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| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 92.1 pts. and median of 92 pts. in 242 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Handy1 on 4/15/2023 & rated 93 points: Pop n poured. Lots of vanilla on the nose dark fruit full bodied on the palate. Quick decant may have helped as abundant vanilla was a little distracting (3242 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 4/14/2023 & rated 92 points: Twin Cites Wine Club Spanish Tasting (Edina, MN): Last bottle and this one was drinking like a Napa Cabernet. Blueberries, cherry, wood, spice and menthol. Decanted 3 hours and paid off. Nice last bottle of a six pack. (1245 views) | | | Tasted by 911henrik on 5/6/2022 & rated 89 points: The fruit has turned into raisins and the high alcohol level makes it quite unbalanced. Has clearly peaked. (3933 views) | | | Tasted by JDB on 4/10/2022 & rated 93 points: Absolutely delicious (2004 views) | | | Tasted by JCMenendez on 4/5/2022 & rated 93 points: Still youthful. @rokcnroller nailed the description. I can't add more to that. I have 1 more bottle which I'm going to try to keep for another 5 years... although this is singing now. (1898 views) | | | Tasted by Bro on 10/9/2021 & rated 92 points: Dégusté lors de notre sortie à La Malbaie ... (3552 views) | | | Tasted by dougsmith on 7/23/2021 & rated 92 points: Black with a deep ruby rim. Complex nose of turned earth, smoky spice, and blackberry syrup. Full bodied on the palate with good presence and length; plenty of fine, ripe tannins on the finish. (3260 views) | | | Tasted by Handy1 on 2/27/2021 & rated 94 points: Dark color with some remaining tannins. Opened up after a few hours smooth and still delicious the next day (3877 views) | | | Tasted by galewskj on 12/6/2020 & rated 93 points: Virtual Spanish Wines: Perfumed vanilla oak, tannins are relatively strong. There is intriguing scorched earth on the nose. Crushed berries on the finish. (3377 views) | | | Tasted by rocknroller on 12/3/2020 & rated 93 points: Virtual Single Blind Spanish Tasting (Home): Very dark red/purple color, saturated to the edge. Splash decanted and poured into jars for transport and poured into glasses about 2 hours later. Drank one glass plus single blind over 3 hours. This was my wine and I entertained thoughts of such as I drank it. This was a little bigger from the start and came off to me as being youthful. I hadn't had this wine since 2014 and I commented at the 10 year point that it was just a baby. That would seem to have been a fairly accurate assertation as this was very good on this night, but was noticeably better the next evening. There's a ton of complexity here; dried earth, anise, high toned, brambly black berries, leather and roasted meats with woodsy spices. The palate is more dense and full bodied, blackberries, black raspberry liquer, gravel, leather, scorched earth, dried wood, hints of euaclyptus and round tannins on a long finish. The nose was the star and day one and palate matched that on day two. This has got another 10 years left in it and it may get even better. 93(+?)pts. (2380 views) | | | Tasted by I'd Rather Be Drinking Wine on 12/3/2020 & rated 92 points: Spectacular Spanish Reds: Spanish Spectacular Zoom Tasting
Wines: This was a very nice tasting, conducted as a single blind (we knew the wines, but not which was which). The wines featured included the following:
2008 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia (Starter wine)
2001 Celler Vall Llach Priorat
2004 Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero Aalto
2005 La Rioja Gran Reservea 904
2009 Celler Burgos-Porta Priorat Mas Sinen Coster
2009 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Vlabuena 5°
NV Pedro Ximenez Spinola Sherry (Desert wine)
Prep: Wines were decanted for about 10 mins then poured/filtered into jars for transport, and consumed 2-4 hours later.
Scores: The group's top 3 wines were: WOTN = 2005 La Rioja Gran Reservea 904, two wines tied for second = 2001 Celler Vall Llach Priorat, and 2009 Celler Burgos-Porta Priorat Mas Sinen Coster. My order was as follows: WOTN = 2009 Celler Burgos-Porta Priorat Mas Sinen Coster, #2 = 005 La Rioja Gran Reservea 904, #3 = 2001 Celler Vall Llach Priorat, #4 (tie) = 2009 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera del Duero Vlabuena 5° and 2004 Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero Aalto.
