55F since acquiring at release - clear black crimson - sweet flowers and dark fruits jump at Durand assisted corkpull of intact closure - always a good sign - ready almost billowing clean deep pure inexhaustible aromas of Agen pruneaux and drippingly ripe black cherries with a sweet fresh floral lift and a perfect espresso base all in a creamy velvety spicy tart lively verve-y vehicle. An outstanding example of the value of cellar keeping. Well-cellared this gem currently resides in a long apogee. Congrats to those who have gone the mile with this one. Hard to put numbers on wines and art and people,etc. but I put a big number on it as other examples - perhaps not dutifully cellared or with closure failures, etc. have apparently not been as well received.
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Last of a coravin’d bottle. Aromas of raspberry, funk, iron and cherry. Flavors of dried cherry, currant, earth and iron. Ends with a nice finish 25-30 seconds with cherry and earth notes. Still a long way to go on this but drinking great now.
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Slow oxed for 2 hours. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of leather, cherry, blackberry, earth and tobacco. Flavors of dried cherry, blackberry, earth, iron and mineral. Ends with a long finish of 30+ second finish with dried cherry and iron notes. Drinking very young still.
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This has primary aromas of blackberry and plum jam, fresh cut herbs, licorice and still present vanilla toast. Packed with flavor in a medium weight, bright and satiny frame. Works great with the chili.
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Deep ruby color, almost black. This wine hasn’t aged nearly at all since the last time I tried it. Still delicious with lots of dark berry fruit. My old TN is still apt, except that the tannins have resolved somewhat.
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Decanted ~3 hours before dinner. This has a generous dollop of oak so more time or a long decant is necessary. The underlying fruit is rich and suave. Quite enjoyable with hearty, spiced fare. Better in 3-5 years as the oak integrates.
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A very interesting and enjoyable wine. Smoky black fruit. Very dense and full bodied. This has a long life left, but it drinks well now. Certainly can hold up for another 5-10 years.
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heavily hyped nose - caramel, mocha, oak, anise mouth - big wine, blackberries, black cherry, coffee, broad tannins, not as highly concentrated as i was expecting. has potential to gain complexity. if i had more of these i'd let them sit 5 years
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Decanted for one hour and drank over two more. Great nose at first and a complicated palate. But weak at the end of the three hours. To get the most out of this wine I would drink now and not decant. Pop and drink.
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Popped and poured, which worked well- this didn't really need air to release the aromas and flavors. Abundant raspberry and hints of black fruit on the nose. Very nice tiers of prune, plum tart, cassis and blackberry with touches of charcoal and black pepper. Has hit a sweet spot with the tannins and acidity in just the right place. Non-traditional in its fruit-forwardness (and probably flavor profile) but certainly not over the top. Dignified and elegant. 93-94
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2 hr decant. Dark fruit, leather, smoke. Medium body, with some harsh tannins and acidity that mellowed out in the glass and quickly fell apart. Medium finish. On the upside it went well with various foods including grilled salted shrimp, surprisingly. I wouldn't buy again at current prices.
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Inky, dark red with a full nose of black fruit, burnt toast. Mouthcoating, long finish, with leather, charcoal, plum, and some dark berry notes. Great example of newer Rioja style, different from Lopez de Heredia, with both holding their own.
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Drank half on day 1. Gassed and half on day 2. Dark. Really dark. Inky. Black fruits, coffee, wood, spice on the nose and palate. Mouthfilling. Tannin on the finish. Needs some time.
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Almost black in color, turning deep ruby red at the rim. No sediment. Black fruit in the nose, with some red notes, great dense legs. Massive drying tannins, smoky and dense. Tobacco all over. IMO, not a typical flavor profile for the varietal. Just too huge. Good wine, but not what I expect from Rioja.
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Vinturi decanted 3 hrs. Very dark ruby core, with effusive aromatics of roast plum, kirsch, saddle leather and cassis. The medium+ body is tightly wound, yet the purity of the fruit and the overall harmony are nonetheless obvious. Vibrant acidity and fine tannic structure will see this drinking well for a decade or two. Just gorgeous. Recommended +
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Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Black with a deep ruby rim. Nose of powdered floral perfume, black cherries and dry spice. On the palate it is full bodied with loads of powdery, ripe tannins. This is quite a youthful wine but very expressive.
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I have a lot of stuff going on right now, a lot of it not great, and it was in one of those f-it moods that I opened this tonight with a well charred steak, thinking I wouldn't normally on a Thursday night but if not now, when kind of thing.
I also played squash earlier and pulled up a little lame and had to quit, so I'm a touch dehydrated, which anyone who knows me can only mean one thing, that I'm in hyper-tasting mode (see French Wine Taster's Open 1982).
I honestly love this stuff. Dark reddish borderline purple, nose of deep, ripe strawberry, leather and minerals, sophisticated on the palate with attractive red fruit flavors and then a tannic wave indicating substantial life expectancy but at the same time serving as a good foil to the char and fat in the steak. Subtle, sophisticated and good drinking, this is welcome in my house any time. I actually think this was a gift from someone, probably Jim. Muchas gracias, amigo.
