2009 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Viña Real Reserva

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 87.9 points

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  3/24/2019 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 90 Points

  It's a Reserva like this that reminds me why, when it comes to Rioja, I often like Reservas more than Gran Reservas. The latter are more "serious" and "profound," perhaps, at least if those two terms are essentially defined by the characteristics of advanced aging in barrel, but the former, when well done, strike that great balance between youthful Crianzas and aged Grans, emphasizing both acidic, fruity freshness and those American oak-driven elements so essential to the region. And so here we are with a Reserva drinking beautifully as it approaches ten, offering notes of raspberry, cherry, cranberry, raisin, dried fig, leather, coconut, and sandalwood, plus a hint of minerality, riding a wave of still-vigorous but offset acidity within a structure that has softened but that retains enough firmness to counter the riper, sweeter fruit and those various oaky expressions, with a finish that is still quite dry. It could use a bit more oomph, a bit more power behind all these great elements, but it's pretty textbook Reserva.

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  5/23/2017 - texanoblues wrote: 92 Points

  Deep red/magenta with dark core. Perfectly ripe plum and black cherry combined with prominent floral notes and just enough camphor/eucalyptus to remind you it's a Rioja. Full and expansive on the mid-palate with some fine-grained tannins. Smooth, medium length cherry, menthol finish. Balanced, fresh with some depth and complexity. 92-93 pts.
  
  Drank over three days from magnum. The best were the last two glasses. Decanted and stored in a stopped decanter at 4C. Initially after opening the wine was fruit forward and disjunct.
  
  Not one to disagree with other tasting notes, but have to point out that the drinking window posted here is way off. This bottle was still a baby. Maybe just entered drinking window at best. Better in five years. Best in 10. Will hold much longer.

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  12/28/2016 - Piotr K Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Much better than the other bottle, more balanced and nice to drink.

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  11/17/2016 - Piotr K wrote: 84 Points

  This wine is all fruit. Nose full of wild strawberries, explosion of fruit in mouth. However there is not much else, some acidity, but lacks balance and depth. Also if I tasted blind I would not say it is a Rioja Reserva, but rather something from Rhone Valley.

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  10/17/2015 - Phenol73 wrote: 87 Points

  (Berry's Rioja and Catalonia Tasting 2015) :: Pretty uninteresting. Discreet, generic. Meh.

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