3/5/2008 - RiojaGuru wrote:

The best Ogier I've ever tasted. Killer.

2/10/2008 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Too young. Do not waste your wine by opening this within the next ten years.

1/5/2008 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Amazing that there are any QPR Burgs left.

12/5/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Gag me with a spoon.

11/26/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Amazingly enough, the 2000 Crianza is a far better wine. This is just a bottle that tries too hard to be something else. Too bad, I've always been a huge fan of this winery. It seems they have been seduced by the modern bug.

11/18/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Great fruit, bad oak.

10/23/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

7 bottles of Ecard cooked to Hell - Thanks, Marty's!

9/14/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Woah... funky. Give it five years to see if something a bit more normal will come out.

9/14/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Not a great bottle (i.e. the 1970 Tondonia or 1981 Vina Real) but very nice with some resolved notes of classic Rioja, plus an odd resemblance to gewurz (close your eyes and taste).

9/14/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Wow.

There's wine...

Then there is VVF.

9/14/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

eh.

9/14/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Drank at my wedding, August 18th 2007. An excellent bottle that will make you change your mind about Leroy and Clos de Vougeot... but I wouldn't run out to find the current sticker price either.

4/22/2007 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Wow.

12/29/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Peaking right on target as of 12/06. Excellent mineral notes, some petrol, great acid balance and weight. The perfect example of a lesser vintage wine peaking very well and outshining the better, unresolved vintages.

11/11/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

It's amazing that even a simple Crianza could age so well. The palate was pretty mellow, but the nose was amazingly active. Notes of leather, dried cherries, cigar box and baked clay. This is a testament to the aging power of old school Rioja, but it is also representative of the excellent wines Martinez Bujanda was making in the 80's. Unlike most firms, for whom the 80's was that "dark ages" Bujanda was actually at its best.

Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of what is being cranked out now.

9/19/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Too young! Certainly, one of the bright stars of dry white Bordeaux. Layered notes of lemon grass, hay, dried flowers and a creamy mouthfeel. Great finish. Give it another 10 years...

7/13/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Excellent, excellent, excellent. The best of both worlds - great nose, acidity and elegance, but with a rich body and dense fruit. See notes here:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=2016

7/13/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Another great Tondonia Reserva Blanco from RLdH. This one needed two days of decanting to really show its stuff. See notes here:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?t=2016

6/3/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Surprisingly tough... give it until 2010-2015

6/3/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Eh.

4/22/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Great Barolo in the Marcarini style of being traditional with a touch more fruit. La Serra has always been quicker to peak than the Brunate, but this wine still needs 5-7 years.

4/22/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

While soft and silky on the palate, this wine still has a few years to show its best. Still, it is an excellent bottle now and a terrific value.

4/22/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Kind of New Worldish with a touch too much oak and ripe fruit. It could have been from anywhere in Burgundy, so the "Clos de Beze" designation was irrelevant. Time will tell, but until I see otherwise this is an "eh" Burgundy.

4/3/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Why didn't I buy more???

4/3/2006 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Aging very well and coming along since release. No signs of falling apart or early peaking. Hold for another 5 years. While not the '99 VV, this wine offers something different. Maybe a little more stucture but without the same class and depth.

11/6/2005 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Cracked this one tonight to celebrate surviving a week of work-hell. I was a little worried about how open it would be, some of the 99 Burgs I have drunk recently have been closed, while others have been shockingly open when you consider the quality of the vintage. This bottle fell into the category of the former and needed no time to express that phenomenal nose that makes Chambolle my go-to Burgundy. While the nose was feminine (as many Chambolle are), I want to make the point that feminine does not equal weakness, but rather grace. The nose finessed and danced from the glass, but did so with more power than any clunky fruit-bomb. The dominant nuance was rose hips, but there was plenty of cherry, spice, and even a trace of meat on the end. The palate was not as exciting, but seeing as how I would rather smell a wine than drink it, I consider it no great sacrifice. The body was lower in density, and a little more linear than spacious, but the acidity was quite good and the finish was strong despite a tart/sour note and a slow start. The fruit tannin seem to be well on their way to integration. This wine will peak in 3-5 years, so don't bury it too deep. Highly recommended for the price, and while my TN does site some detractors, I'm a tough judge.

10/6/2005 - RiojaGuru wrote:

This wine has an ethereal nose that wafts from the glass and demands attention. It is almost tragic to drink this Riojanas, as it is far better to just sit back and enjoy the nose all night long. The nose has notes of dried rose petals, burnt cherries, baked clay and tanned leather. The palate is mid-weight, with many of the notes from the nose being repeated, along with a good acid structure and integrated tannins. Still, the palate has nothing on the aromatics.

10/6/2005 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Lots of brett and rustic tannins with typical meaty/iron, and barnyard notes. The body is actually quite dense and showing no signs of decline. If you like these kinds of Rhones (I do) this is a very nice bottle.

9/17/2005 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Pretty flat at this point. Not a pour-down-the-sink wine, but showing only nuances of anonymous Burgundy with all of the Chambolle now departed. Some acidity left, no tannin. Drink up.

9/17/2005 - RiojaGuru wrote:

Drunk along with an 89 Huet "Le Haut Lieu" 1er Trie. Lots of qunice, spice, and some typical wool and wax. Good amounts of acidity to balance the moderate-high sweetness. At the moment, showing a lot of the tea-like bitterness from the botrytis. Needs time to mellow, but should be quite nice. Not as good as the 1989, 1990 or 1997, but still a wine worthy of laying down.