Well this was our surprise of the night. Served at a restaurant with one hour decant, and it shined. Our bottle was at perfect maturity. Based on our bottle, I rate this much higher than Suckling did and some other CT consumers. Our bottle was great, plain and simple, and a terrific value. Recommended.
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By the glass at Brackenbury Wine Rooms again. First glass from the end of one bottle, second from the start of another, really highlights that this needs time to open up.
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By the glass at Brackenbury Wine Rooms. Served cool, not decanted. Quite polished, subtle. Good balance. Would have benefited from decanting/more time to open up. As it was I don't think it showed itself or its potential, not differentiated enough to drive the praise or criticism it's receiving here.
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Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, black cherry, raspberry, coconut, vanilla, smoke, chocolate, dried cranberry, fig, prune, tobacco, leather, meat and savoury notes. Fully developed.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. High acidity, high party resolved tannins, high alcohol, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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About 30 mins of air. Medium garnet with some orange and clearing at the rim, less than I was expecting. Very tertiary nose of dried leaves and earth, dill, cedar, dried cherry. On the palate, medium + acid and a medium body, mostly resolved fine tannin. The midpalate and finish are a bit thin and lacking in fruit intensity, and I do get a bit of a tart finish with notes of crisp red apple. Overall a very earthy and interesting wine, but nothing special here. Drink within the next 3-5 years.
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A mild disappointment after the splendid bottle in spring 2021. More on the American oak spectrum than soft tobacco, yet with its fruit also less vivacious. Decent wine, still good value.
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Deep red colour with mahogany notes and a slight hint of chocolate; a rich, lovely colour. Plump black fruits on the nose with a distinct wild strawberry aroma. Some leather and graphite, maybe a little smoke, but it's primarily fruit on the nose; a touch of eucalyptus at the back. Big red and black berry fruits - sweet-edged but with a savoury spine. rich but eminently drinkable and distinctively rioja. Sweet fruits on the finish.
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Medium garnet. Dried red fruit - figs, cherries. Subtle oak - smoke, vanilla, clove. Floral notes, violets. Leather, tobacco, and earth. Full developed. Dry, medium acidity, medium fine tannins, med+ alcohol and body. Med+ finish but slightly drying. Excellwnt mature gran riserva Rioja.
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Delicious surprise here - sensual, red-fruited, floral-accented nose, very little oak and nothing 'big' or stolid, just pich-perfect acidity and lots of delicious cherry fruit, moderated by sweet tobacco. Yum. Great match for a bavette.
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A recent purchase from TWS which they have kept hold of. All fully resolved & on its plateau I think. Smooth dusty tannins. tobacco. vanilla, oak. Good balance.
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1/2, good cork, decanted 1 hour. Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Classic, if slightly muddy rioja nose, leather, dark fruit, vanilla, touch of soil. Medium bodied, soft and round on the palate, red and black fruit with leather, fresh acidity, touch of liquorice on the good length finish. Very good but not out of the top draw. No hurry.
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Underwhelming. My rating is mostly triggered by my expectations of a gran reserva rioja. This was very tart, too acidic, thin, and short. More like a crianza in character. Nothing particularly velvety about it. Tasted a glass and ended up pouring it back in the bottle for use in cooking, not good enough for Christmas day. Another day I might have ran with it, but not today.
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9/3/2023 - ProfByron wrote: 89 Points
Savoury decent but far from class of La Rioja Alta.
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7/4/2023 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 89 Points
Beaucoup de vieux bois, fruit mure a point mais un peu mince. Un Rioja avec de l'age assez typique. Pas très long ni complexe mais un vin agréable.
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6/20/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 94 Points
Well this was our surprise of the night. Served at a restaurant with one hour decant, and it shined. Our bottle was at perfect maturity. Based on our bottle, I rate this much higher than Suckling did and some other CT consumers. Our bottle was great, plain and simple, and a terrific value. Recommended.
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3/15/2023 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
By the glass at Brackenbury Wine Rooms again. First glass from the end of one bottle, second from the start of another, really highlights that this needs time to open up.
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3/7/2023 - ManhattanBeach Likes this wine:
By the glass at Brackenbury Wine Rooms. Served cool, not decanted. Quite polished, subtle. Good balance. Would have benefited from decanting/more time to open up. As it was I don't think it showed itself or its potential, not differentiated enough to drive the praise or criticism it's receiving here.
