Community Tasting Note

Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine:

Friday, March 8, 2019 - Mindful of the reputation of this wine to last a very long time, I waited patiently. I've now retrieved the first bottle from storage and tasted a first (Coravin) sample. The wine was filtered and allowed to breath in the glass.
Swirling occasionally, it takes about 90 minutes to open. Half an hour later the glass is nearly empty but the last few drops sustain a deep bouquet for much of the third hour!
Great balance. This is pretty close to the prototype I have in mind when I think about what a perfect Rioja should be like.
It's a more concentrated and has a bigger body than the 2001 Gran Reserva 904 from Rioja Alta I recently tasted. Perhaps more hedonistic and more accessible too.
Looking at the older reviews from the last 8 years or so, I get the impression it was a good idea to wait. It's probably peaking about now.
I'm also glad I filtered it (with a humble coffee filter). Significant amount of sediment most certainly would have spoiled the smooth and silky texture for me.
Conclusion: Can start drinking, decant a minimum of 1 hour, avoid sediment. It will probably be best now-2030, and may well keep till 2040.

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