11/8/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A good rim developing, light red fruit on the nose.
Slightly metallic on the first impression, minimal fruit some tannins still present and good acidity - tannins present in the length and a trace of sourness in the fade. Not quite sure how to treat this wine as essentially I don't really like it that much but realise the difference in 'appreciating' and 'liking'. I think for me despite the still present fruit it lacks sweetness and it's that that's putting me off. It also lacks any sophistication and complexity - get it's a Gran Reservation of an adequate year. I'd very much like to hear other opinions.

10/29/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A slight rim and a generous bramble nose.
Softer than I expected but with minimal fruit, the tannins though soft were still present but the acidity was surprisingly high.
Will this last, I don't think so. With the fruit, tannins and acidity being out of balance after 16 years was it well made or was it my storage hat has upset the balance. It was very enjoyable but I guess I expected more...

10/21/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very slight rim, some evidence of warming on the edge, rounded claret nose, classical style.
Good fruit but a tiny edge of sourness at the beginning, but I opened this wine yesterday. Good balance and ripe fruit overcomes the inevitable tannins. Well developed and an elegant fade. Impressed? I ought to be but I'm not.

10/8/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very very slight pinkish rim, a full classic claret nose with the farm in the forefront.
Good strong fruits in the Pauillac style, nice acidic balance but slightly obtrusive tannins, the mid palate shows little development and the length is generous however as the fade comes into play the tannins come to the front and they are a little rough. I'm not sure if the wine needs another decanting to aerate it or perhaps it needs another year in bottle.

10/1/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Decided to decant the wine first, good idea as the sediment was quite heavy.
A warm and medium brown rim on the wine edge, a sweet nose with vanilla and soft jams.
The initial taste showed sweetness on the jam aspect of the wine, thinner than I had expected but that was a plus as it allowed a greater disclosure of the underlying subtleties. Faint tannins support a still rich but gentle fruit blend. The mid palate held together with a nice acidic balance which I guess hints at how well made the wine was. The length was consistent and quite lengthy with a very gently fade. This was the '98 and I have the '99 still to go...
The whole experience confirms my belief that given a limited amount of money, old Spanish Rioja especially the Gran Reservas hit the spot against most comers.

8/12/2017 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A warm rim developing, good nose of ripe raisins, upfront soft bramble fruit in complete balance. Acidity, tannins and fruit in harmony. I have a case of 8 5th growth 2004's and shared them with a local wine tasting group and this one came out clearly top. Surprisingly it has little lead association and I wouldn't at first thought it to be a claret. After an hour it softened slightly but extended its length. There were 2 others that came out next but I can't remember what they were, I'll have to go through the rest of those 2004's so I can report back - pressure, pressure...

2/20/2015 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Given the bright rim and rich colour it's surprisingly soft. Dark fruit on the nose, well balanced acidity and tannins. Nice length and holds its own. I suspect it will improve in a couple of years but no later. I've drunk half the bottle so far and expect it to have opened up by tomorrow when I hope it will disclose some more hints of what really lies behind this particular blend.

1/27/2015 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A hint of a warm rim, good Bordeaux type aromas and strong rich red fruit. A substantial mouthful at first hit, full on fruit with good balance to the acidity. Long in length without any further development. This needs decanting to mute the sharp edges but time will certainly improve it, hopefully some secondary flavours will develop in a year or two - I need to return to this bottle overnight and see how it's changed and then return in a couple of years.

1/25/2015 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

No rim as yet. Fairly intense deep red colour. Jammy with a touch of alcohol. Good fruit and quite soft too, maybe having it open since last night has helped. Tannins are minimal with good balance on the mid palate. Surprisingly long with tannins staying in place. Some pleasant acidity hints at a wine to eat at the same time. Good balance, clearly not seen the best of it as this is an early window, I wonder if it will develop secondary flavours in a few years, only 3 bottles left so should wait a couple of years yet. I have minimal experience of American wines, just seen American Sniper too but whilst enjoying the film, surprised it's an Oscar nomination, shades of comparison here with the wine.

