sweet and acidic tannins. Good fruit, good structure. Still on the young side but very nice with a real sense of class. B/B+
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Terrific wine that has developed very well (i.e., softened) over past 12 months. Popped and poured over 3 hours and it got better with each glass. Dark color, big nose of cedar and spice; still somewhat tannic but the tannins are nicely integrated. Could develop and improve even more but hard to resist for now.
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Black color. Sappy blackberry on the nose. Very flashy & hot, hot, hot. A little too much alcohol for me & very, very modern in style. Tasted doouble blind.
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Dark color and a huge nose. Plum, cedar, tobacco and spice with bold tannins and acidity. Not a 95 pointer (Parker) for my palate, but a very enjoyable wine. Drinking nicely or can hold for another 10 years minimum.
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Tasted blind as part of a mini Steak-Out. This was the overwhelming winner when the votes were tallied. Tasted like a young Cab, with soft and inviting edges surrounding a deep and powerful core. Stealthy tannins that worked well with the ribeye. Captivatingly mellow. Impressive. Never would have predicted that a Rioja would win this thing.
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Sunday lunch. From Magnum. This bottle just went so well with my chicken paella, incredibly aromatic with asian spices and and dark fruit. Still a baby, but drinks well now.
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Abundant tannins. Although a powerful and drinkable wine now, this wine could easily be cellared for an additional 10 years. Served with ribeye steaks, mushrooms, and spinach.
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South FL WS Forum Offline (Bistro Provence, Boca Raton, FL): Very dark color, muted nose. Full bodied with blackberry and dark cherry flavors and noticeable oak on the long finish. Higher acidity than many wines of this size. Although this is drinking fine now, I think this wine will improve with more age as it is likely to benefit from shedding some more tannin, the fruit settling down, and the oak integrating some more.
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great nose, a bit barnyardy, locorice, spices, deep fruit, dark fruit, great structure. Lots going on on the palate, great density, smooth texture, nicely integrating now, but still with a terrifically long life ahead of hit. Very long finish.
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This is great stuff! It has really evolved over the last two years. It has lost some fruit and you are picking up more secondary flavors. Nose is earthy, sweet and funky. Flavors are more of the same. Balance, soft minerality and rich fruit. Earth and funk that this wine has never shown before. Drink up if you like the fruit, if you are looking for more drink over the next 3-4 years. 100% Perfect match with NY Strip steaks. Recommended...AMM
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Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008: Stand up well in advance and decant. This bottle threw tons of sediment. Dark ruby/black colour. Muted aromas of vanilla, peach, dried blackcurrant. Full-bodied, a little gritty/crunchy from the tannins, with more blackcurrant and vanilla notes on the palate. Moderate-length finish, ~35s, with black berry fruit. Shows good structure and acidity. Will improve with cellaring - it needs it! Try again in 2011.
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Wine Guy Weekend chez DoktaPs: Dark, tight and tannic. Lots of structure. Nose of earth, black cherries and vanilla. Palate with more cherries and chocolate hints. Lots of power in this masculine wine but time will tame it. Long tannic finish. Revisit in 5 years.
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Deep purple color, nose was dominated by oak with a hint of fruit and chocolate. 6 hours in the denater before this even started to show its stuff but still not ready to go. While this wine was fun, towards the end, it needs at least 5 more years or a 10 hour decant before drinking.
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Uncorked and breathed for 1/2 hour only. It really needed a full decanting. Enjoyed with during a grilled seafood extravaganza. It TOTALLY overpowered the swordfish and salmon, but i used some imagination and pretended it was a stirp steak with potatoes gratin. A extremely round and viscous wine that you can almost chew. Deep purple color that reflected the richness of the super-ripe fruit. Nothing subtle here. A great wine.
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Decantado por 3 horas.Rubi escuro. Aromas agradáveis com destaque para baunilha, flores brancas, cedro e tostado. Na boca encorpado e macio, com numerosos taninos finos, boa acidez, boa fruta e final bastante longo. Complexo, tanto nos aromas como no paladar. Delicioso para ser tomado já apesar de ainda jovem e com muito potencial para evoluir. Moderno.Excelente/Excepcional.
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I could tell there was a lot of fruit and complexity underneath, but it never made it to the surface. Consumed over about three hours and it just never opened up. Still, one of the most regal Spanish wines I've ever had.
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certainly needs time in the decanter , on opening there was a very ugly herbal bite at the back end and the wine was quite closed . Decanted for 3 hours & consumed over 2 it was very good . Tobaco and dark fruits with leather on the finish .At $70.00 I will debate buying more
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Wonderful wine, one of my favorites ever. Very mature flavors getting into forest floor with perfectly integrated dry tannins. Black fruits and a long wonderful finish. Follow up with a 2003 that was more fruit forward, but just as enjoyable. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-5 years...AMM
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deep red color, strong nose full of spice and black fruit which I thought would lead to a full, well-flavoured wine which just didn't perform. Strong tannins that really prevented me from tasting much. Again, some black fruit, and subtle spice but pretty obscured. Despite these tannins, it didn't have much depth or anything too suggest it might come around with a few years of age. Kind of flat, and tannic but with a nice nose.
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Decanted and let air for 3 hours. This is a deep,aromic,full bodied,intense wine. Plum,tobacco and spices linger thru a long finish. This wine has long legs.
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Linda brought this out and popped the cork to enjoy while making dinner. I was hoping to keep it longer, but I'm glad we had it. Didn't take notes, but found the intensity and fruity-earthy flavor elements very appealing. Now I'll look for some more to drink over the next several years. Definitely not too young, as I had feared.
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Lots of oak,dark ruby colour,raspberry and dark cherry up front,very flavorful nose,intensity and finish quite admirable ,still young,will cellar remained and try again in 6 months.
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Confraria A.C. - Muga (Porto Rubaiyat): Tempranillo (75%), mazuelo (15%) e graciano (10%). Rubi fechado, alguns sedimentos finos. Nariz com notas minerais, de frutos negros e tostadas. Muitos taninos finos ainda bastante presentes, textura sedosa, encorpado, ótima acidez, com leve mentol final. Final limpo, bastante longo, lembrando frutas brancas. Estilo inequivocamente moderno mas bem feito, integra o grupo daqueles que podem ser considerados "super-riojanos" (Aro, Cirsion, Remirez de Ganuza, Aurus, Baron de Chirell etc.). 92-93+pts. E/E.
