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Wine Type Vintage Name Variety Locale Date Posted Score Helpful Comments Comment Date Community Score More...
Red - Fortified

1994 Warre Porto Vintage

Port Blend more

4/11/2024 - SirFred wrote: NR

Upon opening, it smelled like an old wood chest with moth balls. My initial impression was tangy-sweet and herbaceous, like cough syrup. A few days later out of the fridge, dark red fruits and earth scents emerge. The palate became more subtle, with a rich and luxurious texture, almost syrupy, with dark fruit, chocolate covered raisins, toasted toffee, and spice. Giving the bottle time to breathe allowed the wine to develop better overall balance, and greater complexity. Alcohol heat also toned down. I don’t have previous experience with vintage port, but based on this experience, I would certainly give this bottle a very long decant. Not my preferred style of wine, but I have developed some appreciation for it over the last few days. Nonetheless, I can’t deny that the remainder of this bottle will go splendidly with my preferred use for Port consumption; over Dulce de Leche ice cream with brownies and whip cream!

  • Comment posted by SirFred:

    4/12/2024 9:04:00 PM - Sounds delicious! Will have to try. Thank you for the recommendation. If I get hooked on this and develop Diabetes, I will blame you OldWines.

    Cheers!

Red

2010 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo more

4/2/2024 - SirFred Likes this wine: 94 points

Drinking so beautifully at this young stage with classic Lopez character. Very smooth and elegant with an almost Burgundian texture. An expansive nose with flowers, pepper, and spice box wafting out of the glass. Cherry and cigar ash with a long finish. Very complex and savory with ripe tannins. It seems to get better with each bottle. Never had a bad bottle of tondonia, and this may be the best vintage yet. The Bosconia is also excellent in this vintage. Hard to decide which one I like better, but I’m looking forward to following their development over the next three decades.

  • Comment posted by SirFred:

    4/3/2024 6:03:00 PM - Hello Yassine23:

    I drank this bottle off the blocks on PNP. Many old-school Rioja wines are aged in oak for long periods of time before bottling (especially Lopez). This process promotes a certain level of oxidation that makes the wines relatively open without a decant. I rarely decant Rioja wines, and I prefer drinking them with a burgundy style glass, which allows the wine to breathe better, and helps bring out more aromatically.

    Going to enjoy the second half of this bottle now.

    Cheers!

  • Comment posted by SirFred:

    4/4/2024 11:22:00 AM - I concur; the white and rosado are in a whole different level. Unfortunately, they have become harder to find and have more than doubled in price as their popularity has grown, but worth every sip.

  • Comment posted by SirFred:

    4/4/2024 2:46:00 PM - Thank you Wine Guy DelMar.

    I also don't decant Burgundy, or any Pinot Noir, but I don't drink them young either. I feel these wines don't usually take long to open up, so long as they have a good ten years or more, and you are using a good burgundy glass. The Zalto Burgundy, or the Conterno Sensory are in my opinion excellent, but you can find similar glasses without having to spend so much.

    I really only decant Barolo, Bordeaux, and really big reds like Amaroneor Sagrentino. Don't drink those wines young either. With old Barolo it is a must, whereas drinking young Barolo is infanticide. Same for Bordeaux.

    I guess it really comes down to personal preferences, but it is good to experiment with different techniques until you find what works best for you.

    Cheers!

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