1/14/2015 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

This is my last bottle and it's hard not to sob quietly into the glass.
A well developed warm and pink rim, jammy fruits on the nose with raisins too.
Soft fruits vy with gentle acidity, the oak levels are very soft and hold the wine through to the mid palate.
The fruits swirl but the acidity stays constant through to the length which is long and without any appreciable fade.
There is both complexity and constancy here, the balance is nigh perfect and the wine develops more flavours on the mid palate but holds them off on the fade. Again, sublime - without food an enchanting rich Rioja, with food a perfect partner.
It's possible that this wine will last a few years yet but I'm not sure it will develop further - my storage conditions are not the best so I think it has hit its peak for me. A benchmark for what old style Rioja has to say at its best.

10/6/2014 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Bought three 97 and three 99 in an auction so am very curious as to how these turn out. Decided to try the '97 first in case it's past it's window.
Soft cork but opened ok, brick red rim, quite opaque and a cabernet nose. What a surprise, beautiful fruit with balancing acidity, tar and tobacco on the edge but still subtle.
More like a burgundy than a claret and if I was asked blind I'd hazard an old and well developed Hochar from the Musar stable. The mid palate holds it down well and there's
a long fade without any change on the length. Very well made, a strong signature that speaks clearly, clearly stored properly - I've been lucky!

12/17/2012 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A well developed near orangey rim, middle red colour with little intensity. Slight veg nose with sweetness too. Remarkable soft approach of sweet fruit and hint of vanilla and tannins, an elegant acidity balance very apparent. The acidity is just right so this wine can be drunk on its own or with medium strength food. The mid palate is almost chewy and the fade is not particularly long but surprisingly the wine does not develop away from its initial expression, is this a hint of a lack of complexity? I don't think it matters though. This is a classic Rioja style reminiscent of a 904 with a slight gamey style and with an arms length link to a dry Oloroso. I have a half case left but I'm worried about my storage skills - it's at the height of its window so I think I'll call it a day and drink them with 18 months to two years. The price at £15 is ridiculously cheap, I'm very fortunate to have found it.

7/30/2012 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Opened and sampled without any airing at all.
A soft warm pastel style red with a pronounced warm rim, no intensity of colour anywhere.
An aged claret nose, sweet berries but delicate.
A beautifully soft and raisin sweet approach, caramels apparent - tannins still holding it together and a delicate acidity underlies the mid palate. The length discloses a very slight sourness that is surprising but not unpleasant, the longer length brings out the softer tannins that linger longer (sorry about that phrase). The shop in Wadebridge, Cornwall has more at £18.99 but also the 1994 too but at £25. It's always gratifying to see what you can get for under £20, in this case France is trumped here for quality.

12/25/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

This wine is now 4 years old. There is a watery rim hinting at some warmth on the edge. The nose is farmyard. The initial impression is soft brambly fruits with a delicate acidity. An undercover burgundy with quite pronounced dryness on the mid palate and beyond that mimics tannins. Quite long. When the wine is swirled in the glass, droplets are left on the side as though the glass has just been washed in non soapy water! Where will this wine be in later years is a complete mystery but I try it every Christmas so until next year...

11/18/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

No rim yet and a full intense colour but not opaque. Brambly fruit and almost tar like on the nose. A full and very rich approach with very full tannins that both linger long on the finish that is quite pronounced. The initial hit of fruit is quite violent and it sustains on the mid palate while the tannins seem endless. The tannins take almost 30 seconds before they even begin to fade! But, and its a big but, the window for drinking has begun and whilst its quite enjoyable now you know that there are years to go, perhaps a decade or two. I've given it 89 for now but I'm leaving it for at least a couple of years before revisiting when I expect to upgrade it.

