This wine needed 5 hours in the decanter before the tannins showed up with the fruit, and the rowdy element of Brett calmed down and harmonized with the rest.
Bright transparent red with hints of brick throughout the colour palette.
The scent is tremendous and refined. The wife accepted it because it lacked any "old wine" feeling. Good minerality on the nose of dry, sun-scorched earth, ink, broad, fine-tuned spiciness (absolutely no f***king dill) and some cherry.
In the mouth, this is a magnificent wine. Elegant, fine-tuned and with race at the same time as it has a sparkling personality. This wine was almost emptied before we started to indulge in the evening's 2011 Paleo.
Smooth tannins give the wine a remarkable presence in the mouth. M+ acidity, aromatically it's long, complex, balanced and excellent. All components are fully integrated. Although it has been sitting on a lot of oak for a long time, it appears gently oaked.
I would very much like to drink this many more times. And for those of you who are stashed, you don't need to feel stressed with your treasure trove!
It complemented almost all the dishes.
-----------_-----------------------------
Det här vinet behövde sina modiga 5 timmar i karaffen innan tanninerna tittade fram med frukten och det bråkigt envisa inslaget av brett harmoniserade sig med resten.
Ljust transparent röd med inslag av tegel i hela färgpaletten.
Doften är mycket stor och förfinad. Hustrun accepterade den eftersom den helt ut saknade känslan av "gammalt vin". Bra mineralitet i nosen av torr, solvarm jord, bläck, brett, finstämd kryddighet (absolut ingen j***vla dill) och lite körsbär.
I munnen är detta ett magnifikt vin. Elegant, finstämt och med ras samtidigt som det har en gnistrande personlighet. Detta vin hann nästan ta slut innan vi började ge oss på Paleon. Tama tanniner som tillför vinet en underbar närvaro i munnen. M+ syror, lång, komplex, balanserad och förträffligt. Alla komponenter är integrerade i varandra. Även om det har legat länge på mycket ek, framstår det som varsamt ekat.
Det här dricker jag väldigt gärna många fler gånger. Och för dig som har några flaskor finns det ingen anledning att känna dig stressad samtidigt som jag måste tillstå att du sitter på en skattkammare!
Komplementerade nästan alla rätter.
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Cork was completely molded over and crumbled once that cap was broken. The wine inside showed plenty of bricking, but did not taste oxidized. Shockingly nice fruit up front, tannins and oak completely integrated. Had a nice funky back end with annis and fennel. Shocked at how nice, light, and quaffable this was.
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Won’t leave a score as this was a real vegetable patch. Tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant, and not in a good way. I can’t say what the flaw was but it was not pleasurable
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No detailed notes, but this was classic mature VR - mellow, lightbodied but with a stern acidic core, nose of marinade with a touch of vanilla, long and autumnal.
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Did not take detailed notes as I had this with dinner with friends. No VA evident in this bottle. Classic Rioja profile, with firm acidity and sweet American wood. Very very good and I would love to drink this on its own and with more focus. Had side by side with a 1972 Vieux Donjon CdP which was an interesting comparison. It held up quite well, although the VD CdP trumped it by a nose.
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Quite a treat. A little too Cole upon opening. Nose was mostly caramel. Quite acidic and thin on the palate, but expansive moving into finish showing a lot of depth. Mostly savory slightly green flavors. Very unique and interesting. Sorry to only have 1 glass.