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Dark purple in the glass the nose was explosive! Lots of dark fruits, tobacco, vanilla wafted from the glass. Very smooth on the palate - smooth tannins and an abundance of fruit with blackcurrant jam, spice, plum and chocolate. Lots of oak is also evident but it is not overpowering but should integrate well after some more bottle time. This is a big rioja bursting with fruit and should be even better in a few years.
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Deep ruby color leads to a capitaving nose of saddle leather, currant and black cherry. The palate carries those flavors forward but adds a hint of cedar as well as tobacco and allspice. The tannins while somewhat dry are wonderfully integrated and the finish is 30 seconds in length. Would definately buy again.
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Hint of oak on the nose. Creamy texture, tannic, big with cherry, plum, bitter chocolate. Long finish interrupted by tannins. Lots of wow factor but i would have difficulty pegging this as tempranillo. Wish i could have tried this again the 2nd day.
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Built like a CdP, like no other Rioja (tempranillo for that matter) I have ever had. Lovely fruit core with gorgous aroma. Tanic structure was a little gripiping on the finish, but a little air took care of that. I think this may be peaking.
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An excellent young Rioja. This exemplifies what Spain has to offer. A great oaky nose that has hints of cherry and smoke. Ripe Plum and dark cherry fruit are predominant on the palate. Acid is crisp and would pair well with food. Yet I would prefer this on it own. Lively tannins with hint of coffee give this wine a long, long finish. Great balance and bold flavors. I loved this wine yet it is still too young. Best 2008-2020
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Tasted June 17, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of blackberries, plum, anise, cassis and a touch of leather. Flavors of black licorice, black berries, black cherries and plums. Firm tannins with fresh acidity. Can be drank now with a minimum of an hour in the decanter but I’d recommend holding for 3-4 years. Should drink well for a decade, maybe more. Based on the local retail price of $64.59 I’d say the value here is recommended. Second tasting of this wine within the past 30 days with consistent notes.
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Spanish Wines (Farpointe Cellar): Deep ruby. This was the big brother of the other Muga in the tasting. It was better, but considering it cost twice as much, it was not twice as good. The nose was full of raspberry, plum, and cherry. The palate had lots of red fruit, cedar, and spice. The tannins were firm and the finish long.
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2001 Spanish Wine Tasting: Blind tasting. Black fruit, lots of new oak. Comes across as fat and modern to me, and not perfectly balanced. 75% Tempranillo and 25% other. Others liked this far more than I did tonight.
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Tasted May 26, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served about an hour later in a Riedel Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Dark brooding fruits on the nose with some plum and cassis with some leather notes and a floral component. Big juicy flavors of black berries, black cherries, plums and currants. Firm and rounded tannins with fresh, palate cleansing acidity. Nice long finish. This wine is a definite long term keeper. Wine of the tasting. Based on the $64.59 per bottle local retail price I’d say this wine is recommened at the moment. Could easily become highly recommended with more time in bottle.
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regift from norm xmas 2005 drank 12/26/05 with Donna, Frank, Helene, Dan excellent wine wine huge flavors, but none overpowering - not as good as Vina Montes Cab Apalta 03
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Round, more stremlined nose than the more "traditional" Prado Enea. Dark fruits, some leather and wood but no vanilla which often comes through in modern Spanish wines. Some sour black cherry notes on tasting - more characteristic Rioja flavors than I remember from a tasting last month (which isn't to say Rioja would be the first thing that came to my mind). Big tannins on the end with sufficient balancing acidity. Bigger and less elegant than the PE but a very good wine. ***
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Dark cherry red to the edges. Reticent nose of primary dark fruits. Wow! This is big for a Rioja. Still primary in flavor with Dark cherry notes and French oak vanillin undertones. Not exactly modern style with upfront fruit but not at all traditioanl Rioja. This is made in a Bordeaux vein with a massive tightly wound fruit core underlying a huge structure. Perfectly ripe fruit without any medicinal high tones. This is a wine for the ages but is surprisingly approachable given its youth. This has class and breed. Not much else to say as this has not yet begun to reveal its full potential. This is a great wine in the making.
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I tried this wine at the WS Grand Tour earlier this month. The wine was a nice reddish purple color. 100% temperanillo. Creamy red fruit notes. Medium to full bodied. 89-90 points.
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9/23/2023 - Joelene wrote: 94 Points
Big wine, really good, tasted bling and guessed 20 year old Rioja over $100…. Drinking well now but just starting to develop a touch of terciary cualities so airy this will age nicely for another decade or two.
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7/23/2022 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
Chez Christy - getting the band back together - Brian/Jen, Pat/Arantza (Oxford, Maryland): Been a few years since visiting with this vintage. Decanted and strained, past bottles had some sediment, this one no different. Had this open for about an hour prior to drinking, had with the cheeses for a quick taste and had some with the beef
Dark and opaque/cloudy garnet, some thinning at the edge. Nose showing red fruits, cedar, saddle leather. Classic Rioja palate, rustic and fruit forward. Dark cherry, orange zest. Dry and smooth palate. Medium body and finish.
Took about 30 minutes to show at the start. In a good spot right now, should drink at this level for a while. Fully mature (IMO) not going to improve much from here. Great showing on this night
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3/22/2022 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
The flagship wine of Muga, made only in vintages great enough. The wine is a classic Tempranillo blend with small amounts of Mazuelo and Graciano. Fermented spontaneously, macerated for two to three weeks in oak vats. Aged for 18 months in new French oak barriques. 14% alcohol.
Dense, concentrated and quite opaque black cherry color with an evolved brick-red hue. Considering how the wine should be a textbook example of a modernist Rioja, it smells surprisingly rustic and funky with aromas of barnyard and horse's arse, followed by evolved nuances of wizened figs, some bretty notes of leather, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light pruney tones, a hint of forest floor, a touch of cherry marmalade and a boozy whiff of alcohol. The wine feels dense, dry and concentrated on the palate with a full body and savory flavors of ripe plums, wild strawberries, some extracted bitter notes of woody oak, light ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of meaty umami, bretty hints of leather saddle and stable floor and a touch of toasty oak spice. The overall feel is somewhat extracted and quite muscular, thanks to the high acidity and still moderately grippy medium-plus tannins. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the palate. The finish is long, somewhat extracted and moderately grippy with dry flavors of bretty barnyard funk, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of ripe cranberry, light sweet pruney tones, a hint of savory wood spice and a touch of old leather.
