2001 Bodegas Riojanas Rioja Viña Albina Gran Reserva

Community Tasting Notes (43) Avg Score: 89.9 points

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  1/6/2024 - James Kim Likes this wine: 91 Points

  From memory. Stood up for several weeks. Decanted off fine sediment for 2 h, of which there was very little. Back into bottle and drank over 5 hrs. Mild dill and coconut, dried cherries, leather and later into the evening, black coffee and dark chocolate notes emerge. Elegant, smooth mouthfeel with nice acids. Can't remember the tannic structure. Overall, an excellent showing and very much liked this. Also, the American oak is still noticeable, albeit mildly, even after almost 23 years. Still a very nice drink. 91+

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  9/19/2023 - Vinomane wrote: 90 Points

  Day 1: Impression was too young, not fully developed. Day 2: Open and accessible -- but not markedly better than "Gran Reservas" from lesser producers in later vintages priced <$20. Maybe a little more on the finish, I suppose. To my taste, this bottling is always far overshadowed by its Riojanas sibling, the Monte Real Gran Reserva. The difference in price is small, but the difference in quality is large. Five more in the cellar. No rush; plenty of room for improvement, which would be a welcome surprise.

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  7/16/2023 - Nothung Likes this wine: 94 Points

  A beautiful expression of Rioja and great QPR. Drinking well now, but no need to rush; it has a long life ahead of it.

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  10/23/2022 - JWG wrote: 93 Points

  This was a remarkable Rioja in my limited knowledge. It is beautiful at this age. No details now, but overall rich nose and palate with lots of depth of flavors. Way worth its price.

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  10/22/2022 - ScottPreston wrote: 91 Points

  Great wine. Took about 2 hours to really hit stride. Leather, strawberry, baking spices. Easily another 5-10 years of good life

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