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Mature Rioja @ Medlar (Medlar, London): Bottle 2. A little more lift here. Coffee and curiously, burnt toast on the nose. Then it starts to show that creamy Vienese chocolate melange thing that older bottles of CVNE can sometimes develop. Volatility or something bacterial? Not sure, but whilst it doesn't kill the underlying wine which is still richly VR, it does take the complexity and interest off the nose. Not as good as the earlier bottle of this though still plenty of interest. ****
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Mature Rioja @ Medlar (Medlar, London): Bottle 1. Once again, quite volatile but blows off quickly. Nicely rich. A little more mocha than usual with VR. Would almost pick it as Imperial if served blind. Really lovely wine though. Nicely rich but just a shade behind the slightly more classical 73. ****1/2
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Corcho en bastante buen estado, prácticamente todo impregnado pero ha sido fácil de sacar en dos trozos como veréis en la foto. Color teja, muy brillante, de capa media baja. Sin duda el color no le delata la edad ni por asomo. Alguna lágrima En nariz es puro placer, cambia poco a poco. Al principio terciarios de mucha calidad, madera noble como caoba, roble... Al poco de abrirse empieza a mostrar fruta en compota, ciruelas, sotobosque. En boca es ácido, seodoso, envolvente, laaaaaaarrrggggoooooooo. Con un tanino perfectamente integrado, súper agradable. Fruta, madera. ¿Cómo puede estar tan sumamente rico? De lo mejor de este año sin lugar a dudas, para beberse varias botellas, lástima que fuera la única que tengo. Un 9, tal vez podría tener algo más de complejidad aromática, la única pega que le puedo poner. Digno, muy digno.
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Visual: clear medium tawny with a bit of garnet. Slow legs. Nose was clean and pronounced red fruit, stewed peach, caramel, golden raisin, meat fat. High acid, low tannins. Fruit was still present but quite tart. Smelled better than it tasted.
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This is a glorious Rioja. The bouquet is to die for, a complex, seductive melange of Christmas spices (cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar), hints of American oak, and dried fruits. The palate is silky and deep, showing more acid and less tannin than the claret next to it. Wonderful.
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Wow, what grace and power. Perfumed, cherry & orange peel aromatics on display. Melted, silken palate where everything seems to have receded and left just the core of juicy cherry fruit and nearly overpowering tangerine sweetness with a huge blast of acidity. Remarkable wine, and precisely the reason one holds these types of things for decades.
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Wine drinks great for its age. As others have noted it is more lively and bright than I'd expect for a 40 year old wine. The palate has red fruit and subtle spice. There are still tannins to provide balance and a medium finish. I would drink over the next few years.
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Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Oct '15 edition (Ben's): A really great showing. Comes across fresher and more youthful than the '75 Imperial, with more intensity to the apple and red berried fruit, and exotic spicy and sandalwood notes augmenting the aromatics. Great depth and complexity here, matched by plenty of acidity on the palate which gives the fruit a sense of vibrancy and lift. Fantastic.
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If I hadn't had the 1970 a year or so ago I would perhaps have been more impressed by this bottle. This was lovely and it had great moments, but overall I was a bit disappointed. The wine showed more Burgundian than anything when I opened it, and let it slow ox for a few hours. The Rioja-ness emerged and the wine was leathery and bloody, more tertiary than secondary. But what I missed was the vibrancy in texture, the complexity and length and the way it can grip the nostrils after swallowing - those things were not part of this bottle, for me. It was a pleasing a lovely wine and everyone enjoyed it. But it was not a great bottle.
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Impromptu Year End Dinner (L'Apicio): Smoky, slightly stewy, bloody, with dusty dark red fruits, lovely minerality and a medium length finish. Just rocking.
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Cork was soaked but solid and no real loss on the fill. Label and capsul were pristine - a well cared for bottle. After an hour the wine fully opened. Very interesting combination of lemons, tobacco and red fruits on the nose, which also appeared on the palate as well. Silky smooth. Added layers of dried herbs, some sweet Oak and hints of black currant. A truly unique and interesting wine. Wish I bought more.
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Drunk at the rioja WIMPS at the Ledbury, mushroomy, slightly cheesy, not a stunner by any means and fading slightly but a nice bottle nonetheless. Drink up over the next year or so I would say.
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12/24/2022 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 98 Points
This wine needed 5 hours in the decanter before the tannins showed up with the fruit, and the rowdy element of Brett calmed down and harmonized with the rest.
Bright transparent red with hints of brick throughout the colour palette.
The scent is tremendous and refined. The wife accepted it because it lacked any "old wine" feeling. Good minerality on the nose of dry, sun-scorched earth, ink, broad, fine-tuned spiciness (absolutely no f***king dill) and some cherry.
In the mouth, this is a magnificent wine. Elegant, fine-tuned and with race at the same time as it has a sparkling personality. This wine was almost emptied before we started to indulge in the evening's 2011 Paleo.
