9/16/2021 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark ruby purple color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off very ripe, smoky dark fruits with red floral notes on a high octane whiff. The palate is copious, full-bodied, velvety and round on the palate. There’s a little bit of heat but bordering on negligible. And there’s medium acidity that tips the balance to favor the ripe blueberry, blackberry, raspberry compote and plum. A solid mid palate leads to secondary flavors of vanilla on toasted oak and finishes long with a hint of spice. Very delicious and quite easy to drink now with a 1-hr decant until 2039.

8/23/2021 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Shimmering medium yellow gold color smoothening towards the rim. The nose is quite exotic with hints of tangerine, honeysuckle and lilac with a subtle hint of oak. The palate is medium bodied with savory acidity that tips the scale on the greener side of things with notes of green apple, pear. There are secondary flavors of chamomile, sourdough and cedar. Finishes long and heightened with flinty, saline mineral filled finish. This is an amazing wine, albeit not for the faint of heart. Drink now until 2027.

6/13/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

The dark ruby color shows outstanding concentration and ripeness of fruit for a Pinot Noir turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. Quite a difference compared to Jensen Vineyard from the same vintage. The palate is full-bodied, velvety in texture and medium acidity. Flavors of raspberry, cranberry, pomegranate are so ripe and abundant that drinking this wine is such a delight and brings out subtle nuances of rose and cola. Finishes off with smoky limestone mineral notes. Drink now until 2030. 95 pts.

8/18/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Dark garnet hues turning orange rust at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose gives off smoky notes of dark red fruits with hints of cola and rose petals. The palate medium-bodied, awesomely acidic that carries ripe, dark red cherry, cranberry fruits with secondary flavors of tobacco and terra-cotta pots on a long, spicy finish that goes on to the back of the throat. I initially suspected higher alcohol content, but the label proved me wrong. It just clocks in at 13.5%, which isn’t really over the top for the region. So the acidity carried the day, and will lead to a long life ahead. Overall, I find this a true gem - one that I haven’t tasted since the 2001 vintage. Drink now until 2040.

4/22/2021 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Bright purple ruby color turning violet at the rim with with a reflective edge. The wine stains the glass as you swirl it around. Then reveals aromas of smoky leather and vanilla on red berries. The palate is medium-to-full bodied with a silky texture and a loads of alcohol that heats up the upper mouth until the back of the throat. Then gently descends in a gliding fashion to reveal ripe pomegranate, plum, cranberry, red cherry that are balanced by medium acidity. Secondary flavors of hanged meat and tobacco from toasted oak come through to the long, ultra-refined finish. Montes has done an excellent job here. Carmenere, usually added as a blending grape in the Old World, has become the star of the show. It has the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon but with the finesse of Merlot. Must try! Drink now with a 2-hr decant until 2040.

11/18/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Deep garnet color turning violet orange rust toward the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is a bit funky with saddle leather, mushrooms, shoe cabinet and damp garage. The palate is full-bodied, with a velvety texture and medium acidity to balance the ripe blackberry, blueberry, and plum core. Secondary flavors of cola, hanged meat, and vanilla from toasted oak glide through the long, black peppery finish. Drink now until 2030. 92+

1/2/2021 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Tasted blind. Dark ruby purple color turning crimson violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off incense on toasty oak, leather and cola on dark red and black fruits. The palate is medium to full bodied with a silky texture and bright acidity that provides great structure and balances the ripe raspberry, blueberry and dark cherry fruits with secondary notes of cola, espresso and vanilla on toasted oak. Quite Old World in character, though the ripeness of the fruits gives it slightly away. But the 2005 vintage really provides the acidity for longevity and youthfulness. Finishes long, persistent and heightened with ultra refined tannins. Drink now until 2035. 96+

12/25/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark purple garnet color turning tawny rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is deeply concentrated and complex with ripe dark and red berries with herbal and tobacco notes. The palate is full-bodied, densely textured, and opulent but aptly balanced by medium plus acidity that lifts the blueberry, raspberry and licorice flavors followed by hints of vanilla, pencil lead and black river stones. Finishes long, velvety and savory with hints of minerals. Drink now until 2035.

