6/27/2023 - Brently wrote:

This has finally opened and blossomed at the very end of its life. Considerably bricked, but not dead. Still shows some cherry fruit, tea leaves, some spice, and forest floor. Glad I held my last bottle. In 2014, this bottle was extremely tight. Tannins are now pretty soft. Drink asap.

3/26/2023 - Brently wrote:

Gorgeous, candied blueberry, plum, peppered meat. The nose is huge. At it's peak. Tannins are very refined but present.

3/19/2023 - Brently wrote:

Coming into it's peak. Third bottle, last bottle, it's finally lovely. Now I see the quality of the vintage.

2/18/2023 - Brently wrote:

Very pretty, still tight acid with fine tannins, unfurling, a darling of a wine.

10/15/2022 - Brently Likes this wine:

Holding on strong. Best Italian I've aged so far. Lovely aromas.

6/15/2022 - Brently Likes this wine:

Very nice bouquet. The beginning of it's maturity window. Maybe another three to five years left.

3/6/2022 - Brently Likes this wine:

Lovely. Still has flavors of apple and lemon, earth, toast, some richness. We enjoyed this very much. 2 more left.

12/18/2021 - Brently Likes this wine:

Opened this just past its peak and was still rewarded with chocolate covered cherries, tea leaf, and damp earth. Lovely.

12/11/2021 - Brently Likes this wine:

Pretty. It was a long time to come to this and finally hitting. Peak maybe a year or two still.

8/10/2014 - Brently Likes this wine:

This wine was showing as expected. This still has a good bit of time left. The tannins remain a bit chewy throughout. Balanced acidity. Great fruit, spice. Pepper and floral notes still to come with age. This will only get lovely from here.

8/31/2014 - Brently Likes this wine:

Beautiful melange of lime, stone fruit, and some slate. A bit a petrol starting to show through. It is fairly dry, yet rich. We really enjoyed this bottle. Acid still strong with this one. Love the 2009's.

5/5/2012 - Brently Likes this wine:

When you dip your nose into the glass for the first time, you will be smelling darker fruits of black cherry, plum and raspberry on top of delicious grilled meats. Underlying those aromas is violet perfume and dusty rocks and woven through everything, tres leche locks all the components together. Complex, but very approachable, this wine shows elegant, but chewy tannins and pleasing acidity, able to cut through the fat of a beautiful lamb chop. If you are familiar with the normal flavor profile of Rioja, then this will interest you intellectually because tasting the Graciano, it allows you to see what it adds to a typical Rioja blend. Normally, Graciano is blended with Tempranillo, usually 5 to 15%. It is what gives Rioja some of its structure (tannins and acidity) and as well as the floral component. I think this wine represents one of the best values from Rioja.

9/8/2011 - Brently wrote:

Delicious. Drank half the first night and recorked with plans to finish the other half tonight. The wine is still primary with red fruits, spice and orange zest. Fairly balanced alcohol with smacking acidity and smooth, silky tannins.