For a modernist blockbuster - a style I really don't like, especially when it comes to Rioja - this was a surprisingly impressive, harmonious and delicious effort. Surprisingly funky, too - and in a good way! The wine certainly showed some very rustic animale notes, which stood in quite a stark contrast to the relatively concentrated and extracted nature of the wine, which had resolved quite little in these 20 years. All in all, a very serious, well-made and enjoyable effort that was certainly quite big and extracted for a Rioja, but at the same time remarkably harmonious and tasty for such. Highly recommended.
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12/26/2021 - ERoss Likes this wine: 92 Points
Double decanted. Well rounded, fully mature bottle. Opens with violets, black fruits, light tar. Decent core and lingering finish. Not austere or delicate, but throughly enjoyable.
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10/29/2021 - Harley1199 wrote: flawed
Opened half an hour before lunch. Long cork in perfect condition. Deep ruby colour with watery edges. It displays its modern character on the nose with notes of black olives, artichoke-like vegetables or even roasted coffee. Restrained and very shy, it needed to be shaken for a while in the glass to release aromas of red berries. Anyway it seems that wood never finished to integrate properly and mazuelo grape won. Very atypical for a 2001 anyway. In the mouth density is crushed by a brimming acidity. Slightly unbalanced but with good length. A warm wine with an abrupt finish. Unusual and almost failed in my humble opinion. A Rioja devoid of interest. Drinkable and anything else. Really disappointed with this heavy bottle. The Dark Side of Muga if compared with last SE.
Abierta media hora antes del almuerzo. Largo corcho en perfecta condición. Profundo color rubí con bordes acuosos. Hace gala de su carácter moderno en nariz con notas a olivas negras, vegetales tipo alcachofas o incluso café tostado. Restringido y muy tímido, necesitó ser agitado un buen rato en copa para liberar aromas a bayas rojas. De todas formas pareciera que la madera nunca terminó de integrarse adecuadamente y la mazuelo ganó. Muy atípico para ser un 2001 de todas formas. En boca la densidad es aplastada por una bribrante acidez. Ligeramente desequilibrado pero con buena longitud. Un vino cálido y de final abrupto. Inusual y casi fallido en mi humilde opinión. Un Rioja carente de interés. Bebible sin más. Muy desilusionado con esta botella pesada. El lado oscuro de Muga comparada con la última SE.
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11/4/2020 - rgawlowski Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very impressive; very Bordeaux intro - nose, palate; great balance and very long finish; still fine, but notes of ripe age - leather, dry fruit, broken tannins.
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7/12/2020 - edjBoca wrote: 90 Points
This still drinks quite tight even after decanting for an hour and keeping open another 2 hours.
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6/28/2020 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Poured from a Coravin’d bottle. Aromas of dried cherry, raspberry, earth, leather and balsamic. Flavors of dried cherry, dried raspberry, earth, balsamic and hoisin sauce. Ends with a long cherry and balsamic finish of 25-30 seconds. Showing some nice age but no where near over the hill.
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2/18/2020 - MRichman wrote:
Dense, dark. Espresso/coffee. Aging great. Drinking well, no rush at all. A strong, muscular wine. Really awesome.
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12/20/2019 - Chainthroer wrote: 93 Points
Still a very good wine. Aging not really evident.
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10/25/2019 - danstrings Likes this wine: 93 Points
Wow, no signs of age whatsoever... Monolith of a heavy glass bottle maybe shields it! :) Inky dark, fresh and clean nose of dark fruit, cinnamon, cassis.. Silky and seamless on the palate.. Lovely.
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9/1/2019 - jpwines Likes this wine: 95 Points
Always liked this wine--still lively
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12/24/2018 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WiML93
Tasted non blind.
Dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of pepper, plum,black berries and dish water. Flavors of black berries, black cherries and raspberries. Medium to tangy acidity, medium tannin, full bodied. Drink or hold. I'd lean towards drink now.
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11/3/2018 - oldwines wrote: 91 Points
Decanted and run through a Venturi 3 times before bringing to a friend’s house to drink with Venison Tacos. This wine is bright medium dark garnet with no sign of age. It looks like a very young wine. The nose has vanilla, blackberry and spice. It has medium+ acidity and still some gripping tannin. Very bright sharp mouth feel with flavors of slightly tart blackberry, vanilla and perhaps some pomegranate. The finish is moderately long but lacking in a distinctive flavor and like most Tempranillo wines, for me, lacking the depth and complexity to quallify as a really great bottle of wine.
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9/8/2018 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Another Saturday at Chevalier...Mostly Blind Spanish Wine (Chevalier Fine Wines - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in Spanish tasting. Ripe but able to maintain balance, even if the oak character still protrudes. Good + in its still, less exciting for me.
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9/1/2018 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 95 Points
Deep ruby color. Nose of turned earth, sweet black cherry, spicebox, and tobacco leaf. Medium bodied on the palate with great depth and persistence. Some residual ripe tannins on the finish.
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7/4/2018 - oldwines wrote: 92 Points
Decanted at 4pm and tasted over several hours. Good with Chipotle burgers I grilled. I don’t think age is helping build any complexity into this wine as I had hoped. I know it is my bias but I just never seem to be impressed with anything Tempranillo. The best of them are blends to get any complexity since Tempranillo is such a one dimensional grape IMO. This is true here. It is powerful and big in nose with lots of oak but and a dark black fruit but little else of interest to me.
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6/6/2018 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent but still very young for my taste. I was craving those secondary Cedar notes but they are not there
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1/7/2018 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 94 Points
I really enjoyed this wine. Decanted about three hours. Dark plum. Very nice old-world Spanish nose. Still with very ripe fruit with a bit of cherry and spice. Very nuanced and complex. Could take a sip and enjoy for two minutes. Probably can go another 20+ years.
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12/11/2017 - J @ y H @ c k Likes this wine: 93 Points
LBTG 2001 Rioja Flight. Outstanding wine. Decant about 3 hours. Still not full mature - probably 10 years to get there, but worth opening at this stage. Red fruit and meaty spice with an earthy herbal component. Strong stuff but smooth and elegant. Bought this about 10 years ago to age. Should have bought more. The good news is that the 2001 Seleccion Especial, which is about a third the price, was Outstanding now with sweeter fruit. Probably technically a bit more advanced but in a great spot right now.
