September 21, 2018 - Leathery nose with some dark fruit and some VA. Bottle was intact and mature but i think this is on a downward slope at this point. Still good but drink up.
June 19, 2017 - Contino vs Riscal old vintages wine tasting.
Opens up with sugary confiture of black fruits, develops into honey. Rich and velvet on the palate. Leather, tobacco. Finish with spice and smoke. On par with Contino of the same vintage.
Blend: 90% tempranillo, 10% Graciano & Mazuelo
Marqués de Riscal is one of the fathers of Rioja who brought French winemaking techniques from Bordeaux and found the estate in 1858.
---
Read my wine writing at stasmedvedev.lv
and follow me on Instagram
June 19, 2017 - Riscal vs Contino: Starts off with an intense nose of soap and flowers, later comes smell of aluminum. Rather high acidity, untame and lean, not that much fruit or smoke/leather. There's some red currant on the palate. Character of a nasty old gentleman.
February 5, 2017 - Had in Vegas with Christian and loved it so much
March 8, 2016 - Brownish colour, light faded fruit, dark berries and acidity, still drinkable albeit going downhill.
February 6, 2016 - A fabulously fresh bottle. Has some rich cassis fruit along with dark chocolate and spice notes. It is full and rich with a silky palate and great core of briary fruit. It gains floral complexity in the glass and is long and engaging.
October 25, 2013 - At Roberson's Old Rioja Night. Really nice, still young with fruit syrup, though a medium finish.
October 24, 2013 - Old Rioja - A Walkabout Tasting (Roberson Wine): Clear and bright. Pineapple and Marzipan nose. Bit soapy and short.
February 24, 2012 - Dim Sum Club does Bak Kut Teh and Chicken Rice (Marina Square Food Court): This was quite beautiful. More Burgundian even then the Burgundy on the same flight, it was a beautifully resolved, absolutely elegant Rioja - quite a step up from the last bottle of 1982 Riscal we had which appeared to be on its last legs. There was a beautiful nose here, with a charming waft of dried rose petals, dried cherries and dusty earth with a bit of slightly smoky, hot stone accents - a bit Barolo-like on that note. The palate was a Burgundy-ringer though. The slight thinning-out on the last bottle was completely absent here. What we got instead was a warm, hearty mouthful of dried strawberries and slightly stewed cherries, smoke and earthy mineral wrapped in wonderfully plush, almost silky tannins and a lovely lift of fresh acidity. Lovely stuff, and the little bittersweet twist of coffee grounds and ground herbs just wrapped it up beautifully. At a perfect place now, this was a treat.
February 24, 2012 - Beautiful Burgundian Rhonish nose of barnyard, dark truffles, forest undergrowth and fowl feathers intermixed with mature stewed plums and black berries. Lots of fruit stuffing with a nice round robust smoky earthy finish.