March 21, 2021 - Bottle stood upright on sideboard for 2 days. Root Day - decanted off a small amount of sediment but there was quite a bit sticking to the bottle. Bottle rinsed and wine double decanted back into it once it was dry. Pours garnet into the glass with a garnet core and a medium mahogany edge. Nose of dark fruit (plum/cassis), cedar, menthol, new leather and damp loam. On the palate it’s silky with fully resolved tannins and medium acidity. Rich (almost plush) on the tongue with flavours of cassis, sweet herbs, new leather, menthol and spice. The menthol, fruit and spice all continue into the long finish. Still very youthful with plenty of fruit and ripe tannins indicating several more years of development possible. It’s drinking beautifully now though - no need to wait.
2 days later - Leaf Day - didn’t get to this wine until tonight after the initial small taster. Still dark and brooding - but tonight it’s black olive, damp loam, sous bois, dark chocolate and very ripe plum on the nose. On the palate, it’s a little less exuberant but still as silky with flavours of black olive, plum, sweet herbs, sweet tobacco and menthol. Ripe, ready and even more delicious with bountiful fruit along with supple tannins and bright acidity. The herbs and dark fruit continue into the long finish with some spice notes. An easy 92 tonight and I think I prefer it to the initial taster although both were excellent.
February 1, 2020 - The fruits have really subsided in this, replaced by a rich chocolate and saddle leather. The hints of green pepper/pyrazine are much more muted than early on. Really enjoyable, especially for the price.
October 21, 2019 - Nice, but big, extracted and thick, with too much mocha and chocolate, and not enough fruit and winey-ness - deep red to black - cassis wrestles with tar and mocha for control of the nose (I think the dark side wins) - a shame because the cassis is definitely there, just shielded - palate is nice, medium bodied, but again that clamp of excessive charred oak ruins the party. Too bad, the grapes could have produced something pretty nice if not for the over-intervention in the winery
May 17, 2017 - These wines need some time to age out their green streak. But at 10 years of age, this is now dominated by cedar and rustic fruits. Tannins are not entirely integrated, but provided some nice body.
June 6, 2014 - Day 2 was much better...decant!
March 6, 2014 - Dark ready color but ready to drink.
October 5, 2013 - Black cherry, cola, & a little eucalyptus. This one is full-bodied & luscious with a long finish. Really enjoyed it. Excellent! 90 pts.
February 26, 2013 - Lush flavors of red and black fruit well balanced with soft tannins. Long finish.
January 16, 2013 - Please note that this tasting note regards the Medalla Real Gran Reserva, not the Reserva Especial Single Estate. For a reason that is unclear to me, chosing a new vintage of the Gran Reserva only turned out to give a page for the Reserva Especial Single Estate. Kept under condition 2 for about 2,5 year, since September 2012 under condition 1 (see my profile). Popped and poured. Color: very dark purple with a bit ruby, no orange rims. Nose: nice. Taste: nice fruit: blackberries, also some red berries. A hint of liquorice, chocolate and maybe some mint. Also a bit pepper. I don’t know whether this would be possible, have never heard or read about it anyway, but it seemed like tannins were detectable as long as the wine was (to) cool. Medium to full bodied, medium finish. The third vintage of the Medalla Real series I have tasted (Gran Reserva as well as Single Estate) and all the bottles were very good. 87-88.
October 27, 2012 - Didn't enjoy as much as the last bottle--did the wine or the taster change? Always hard to tell. Nice nose with black currant and sandalwood. Middle-weight palate with oak vanillin. Finish is a bit disjointed. More tobacco character emerged with air.