Review:
2004 Bodegas Aalto Ribera del Duero Aalto - This wine was drinking much younger than its age. I respectfully disagree with other commentators who believe this wine is either peaking or past its peak. I would say there is plenty of unresolved fruit and tannin for this wine to improve quite a bit more. I actually guessed this to be one of the 2009's. The nose, while not as pronounced as the two Priorat wines or the Rioja, was still very nice, with plum preserves, cigar box and herbs, with hints of perfume in the background. The palate showed plenty of red fruit, including red current, along with toasted oak, some forest floor, and some chewy tannins. Finish was medium-short, but taste was still very good. I just had a feeling it was still too young. Even though this wine held its own with some excellent competition, I feel its best years are in front of it, rather than behind it. If I had multiple bottles I would pop one open now for reference. If I only had a couple bottles, I would wait a couple more years before popping open my first one. 92 points tonight, but a chance to gain a point or so in the future. My # 4 wine, but an easy 92. (2261 views) | | | Tasted by Val D'Orcia on 10/5/2020 & rated 95 points: Very rich and inky. Deep garnet color. Sensuous nose with herbal and earth scents. Opened up as the night progressed. Red currant subtle fruit with strong backbone of eucalyptus, sweet tobacco and briar. Will not improve further, but still going strong to our pleasure. One of biggest expressions of this grape we have tasted (2813 views) | | | Tasted by WildeMeeuw on 7/17/2020 & rated 91 points: Kleur: Robijnrood, zonder enige verkleuring aan de rand. Aroma / bouquet: In de neus in eerste instantie weinig expressief. Belegen bouquet, boterzacht met subtiele aroma's van zwarte bessen en bramen Smaak / Afdronk: In tegenstelling tot de in 2016 geproefde fles is deze wijn (op basis van twee verschillende flessen) prachtig in evenwicht. Nog steed krachtig en stoer, in de aanzet zelfs wat boers, maar prachtig in balans met krachtige, zacht-droppige tannines. Lange afdronk. Heerlijke, stoere, gebalanceerde eetwijn. Algemeen / potentieel: Overuigende wijn! Ben benieuwd hoe de resteren de flessen zich gaan ontwikkelen. 50 + Kleur: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Smaak / Afdronk: 17 + Algemeen / potentieel: 9 = 91/100
Color: Ruby red, without any discoloration on the edge. Aroma / bouquet: Initially little expressive in the nose. Matured bouquet, buttery soft with subtle aromas of black currants and blackberries Taste / Finish: In contrast to the bottle tasted in 2016, this wine (based on two different bottles) is beautifully balanced. Still powerful and tough, even a bit rustic at the start, but beautifully balanced with powerful, soft-dripping tannins. Long finish. Delicious, tough, balanced food wine. General / potential: Convincing wine! I am curious how the remaining bottles will develop. 50 + Color: 5 + Aroma / bouquet: 10 + Taste / Finish: 17 + General / potential: 9 = 91/100 (2796 views) | | | Tasted by roasted hill on 5/17/2020: popped, decanted, and poured. minimal sediment. garnet with moderate legs. nose of dark fruit and spice box. red berry and red plum with saddle leather and new oak more evident in the finish. tannins are resolving. drinking well and a nice partner with porterhouse--though the wine was the star.... (2350 views) | | | Tasted by royalscam on 2/23/2020 & rated 93 points: Outstanding, drinking beautifully, well balanced, great nose and mouthfeel, good fruit and complexity, decent finish - patience (2732 views) | | | Tasted by mjf@ulkner on 1/20/2020 & rated 88 points: Fading fruit. Mouth puckering tannins on the finish. Was better 2 years ago. Drink up. (2307 views) | | | Tasted by 911henrik on 1/19/2020 & rated 87 points: This is just power and tannins. Quite uninteresting. (1786 views) | | | Tasted by edjBoca on 7/26/2019 & rated 92 points: This was opened and cleaned and replaced in the bottle. 90 minutes later it was reopened. Obviously, a ripe vintage, but aromas and flavors were open. Oak had retreated some. Some chocolate and dark currant on the palate. Only the finish being shorter kept this from a higher rating. (4235 views) | | | Tasted by 911henrik on 5/3/2019 & rated 95 points: Brilliant!! Great timing! Powerful, lots of dark fruit, chocolate, sweet liquorice, plum, (3190 views) | | | Tasted by weiny on 4/3/2019 & rated 95 points: Immer noch frisch, aber etwas ruhig (2743 views) | | | Tasted by 3daywinereview.com on 3/27/2019 & rated 89 points: Day 1: Last time I had this wine undrinkable and oaked out. Loved it prior to that experience so got 2 more bottles. On a pop and pour oak, spice, blueberries, pine needles and vanilla. On the medium finish picks up some menthol. Definitely still suffering from the heavy oak barreling and hope day 2 or 3 will improve otherwise this wine is a complete bust at this stage of the game. 85 points
Day 2: Rapid transformation on this wine. The over the top oak has soften and wine reveals a plethora of flavors including leather, spice, blueberries, coffee grounds and mint. Medium finish and earth notes present. While this is not at the level of tastings of this in 2009 it certainly is enjoyable and now drinkable. 89 to 91 points. (2338 views) | | | Tasted by NostraBacchus on 2/24/2019 & rated 92 points: Pretty dark garnet color. Notes of tobacco, cedar, ripe plum, also some dried fruits, vanilla, sweet spices and some leather. It‘s medium-full bodied, pretty dense, has medium+ acidity proving nice freshness and still medium taninn. Good length. This could probably still go for another few years, but I don‘t see it improving much from here. The fruit is still there, the structure has integrated nicely, while the oak is still a little prominent for a wine of this age. Still a nice change of pace for me. (3114 views) | | | Tasted by WilD on 1/10/2019 & rated 92 points: Last bottle. P&P. Drank during the evening. Very nice oak influences. Silky tannins. Wine is fully mature and complex but still in a perfect shape. Great wine. (2509 views) | | | Tasted by bonedoc on 8/1/2018 & rated 91 points: Last bottle, coffee, chocolate, some heat and lots of oak. (5676 views) | | | Tasted by Enfantterrible on 2/25/2018 & rated 90 points: Pretty firm and structured. Very enjoyable and robust. No rush based on this bottle though I’m not sure how much it will improve (5046 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Bodegas AAlto Producer websiteTempranillo Varietal character (Appellation America) | TAPAS: Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society
Tempranillo is the premium red wine grape variety from the Rioja and Ribera del Duero region in Spain. Tempranillo's aromas and flavors often combine elements of berryish fruit, herbaceousness, and an earthy-leathery minerality. Being low in acidity and sugar content, it is commonly blended with Carignan (Mazuela), Grenache (Garnacha), Graciano, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.
