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Red

2001 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Ardanza Reserva Especial Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo

9/13/2016 - Old School Fan Likes this wine:

92 points

Terrific bottle of Ardanza! This bottle was dominated by fruit and spice notes showing red cherry, orange peel, cranberry, nutmeg, leather and tobacco. Classic traditional Rioja sour acid with just an faint hint of dill, vanilla, coconut from the oak. Pretty wine, so easy to drink!!

I've been struggling with La Rioja Alta over the past few years. Several bottles (not all bottles) of Ardanza, Arana and Alberdi have been absolutely undrinkable. They've been lifeless, limp wines wines with little/no fruit dominated by overpowering notes of American oak (dill, cedar and vanilla) as if the bottles were slightly corked. For example, in a case of Alberdi, 7 of the 12 bottles were this way while 5 were absolutely terrific. For 5 bottle of 2004 Ardanza, 2 were "flat" and undrinkable but 3 were good. Very strange.

Has anyone else been finding similar problems with LRA?

Old School Fan commented:

12/23/16, 8:32 PM - Really, really dumb (and wrong) comment Vinomane. You couldn't be more wrong, and the folks at LRA would say the same, but thanks for playing. No offense, but what a pretentious, and silly, douche!! If you need help understanding corked/flawed bottles, perhaps we all can give you some guidance. The Christmas celebration has come early for you! Have another for me!! Cheers!!

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White

2012 Bodegas Sameiras Ribeiro Viña do Avó White Blend

10/24/2014 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:

For what it is...this is a real value.
Light golden colour. Complex mineral nose full of aromas of green pears, chalky and anise.
On the palate is a little flatted, watery and shortie. In spite of that I loved that delicious aftertaste.

Para lo que es...es un vino-valor de verdad.
Ligero color dorado. Compleja nariz mineral llena de aromas a peras verdes, a tiza y anís.
En boca está un poco aplanada, acuosa y cortita. A pesar de ello me encantó ese delicioso postgusto.

Old School Fan commented:

12/31/14, 2:09 PM - Hi Harley,

I agree- The Vina do Avo Blanco from Bodegas Sameiras is just terrific! What an exceptional value. I'm drinking the 2013, but having had the 2012 and now the 2013, I can say that Antonio Cajide is a talented grower/winemaker!

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Red

2007 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva Tempranillo

11/25/2014 - Old School Fan wrote:

88 points

A nice "reserva." This is a crianza in Spain but a reserva in the US. I don't know why La Rioja Alta does that. Even if the wine meets the requirements of a reserva (as it surely does), why call it one thing in Spain and something different in the US? That said, the wine shows nice LRA style -- sweet cherry red fruit with plenty of nice tobacco and spice notes with fresh acidity and pretty texture. An easy drinking and pleasant wine.

Old School Fan commented:

11/26/14, 1:52 PM - Hi Double Magnum,
I am not sure when LRA began to do this. I actually discovered it in Spain a couple of years ago. Given how good the wines of LRA are, how they're made, and given how well Rioja wines age, I'm willing to bet that your 1989 Alberdi is going to be a stunning bottle of wine. The oldest Rioja I've drunk dates back to 1937 and it was superb. I don't think any dry reds age as well as traditional Riojas.

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