Spanish at Costa Blanca

Costa Blanca, Mpls, MN
Tasted Tuesday, November 22, 2016 by rocknroller with 491 views

Introduction

Eight of us gathered at a new tapas place in the Twin Cities. The theme was Spanish, go figure....Food was good, wines very good this night.

Flight 1 (3 Notes)

Flight 2 (3 Notes)

  • 1996 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Medium gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over a n hour. Drank this side by side with the '98. Both were outstanding wines and were not showing the sometimes quite overt oxidative character that can mask or tone down the freshness of these wines. The '96 showed a touch more age, but still remained remarkably fresh and vibrant. Floral, citrus, lemon, spiced, peach, honey. The palate is vibrant, nice energy and depth of the mixed bright citrus flavors with hints of nuts, honey and spice. I favored the '98 by just a hair for its freshness and just a bit more complexity.

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  • 1998 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia 94 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Light gold color. PNP, drank 1 glass over a n hour. Drank this side by side with the '96. Both were outstanding wines and were not showing the sometimes quite overt oxidative character that can mask or tone down the freshness of these wines. The '96 showed a touch more age, but still remained remarkably fresh and vibrant. The '98 had a remarkable nose and palate. The intensity of the perfume here was amazing. Bright white flowers, lemon, lemon oil, waxy, brisk minerals, exotic spices with a hint of pine. The palate is marked by it brightness and fresh lively feel that seems to be consistent with its light youthful color; citrus, tangerine oil, dried yellow fruits, mineral, spice, honey, almond paste I favored the '98 by a bit for its overall brightness and complexity. 93+ to 94pts.

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  • 2005 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Viña Gravonia 90 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Light gold color. Drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. Lighter on the nose than the '96 and '98 Tondonia reservas, some of the laqueur quality, lemon and white fruits, spice and showing more wood at this point, medium finish. 90+pts.

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Flight 3 (6 Notes)

  • 1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia 91 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Very dark red color., no bricking. Drank 1 glass over 2+ hours. Same bottle as Chablis28. This was interesting, and I largely agree with Chablis28's take. We've had this wine a number of times now with varying results. It has always been good, but sometimes it has been great. I don't favor the opinion that it was OTH or tired. Simply bottle variation? Less advanced? Fake? Who knows, but it was reclusive and not showing the perfume of secondary and tertiary characteristics we've come to expect. If anything, this bottle was young and not really ready. Typical bottles in the past required no decanting. This didn't change drastically over the 2+ hours, but it did get somewhat better. The nose did show some leather, spice, smoke, red fruits. The palate was similar and the oak was more prominent and less integrated than previous bottles. Still good, just an enigma. There's more bottles to come, and I'm hopeful we will see that great bottle again. 90+ to 91pts.

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  • 1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes. Wow, what a nose, this is beaming tonight, very high toned, perfumed, leather, funk, strawberry, dill, pain grille, lifted. The palate is more full bodied and not quite a vibrant as the nose but very good indeed with strawberry, charcoal, crushed berries, dark fruits, old wood, dill, smoke, nice dry extract. This seemed to fade a bit on the palate after the the first hour, but the nose went on....93+ to 94pts.

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  • 2000 Bodegas Resalte de Peñafiel Ribera del Duero Gran Resalte 94 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    Very dark red color. Slow-O for 90 minutes. Sad to say, my last bottle. I'll admit to loving every one of them too. Reminded me of classic Bordeaux from the first encounter. The nose is a complex perfume of tobacco, damp earth, dark red and black fruits, dark raspberry, cassis, plum, licorice. The palate offers a medium full body, dark berry and cherry flavors, plum, tobacco, pencil, fine oak and good length. This really blows up over about 45 minutes and shifts very red fruited and becomes even brighter and more elegant. I'm going to miss this wine.

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  • 2001 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero Malleolus de Valderramiro 90 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    Very dark purple /red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. I will echo many of Cephomer's recent comments, though I found it more dark and black fruited. This is a bit of a brute with grippy, coarse tannins and more heat coming through than ideal. The oak is also out front. The big, brooding black currant palate struggles against the oak and tannins. Part of me wants to believe that like many of the 2001's this just needs more time to integrate and settle down, but it makes me very nervous that resolution is not going to come before the fruit falls off the ledge. Will work better with bigger beef dishes than our tapas tonight. 90(+?)pts.

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  • 2002 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 91 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Dark red color. PNP, drank 1 glass over 45 minutes. This was showing well. Red fruits, youthful wood, earthy, tart cherry, spices, medium body, medium plus finish. This is still on an upward trajectory. 91+pts.

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  • 2004 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva 91 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

    Very dark red color. Drank 1 glass over 30 minutes plus. Consistent with note from 6/23/16. REally young, red fruits, slightly herbal, oaky. Check back in a couple years or give this plenty of air.

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Flight 4 (2 Notes)

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