12/6/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark ruby color turning violet rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off earthy leather and dried herbs on black fruits. The palate is full-bodied, powerful and youthful showing vibrant acidity that carries the ripe blackberry and cassis followed by secondary notes of cola, tobacco, leather and vanilla on toasted oak. This is really drinking well right now and finishes long and heightened with fleshy, gripping tannins. Drink now until 2043. 96+

11/27/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark purple garnet color turning tawny rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is exquisitely perfumed with dense notes of cola, vanilla, kirsch, tobacco and figs on dark berries. The palate is medium plus bodied with bright acidity that carries the black cherry and cassis core with secondary notes of loamy dark chocolate, tobacco and espresso all the way to the long, heightened finish with fleshy tannins. This is quite the epitome of Right Bank Bordeaux. A classic, for sure. And the structure seems to indicate a longer-than-expected drinking window. Drink now (decanting optional) until 2035. Wow!

10/22/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Medium to dark garnet color turning tawny orange at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is very earthy and gives a lot of toasted oak and dried herbs in black currants. The palate is medium plus bodied with lively acidity that carries the raspberry, cherries, blackberry fruit. Secondary notes of black olives, cola, espresso and tobacco linger through the long fleshy, savory finish. Quite traditional in style with the oak a bit overbearing the fruit in my opinion. Decant for at least 2 hours or drink from 2023 to 2036.

10/19/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Opaque purple color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off dense, layered aromas of smoke and red roses on black fruits and vanilla. The palate is full-bodied, dense and fleshy in texture with ample medium plus acidity to balance the ripe blueberry, blackberry and cassis flavors. There are secondary flavors of tobacco, fig, espresso and dark chocolate to complement the long, lifted, mineral-filled, savory finish with sweet tannins. Drink now (just because the tannins are just lovely to chew on) until 2045.

10/6/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark purple ruby color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off ripe red fruits with hints of cola and vanilla on high octane. The palate is full bodied with a velvety texture and medium plus acidity that lifts the ripe raspberry, dark cherry and plum core, offering secondary flavors of new leather and espresso from the toasted oak all the way to the long mentholated finish with ultra refined tannins. Drink now until 2037.

8/10/2019 - srh Likes this wine:

Winebar [1 Rosé, 3 Whts, & 8 Reds] from 08/09/19 + 4 Shared Bottles (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): "90% Tempranillo from vines > 60 yrs old planted in Briñas, Labastida & Villalba, and 10% Graciano from our Montecillo Vyd in the municipality of Fuenmayor. The grapes were collected in boxes & transported to the winery in refrigerated vehicles to preserve all their integrity. After gentle destemming & crushing, the musts were put in s/s tanks where they underwent alcoholic fermentation @ a controlled temp for 18 days. Batches were selected & allowed to complete malolactic fermentation naturally over 94 days. In March 2011, the wine was transferred to 4-yr-old AM oak barrels (made in-house), where it stayed until March 2015. During aging, the wine was racked every 6 mos using traditional barrel-to-barrel methods. The final blend was bottled in July 2015." 12,500 cases made.
"We consider this vintage one of the best of the century. This vintage was officially rated Excellent as well."

N: CLOSED; Vanilla, toast, with berries underneath? Intensity lurking?

P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE frt fairly quickly met by an astringent pucker which seamlessly transitions into a very LONG finish with a potent, yet somehow subtle, TANGY/swtness (80:20, currently) to the very, VERY fine tannins with notes of soy/leather/oranges. [THANK you, "contributors", for alerting me to those last 3! ;) ] It's the acidity, rather than the tannins, that NEED resolution for this to strut its stuff: Say, cellaring through '23, then making its 20th, quite poss more? My EXC/EXC+ with the potential for Exceptionality during its lifespan. 98 pts Suckling, 97 Atkin, 96+ WA (Gutiérrez), & 91 WS. [This vendor's $55.95 puts it @ the head of wine-searcher's already LARGE class!]

7/22/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Medium garnet hues turning orange rust at the rim with a reflective edge. The legs indicate medium alcohol levels in the style of the producer. The nose has plenty of oak, which for some is a turn off, but is redeemed by perfumed aromas of cola, roses, old leather and black currants. The palate is medium-bodied, silky in texture, and fresh in acidity which carries the blackberry, seared meat, tobacco and sage flavors all throughout the mentholated finish. Overall, this is still a classic. If you prefer a fresher style with less oak, try the Gran Reserva 904. Drink now until 2036 (Revised from 2026).