11/13/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very very slight warming on the rim with an almost opaque colour. Strong tar like nose. Up front berry fruit flavours - tar like - liquorice even - strong but not unpleasant tannins always apparent, long length with tannins constantly appearing leaving astringency for a long time. A Ribera like experience. This had just the beginning of a window and was very appealing, the combination of strong fruit together with good tannic structure and balance augurs well for the next ten years at least. The label was crap and I would have passed it by except for a strong recommendation. I've given it a 92 but it will be a 93 or 94 given some time.

11/13/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very clear warm rim developing, veg on the nose. A soft fruit based attack, when I say attack I mean a gently leaning, soft raisiny fruits with some residual tannins and a delicate acidity, not very long and a sense of dryness on the finish. The astringency on the finish lingers. A very feminine style with evidence of good underlying structure.

9/8/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A well developing rim - cherry, chocolate and I guess some oak on the nose. How beguiling, a little like Margaux with that silkiness masking underlying complex structures. A soft fruit approach with a little dryness, berries and wood on the mid palate. The length goes on and on with delicious soft tannins that hold the whole. Clearly the window is open and there's much more to follow but I wonder how it will develop. The length contains strawberries encased in soft tannins - the tannins remain almost unchanged on the length and last over a half minute but they remain soft and unchanged - they're cedar wood with no hint of lead. Maybe if I can leave a little in the bottle it might oxidise overnight a little and pretend its aged a tad and I can score a 94. Gorgeous.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A clear orange rime - fairly full colour - and a sweetish farmy nose. This wine is ready now, sweet fruit of damsons, plums and blackberries and a hint of liquorice. The tannins are still there but the fruit is beginning to fade so I guess the wine is slightly out of balance but it is not over-evident yet. Later on in perhaps a year the tannins will crush the fading fruit flavours. The length is long with tannins that stay very apparent. I only have one more bottle so I should drink it in the next month I guess. It will be interesting to taste too the '95's of which I have 2 and more importantly the 2 Prado Enea 2001 of which I also have just two.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very clear orangey rim developed, slight farmyard on the nose. Fruit and tannins in balance with a good length. At last a Musar that is ready to drink now!

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Good rim showing with a full colour - strong sweet farm smell on the nose. Plums and damsons with great balance and acidity too, excellent length. A great future here.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Good rim showing - not too intense a colour and a classic farm nose. Very good fruit and tannin balance with excellent acidity too. Does not need food, enjoyable with and without. A classic Musar - a joy to drink.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Good rim showing, fairly intense colour and a sweetish smell on the nose. Sweet raisiny fruit but gamey in style too. Balanced acidity on the length. This wine leaves a signature.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Shows a good rim now - fairly full colour. A farmyard cabernet style on the nose. Full and sweet fruit, both tannins and fruit in good balance. Good length - well made and has a good future with developing complexity.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A definite rim developing - slightly earthy, classic Musar style - raisins and sweet plums. Long sweet length, perhaps too sweet and acidic. Much shorter life length here, perhaps only 3-4 years, a transparent wine with less complexity.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Rim just developing - fairly intense colour and that characteristic farmyard nose. Earthy and beginning to develop. Excellent fruit and tannins. Well balanced and long. Needs a few more years yet.

1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

No rim yet - cherry red. Sweet edge and quite long. Needs a good 5-7 years yet.

1/18/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Apologies - I seem to have tasted this 3 times over the last few weeks. No rim and normal earthy nose. I decanted this wine 4/5 hours before drinking it with food. The difference is striking. The initial impression is balance - soft vanilla tannins, beautiful acidity and plummy fruit. The overall impression is an elegant wine at the beginning of its window - good with food but still ok to drink on its own. 2005 is such a good year for Rioja I'm loth to commit to much to the future but it has to be 3-5 years still to go. The mid palate holds the flavours well and the fade is gentle in its slide. I must try and wait a few more months before I try again - very lucky I have another 10 to go - must try the 2001 for a hint of the future.

