Heavily crusted bottle, but in perfect condition. Medium garnet colour, orange edges. Light nose. Red fruit, leather, tobacco, soy sauce, earth, spices, cinnamon, clove and balsamic notes on the palate, with lively acidity, fine, mostly resolved tannin and good length. Smoothly textured, with some old age sweetness. Perfectly balanced after about an hour of aeration. Rather big and broad and not quite as weightless and elegant as the best examples on day one, but ethereal, balsamic and very smooth on day two.
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Beautiful almost Bordeaux like nose when opened. Nose stayed strong for hours. Tobacco and smoke later. Good acidity. Light on feet. Light color...some orange. Gorgeous bottle.
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In bricking mode. Sweet cherries wrapped in tobacco leaves...great acidity, good ripeness and balance. A beautiful wine that may have peaked but hardly showing signs of deterioration. It's amazing how long lasting these older Riojas can be.
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LRA Ardanza & 904 (The Medlar, London): Dense, fairly full garnet. Lovely nose. Good acidity' bright with some red fruit. A touch of orange peel too. Puts on coffee ground weight. This might even have a hint of fruit. Horror! ****1/2
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5/18/2020 - PSPatrick wrote: 91 Points
Heavily crusted bottle, but in perfect condition. Medium garnet colour, orange edges. Light nose. Red fruit, leather, tobacco, soy sauce, earth, spices, cinnamon, clove and balsamic notes on the palate, with lively acidity, fine, mostly resolved tannin and good length. Smoothly textured, with some old age sweetness. Perfectly balanced after about an hour of aeration. Rather big and broad and not quite as weightless and elegant as the best examples on day one, but ethereal, balsamic and very smooth on day two.
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12/28/2018 - LoireFan wrote: 92 Points
Cork pushed in during opening. Got to this just in time.
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6/21/2017 - gris Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful almost Bordeaux like nose when opened. Nose stayed strong for hours. Tobacco and smoke later. Good acidity. Light on feet. Light color...some orange. Gorgeous bottle.
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2/11/2017 - gris Likes this wine: 93 Points
In bricking mode. Sweet cherries wrapped in tobacco leaves...great acidity, good ripeness and balance. A beautiful wine that may have peaked but hardly showing signs of deterioration. It's amazing how long lasting these older Riojas can be.
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11/11/2016 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
LRA Ardanza & 904 (The Medlar, London): Dense, fairly full garnet. Lovely nose. Good acidity' bright with some red fruit. A touch of orange peel too. Puts on coffee ground weight. This might even have a hint of fruit. Horror! ****1/2
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