Rioja tasting

The purpose of this brief tasting was to compare 3 different Rioja styles: starting with modern style with a 2004 Paisajes, following by a mid-traditional style by Rioja Alta and finishing with the ultime Rioja old style tradition - Lopez de Heredia -. Overall a very nice tasting, very good wines and an excellent chance to feel and experience how the wine in Rioja has evolved.

All wines were tasted double blind.


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

• 2004 Uvas Felices Rioja Paisajes VIII La Pasada 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  100% tempranillo from "La Pasada" parcel. 16 months in new french oak barrels. Medium to dark cherry color. Bouquet offering cherry liquor, black olives, tapenade and some vanilla. It gains intensity with more time in glass and we can find minerality, medicine scent along with ashes and incense. Nose is nice. On palate it has sweet tannins, high acidity with persistent fruity finish. Modern style but very well made. I was holding this bottle and wasn't expecting it to be this good... 2004 never disappoints. 91-92.

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1997 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  This wine was picked to show between a full traditional Rioja and a modern one. This one has been aged 4 years in used oak barrels. Traslucent orange-red brick color. Nose reveals earth, underbrush, dried flowers and leather. On palate has medium to thin body, well balanced and totally rounded. The high acidity stands out initially; palate offers red fruit, strawberries and a strong metallic taste. I found finish to be just a bit short. Overall was very nice but palate still had way too much acicity to fully enjoy it. 90-91

  Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No

• 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 88 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Following a kind advice from a CT fellow the wine was opened for 1 hour. Very subtle but complex bouquet, with black olives, subtle cedar, leather, small forrest strawberries, mushrooms and earth... unfortunately had some sulphurous notes. Despite all those notes, after 20 min in glass the wine shut down and didnt start to show again until the tasting was done. On palate had a metallic taste, leather, red dried fruit and underbrush. Finish was a bit short. That was my first Heredia GR and I ended somehow disappointed... maybe needed more time to taste or maybe was the bottle.. or me ;) 87-88

  Read 1 Comment / Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No