1/17/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Tasted a half bottle. No developing rim apparent, smoky fruits and lead on the nose, no vegetation or farming there. Ripe fruits with soft tannins and balanced acidity. Strong dryness on the mid palate that stays in place on the fade. Not that much strong fruit left and with those soft tannins I think it could well peak in 18 months and not much longer! Very surprised, is this a characteristic of a half bottle - I know they are often a year to 18 months forward. Surprised also at the lack of developing complexity on the mid palate. I have a 2001 full 750ml bottle that I hope to pin more hopes to.

1/10/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Slight warming rim and a good nose. Good berry fruits and soft tannins - gentle acidity. Plummy with perhaps either dried plums or faint prunes on the mid palate. Fades well with a little dryness on the length that shows the resilience of the tannins I suspect. Many years to go but I only have three bottles left, drat!

1/10/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A faint rim and an earthy nose. Good fruit and tannin balance with a nice acidic level for eating. Enormous improvement when decanted for 4 hours into a wide bottomed ships decanter.

12/25/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Just showing a warming rim with an overall tinge of sherry style brown. Gently acidic with soft fruits, slight dryness on the mid palate with more dryness on the length. Some tannins left but quite soft ones, the fruit flavours are varied and i really cannot place anything more that berry fruits.

12/16/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Forgot about the last tasting of this wine against the Real of the same year only a fortnight ago and want to revise this score a tad up from 88 to 89. Have found a parcel of Real 2001 and will taste that next, should be interesting.

12/10/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

I forgot I tasted this wine only 2 months ago but I'm going to ignore that history.
You go through life wondering what 'sublime' means - well, this wine is it and has it.
There's really no point boring you with details...
So I'm going to give it a 93, if you have any drink it and enjoy it - if you don't have any and don't intend to get any then suffer accordingly!

12/4/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very interesting experiment here - we've opened this together with a 2005 CVNE Reserva to see how they compare. No rim yet and farmy nose. Robust but soft fruit and a good mid palate but very short length. Tannins and fruit in harmony hint to a great future in perhaps 5 years. Nice round berry fruits. There is more complexity here than the CVNE despite its short length. This one has the edge on the CVNE but only just - as time passes I suspect it will become more obvious.

12/4/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very interesting experiment here - we've opened this together with a 2005 Vina Real Crianza to see how they compare. No rim yet and farmy nose. Good fruit balance and deepening on the mid palate with a nice long fade. Tannins fairly soft but well apparent and good acidity in place. Only just showing in this early drinking window - this wine needs another 3/4 years to develop. The Real has an edge I think with greater complexity, better fruit and good tannins hinting at a better future but maybe a good 5 years yet though the CVNE has a better length.

12/2/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

What a surprise - 2001 followed by 2005 are meant to be the best of the decade in Rioja so I had no great expectations for this Alberdi 2002. A well developed rim, good vegetable and flannel on the nose. A soft and delicate approach, nicely fruity with well developed breadth on the mid palate. No great length but a pleasant fade. Gentle acidity in place with perhaps a trace of sourness but not unpleasant. Not overly complex but a wonderful example of a wine that is ready now. Gentle tannins balanced against the fruit with the acidity combine perfectly for maximum pleasure for drinking on its own or with food - a rare combination. I have another 7 left I think so no more than 6 months left to go.

11/8/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

An hour has passed and food has been served - the wine has softened somewhat and the tannins have cut into the lamb fats which has made the pairing sublime. Quite delicious. It may improve further over the years but it may end up too soft to mate with many food choices. But now a clear 93 perhaps a hint of 94?

11/8/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Fairly full ruby colour with a definite warming rim with fruit and farm on the nose. Very long legged in the glass, almost glycerine like streaks streaking the insides of the glass. Initial approach is raisin sweet with firm leathery overtones. Plummy yet held back by both gentle tannins and a sense of slight dryness BUT the bottle has only been open for a few minutes and not decanted either. Beautifully soft but with a discernible backbone, delicious now but clearly it has some years to go to get the perfection that it hints at. Lamb noisettes are being served shortly and I guess a whole lot more nuances will present themselves - excellent without food now, it'll be interesting to see how it is with food and a passage of time. I expect the initial rating of 92 to perhaps move upwards a tad. Clearly a sibling to the '98 but more sophisticated - I also have the 2001 and it will be interesting to see how they match.