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6/12/2017 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 91 Points
Best Torre Muga I've had. Mix of old world and new. Great with food. Herbal qualities (thyme, oregano) and some leather and also a little blackberry. Hope that other bottle is still downstairs. WOW.
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6/3/2017 - walkerjfw wrote:
Brought to Espana in Princeton, dinner with Valerie and Ryan. Opened about an hour in advanced to slow ox. Fair amount of sediment in this bottle
From prior notes: "Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance." Secondary notes of leather and dusted dark cherry more pronounced. Continued to evolve a bit from last tasting, the air time made this a bit more expressive (from memory)
At this point the wine is fully mature. Classic Torre Muga, no need to wait, will drink remaining bottles over next few years
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4/3/2017 - MRichman wrote:
Really nice. Drinking great.
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1/17/2017 - yarnon Likes this wine: 94 Points
intense nose of young red fruit, with notes of chalk and dill.
high tannin and medium acid make this full bodied wine very enjoyable to drink
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11/24/2016 - Tarpon222 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful. Very expressive Tempranillo
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10/28/2016 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Popped and drank over 2 hours. More expressive as time went on. Is this new old style? Drink or hold for more complications.
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8/21/2016 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 93 Points
Deep ruby color. Aromas of incense, spicebox, blackberry, and turned earth. Medium to full bodied on the palate with lots of juicy, ripe tannins on the finish.
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6/20/2016 - Milos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Surprise find in the cellar. Dark cherry and raspberry fruit with leather notes and that nice rotting leaves complexity I get from Tempranillo. Good mid-palate with ripe tannins, nearly resolved. Good balance overall and a great finish. Classic Rioja.
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2/9/2016 - awineo Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a great drinking bottle. Well integrated but the fruit was still solid and the tannins were just enough to make it sing.
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12/12/2015 - ledwards wrote: 91 Points
(From magnum). Still very young. Good decant recommended. Tart blackberries, stone notes and spice. Will be better in 5 years.
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11/1/2015 - cephomer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank from magnum last nite at Saltaire. Still inky in color, not much browning that I could detect, though it was dark in the restaurant. Funk on the nose initially, which eventually blew off. Lots of tobacco, earth & barnyard aromas. Medium bodied, still some black fruit but this wine is clearly in its tertiary stage--cigar, tobacco, cedar, leather & earth dominate this wine. Tannins mostly resolved. I would have liked a bit more fruit & balance here, but still a very nice example of a well-aged Rioja. Drink up, as I believe this wine has already been to the mountain top.
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8/8/2015 - FrancoisD Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cerise noire, cuir (leger)
Longueur moyenne
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7/12/2015 - NY Wino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over 2 days. Wine is certainly ready to drink but could continue to age and improve over the next 2-4 years. Good fruit, lots of cigar and cedar flavors. Tannins are smooth and finish is long and very nice.
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6/16/2015 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
At Charlotte's graduation with friends. Consistent with prior notes: "Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance."
Really in a good spot.
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3/22/2015 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted and enjoyed for a couple of hours from magnum. Nice depth and modern, but not overly so. Broad and harmonious. Mellowed out and developing pleasant middle-aged characteristics. This mag could drink -2022 but recommend checking on any 750s every year until then.
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1/6/2015 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very pleasant and may have been better on night number two. Purple red hues with medium to rich fruit. Nice finish
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11/8/2014 - oldwines wrote: 92 Points
Decanted at 5pm and drunk over 3 hours. Medium dark garnet color. Mose of vanilla, some leather, and red fruit. Mouth feel is lean but balanced and bright. On the palate I get a lot of pepper, cranberry and vanilla. Aftertaste not too long. Good with a spicy chili.
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10/25/2014 - vendange wrote: 92 Points
I think this wine may be peaking. The fruit is still sweet and distinct but less vibrant than in the past. I will hold my last couple for a bit to see what develops but if balance is what you seek over secondary/tertiary flavors you might want to open one of these now. Delicious.
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9/25/2014 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 94 Points
Black with a deep ruby rim. Nose of focused black cherry, blackberry, mineral, and spice aromas. Medium to full bodied on the palate with racy acidity and great presence through the finish.
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7/25/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
On the patio, al fresco dining with Valerie, Stephanie and Chiemi...Spanish wines tonight to celebrate our trip to Rioja
Consistent with prior notes on nose and palate. Fruit forward but mellowed. Red and dark fruits, cedar, leather. Picked up some orange zest and spice on the finish. Medium finish with great nuance.
Drinking really well right now, good that I have a decent stash of this vintage...drink now or hold
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6/3/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Excellent dark fruit, cassis, cedar and earth on the nose and palate. Rich and dense on the palate. This is forward and modern, although less oak than more recent vintages, but clearly will improve will more time.
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5/18/2014 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
5+ years since I last tried this. Aging gracefully, this is a ripe wine that nobody would mistake for old school Rioja, but there really is a lot to like about this, even for fans of old school old world wines. I suspect this will continue to age into something really interesting. Try again in another 5 years.
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4/12/2014 - walkerjfw wrote: 93 Points
With Wendy and Joe at their house, great night, drank this prior to a d'Arenberg Dead Arm Shiraz, great contrast
Classic Muga funk on the palate, leather dark fruits. Palate was sophisticated/fruit forward with red and dark fruits, cedar, spices, leather, oak. Finishes medium.
Drinks with character and elegance now, I don't think it will improve much but will probably last a bit. Unique flavor profile and a nice break from more common drinking varietals.
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2/9/2014 - ogres3 Likes this wine: 91 Points
A bit of a primitive wine. Decanted over two hours. Lots of fruit with more than a bit of a edge.
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1/25/2014 - vendange wrote: 92 Points
No detailed notes. Drank with a beautiful, roast suckling pig; a great match. More mature than I expected but still vigorous.
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1/17/2014 - Nanda wrote: 90 Points
Medium ruby. Delicious aromatics - black fruit, herbs and toast. Palate is round with medium-to-full body. Chalky and even gritty tannin not quite integrated with the fruit. Component parts are there but seems in an awkward and un-integrated phase.