Smooth tannins give the wine a remarkable presence in the mouth. M+ acidity, aromatically it's long, complex, balanced and excellent. All components are fully integrated. Although it has been sitting on a lot of oak for a long time, it appears gently oaked.
I would very much like to drink this many more times. And for those of you who are stashed, you don't need to feel stressed with your treasure trove!
It complemented almost all the dishes.
-----------_-----------------------------
Det här vinet behövde sina modiga 5 timmar i karaffen innan tanninerna tittade fram med frukten och det bråkigt envisa inslaget av brett harmoniserade sig med resten.
Ljust transparent röd med inslag av tegel i hela färgpaletten.
Doften är mycket stor och förfinad. Hustrun accepterade den eftersom den helt ut saknade känslan av "gammalt vin". Bra mineralitet i nosen av torr, solvarm jord, bläck, brett, finstämd kryddighet (absolut ingen j***vla dill) och lite körsbär.
I munnen är detta ett magnifikt vin. Elegant, finstämt och med ras samtidigt som det har en gnistrande personlighet. Detta vin hann nästan ta slut innan vi började ge oss på Paleon. Tama tanniner som tillför vinet en underbar närvaro i munnen. M+ syror, lång, komplex, balanserad och förträffligt. Alla komponenter är integrerade i varandra. Även om det har legat länge på mycket ek, framstår det som varsamt ekat.
Det här dricker jag väldigt gärna många fler gånger. Och för dig som har några flaskor finns det ingen anledning att känna dig stressad samtidigt som jag måste tillstå att du sitter på en skattkammare!
Komplementerade nästan alla rätter.
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12/10/2021 - TheSauerKraut Likes this wine:
Excellent bottle. Classic mature Rioja in the Vina Real style. Elegant and pure.
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10/23/2021 - malbrecht wrote: 92 Points
Cork was completely molded over and crumbled once that cap was broken. The wine inside showed plenty of bricking, but did not taste oxidized. Shockingly nice fruit up front, tannins and oak completely integrated. Had a nice funky back end with annis and fennel. Shocked at how nice, light, and quaffable this was.
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9/27/2019 - jviz wrote:
Won’t leave a score as this was a real vegetable patch. Tomato, bell pepper, and eggplant, and not in a good way. I can’t say what the flaw was but it was not pleasurable
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8/13/2018 - AV2012 wrote: 91 Points
No detailed notes, but this was classic mature VR - mellow, lightbodied but with a stern acidic core, nose of marinade with a touch of vanilla, long and autumnal.
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7/11/2018 - acidqueen wrote: 93 Points
Did not take detailed notes as I had this with dinner with friends. No VA evident in this bottle. Classic Rioja profile, with firm acidity and sweet American wood. Very very good and I would love to drink this on its own and with more focus. Had side by side with a 1972 Vieux Donjon CdP which was an interesting comparison. It held up quite well, although the VD CdP trumped it by a nose.
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5/6/2018 - Nutty08 wrote:
Quite a treat. A little too Cole upon opening. Nose was mostly caramel. Quite acidic and thin on the palate, but expansive moving into finish showing a lot of depth. Mostly savory slightly green flavors. Very unique and interesting. Sorry to only have 1 glass.
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11/10/2017 - SimonG wrote: 91 Points
Mature Rioja @ Medlar (Medlar, London): Bottle 2. A little more lift here. Coffee and curiously, burnt toast on the nose. Then it starts to show that creamy Vienese chocolate melange thing that older bottles of CVNE can sometimes develop. Volatility or something bacterial? Not sure, but whilst it doesn't kill the underlying wine which is still richly VR, it does take the complexity and interest off the nose. Not as good as the earlier bottle of this though still plenty of interest. ****
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11/10/2017 - SimonG wrote: 94 Points
Mature Rioja @ Medlar (Medlar, London): Bottle 1. Once again, quite volatile but blows off quickly. Nicely rich. A little more mocha than usual with VR. Would almost pick it as Imperial if served blind. Really lovely wine though. Nicely rich but just a shade behind the slightly more classical 73. ****1/2
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4/28/2017 - GonzaloManzaneda Likes this wine: 95 Points
Corcho en bastante buen estado, prácticamente todo impregnado pero ha sido fácil de sacar en dos trozos como veréis en la foto.