10/26/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Tasted again after some 6 months. A warm rim developing - sweet raisins on the nose. Soft rich berry fruit with a gentle level of acidity - slight tannins and oakiness - jammy and longish - should improve a little but not sure quite how - I've ordered a case of the '99 so that should be an interesting comparison. Very enjoyable indeed now, slight tannins on the length so my earlier note may be over cautious, this will definitely last a few years to come but what it will develop into I really do not know. When the '99 arrives later in the week I'll report again. Not sure if it is me but I find it makes a clear difference if I let a new arrival settle out for 2-3 weeks.

8/23/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A full intense colour, almost opaque - a slight warming rim but not very obvious. At first this wine seemed a little past it so I recorked it it immediately after pouring a small glass. Very heavy in over ripe plums, a tad on the edge of sherry, no tannins left but smooth but ripe fruits apparent. To all intents and purposes I thought it was perhaps 6-12 months past its best with the evidence of oxidation. After 30 minutes I reopened the bottle and resampled it with food this time and it had blossomed a little, the oxidation was less evident however it was a little past its best. A good length with a natural fade - I suspect that my imperfect storage methods have contributed to premature ageing and potential shortfall. But - enjoyable nevertheless with little of the heavy handed Oz Shiraz stereotype.

8/9/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A warming rim just apparent, berry fruit and minerals on the nose, good plummy fruits with soft tannins surrounded by chocolate style finish. Developed well after 30 minutes with a long but gentle finish. Good for another year or two.

6/13/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Gone, over the hill, past it. Bad storage I guess rather than age, shame...

5/15/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

A very strange animal. Opened the bottle and tried it straight away. Very slight rim, cabernet nose but a bit musky. Initially strong cherry like flavours that strengthened on the mid palate but suddenly the fruit fell away and left a gap that was filled by a sense of sourness but with a decent fade, good acidity throughout. I decided not to get anymore of this and that at over £11 it was really not worth it. Then after half an hour it became a completely different wine. Good balance of oak, fruit and gentle tannins - gorgeous plummy mid palate but no great complexity and gently long held together with the acidity. Never had a turnaround quite like this before.

5/11/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Wow, what a beauty. A warm brown overall colour, smoky and raisins on the nose. Soft fruits with caramels surrounding it, just over the peak but still very enjoyable indeed. Mid palate almost smoky and very gentle - tannins all gone but still fruit led - a surprising acidity on the length. We re stoppered the bottle between helpings because it was obvious it would fade too fast. We ate salmon fillets with a sauce made from oil, creamed horseradish and old sherry - the wine was a perfect balance with the fish.

4/22/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Still early for this wine. No rim yet, earthy nose, strong positive berry fruit but still soft at the edges. Not much tannin but good balance and length. I think it may well surprise in a year or two and perform well out of its class. Must relook in 12 months.

4/6/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Slight rim developing with a mid red opacity - sweet raisin on the nose with a little demerara - lovely acidity, gentle fruit, no tannins left but residue of apples! Length long and delicate

4/5/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

No rim and fairly transparent red colour - earthy and wood on the nose - soft approach, slightly scented. Plummy fruit with good acidity and balance. Low tannins but surprisingly long. In the end no singularity or signature.

4/5/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

No rim and a medium red colour - damsons on the nose - softish fruits, very light flavours but with some acidity and tannin still apparent, and little length. Not much to look forward to.

3/30/2010 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote:

Light in colour with a delicate warm rim. Soft on the nose, slightly floral and some oak - very soft fruit, delicate berries and a developing sense of fruit with a long slow fade. The complexity lies in the mid palate with soft subtle changes. A Rioja to remember but that was 2001.