5/15/2020 - cristian_m wrote:

Drinking this on a pleasant Friday night. This is a great dessert wine. Sweet. And what everybody else said too. But seriously, this is so sweet and so American palette that I have a hard time getting on board with it. Great floral notes but I would really only serve this to friends as a dessert pairing.

12/19/2020 - 0326paul@gmail.com Likes this wine:

This 94 score is preliminary and is based on cellar temperature of about 54 degrees,tasting from the glass, just opened bottle, no aeration or filtering, and without time for wine to breather in bottle or to receive more aeration except by swirling glass. Deep reddish garnet color, clear, raspberry varietal aroma dominating at this point. Full-medium body for this varietal, beyond expectation. Hope to have notes after meal when wine will be served in about 40 minutes.

6/11/2019 - Ken332 wrote:

This bottle was oxidized with browning on the rim, loss of fruit, and relatively flat taste. Not rated. Will try another bottle from the case.

12/14/2016 - jollyroger.vin Likes this wine:

Old world, spontaneous malo funk. Bright ruby, pine needles and cherry liqueur. Concentrated red fruits and dried plum mingle with camphor, smoky hung meat and lip smacking tannins. Balanced like a custom made fidget toy spinner. Buy more now, drink or hold.

2/4/2016 - Motz wrote:

Another incredible showing! Pure and densely, almost impenetrably, layered. The wine needs another two to three decades to reveal its many charms. Drink from 2036-2050.

6/28/2015 - cristian_m wrote:

89 going on 90... A solid wine that has put on plenty of weight with just a few years of age. Stewed plum, cherry and stone fruits. Earthiness, dust and dry loam. Some candied tones left over from the youth of this wine but not as much as I'd like. Tannins are mostly evolved but some steminess remains. Copious sediment that lingers in suspension for a long time. Stood the bottle up for two days, did a careful decant, and still I had big scab like flakes making their way into the glasses... Thus, the texure was indeed a bit grainy, though with more patience and care, I believe all that sediment could get dropped out, or use a sieve. Overall the wine seems aged to a point long past what its years would suggest. I know the storage conditions on this bottle have been flawless, so attributing that profile to the wine itself. Fruit is starting to fade a little too far. Acid is pretty much dropping out from the palette. I find myself contemplating if the profile is a result of zinfandel itself, something Michael and co. are doing with their methods, endemic to Dry Creek Valley? either way, this wine was a treat to be able to deconstruct and was rated excellent by all 6 people who shared in it. Cheers to hesnctrl for this trade bottle.

12/19/2014 - cristian_m wrote:

Very good. Solid core of candied red berry - with cherry. Earth, tobacco and leather. Pleasant. Med + length.

7/17/2014 - cabber wrote:

Rioja v. Barolo (Manhattan Beach, CA): Nice. Classic rioja.

4/17/2014 - w9oh Likes this wine:

Disclaimer - no score given as I am the importer for RODA in 7 states. I wanted to note the rather diverse responses to this wine and say 2 things. 1. I have tasted several a bottles a week for the past 3 or 4 months and out of dozens of bottles, I have found only 1 off bottle (and it was with someone here, who also noted it as off). I am a long time industry veteran and this wine is one of the most consistent wines I have ever experienced. 2. Rioja is one of the most misunderstand categories. 'Modern' should be used in the same way the art world uses it. Virtually all wines from Rioja are 'modern' - a process designed in the late 19th century. With very few tweaks or exceptions (Caceras introduced Stainless tanks, RODA uses French instead of American Oak) most every producer that exports to the U.S. is technically 'modern' - from Lopez de Heredia to Palacios Remondo and every style in between. The 'Post-Modern' wines are single vineyard Grenache, or inky black wines and they taste as though they could be from anywhere - Australia, California, Italy....These are not traditional Rioja, but they have their place, too. Just wanted to share those ideas with you. This wine is not, in any way, fading. 5 more years and it might be ready to start drinking! 2004 is a great vintage. Go long on this one.

4/18/2012 - davidwhitedc wrote:

Epic Wine Dinner at Bourbon Steak (Washington DC): In a Shafer HSS flight (of 4), the most disappointing. While deliciously hedonistic, the fruit borders on overripe. It's marked by notes of baked blackberries, purple powerade, and maple syrup -- with a hint of loam and seawater to make things interesting.

2/14/2014 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:

At restaurant Asador Concepción in Albacete sharing a juggy lunch with José Manuel.
This is my first 904 from an extraordinary vintage like 2001 is.
Ruby colour, softly turning to brown.
A perfume on the nose. Flesh, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg among many others. No a single trace of cocoa, vanilla nor coconut. Sorry about that little talis :-)
Very fragant and appetising.
In the glass those are legs, specially for a 13% ABV bottle.
On the palate this 904 is elegant, suave, light-bodied, tasty.
Still a baby but promissing. Evocative of the old good times for Rioja.
An experience made in heaven. Something you can't miss...
Tradition is back, are you ready?

Compartiendo una agradable comida con José Manuel en el Asador Concepción de Albacete. Solamente croquetas de perdiz y de boletus, tacos de atún fresco marinado, huevos rotos y cocochas a la andaluza.
Es mi primera 904 de esta extraordinaria añada.
Color rubí, tornándose suavemente en marrón.
En nariz, un perfume. Entre otros muchos, aromas a carne fresca, canela, clavo, nuez moscada. Ni un rastro de cacao, ni de vainilla ni de coco. Se siente pequeños talibanes :-)
Muy fragante y apetecible.
En la copa esas son lágrimas, especialmente para una botella de 13º.
En boca esta 904 se muestra elegante, suave, ligera y sabrosa.
Todavía una enana pero promete. Evocadora de los viejos buenos tiempos en Rioja.
Una experiencia diseñada en el paraíso. Algo que no puedes dejar pasar...
Vuelve la tradición, ¿estás preparado?

10/23/2013 - Yagil wrote:

Dark purple
Subtle ripe fruity aroma
Full bodied, ripe tannins, good acidity, lush fruity jammy flavors, good harmony, pleasant ending.

10/20/2013 - Srmikelman Likes this wine:

Probably the nicest wine my husband and I have had since we started caring about wine a year and a half ago. Delicious. Loved by everyone we shared it with.

10/5/2013 - AV2012 wrote:

Rather dark and non-transparent. Nose is quite muted and is hiding somewhere. Quite a lot of wild strawberries on the nose, also some dust. Lots of tannins, very dry. Plum, some herbacious notes. Not much fruit, wouldn't say it is modern style at all Bitterness at the finish, long finish! I am quite confused by this wine, was expecting something else and overall was hoping for more. (B)

10/1/2013 - Mr.Overhill Likes this wine:

A piquant, very richly robed cab; possesses astonishingly fresh fruit and striking tannins for a wine approaching the end of its first decade. Full of lively black cherry, olive tapenade and claylike undertones, it bespeaks of a wonderful future. A memorable finish of velvety dark fruits pushes this into the realm of Melchors that will be called classics. Best to decant for at least four hours,