May 28, 2023 - Deep ruby color. Nose of black cherry, cedar, damp earth. Medium bodied and juicy with fine tannins on the finish.
October 30, 2021 - Wonderful soft sweet fruit, sublime mouthfeel. Just amazing right now. A great example of why I should drink more Rioja!
October 2, 2021 - Early Oct 2021: deep dark red color; started with funk in the nose; after decanting for approx. 1 h a fine bouquet of coffee, spices and dark fruits developed; soft and gentle on the palate, well-balanced by a slight adstrigency.
August 5, 2021 - 2/7, vg cork. Deep ruby/garnet core, pale garnet rim. Nose shows dark tempranillo fruit, touch of vanilla, mocha. Cedar too. Medium bodied, pure dark fruit, touch of smoke and cedar, fine tannins, fresh acidity, good length finish. Classy and composed, no hurry here.
July 10, 2021 - Good closure. Colour a definite garnet but vibrant nonetheless. Nose is dark fruit with plenty of oak - not as coconut dominated as some so perhaps a mix of french and American oak? Palate is youthful with a nice blackberry bramble fruit and soft persistent tannins. Nice long soft finish.
November 4, 2020 - Bright red and mellow black fruits , acidity intact, fine tannins. Will keep for many years yet. Reminded of why I like the Imperial Reserva better than Imperial Gran Reserva; less oak and a fresher, more transparent wine.
November 1, 2020 - Sandalwood, tart raspberry, red currant, loads of cranberry and subtle rhubarb. Lovely chalky, integrated tannins. Bright and beautiful with lots of flavor without being heavy. Wood fire and smoke at the back end. Really enjoying a long overdue rioja.
September 11, 2020 - 1/7, excellent cork. Not decanted, # 292,481.
Deep ruby/garnet core, narrow pale ruby rim. The nose is not overly intense, still quite fruit driven with mainly black berried fruit, lightly smoky/leathery. Medium bodied on the palate, black fruit, spice, touch of liquorice, quite ripe with soft tannins but the acidity does protrude a touch (and I generally like acidity), although this becomes less marked over time as it approaches room temperature. Not overly complex but polished and attractive with a decent length finish. Overall, very good indeed with plenty still left in the tank. (Don't serve too cold)
August 20, 2020 - Mid dark color, no signs of aging.
Sweet smell, almost like Austalian Shiraz; pleasant.
On palate at first quite round, then come the tannins which throw the wine off balance. I am worried about those: Don't know if they will ever fully integrate.
Rather have a suspicion that they will eat up the fruit...
On the whole: Not a bad wine, but very monochromatic and I don't think that it merited to be the wine of the year as proclaimed by the Wine Spectator so many years ago...
Middling between old and new (international) school. It's as if the makers could not decide about it...
On the whole: I would not buy it again.....
July 26, 2020 - Medium red colour. Strawberry, toasted oak, dark cherry flavour along with leather. Drinking beautifully. Still has a bit of life left.