Tasting event with Artadi's Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle

Tasting event held at wine-bar Monvinic and hosted by Artadi's winemaker and owner, Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle. All wines were personally chosen by Lacalle and all wines had a "story" behind or a reason for being picked. The Rioja vintage -1956 - was due to Lacalle's birth year, bottles complimentary offered by Marques de Riscal winery.
Juan Carlos Lopez de Lacalle showed to be a great person, with such wine knowdledge and experience, very humble and a wonderful communicator. The session was what all expected: Great atmosphere and some incredible, unforgettable wines. All in all, a great experience.

All wines were opened (none decanted) at 7pm. Event started at 8pm and finished past 11:15pm.

• 1995 Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra Brut 93 Points

  France, Champagne

  Dark golden color, plenty of slow bursting bubbles. Very appealing nose: baked apples, vanilla, pastry, subtle honey, bakery, intense, elegant, vinous. On palate has a smooth entry, elegant, just a bit stingy on the first sip, very vinous feeling, yeast, lees, unctuous, balanced, a bit sweet and with medium plus acidity. Found this very enjoyable on palate. Medium finish. Very nice champagne, highly recommendable.

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• 2006 Château Cos d'Estournel 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Saint-Estèphe

  Opened for 90 min. Medium ruby color. Perfumed nose: Strawberries, vanilla, rose petals, elegant and a bit primary though. On palate flavours of fresh red fruit coulis, cassis, strawberries, medium bodied, elegant, herbaceous, a bit dry and some astringency but not as much as expected. Medium finish. I liked this quite a lot although I was expecting a bit more power or tannicity.On palate was quite enjoyable and ready but probably lacking the complexity ageing may provide. Very nice overall. 92+

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• 2006 Jacques-Frédéric Mugnier Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru Clos de la Maréchale 88 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru

  Opened for 2 hours. Medium ruby color. Nose shows mature macerated meat, blood, bacon, cinnamon, ash, sublte red fruit. Intense and mouth coating on palate, medium bodied, present sweet tannins, medium aidity and a long finish. (87-89)

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• 2004 Viñedos Lacalle y Laorden Rioja Viña el Pisón 97 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  Opened for 2 hours ( not decanted). Medium to dark cherry color. A bit shy nose: coal, cinnamon, fruit liquor, with more time in glass shows coffee and more fruit. Feels like service temperature it's a bit high. Juan Carlos mentions that the wine probably should have been opened with more time and that he finds it's just a bit muted.,, so we move on and tasted it on palate...and there comes the show... Amazing: Very expressive, rounded, just barely some hard edges, excellent balance, mouth coating, surrounds all palate, fruity, medium acidity. Finish is extremely, insultingly long and ethernal, lasts for more than 2 minutes. I was very impressed by the power under control, the elegance, intensity, the palate feeling of a wine and for that seamless finish. I am happy to had the chance to taste this wine, and specially in a tasting session lead by its creator. As noted below, enourmous and fabulous are some adjectives that fully fit with this masterpiece. A truly unforgettable wine. (96-98)

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• 2000 Château Pavie 96 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

  Opened for 2+ hours. Medium cherry to brown color. Subtle on nose, fresh red berries, oak, cassis, medium intensity that fill th enostrils, red rose petals, very nice aromas that gain intensity with time in glass. On palate shows red fruit, sutble smokey flavour, licorice. Very well balanced, pleasurable, a bit sweet, medium to high acidity and a long finish. Overall a very fragant nose, elegant palate and very long finish. I don't have experience with these Bourdeaux wines and I was probably expecting more on nose, however probably the liitle air time give (not decanted) didnt help to show all this may have. Still, I was amazed by its elegance, what a wine!

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• 1997 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia 80 Points

  Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Sassicaia

  Opened for 2+ hours. Ruby to brown color, very evoluted. Initially nose gives reduction, closed aromas, quite disgusting. As this clears with air, evolves to pipe tobacco, forrest floor, kirsch liquor, cooked vegetable. On palate it's disjointed, dry tannins, dry palate entry, barely some fruit that it's completely hidden by an excessive acidity level. Acidity kills any balance on palate and makes it even difficult to drink. Bottle was not flawed, maybe a bad bottle but definitely on the downhill. A pity.

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• 1997 Ridge Monte Bello 94 Points

  USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

  Opened for 3 hours. Medium to dark cherry color. Intense and appealing nose of liquor, bitterness, kirsh liquor, ripe black fruits, green pepper. On palate has a nice straight entry, very fresh, fruity, present tannins, some dryness, high acidity, good nerve, long fruity finish. I was very impressed by this wine, the controlled power and elegance, nerve and vivacity. Didn't seem at all like a 16 year old wine, still plenty of life ahead. Definitively worth to try again. Excellent. (93-95+).

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• 1996 Penfolds Grange 94 Points

  Australia, South Australia

  Opened for 2 hours. Dark ruby color, some brown rim. Doesn't look like it's a 16 year wine. Very intense on nose, red fresh fruit, kirsh liquor, peppermint, wet forrest floor, very balsamic, cigar box, tobacco. High acidity on palate, medium to full bodied, vibrant, present tannins, bitterness, chocolate, remarkable finish. Very, very nice (93-95).

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• 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape 88 Points

  France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

  From magnum. Opened for 3 hours. Ruby medium color, evolved and aged color, a lot of sediments. Red fruit on nose, orange peel, cointreau liquor, cigar box, tobacco, leather. Dry on palate, noticiable tannins on entry palate, medium to thin bodied, lacks some "fat" on middle palate, medium plus acidity, medium plus finish, with bitterness and chocolate flavour. Not exactly what I thought I would get, a bit disappointed.

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The 1956 Riscal was the only wine that was not previously opened... .this one took quite some time taste, as it had to "cut" both bottle necks for the two bottles. Awesome experience to witness as well.

• 1956 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  This was the "surprise" of the tasting, as the wine was listed but not its vintage. Fisrt thing that shocks it's the color. It's way darker than expected. Medium to light ruby-red color with brown flashes. Very subtle on nose, some fruit, dried herbs, leather, blue chesse. Palate it's remarkable, mature blue cheese, mineral, metallic taste, light, smooth, medium acidity, medium finish. I was amazed and thankful to be able to taste a truly old wine, my first experience with old Riojas. Very interesting and for the wine itself, mature, well aged but still seemed it could hold a bit more.

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• 1991 Dr. Bürklin-Wolf Forster Pechstein Riesling Eiswein 92 Points

  Germany, Pfalz

  Medium golden to dark color. Intense on nose: sweetness, honey, toffe, citrus. On palate it's grassy, sweet, citrus, peach and more tropical flavours. Final is medium with a remarkable citric feeling. Very good indeed but probably too sweet for my taste.

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• 1977 Graham Porto Vintage

  Portugal, Douro, Porto

  From magnum. Opened for 3 hours. Brown and ruby color, very light color. A lot of sediments. Nose with orange liquor, licorice, anise, tobacco, sweet fruit. Last wine of the tasting and could't really enjoy it.

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