6/22/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark garnet color turning tawny orange at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off violet flowers, smoke, ripe dark berries and evident oaky vanilla. The palate is very sumptuous and savory with bright acidity, earthiness featuring ripe blueberry, black tea, balsamic sauce, cowhide leather, and graphite. Still in its youth but drinking wonderfully now that all aspects are in great balance. This could develop further nuances later on as it ages, but such a crowd pleaser right now. Finishes long and mentholated with dusty tannins that I’d expect to get silkier down the road. Drink now until 2035.

5/25/2018 - henry_chinaski Likes this wine:

I've read many lukewarm reviews about this wine. After drinking this beauty, I don't understand them.

Aromatics of baking chocolate and mint brood, and creep to the fore like mist.

The mouth is round, full-bodied, yet streamlined, a line of acidity leading the way. Mint, eucalyptus, bayleaf, and a touch of cedar intermingle and play. Dark cherries, blackberries, and chocolate caress the palate.

This wine is focused, pure, and forward thinking. Fine, scrupulous tannins keep its modernist leaning in check. Aerated and decanted for 10 minutes prior to consumption.

Hard not to kill this baby young.

3/15/2020 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

The bright acidity and minty whiff make you wish this came from the Old World, but the ripe cranberry, pomegranate, cola, star anise, incense, and clove puts on a show here, and really makes you appreciate the flavors of Eola-Amity Hills. This puts on a silky, slivery texture that glides through the long, spicy finish with ultra-refined tannins. Amazing depth and freshness. Drink now with a 30-minute decant until 2035. 94+

7/23/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Deep ruby turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is gorgeous with lots of ripe red and dark fruit accompanied by sandalwood, scorched earth, vanilla and dried herbs. The palate displays ripe, full-bodied, polished, velvety texture - an attractive modern-style Rioja that bridges ripeness with Old World charm. Flavors of dark cherry, raspberry, dark chocolate, red licorice, and Rioja earthiness brings this to near classic levels. Finishes long and juicy with dusty tannin. Drink now until 2026. 94

6/6/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Popped and poured, though it needs about 15 minutes in the glass to let things settle and about 2 hours to let the bottle stand though no substantial sedimentation took place. In addition to my previous tasting last September 2012, here are my notes: Dark crimson turning rust at the rim with a transparent edge. Smoky cherry aromas with oak and herbaceous nuances. The palate is soft and elegant with an attractive grip. Flavors of tobacco, leather, earth, dried herbs, vanilla oak and espresso have crept to prominence over the candied cherry and licorice notes. Still very elegant, subtle and traditional in approach. Finishes long and silky smooth with hints of scorched earth. Drink now until 2023.

1/28/2016 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Opaque purple hues turning violet at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose gives off fatty cherry, blackberries, blueberries, plum sauce, nectarines, glycerin, and dark licorice at a ripe, highly elevated alcohol levels. With all the lushness, ripeness and boldness of the vintage, the palate, quite contrastingly, is soft. It isn't deprived of adequate structure and power, nor does it hollow out on the mid palate, but rather appears diluted of some sort. Yet, the fleshy tannin and grip are very evident. Having said this, I would go further by recommending that this be served at slightly lower temperatures in the range of 14 to 16 degrees centigrade to keep it more enjoyable. The aforementioned flavors abound in the palate as well, which are complemented by medicinal notes that tend to be overbearing - truly a wine of numerous contrasts. In the end, it did not integrate too well. Hoping that time may cure this. Finishes long and earthy. Drink now until 2017.

12/22/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Bright ruby color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose is deeply complex and layered with notes of ripe, high octane dark and red berries, smoke, vanilla, toasted oak and sweet Ribera del Duero earth. The palate is rich, juicy, and ripe with a velvety texture. Flavors of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, plum, dark chocolate, espresso and seared meat. Finishes long, fleshy and juicy with hints of dried herbs. An exceptional effort from Bodegas Aalto putting the winery amongst the forefront of modernizing the region. Drink now until 2025.

11/8/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark ruby turning violet at the rim with a perfumed nose of raspberries, lilacs, candy, cinnamon, and earth. The palate is rich and full-bodied with a velvety texture that makes it approachable as it evolves in the glass. Flavors of licorice, cassis, candied cherry, mocha, vanilla bean extract, and balsamic notes. Well-balanced, elegant and supple with notes of cardamom spice on the long, refined finish. Very approachable today in contrast to many of Ramey's wines. Drink now with a 15-minute decant until 2022.