Color teja, muy brillante, de capa media baja. Sin duda el color no le delata la edad ni por asomo. Alguna lágrima
En nariz es puro placer, cambia poco a poco. Al principio terciarios de mucha calidad, madera noble como caoba, roble... Al poco de abrirse empieza a mostrar fruta en compota, ciruelas, sotobosque.
En boca es ácido, seodoso, envolvente, laaaaaaarrrggggoooooooo. Con un tanino perfectamente integrado, súper agradable. Fruta, madera. ¿Cómo puede estar tan sumamente rico? De lo mejor de este año sin lugar a dudas, para beberse varias botellas, lástima que fuera la única que tengo.
Un 9, tal vez podría tener algo más de complejidad aromática, la única pega que le puedo poner. Digno, muy digno.
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2/15/2017 - ShannonC Does not like this wine:
Visual: clear medium tawny with a bit of garnet. Slow legs. Nose was clean and pronounced red fruit, stewed peach, caramel, golden raisin, meat fat. High acid, low tannins. Fruit was still present but quite tart. Smelled better than it tasted.
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4/15/2016 - blanquito wrote: 93 Points
This is a glorious Rioja. The bouquet is to die for, a complex, seductive melange of Christmas spices (cloves, cinnamon, brown sugar), hints of American oak, and dried fruits. The palate is silky and deep, showing more acid and less tannin than the claret next to it. Wonderful.
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4/15/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 94 Points
Wow, what grace and power. Perfumed, cherry & orange peel aromatics on display. Melted, silken palate where everything seems to have receded and left just the core of juicy cherry fruit and nearly overpowering tangerine sweetness with a huge blast of acidity. Remarkable wine, and precisely the reason one holds these types of things for decades.
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1/28/2016 - Troon wrote: 92 Points
Wine drinks great for its age. As others have noted it is more lively and bright than I'd expect for a 40 year old wine. The palate has red fruit and subtle spice. There are still tannins to provide balance and a medium finish. I would drink over the next few years.
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10/5/2015 - salil wrote: 93 Points
Leo's Blind Tasting Group - Oct '15 edition (Ben's): A really great showing. Comes across fresher and more youthful than the '75 Imperial, with more intensity to the apple and red berried fruit, and exotic spicy and sandalwood notes augmenting the aromatics. Great depth and complexity here, matched by plenty of acidity on the palate which gives the fruit a sense of vibrancy and lift. Fantastic.
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8/4/2015 - rebs1 wrote: 93 Points
Missing a little of the barnyard that I love from rioja but overall a great wine.
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12/22/2014 - brooklynguy Likes this wine:
If I hadn't had the 1970 a year or so ago I would perhaps have been more impressed by this bottle. This was lovely and it had great moments, but overall I was a bit disappointed. The wine showed more Burgundian than anything when I opened it, and let it slow ox for a few hours. The Rioja-ness emerged and the wine was leathery and bloody, more tertiary than secondary. But what I missed was the vibrancy in texture, the complexity and length and the way it can grip the nostrils after swallowing - those things were not part of this bottle, for me. It was a pleasing a lovely wine and everyone enjoyed it. But it was not a great bottle.
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12/21/2014 - Vinotas wrote:
Impromptu Year End Dinner (L'Apicio): Smoky, slightly stewy, bloody, with dusty dark red fruits, lovely minerality and a medium length finish. Just rocking.
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11/7/2013 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork was soaked but solid and no real loss on the fill. Label and capsul were pristine - a well cared for bottle. After an hour the wine fully opened. Very interesting combination of lemons, tobacco and red fruits on the nose, which also appeared on the palate as well. Silky smooth. Added layers of dried herbs, some sweet Oak and hints of black currant. A truly unique and interesting wine. Wish I bought more.
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2/25/2010 - benhalton wrote:
Drunk at the rioja WIMPS at the Ledbury, mushroomy, slightly cheesy, not a stunner by any means and fading slightly but a nice bottle nonetheless. Drink up over the next year or so I would say.
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