Community Tasting Notes 4

• SoundinBetween wrote:

  December 31, 2022 - Short tasting note from NYE dinner. Blood red color with a touch of fading (but not bricking) at the rim. Black tea, baking spice, and a hint of smoke, with less fruit presence as expected by bottle age. Palate was seamless and fresh; this was over the hill by a decade or two easily, as the finish wrapped up quickly. Still enjoyable with morcilla and Jamon Iberico.
  
  Cork top pushed up through capsule but did not appear to be from heat/cold damage. Purchased at retail, bottle from private source in Northern Spain (restaurant cellar) ~4 years ago. Still had wire cage and a new back label noting importer and source.

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• MQuentel@web.de wrote: 85 points

  December 21, 2018 - This 76 year old Rioja is still drinkable, but pleasure smells and tastes different. Very bright and transparent rust red with orange-brown water edge. In the cool nose a mixture of broth and lots of iron rust, a touch of red tea and withered roses. On the palate, the wine is carried by a steely acid, remains of tannin are still recognizable, but the fruit is completely gone. The wine is purely tertiary, again iron rust, very trasparent, some black tea and a slightly metallic note. Reminds me of old Marques de Riscal, who also have these metallic notes. The acid carries it on the finish pretty long on the tongue - nevertheless, the wine has lost too much weight and elegance is different.

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• Collector1855 wrote: 96 points

  June 27, 2016 - During a tasting lunch. Fill Level D only. Great to taste these super aged Rojas together with authentic Spanish food. Medium amber brown. Nose of tobacco, beef stock, autumn leaves. This smells like a combination of aged red wine, and Port and a touch of Sherry. I am not a big fan of this aroma profile but complexity cannot be denied here. Very little oxidative notes in this wine to my surprise after more than half a century in the bottle. Burgundian and elegant. A great wine experience.

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• mmrmag wrote: 94 points

  February 3, 2012 - Hard to believe this wine is nearly seventy years old. Little sediment and no cloudiness. The wine must have been bottled recently. Light burgundy core to a rose/orange rim. A little funk and wood on the nose with cherry, plum, olive and mushroom. A little sour at first, but it mellows out quickly with wood, cherry and tart plum. Very soft finish and a balanced wine. Far better and vibrant thanthe '76 and '78.

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Wine Definition

• Vintage 1942
• Type Red
• Producer R. López de Heredia
• Varietal Tempranillo Blend
• Designation Gran Reserva
• Vineyard Viña Tondonia
• Country Spain
• Region La Rioja
• SubRegion La Rioja Alta
• Appellation Rioja

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 1 (2%)
• In Cellars 34 (59%)
• Consumed 23 (40%)

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