7/12/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Deep ruby red color turning crimson at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is very fragrant - giving off red and black berries scorched earth, tobacco leaves and dried herbs. The palate is full-bodied with a fleshy texture. Flavors of dark cherry, currants, plum, chocolate, meat, smoke, toasted oak and cigar box. Very round and elegant. Finishes with a hint of spice. Drink now until 2021.

5/10/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Opaque purple color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. The nose gives off ripe dark berries, tobacco, and dried herbs. The palate is rich, dense, and fruity with a creamy, velvety texture. Flavors of blueberry compote, plum, dark cherry, black tea, and espresso meld together with layers of fleshy grape skin that provide great texture and a long, chewy finish. This is how old world meets new, blending rich, earthy flavors with ripe fruit and high alcohol content (14.5%). Drink now until 2023.

7/7/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark garnet in color turning ruby/crimson at the rim with a transparent edge. The nose is perfumed, seductive, and utterly complex with notes of attractive barnyard earth, ripe gooseberry, alliums, vanilla, and smoked cedar. The palate is powerful, densely packed, and persistently intense with flavors of black currant, black tea, hoisin sauce, roasted fig, dark roasted espresso, dark chocolate, clover, anise, black pepper and bright embers. This is at a league of its of its own in Saint-Emilion. It has a meaty character with a long, fleshy, leathery finish. Still youthful at this stage, and will drink beautifully for the next fifteen years. Drink now with a 40-minute decant until 2030.

7/5/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Opaque purple color turning violet at the rim with a reflective edge. This has a densely concentrated, profusely lifted nose of lilac, cocoa, dark berries, licorice, and Paso Robles earth. The palate is full-bodied, lifted, with a creamy, velvety texture. Flavors of black currant, cassis, blueberry compote, dark chocolate, darkly roasted espresso bean, vanilla, earth and a hint of plum. Ripe, opulent, structured, powerful and persistent. Finishes long and tangy with hints of spice and vanilla. The old reliable is what it is. Somehow, I expected more from this vintage. Drink now until 2025.

2/6/2015 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Medium straw color with golden hues. The palate is dry with hints of citrus, nectarine, ripe banana, ginger and grapefruit on the front palate. But as you go towards the mid palate, there's some dark fruits as well - cherry, currants and toasted almonds. Very lively acidity and long on the finish with hints of fig, anise and slate minerals. This is just delicious, and well-worth the price. It's complex, yet so easy to drink and attractive. Drink now until 2020.

9/30/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Tasted blind alongside a 2004 Sassicaia; 2004 Antinori Pian della Vigne Brunello di Montalcino; 2009 Talamonti Montepulciano d'Abruzzo ModA'; and a 2008 MGM Mondo del Vino Amarone della Valpolicella Sopra Sasso. Very dark garnet color turning violet at the rim with a powerful nose of red currant, earth, and incense. The palate is young, vibrant, dense and powerful. Still tannic, but only shows good structure and a bright potential for medium-term aging. Flavors of currant, black tea, pencil lead, meat, and cowhide leather. Finishes long and velvety with hints of dried herb, mushroom and pepper spice. I am truly amazed at the quality and showing of this wine - fantastic value. Drink now with a 1-hr decant or better from 2015 to 2030.

10/27/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Dark purple, almost black in color turning violet at the rim. Notes of dark chocolate, espresso, dark berries, and Pauillac earth on the nose. The palate is full-bodied, structured, voluptuous and velvety. Flavors of dark cherry, cacao, blackberry, cola, espresso, vanilla, smoke and graphite form the core. This is very attractive, balanced, and a bit on the fruity side that ends with a long, heightened finish with hints of bay leaf and meat. Fantastic! Drink now until 2029. 94+

7/10/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark ruby turning crimson at the rim with reflective edges. The nose gives off aromas of cola, tobacco, and leather. The palate is bold, muscular, and very, very dry; heightened by bright acidity. Structured; densely concentrated with flavors of currant, black tea, cigar box, graphite, espresso and meat. This wine stays lifted all the way until the very long finish with hints of dried herbs. The structure is still very firm as of tasting, and the tannins haven't fully resolved. This will be better from 2015 or 2016 up to 2032. 94+

1/25/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Dark crimson color turning rust at the rim with a nose of dried herbs, currants, cola and Earl Grey tea. The palate is medium-bodied with an ultra-silky texture featuring dried currant, saddle leather, pipe tobacco, and smoke. Finishes long on refined tannin with hints of dried thyme. Amazing wine - graceful and elegant. Drink now until 2019. 95 Pts.