WineAccess
The varietal is at its best in top Riojas, where oak aging is employed to generate increased complexity and harmony. From the best sites, these wines can be remarkably concentrated with great aging potential. New wines from this region are darker, and more robust, with more dynamic primary fruit flavors than traditionally styled examples. These wines seem to reflect the influence of Spain's other key region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero. Regardless of style, Riojas tend to be medium bodied wines, with more acid than tannins. These wines generally feature Tempranillo blended with Garancha, Mazuelo, and Graciano. For these wines, there are three quality levels, which will appear on the label. Everyday drinking wines fall under the category of "Crianza", "Reserva" denotes more complex and concentrated wines, and "Gran Reserva" refers to the most intense wines, made only in the best years.
The same labeling scheme applies to wines from Ribera del Duero, which, like Rioja, is dominated by Tempranillo and shares similar blending grapes. Again, Ribera del Duero wines are generally darker and more powerful than the most traditional Riojas. These wines also generally see less oak treatment than Riojas. From Rioja, we like wines from Allende, Marqués de Cáceres, Montecillo, and Cune. In Ribera del Duero, consider Dominio de Pingus, Emilio Moro, Convento San Francisco, and Pesquera.
Pair older-style Rioja with simple meats like chicken, leg of lamb, and pork loin. However, the newer style of Rioja and Ribera del Duero works especially well with bolder meat dishes or an aged Spanish cheese like Manchego or Idiazabal. Spain Vinos de España - Wines of Spain (Instituto Español de Comercio Exterior) | Wikipedia
Wine Map on weinlagen-info
Spain is the third largest wine producing nation in the world, occupying the majority of the Iberian Peninsula with vast diversity in climate, culture, and of course, wine. From inky, dark reds of the [Priorat] to dry, white Finos from Andalusia, Spain can easily boast of elaborating a wide variety of notable styles. Within Spain there are currently 62 demarcated wine regions, of which a handful have gained international recognition: [Rioja], Priorat and [Ribera del Duero]. Yet these regions are only a small sample of the high quality wines Spain produces. Regions such as Cava, Penedes, Somontano, Galicia, Rueda and Jerez are only a few of the numerous regions worthy of exploration throughout Spain. Spain can also lay claim to having the most land under vine in the world, growing up to, by some accounts, 600 indigenous varietals of which Tempranillo is their most well known. Other popular varietals include [Garnacha], Bobal and Monastrell for reds and for whites; the infamous [sic] Palomino Fino grape which is used in the production of sherry wine, Pedro Ximenez in Montilla Morilles, Albarino used in the creation of the bright, effervescent wines of Galicia, and Verdejo in Rueda. - Source: - Catavino.net
Spain is not in the forefront of winemaking for its dessert wines, other than for its sweet wines from Sherry country including the highly revered Olorosos (when sweetened). But apart from Sherry Spain has a range of styles of dessert wines, ranging from the those made from the Pedro Ximenez grape primarily in Jerez and Montilla-Moriles) to luscious, red dessert wines made in the Mediterranean from the Garnacha (Grenache) grape. Some good Moscatels are made in Mallorca, Alicante and Navarre. The northwest corner of Spain, Galicia, with its bitter Atlantic climate, is even making dessert wines, called “Tostadillos” in the village of Ribadivia (similar to France’s “Vin de Paille”). The Canary Islands have made interesting dessert wines for centuries (they are mentioned by Shakespeare, for example) and in recent years the quality of winemaking has been improved and the Canary Islands wines are being better marketed now. The winemaking styles for “Vinos Dulces” are also diverse, from “Late Harvest” (Vendimia Tardía) to “Fortified Wines” (Fermentación Parcial). Based on in-spain.info.Castilla y León Castilla y León Wine (Turismo Castilla y León )Ribera del Duero El Corazón del Duero - The Heart of Duero (Consejo Regulador de la D.O. Ribera del Duero) |
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