Community Tasting Notes 62

• GrapeScott wrote: 91 points

  November 27, 2021 - This was the last remaining bottle from my first ever case purchase, back when I was in my early '20s. To say that it has had an adventurous life would be an understatement, as this traveled from a basement in RI to a crawl space in PA before reaching its final resting place in a passive underground cellar built by my Dad and I in MA in '05. Given its checkered past and the fact thatit had ulled considerably (top shoulder), I didn't have high expectations. However, the cork, though saturated to near the top, had held, and the color was excellent. Lovely violet-infused nose still showing its American oak upbringing (which I detest, by the way), but quite pretty and nicely integrated. What was a bruiser of a wine in its youth is now a subdued, elegant, elder statesman, almost Burgundian in its flavor profile, with a red cherry core accented by saddle leather and damson plum.

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• JimTaft Likes this wine: 91 points

  June 27, 2021 - Had my doubts as to whether this bottle could still deliver but gave it a go with a back up plan.
  
  Opened and decanted about 4 hours, was not the plan ... just happened that way. Perfect, no funk, no barnyard, nothing but excellent well aged red wine. Was a blessing to be able to share this with a friend.
  
  Can't imagine anyone still holding this, but if you are it is ready !!!

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• JimTaft Likes this wine: 92 points

  January 20, 2021 - Interesting, the similarities in WINE CANUCK and FORCEBERRY reports on this wine.
  
  I am sitting with a bottle courtesy or a friend. Agree with all of FORCEBERRY notes on funk, barnyard, urinal even if you must go there. After 24 years in the bottle, way past what the producer planned for, maybe the bottle needed to pass a little gass??
  
  Two hours open now, all the piss and funk are gone. Amazingly, the bricking is very slight on the edge. Flavours are, admittedly, an aquired taste, but I Like It.

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• Wine Canuck wrote: 94 points

  October 10, 2020 - [Tasted Blind] Medium ruby with moderate bricking. Evident Brett on the nose, but for me it adds rather than detracts. The nose powerfully blasts plum, white pepper, leather, burlap, dark cherry, cigar box, wet hay, and cassis. Complex and gorgeous though the ripeness is elevated. The palate is rich and round, yet the elevated acid keeps this very fresh. Tannins are quite low, with a long finish replaying the deep rich plummy fruit and the rustic (Brett) white pepper and leather. I really enjoy this. Initially guessed this was a ripe vintage mid-age right bank Bordeaux due to the plummy ripeness. The elevated acidity should have led me away from this guess.

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• forceberry wrote: 85 points

  October 1, 2020 - 100% Tempranillo. Aged for 18 months in American oak barrels. Tasted half-blind.
  
  Quite evolved, somewhat murky and quite opaque dark red color. Pungent and rather off-putting nose of urinal. Yes, a very distinctive smell of urinal. Then there are some notes of outhouse and ammonia, followed by phenolic, lambic-like notes of bretty leather, a little bit of smoke, light raisiny tones, a hint of wizened strawberry and a touch of tar. Not particularly attractive in the nose, really. The wine is full-bodied, rich and silky in texture on the palate with quite extracted flavors of sweet figs, strawberries, some dried dates, a little bit of savory wood spice, light leathery tones, a hint of meaty umami and a touch of soy sauce. The wine is quite evolved, but not yet too old or completely in pieces. Both the ample, moderately grippy tannins and the rather high acidity contribute to the muscular structure of the wine. The finis is savory, moderately tannic and quite long with powerful, tertiary flavors of meaty umami, ripe raspberries, some soy sauce, a little bit of raisiny dark fruits, light beef jerky tones, a hint of toasty oak and a touch of peppery spice.
  
  The nose here was quite off-putting with its pungent urinal character, but on the palate the wine fortunately didn't show any such qualities, instead coming across as just very evolved and somewhat past its peak. However, despite its very developed overall character, the wine managed to retain surprisingly much depth, power and fruit, so it is still very drinkable and even relatively enjoyable for what it is. Most likely the wine has shown its best 5-10 years ago, so there's really no point in cellaring it any longer. Time to drink up.

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Pro Reviews 1

Wine Definition

• Vintage 1996
• Type Red
• Producer Condado de Haza
• Varietal Tempranillo
• Designation Crianza
• Vineyard n/a
• Country Spain
• Region Castilla y León
• SubRegion n/a
• Appellation Ribera del Duero

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 291 (54%)
• Consumed 243 (46%)

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