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1/17/2014 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Chicago Wine Flock..."Dennis Shares Spain" (Casa de la Mata - Chicago IL): Tasted double blind in mostly 2001 Rioja flight. Ripe black fruit aromas with spice dominated by new oak. Very ripe and rich again on palate, just slightly flabby and bitter towards finish. Became less interesting with more time open.
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1/1/2014 - Canoehead Likes this wine: 93 Points
First meal of 2014 - decanted our last 2001 and compared alongside with a friend's 2004. This '01 was very good but the '04 won out with a broader nose of savoury fruit, herbs and leather, a gorgeous weight, and much richer finish.
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10/27/2013 - edjBoca wrote: 92 Points
This drank younger than the last bottle. It is amazing how concentrated this wine is after 12 years. I believe the best is yet to come.
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9/7/2013 - jdoakpark wrote: 95 Points
One of the best I've ever had in Tempranillo. I love this wine....after an hour it starts to shine...it glistens after 3 hrs
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8/25/2013 - Biglama Likes this wine: 93 Points
herkenbare rioja, mooie rijpe tonen, koffie, chocolade, amerikaans eiken, prima drinkbaar, goed in vorm
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5/12/2013 - jdoakpark wrote: 92 Points
Great but less impressive than a few years ago. Is it me? Love the flavors and scents. Great bottle
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3/15/2013 - BobBachus wrote: 92 Points
With A and H at Lorenas.. H oopped and poured, no decant.. Initially bottle stink blew off after about an hour.. Rich and smooth, with lots of coconut on the nose.. Significantly improved on the second day, with better integration and fruit. I'd recommend a 1-2 hour decant or waing a few more years.. 90 first day, 92 second day.
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11/27/2012 - pdadams66 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Exceptional Rioja, drank at Ad Hoc. Very modern in style, almost cabernet-like fruit, cassis, smoke, well integrated oak. Great depth of flavour. Richness in the mouth balanced with tannin and some acid. Will last a few more years and integrate further.
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9/17/2012 - NY Wino wrote: 93 Points
Deep purple color nice bouquet of earth and rustic fruit. The wine has excellent fruit, very nice earthiness and a, long smooth finish.
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9/1/2012 - jdoakpark wrote: 95 Points
Truly magnificent. Gave it 2 hours in decanter and then served with red meat......perfection on the palate.
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8/17/2012 - markcvino wrote: 95 Points
Light brownish red in color with earth tones on the nose and hints of spice; light bodied, with leather and berries on the palate and full 1 minute finish. Excellent balance of acidity and tannins ... could go on another 10 years before peaking. A very fine Rioja and light on the alcohol.
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8/17/2012 - twotee Likes this wine: 95 Points
This was an excellent wine. It has wonderful characters of leather, dark fresh and dried cherries, general funk, cedar, allspice...I could go on. I don't really see it improving and wonder how long it will hold on. While it has healthy acidity and solid grip paired with a full mid-palate, I don't think the flavor profile will last as long as the palate structure. As a result I say drink up and enjoy!
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5/29/2012 - satannic wrote: 96 Points
OK, there seems to be a fair amount of controversy over when this wine should be consumed. First of all, the obvious - it's really yummy. Secondly, I served it yesterday at a barbecue, and my friends, all of whom are big cab lovers - Montelena, Seavey, Plumpjack, etc. - really liked it. I decanted it for a couple of hours, but we all agree it is still well short of its peak! My friend was quite surprised when I told him the reason I served it was because I had sorted my wines by Cellartracker drinking windows and this one came up close to the back end of its window! I plan to put my other two bottles away for at least five years!
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5/6/2012 - Squirreljam wrote:
Impression only; drank this several weeks ago and mad at myself since I really wanted to post a note but forgot, and now I don't remember details. That said, this was really good. It came across as a blend of Cali and old world; the richness of cali but less cloying, more acid than most cal cab. Still primary, this hasn't entered a secondary window but I'm not sure it will improve, only change. All rough edges have worn off and this is a pleasure to drink now.
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4/22/2012 - oldwines wrote: 92 Points
This bottle was taken to a party so notes are not complete. Nevertheless this is probably the best Rioja I've had. I'm not usually a fan of Tempranillo as I feel it is usually a one dimensional wine. This is deep in color with a moderately floral bouquet and fairly viscous. Nice dark fruit flavors with a little cedar but I think it could evolve favorably with more time. It definitely improves with air. I disagree that this is nearing the end of life. Actually I think it needs a good bit more time by my standards and hope it will be more layeered afterwards. I will probably try it again in 2-3 years.
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2/28/2012 - TheEngineer wrote: 88 Points
more evlolved than I would have thought for such an initially massive bottle. Not all components aging as gracefully. a bit discombolulatled for me, a bit porty. Not afraid of these big boys but this one was just probably caught at a bad time.
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2/18/2012 - Gut wrote: 93 Points
Had for b-day dinner with friends. Has come a long way over the past 5 years. Definitely ready to enjoy now.
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1/13/2012 - mdvino63 wrote: 92 Points
This is a fabulous wine for lovers of really good California Cab. Definitely modern style with really nothing to suggest Spain, but when it's this good, who really cares? Deep ruby/garnet to the rim with no sign of bricking. Bright red fruit/cassis on the nose with some definite spice. Rich plum, cherry with some nice spice - GREAT balance of lush fruit with good acidity. A lashing of oak that is nicely integrated here. The tannins are fine and smoothing out. Not much secondary development. This is terrific to drink now if you love the rich primary fruit in wine. If you want added complexity and secondary flavors leave it to sit.......but, there is a risk in cellaring this as my experience with older Torre Mugas is that they don't always age all that well, so check in often. I really like this. Bonnie not so much.
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1/10/2012 - cabber wrote: 95 Points
Deep purple, big fruit, tons of earth, mouth-filling flavors of plum and tobacco, good acidity and totally in balance. Long, pleasant finish. Incredible wine, Rioja at its best!
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12/10/2011 - RussK wrote: 91 Points
RussK WSW@Pablo's Spain BB. My 2nd WOTN for the rioja flight, behind the muga Reserva. 91-
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11/12/2011 - Milos wrote: 92 Points
Dark cherry, leather, rotting leaves complexity (a good thing). Palate show great structure with ripe tannins balances with intense sweet fruit and acidity leading to a great finish.
