August 6, 2010 - Hmmm...a little different than many of the Riojas I've had recently. A little thin, but still had a nice cherry, plum focus and a spicy finish. There are better Riojas out there, but if offered, I wouldn't turn down.
February 10, 2010 - Restaurant order. Nose opens with red fruit, very nice, but palate (after time to breathe) disappointed with simplicity and a slightly perfumey overlay. Rasberry and some plum flavors, limited acidity and a touch of tannin, soft mouthfeel, and very short finish.
November 17, 2009 - Enjoyable, good varietal character, nicely restrained.
October 5, 2009 - Wizards Trade Tasting (Warehouse): 10/5/09: Yep, still tasty. I love the touch of spice. 87-88
4/3/09: Bright red fruit. This is fairly modern in style, but well done, and it still tastes like Rioja. Nice red fruits, with a little bit of spice. Pretty ripe, but it stays within bounds. Solid bottle. 87+
May 18, 2009 - Let me state, it is not a bad wine it's just if you follow the rules of the RP point system religiously it won't fair well. Color is between a Cab and Pinot and light fruit on the nose. An extremely short finish. And I'm guessing this won't cellar for a long period. Now with all that out of the way I liked the wine, accompanied a greek meat dish. For $9 not bad...
March 1, 2009 - Medium Red; Cherries and some mint on the nose (not much oak); more of this on tasting, also light and supple, suprisingly little tannin; smooth; not much length to the taste. Pleasant but unassuming; a laid back Rioja. (Prefer Wine Society own label equivalent).
November 1, 2008 - Trick or Treat! (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had raspberry, blackberry, spice, and wood. The palate had balsamic notes, spice, raspberry, and oak.
June 21, 2008 - Bang for the Buck! (Farpointe Cellar): A good nose of smoke, cherry, leather, and vanilla. The palate had cedar and smoke, and finished with raspberry and spice.