This pours light garnet in the glass, still an element of ruby at the core. The nose leaps from the glass with obvious rioja markers of vanilla, coconut, sunscreen, grilled pork, dried strawberry, and cedar. Quite marked by the oak but enjoyable. Tannins are knocked down to medium minus while the acid remains medium plus, keeping this quite fresh with bright red fruited acid dominating the finish. This is quite enjoyable. While not profound this is in a nice spot.
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Nose of cherry and briar. Palate of balanced cherry, briar, forest floor, cedar, and tar. Much more restrained and balanced compared to the 01 bottling.
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Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of currants, berries, cherries, thistle and potpourri. Flavors of black cherries with a strong underlying mineral streak. Medium acidity, nedium tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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Medium ruby to garnet, vivid and bright. Quite a bretty, burgundian nose initially, then briary red fruit. Crisp with good acidity, becoming weightier after 30 mins in the decanter. Quite complex with multi-faceted red fruits, slight hints of sous-bois and a slight mineral edge. Good acidity, relatively light. Excellent with venison.
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Drinking perfectly. Drink rest over next year or so. This is now like a nicely aged CA cab. Tobacco, cedar, forrest floor. This was great. What a bargain at $19.
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Portfolio Ref # SPA A3 Setting: Study Group / Spain Appearance: bright, medium-dark intensity garnet core, very narrow ruby rim Nose: higher intensity, creamy vanilla, black currant, caramel, bready-raspberry notes, heady with a mouthwatering acidity Palate:dry, round, red plums, vanilla, cedar and coffee notes, higher alcohol, integrated oak, firm tannins, rounder and medium+ body with a medium+ length, nice fruit and very good balance, vanilla finish Comments: 13%, $45 CAD, wine of the night - & very happy I've got a magnum in my cellar! superb
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I was looking to learn something about Spanish wine, and I foolishly allowed the Sommelier at Rubicon to agree with me and suggest this bottle. It had a great clear ruby color and a complex palete with dried fruit flavors, but was so out of balance with acidity that it was a chore to drink. It's been a long time since I had a bottle of wine which wasn't corked or over the hill or otherwise obviously flawed that I thought was a waste of money, but this bottle qualifies. The fact that Rubicon charged $48 for this $18 wine (a fact that I didn't find out until later) didn't help much. [Dinner at Rubicon 1/20/04; Dine About Town; Chestnut Soup, and a Blanquette du Veau (both of which were quite good)].
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2/22/2021 - Wine Canuck wrote: 92 Points
This pours light garnet in the glass, still an element of ruby at the core. The nose leaps from the glass with obvious rioja markers of vanilla, coconut, sunscreen, grilled pork, dried strawberry, and cedar. Quite marked by the oak but enjoyable. Tannins are knocked down to medium minus while the acid remains medium plus, keeping this quite fresh with bright red fruited acid dominating the finish. This is quite enjoyable. While not profound this is in a nice spot.
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9/24/2010 - lebo9968@gmail.com wrote: 90 Points
Slight bricking. Nose of vanilla, oak, pencil shavings, sweet berry, tobacco. Palate elegant and light, but complex, with similar palate as nose.
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5/1/2010 - nickriso Likes this wine: 95 Points
Dark reddish brown color in the glass...tasted old, mature softened and well within range. Our last bottle and we will miss it. Delicious!
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12/7/2008 - jmht wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cherry and briar. Palate of balanced cherry, briar, forest floor, cedar, and tar. Much more restrained and balanced compared to the 01 bottling.
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6/11/2008 - wineismylife wrote: 92 Points
WIML92?
Tasted June 11, 2008 at an offline.
Opened and served immediately. Purple color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of currants, berries, cherries, thistle and potpourri. Flavors of black cherries with a strong underlying mineral streak. Medium acidity, nedium tannins, medium to full body. Drink or hold.
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2/4/2007 - lebo9968@gmail.com wrote: 84 Points
Very blah and uninspiring.
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11/10/2006 - SimonG wrote:
Medium ruby to garnet, vivid and bright. Quite a bretty, burgundian nose initially, then briary red fruit. Crisp with good acidity, becoming weightier after 30 mins in the decanter. Quite complex with multi-faceted red fruits, slight hints of sous-bois and a slight mineral edge. Good acidity, relatively light. Excellent with venison.
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7/22/2006 - lebo9968@gmail.com wrote: 93 Points
Drinking perfectly. Drink rest over next year or so. This is now like a nicely aged CA cab. Tobacco, cedar, forrest floor. This was great. What a bargain at $19.
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2/18/2006 - brucejones wrote: 78 Points
Dissapointing.
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10/28/2005 - Evargsoc wrote: 95 Points
WS
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8/27/2005 - hcampana wrote: 85 Points
Very developed color with noticeable amber. Typical Rioja nose with some barnyard. Acidic and short.
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7/20/2005 - hcampana wrote: 86 Points
Evolved garnet color. Nose of hot stones and lacking fruit. Slightly acidic. Not as appealing as it was 5 years ago.
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3/14/2004 - Nuray wrote:
Portfolio Ref # SPA A3
Setting: Study Group / Spain
Appearance: bright, medium-dark intensity garnet core, very narrow ruby rim
Nose: higher intensity, creamy vanilla, black currant, caramel, bready-raspberry notes, heady with a mouthwatering acidity
Palate:dry, round, red plums, vanilla, cedar and coffee notes, higher alcohol, integrated oak, firm tannins, rounder and medium+ body with a medium+ length, nice fruit and very good balance, vanilla finish
Comments: 13%, $45 CAD, wine of the night - & very happy I've got a magnum in my cellar! superb
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1/20/2004 - PaulH wrote: 84 Points
I was looking to learn something about Spanish wine, and I foolishly allowed the Sommelier at Rubicon to agree with me and suggest this bottle. It had a great clear ruby color and a complex palete with dried fruit flavors, but was so out of balance with acidity that it was a chore to drink. It's been a long time since I had a bottle of wine which wasn't corked or over the hill or otherwise obviously flawed that I thought was a waste of money, but this bottle qualifies. The fact that Rubicon charged $48 for this $18 wine (a fact that I didn't find out until later) didn't help much. [Dinner at Rubicon 1/20/04; Dine About Town; Chestnut Soup, and a Blanquette du Veau (both of which were quite good)].
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