2/21/2014 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Dark ruby color turning light-to-medium at the edges with a transparent rim. The nose is utterly perfumed with red berries, earth and smoked vanilla. The palate is dry but with a light coating of fruit; medium-to-light-bodied with a silky texture featuring lush flavors of red cherry, dried strawberry, pomegranate, cranberry, red licorice, medium-toasted vanilla and tobacco that rides on vibrant acidity and an elegant, balanced, graceful, seductive, ultra-refined layering. Finishes at least one minute long with hints of saddle leather and Rioja earth. This is the pinnacle of La Rioja Alta - just unparalleled at this point. Drink now with at least 20 minutes of decanting until 2024.

10/14/2013 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Dark purple color turning violet at the rim with a perfumed, floral nose of ripe blue and black berries. The palate is bold and cruises at high altitude balanced by lively acidity with flavors of ripe currant, plum, pipe tobacco, black tea, and graphite. This is very delicious. The fruit is ripe yet the palate remains dry due to the young tannin and bright acidity to give it a sumptuous, delectable experience. It would be interesting to taste this several years down the road. Finishes long and supple with hints of espresso. Drink now with 1-hr decant up to 2028. 94+

9/13/2013 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark crimson color with a nose of cherry, vanilla, and leather. The palate is rich, intense, thick and dense with notes of smoke, dark berries, oak, and espresso. The finish rounds off pretty well and lengthily with hints of tobacco and pencil lead. Well-balanced and good acidity. This has enough structure to drink now with 30-minutes decant until 2025.

8/31/2013 - Tim Heaton Likes this wine:

(magnum). Slow-O 1 hour, served non-blind. No need to rehash what others have already said, though it's worth noting that life at your leisure's notes come awfully close to my own. There was no prior aeration, yet this was on-point from the first moment. Casually elegant, but equally profound in texture and flavors thanks to precise, fine-grained tannins and very fresh acids. I liked this as much as the 2008 Sassacaia, but for different reasons. Quite nice and exceeded my expectations for an '08. 14,5% abv, drink thru 2028. highly recommended

https://italianwine.blog/

8/30/2013 - SouthernStateofMind Likes this wine:

Really can't add much further to what "Life at your Leisure" has already noted. Well structured, evenly balance with a long satisfying finish. Classic Pauillac!

5/26/2013 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 wrote:

Dark garnet color with a chocolaty nose of berries and bramble. The palate is full-bodied, brightly acidic, and rigidly structured with highly concentrated flavors of dark cherry, plum, espresso, and dark chocolate, toasted vanilla and oak. There's a little jammy character on the long, persistent, high-pitched finish with hints of dried herbs and Oakville earth. Quite an amazing drink, but certainly expensive. I rated the 2005 Ramey Jericho Canyon 95 Pts, which costs half the price of the Pedregal Vineyard. Still, this is different and somehow yummier! Perhaps a 1-hr decant just won't do it. Drink from 2018 to 2030.

1/31/2011 - redbat wrote:

Drinking well now but can certainly hold. Would only suggest you give this one a go if you like a very powerful, but not fruity wine. Drying tannins currently stand out a bit at the moment.l Punching far above it's weight. A great buy and only wish I had a few more in the cellar. Very classic old style left bank wine

12/1/2012 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Does not like this wine:

Rich, thick, creamy texture with loads of dark cherry and vanilla flavors - almost candy-like with hints of warm maple syrup. Overwhelmingly sweet and extracted. Fills the mouth with alcohol, and a little over the top. Not really a balanced wine, more of a fruit bomb or grape juice on steroids. Very far from the 2007 and the 2004 vintages. Drink from 2012 to 2017.

4/28/2011 - Life At Your Leisure 🍷 Likes this wine:

Very rich nose of Australian earth, forest leaves and flowers, and a hint of curry. You would think that it would be full-bodied given the preamble, but it's surprisingly mellow with a concentration and core of crushed berries, oak, and graphite. It's a fantastic wine that makes you think because of its layered complexity and it leads you to expect one thing but experience another albeit in a pleasantly surprising way. Drink now until 2017