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11/1/2022 - Irish_Wine wrote: 93 Points
Deep garnet.
Pronounced on the nose with red cherry, black cherry, raspberry, coconut, vanilla, smoke, chocolate, dried cranberry, fig, prune, tobacco, leather, meat and savoury notes. Fully developed.
Pronounced and dry on the palate. High acidity, high party resolved tannins, high alcohol, long finish.
Can drink now but has potential for aging.
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9/13/2022 - Acove Likes this wine: 88 Points
About 30 mins of air. Medium garnet with some orange and clearing at the rim, less than I was expecting. Very tertiary nose of dried leaves and earth, dill, cedar, dried cherry. On the palate, medium + acid and a medium body, mostly resolved fine tannin. The midpalate and finish are a bit thin and lacking in fruit intensity, and I do get a bit of a tart finish with notes of crisp red apple. Overall a very earthy and interesting wine, but nothing special here. Drink within the next 3-5 years.
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6/3/2022 - NickA Likes this wine: 90 Points
A mild disappointment after the splendid bottle in spring 2021. More on the American oak spectrum than soft tobacco, yet with its fruit also less vivacious. Decent wine, still good value.
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4/10/2022 - Lydiksen74 wrote: 90 Points
Worked really well with roasted lamb. Gave it 1 hour in the decanter and the wine came nicely around during the meal. Drinking well now
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3/26/2022 - Keith Clark Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep red colour with mahogany notes and a slight hint of chocolate; a rich, lovely colour.
Plump black fruits on the nose with a distinct wild strawberry aroma. Some leather and graphite, maybe a little smoke, but it's primarily fruit on the nose; a touch of eucalyptus at the back.
Big red and black berry fruits - sweet-edged but with a savoury spine. rich but eminently drinkable and distinctively rioja. Sweet fruits on the finish.
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12/31/2021 - Andrewbdc wrote: 90 Points
Medium garnet. Dried red fruit - figs, cherries. Subtle oak - smoke, vanilla, clove. Floral notes, violets. Leather, tobacco, and earth. Full developed. Dry, medium acidity, medium fine tannins, med+ alcohol and body. Med+ finish but slightly drying. Excellwnt mature gran riserva Rioja.
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11/20/2021 - guy12 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Notes as last time
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4/23/2021 - NickA Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious surprise here - sensual, red-fruited, floral-accented nose, very little oak and nothing 'big' or stolid, just pich-perfect acidity and lots of delicious cherry fruit, moderated by sweet tobacco. Yum. Great match for a bavette.
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4/11/2021 - guy12 Likes this wine: 89 Points
A recent purchase from TWS which they have kept hold of. All fully resolved & on its plateau I think. Smooth dusty tannins. tobacco. vanilla, oak. Good balance.
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6/28/2020 - OttawaB Likes this wine: 90 Points
no official notes but drank very well. Did not show its age. Seemed younger. Powdery tannins, leather and cherry notes with sandalwood.
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9/18/2019 - ZMAng wrote: 86 Points
Light barnyard, then new oak notes (vanilla, butter) and dark fruit notes on nose. Similar on the palate. Ok. 85-86.
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9/13/2019 - willbarry91 Likes this wine: 90 Points
This is what Rioja is all about. A very classic example. Dark fruit and not too tannic. Maturity adds complexity and structure. A touch of oak.
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4/10/2019 - Paul D wrote: 88 Points
1/2, good cork, decanted 1 hour.
Medium/deep garnet core, pale garnet rim. Classic, if slightly muddy rioja nose, leather, dark fruit, vanilla, touch of soil. Medium bodied, soft and round on the palate, red and black fruit with leather, fresh acidity, touch of liquorice on the good length finish. Very good but not out of the top draw. No hurry.
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12/25/2018 - barrkel Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Underwhelming. My rating is mostly triggered by my expectations of a gran reserva rioja. This was very tart, too acidic, thin, and short. More like a crianza in character. Nothing particularly velvety about it. Tasted a glass and ended up pouring it back in the bottle for use in cooking, not good enough for Christmas day. Another day I might have ran with it, but not today.
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