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9/26/2011 - kjroenetrian wrote:
Sent to Mike
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7/1/2011 - MichielV wrote: 91 Points
great wine. with lamb chops from grill. bought this bottle on vacation in spain. good dark color, nice elegant balanced nose and lovely fruit with tannins on the palate. top drinking window now. wont get better. good combination.
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6/12/2011 - moben wrote: 88 Points
Starting to fade. Drink up!
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6/5/2011 - Charlie Carnes wrote: 80 Points
Any of the precociousness this wine had in its youth has been lost. Today the fruit of overmatched by clumsy, blocky, oaky yuck.
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6/5/2011 - tbjerre@live.com wrote: 92 Points
Fantastic, still lot of acidity, I just love this wine.
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5/22/2011 - awineo Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was a nice Rioja. Good fruit and balanced tannins. I would buy more.
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5/20/2011 - Mike Mann wrote: 92 Points
Deep color, great nose, smooth had this with friends an a Porterhouse Steak. A well balanced wine with lots of spices
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4/9/2011 - Crushman wrote: 92 Points
Decanted, big wine, rich fruit, opened up nicely. Velvety texture, wine was aging well. My last bottle.
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3/19/2011 - MRichman wrote:
Big, muscular wine with high acid and nice floral notes. Some espresso. Nicely mature, I think this is ready to drink, although it would be nice if some of the acid faded a bit. A little tightly wound.
B/B+
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1/1/2011 - bulldurham wrote: 93 Points
The wine was not as robust as previous tastings of this great Rioja wine. Not sure why. It was luxurious but it did not have the lingering after taste that was experienced in prior consumptions.
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11/27/2010 - rayq wrote:
75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo and 10% Graciano.(2006 cepage)
Aged for 6 months in wooden vats, 18 months in new French oak barrels and at least 12 months in bottle before release.
More 'slutty' than the Prado Enea. Hints of vanilla. Black fruits. Minerality.
Certainlt tastes 'modern' but lovely silky palate. Nice sweetness. However if the '94 is nything to go by this will morph into a different wine.
Very Good.
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11/27/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Muga (haro, Rioja): Slightly fuller colour. red-Black fruit with vanilla spice. Again, good attack leading to a slightly rounder, easier mid-palate before returning to a fresh acidity-balanced finish. A bit richer and more obvious than the PE, but lots of potential here if a recent 94 is anything to go by. ***(*1/2)
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11/19/2010 - MRichman wrote:
A bit stiff, took a little while to open up. Dense with strong blackish fruit and a floral pretty note as well as some coffee. Sweet and acidic tannins. Good fruit, good structure. Still on the young side but very nice with a real sense of class.
B/B+
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7/14/2010 - shaferguy91 wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 2 hours. Big and bold with a very long finish.
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6/19/2010 - jdoakpark wrote: 94 Points
big and bold....awesome....needs a lot of air before drinking.....black juice
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6/15/2010 - SJC wrote:
Terrific.....still needs more time in bottle or decanter but drinking beautifully now
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6/15/2010 - SJC wrote: 94 Points
Terrific wine that has developed very well (i.e., softened) over past 12 months. Popped and poured over 3 hours and it got better with each glass. Dark color, big nose of cedar and spice; still somewhat tannic but the tannins are nicely integrated. Could develop and improve even more but hard to resist for now.
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5/25/2010 - ed-d wrote: 86 Points
Black color. Sappy blackberry on the nose. Very flashy & hot, hot, hot. A little too much alcohol for me & very, very modern in style. Tasted doouble blind.
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5/16/2010 - jtinto Likes this wine: 91 Points
Dark color and a huge nose. Plum, cedar, tobacco and spice with bold tannins and acidity. Not a 95 pointer (Parker) for my palate, but a very enjoyable wine. Drinking nicely or can hold for another 10 years minimum.
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5/15/2010 - otisabdul wrote: 93 Points
Tasted blind as part of a mini Steak-Out. This was the overwhelming winner when the votes were tallied. Tasted like a young Cab, with soft and inviting edges surrounding a deep and powerful core. Stealthy tannins that worked well with the ribeye. Captivatingly mellow. Impressive. Never would have predicted that a Rioja would win this thing.
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3/28/2010 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Prime drinking. Popped and poured and let the wine reach room temp. from the cellar. Tanzer is right on at this point.
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3/1/2010 - PatrikO wrote: 92 Points
Sunday lunch. From Magnum. This bottle just went so well with my chicken paella, incredibly aromatic with asian spices and and dark fruit. Still a baby, but drinks well now.
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1/6/2010 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Same as last note.
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12/25/2009 - aavello wrote: 92 Points
Bold up front with a sutble back end of black cherries. Back end nose impressive.
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12/18/2009 - Old_Winyards wrote:
Modern styled, but not over rthe top. Good red fruit, nice complexity, but not as much structure as I might like. Still very enjoyable.
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11/1/2009 - moben wrote: 94 Points
Really coming into its own. Ver full bodied with long finish and great mouth-feel
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9/26/2009 - lovedoktor wrote: 90 Points
Abundant tannins. Although a powerful and drinkable wine now, this wine could easily be cellared for an additional 10 years. Served with ribeye steaks, mushrooms, and spinach.
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7/18/2009 - vinole wrote: 93 Points
South FL WS Forum Offline (Bistro Provence, Boca Raton, FL): Very dark color, muted nose. Full bodied with blackberry and dark cherry flavors and noticeable oak on the long finish. Higher acidity than many wines of this size. Although this is drinking fine now, I think this wine will improve with more age as it is likely to benefit from shedding some more tannin, the fruit settling down, and the oak integrating some more.
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7/17/2009 - TheEngineer wrote: 95 Points
great nose, a bit barnyardy, locorice, spices, deep fruit, dark fruit, great structure. Lots going on on the palate, great density, smooth texture, nicely integrating now, but still with a terrifically long life ahead of hit. Very long finish.
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5/20/2009 - tjap1969 wrote: 92 Points
Torre Muga is far an away my favorite Spanish Wine. It has everything I like. Good structure, tart, licorice, spice, leather.
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4/11/2009 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 95 Points
Has grown really well-integrated. Amazing nose. Full of fruit; hard to place the components because it's so harmonious.
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3/27/2009 - mimik wrote: 95 Points
Montreal Wine Guy Weekend a la Quebecoise; 3/27/2009-3/28/2009 (Wentworth North-Vinaigre's brother's cottage): Nose is a little mited but shows lots of cherries and blackberry flavours with wallops of vanilla. The palate is sublime,lush but framed by good acidity and blackberry, cherry and oak and vanilla notes. Very fine. A mix between modern and tradition. Long long finish.
