1985 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 890

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 93.1 points

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  3/3/2017 - Lype Likes this wine: 92 Points

  Shows nicely age, finally as -94, -95 and -98 tasted very young despite the 20 years and more age, still fresh, dried flavours, plums, leather. Will still hold for many years.

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  3/3/2017 - forceberry wrote: 94 Points

  A blend of Tempranillo (95%), Graciano (3%) and Mazuelo (2%). Aged for 6 years in American oak barrels. 12,5% alcohol.
  
  Moderately developed and quite translucent brick-red color. Developed and quite aged nose with a lot of emphasis on the mature, pruney dried-fruit character along with aromas of horse stables, new leather jacket, pipe tobacco, some slightly sweet oxidative character, a hint of sweet balsamic VA and a touch of plum liqueur and cherry pit. The wine feels rich, medium-bodied and velvety on the palate with developed, slightly sweet and lightly bitter flavors of peppery spice, pruney fruit, still surprisingly fresh and slightly tart dark berries, some leather, a little bit of lifted VA character and a hint of vanilla oak. Although feeling quite mature, the wine is still very much alive, thanks to the high acidity and almost fully resolved medium tannins that lend a light grip and lovely texture to the wine. The finish is long, complex and spicy with developed, savory flavors of peppery spice, leather, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of sour plums, a hint of meaty umami character and a faint touch of vanilla.
  
  A very nicely evolved and fully mature Gran Reserva 890. Apparently it takes some 30 years for the wine to lose its exuberant vanilla oak, yet still have the wine alive enough to have good emphasis on the fruit flavors and to retain nice structure. The wine is now on its plateau of maturity and most likely won't develop anywhere from here, but will probably keep for years to come. This is about as classic as a Rioja gets - although a bit on the expensive side at 130€.

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  12/5/2015 - AMRS wrote: 92 Points

  Very nice nose of earth and red berry, but less mushroom-y than usual. Elegant palate, med bodied, strawberry and some liquor. Very good if not the best 890 85 I have had. Drink now. 92+

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  9/4/2015 - AV2012 wrote: 89 Points

  Fresh, lively, lean and somewhat restrained/introvert nose of barnyard, dried berries and jamon. High accidity, very long finish of dried berries, cranberries. Very classic and classy, but requires attention. 904s of similar maturity are much more open and ready for the business, this seems to be too young. Decanting is a must here. Will be much better after at least ten years.

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  7/1/2015 - RaphaelMalago wrote: 98 Points

  One of those memorable bottles / experience. Had 3 bottles in 1 month interval and it has alwas succeeded as a memorable bottle. In my view perfectly mature and it would be a waste to keep it longer. Is in such a perfect plateau.
  
  C: clear, medium, garnet. N: clear, intense, dried red fruits, balsamic, tobacco, coconut, spice. Complex, structured palate, silk, velvet. Delicious amazing and complex.

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