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3/17/2009 - JJK32 wrote:
excellent - one of my favorites
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3/8/2009 - AMM3RD wrote: 93 Points
This is great stuff! It has really evolved over the last two years. It has lost some fruit and you are picking up more secondary flavors. Nose is earthy, sweet and funky. Flavors are more of the same. Balance, soft minerality and rich fruit. Earth and funk that this wine has never shown before. Drink up if you like the fruit, if you are looking for more drink over the next 3-4 years. 100% Perfect match with NY Strip steaks. Recommended...AMM
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3/5/2009 - jerhardt wrote: 92 Points
This is a big and powerful, yet subtle and well balanced wine. Very good, but still very tightly wound and probably best to wait.
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2/16/2009 - Jack wrote: 93 Points
Muy Bueno. Solid fruit with very gritty tannins and a little acid lift on the finish.
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11/7/2008 - futronic wrote: 92 Points
Wino Guys Weekend (WGW) #2; 11/7/2008-11/8/2008: Stand up well in advance and decant. This bottle threw tons of sediment. Dark ruby/black colour. Muted aromas of vanilla, peach, dried blackcurrant. Full-bodied, a little gritty/crunchy from the tannins, with more blackcurrant and vanilla notes on the palate. Moderate-length finish, ~35s, with black berry fruit. Shows good structure and acidity. Will improve with cellaring - it needs it! Try again in 2011.
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11/7/2008 - mimik wrote: 94 Points
Wine Guy Weekend chez DoktaPs: Dark, tight and tannic. Lots of structure. Nose of earth, black cherries and vanilla. Palate with more cherries and chocolate hints. Lots of power in this masculine wine but time will tame it. Long tannic finish. Revisit in 5 years.
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9/29/2008 - Seanr7 wrote: 92 Points
Deep purple color, nose was dominated by oak with a hint of fruit and chocolate. 6 hours in the denater before this even started to show its stuff but still not ready to go. While this wine was fun, towards the end, it needs at least 5 more years or a 10 hour decant before drinking.
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8/15/2008 - tina7474 wrote: 93 Points
Uncorked and breathed for 1/2 hour only. It really needed a full decanting. Enjoyed with during a grilled seafood extravaganza. It TOTALLY overpowered the swordfish and salmon, but i used some imagination and pretended it was a stirp steak with potatoes gratin. A extremely round and viscous wine that you can almost chew. Deep purple color that reflected the richness of the super-ripe fruit. Nothing subtle here. A great wine.
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7/3/2008 - facchair wrote: 94 Points
Drank this wine right after a bottle of 02 Insignia. Expected a let down but was pleased to find this wine not too far behind the Phelps.
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6/12/2008 - losvinhos wrote: 94 Points
Decantado por 3 horas.Rubi escuro. Aromas agradáveis com destaque para baunilha, flores brancas, cedro e tostado. Na boca encorpado e macio, com numerosos taninos finos, boa acidez, boa fruta e final bastante longo. Complexo, tanto nos aromas como no paladar. Delicioso para ser tomado já apesar de ainda jovem e com muito potencial para evoluir. Moderno.Excelente/Excepcional.
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4/20/2008 - JRDillon wrote: 88 Points
I could tell there was a lot of fruit and complexity underneath, but it never made it to the surface. Consumed over about three hours and it just never opened up. Still, one of the most regal Spanish wines I've ever had.
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4/17/2008 - amgryger wrote:
Raisins, chocolate and notes of smoke on the very inviting nose. Full-bodied with flavors of plum, black cherry, spice, tobacco and coffee. Very good.
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2/7/2008 - slippytoad wrote: 95 Points
Needs time decanting to open up but is super stuff, really enjoyed with tapas at Castro Point.
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2/3/2008 - JDB wrote: 92 Points
certainly needs time in the decanter , on opening there was a very ugly herbal bite at the back end and the wine was quite closed . Decanted for 3 hours & consumed over 2 it was very good . Tobaco and dark fruits with leather on the finish .At $70.00 I will debate buying more
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2/1/2008 - MRichman wrote:
Nice. Needs more time.
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1/12/2008 - AMM3RD wrote: 94 Points
Wonderful wine, one of my favorites ever. Very mature flavors getting into forest floor with perfectly integrated dry tannins. Black fruits and a long wonderful finish. Follow up with a 2003 that was more fruit forward, but just as enjoyable. Ready to drink now and over the next 3-5 years...AMM
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1/1/2008 - jrhiggins7 wrote: 92 Points
Deep. Helped by two hours of decanting. Enjoyed it.
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12/4/2007 - bogrumpus wrote: 90 Points
deep red color, strong nose full of spice and black fruit which I thought would lead to a full, well-flavoured wine which just didn't perform. Strong tannins that really prevented me from tasting much. Again, some black fruit, and subtle spice but pretty obscured. Despite these tannins, it didn't have much depth or anything too suggest it might come around with a few years of age. Kind of flat, and tannic but with a nice nose.
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11/25/2007 - ccn wrote: 92 Points
Decanted 3 hours; improved considerably over that period.
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11/18/2007 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Decanted and let air for 3 hours. This is a deep,aromic,full bodied,intense wine. Plum,tobacco and spices linger thru a long finish. This wine has long legs.
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11/1/2007 - jpan wrote:
Linda brought this out and popped the cork to enjoy while making dinner. I was hoping to keep it longer, but I'm glad we had it. Didn't take notes, but found the intensity and fruity-earthy flavor elements very appealing. Now I'll look for some more to drink over the next several years. Definitely not too young, as I had feared.
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10/16/2007 - facchair wrote: 93 Points
Very soft and smooth, balanced, long on the finish. Great wine.
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9/28/2007 - benny wrote: 94 Points
Lots of oak,dark ruby colour,raspberry and dark cherry up front,very flavorful nose,intensity and finish quite admirable ,still young,will cellar remained and try again in 6 months.
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9/3/2007 - Vinho wrote: 93 Points
Confraria A.C. - Muga (Porto Rubaiyat): Tempranillo (75%), mazuelo (15%) e graciano (10%). Rubi fechado, alguns sedimentos finos. Nariz com notas minerais, de frutos negros e tostadas. Muitos taninos finos ainda bastante presentes, textura sedosa, encorpado, ótima acidez, com leve mentol final. Final limpo, bastante longo, lembrando frutas brancas. Estilo inequivocamente moderno mas bem feito, integra o grupo daqueles que podem ser considerados "super-riojanos" (Aro, Cirsion, Remirez de Ganuza, Aurus, Baron de Chirell etc.). 92-93+pts. E/E.
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6/29/2007 - Tparodi wrote: flawed
corked sucker.....cracked another and was fine ...dark cherry,earthy & loadedw/tannins ......good food wine.
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5/15/2007 - CAS wrote: 91 Points
Dark purple in the glass the nose was explosive! Lots of dark fruits, tobacco, vanilla wafted from the glass. Very smooth on the palate - smooth tannins and an abundance of fruit with blackcurrant jam, spice, plum and chocolate. Lots of oak is also evident but it is not overpowering but should integrate well after some more bottle time. This is a big rioja bursting with fruit and should be even better in a few years.
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4/15/2007 - stevewine wrote:
drinking well now
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4/14/2007 - flashvictor wrote: 94 Points
Deep ruby color leads to a capitaving nose of saddle leather, currant and black cherry. The palate carries those flavors forward but adds a hint of cedar as well as tobacco and allspice. The tannins while somewhat dry are wonderfully integrated and the finish is 30 seconds in length. Would definately buy again.
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3/20/2007 - pamelabgoldsmith@yahoo.com wrote: 95 Points
Alcala Restaurant - 2/10/07 - decanted for 30 minutes - Deep ruby. Young, with lots of tannins. Dark cherry fruit on palate - incredibly long finish.
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3/20/2007 - nbarczi wrote:
Strawberry and vanillia notes on nose - american oak
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2/7/2007 - 5laton wrote:
Hint of oak on the nose. Creamy texture, tannic, big with cherry, plum, bitter chocolate. Long finish interrupted by tannins. Lots of wow factor but i would have difficulty pegging this as tempranillo. Wish i could have tried this again the 2nd day.
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9/29/2006 - carlwhat wrote:
big bruiser of a wine. needs time......
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9/23/2006 - DaveArsenault wrote: 89 Points
Complemented the pot roast & veggies, butternut squash.
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8/12/2006 - VinoRico wrote: 95 Points
Built like a CdP, like no other Rioja (tempranillo for that matter) I have ever had. Lovely fruit core with gorgous aroma. Tanic structure was a little gripiping on the finish, but a little air took care of that. I think this may be peaking.
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7/23/2006 - commodity9 wrote: 92 Points
An excellent young Rioja. This exemplifies what Spain has to offer. A great oaky nose that has hints of cherry and smoke. Ripe Plum and dark cherry fruit are predominant on the palate. Acid is crisp and would pair well with food. Yet I would prefer this on it own. Lively tannins with hint of coffee give this wine a long, long finish. Great balance and bold flavors. I loved this wine yet it is still too young. Best 2008-2020
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6/17/2006 - win wrote: 90 Points
FP. Nice deep red color with good tannins. A very solid wine.
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6/17/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,PURPLE93,WA95,WS90
Tasted June 17, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served immediately in a Riedel Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of blackberries, plum, anise, cassis and a touch of leather. Flavors of black licorice, black berries, black cherries and plums. Firm tannins with fresh acidity. Can be drank now with a minimum of an hour in the decanter but I’d recommend holding for 3-4 years. Should drink well for a decade, maybe more. Based on the local retail price of $64.59 I’d say the value here is recommended. Second tasting of this wine within the past 30 days with consistent notes.
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6/17/2006 - mmurry wrote: 90 Points
Spanish Wines (Farpointe Cellar): Deep ruby. This was the big brother of the other Muga in the tasting. It was better, but considering it cost twice as much, it was not twice as good. The nose was full of raspberry, plum, and cherry. The palate had lots of red fruit, cedar, and spice. The tannins were firm and the finish long.
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6/11/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
2001 Spanish Wine Tasting: Blind tasting. Black fruit, lots of new oak. Comes across as fat and modern to me, and not perfectly balanced. 75% Tempranillo and 25% other. Others liked this far more than I did tonight.
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5/26/2006 - wineismylife wrote: 93 Points
WIML93,WA95,WS90
Tasted May 26, 2006 at a retail tasting. Opened and served about an hour later in a Riedel Vinum Cabernet Sauvignon glass. Dark purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Dark brooding fruits on the nose with some plum and cassis with some leather notes and a floral component. Big juicy flavors of black berries, black cherries, plums and currants. Firm and rounded tannins with fresh, palate cleansing acidity. Nice long finish. This wine is a definite long term keeper. Wine of the tasting. Based on the $64.59 per bottle local retail price I’d say this wine is recommened at the moment. Could easily become highly recommended with more time in bottle.
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12/29/2005 - pwarms wrote: 88 Points
regift from norm xmas 2005 drank 12/26/05 with Donna, Frank, Helene, Dan
excellent wine wine huge flavors, but none overpowering - not as good as Vina Montes Cab Apalta 03
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10/8/2005 - psmith wrote:
Round, more stremlined nose than the more "traditional" Prado Enea. Dark fruits, some leather and wood but no vanilla which often comes through in modern Spanish wines. Some sour black cherry notes on tasting - more characteristic Rioja flavors than I remember from a tasting last month (which isn't to say Rioja would be the first thing that came to my mind). Big tannins on the end with sufficient balancing acidity. Bigger and less elegant than the PE but a very good wine. ***
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10/5/2005 - Chateaunewf wrote: 95 Points
Dark cherry red to the edges. Reticent nose of primary dark fruits. Wow! This is big for a Rioja. Still primary in flavor with Dark cherry notes and French oak vanillin undertones. Not exactly modern style with upfront fruit but not at all traditioanl Rioja. This is made in a Bordeaux vein with a massive tightly wound fruit core underlying a huge structure. Perfectly ripe fruit without any medicinal high tones. This is a wine for the ages but is surprisingly approachable given its youth. This has class and breed. Not much else to say as this has not yet begun to reveal its full potential. This is a great wine in the making.
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5/27/2005 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
I tried this wine at the WS Grand Tour earlier this month. The wine was a nice reddish purple color. 100% temperanillo. Creamy red fruit notes. Medium to full bodied. 89-90 points.
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