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Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of smoke, loganberries, white pepper and Kirsch. Flavors of black cherries, black berries, raspberries and a hint of bitters. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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V.I.P. Spanish Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had cherry, spice, mocha, and a little leather. The palate had cherry, espresso, pepper, and a good earthy finish.
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Wednesday Night Blind - April 2010 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Blind Wine # 7 - Oak, oak, oak and nothing else save for the alcohol, later it was speculated to be mildly corked or defective in some way as our resident Spanish Wine expert had recently had a great bottle of this very wine.
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Medium, semi-transparent ruby color with some white rim variation that showed some sheeting and medium legs. Modest heat on the nose with a touch of leather, red cherry and strawberry. On the palate, I noted some black cherry and tobacco with a lingerin
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Tour of Spain (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): nose of molasses and brown sugar. again deep cherry fruit penetrates here. hints of lime leaf on the nose. tannins flex their muscle and then fall off.
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Coffee, oak and cedary sweet spice. Shows oak but also shows some balance. Not quite a monster like Pingus (which I love). Conceptually you could see this reaching a balance point.
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Big, sweet, and spicy, with smoky red fruit, charcoal, and a hint of what may be tobacco. The alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing. Very good (and refreshing) balance of acid and tannin, with a solid, clean finish. Supremely enjoyable.
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Tasted with numerous Jorge Ordonez wines at the B-21 Spanish tasting. This wine packs all the right stuff for a long term ager with plenty of upside potential. Beautiful deep garnet color with a black fruit nose. Crisp acids, soft carressing tannins, and a long finish. The American Oak is noticable but not distracting. Needs at least 5 years to develop, but this will turn into a great bottle of wine!
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the rep was eating dinner at another table, and sent this over saying it would "blow away those other wines on your table ( i.e. nit de nin, el nido clio, bodegas y vinedos alion)" uh...no. super sweet, no midpalate expansion, short finish, thin, no complexity. i told him it was a winebar wine to get your date drunk with. fortunately, he had a sense of humor and didn't break the bottle over my head, although that might have given the wine some props, and pleased his companions.
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4/28/2024 - Tgood wrote: 97 Points
55F since acquiring at release - clear black crimson - sweet flowers and dark fruits jump at Durand assisted corkpull of intact closure - always a good sign - ready almost billowing clean deep pure inexhaustible aromas of Agen pruneaux and drippingly ripe black cherries with a sweet fresh floral lift and a perfect espresso base all in a creamy velvety spicy tart lively verve-y vehicle.
An outstanding example of the value of cellar keeping. Well-cellared this gem currently resides in a long apogee. Congrats to those who have gone the mile with this one. Hard to put numbers on wines and art and people,etc. but I put a big number on it as other examples - perhaps not dutifully cellared or with closure failures, etc. have apparently not been as well received.
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2/25/2024 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last of a coravin’d bottle. Aromas of raspberry, funk, iron and cherry. Flavors of dried cherry, currant, earth and iron. Ends with a nice finish 25-30 seconds with cherry and earth notes. Still a long way to go on this but drinking great now.
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9/24/2023 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Slow oxed for 2 hours. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Aromas of leather, cherry, blackberry, earth and tobacco. Flavors of dried cherry, blackberry, earth, iron and mineral. Ends with a long finish of 30+ second finish with dried cherry and iron notes. Drinking very young still.
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1/28/2022 - dougsmith wrote: flawed
Corked
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1/23/2022 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
This has primary aromas of blackberry and plum jam, fresh cut herbs, licorice and still present vanilla toast. Packed with flavor in a medium weight, bright and satiny frame. Works great with the chili.
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3/28/2021 - johnh1001 wrote: 91 Points
Totally agree with Nanda
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12/28/2020 - dougsmith Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby color, almost black. This wine hasn’t aged nearly at all since the last time I tried it. Still delicious with lots of dark berry fruit. My old TN is still apt, except that the tannins have resolved somewhat.
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4/18/2020 - Nanda wrote: 91 Points
Decanted ~3 hours before dinner. This has a generous dollop of oak so more time or a long decant is necessary. The underlying fruit is rich and suave. Quite enjoyable with hearty, spiced fare. Better in 3-5 years as the oak integrates.
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11/10/2018 - Neecies Does not like this wine:
Coconut oil, huge oak, reductive, low acid. Too old. Yuck.
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10/20/2018 - mbo1 wrote: 93 Points
A very interesting and enjoyable wine. Smoky black fruit. Very dense and full bodied. This has a long life left, but it drinks well now. Certainly can hold up for another 5-10 years.
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9/11/2018 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Earthy and rustic with plummy black fruits and some iron-rich minerality. Very dry; doesn't show well without food. Decanting recommended.
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5/6/2017 - Bschertle Likes this wine:
Could have sat in the decanter longer, good but not as good as last weeks 07 Barolo
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3/17/2014 - joshwoodward wrote: 89 Points
Pop and pour. Solid, but a little thin. Big red fruit, still young and primary.
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10/23/2013 - EMichels wrote: 88 Points
Ripe; Almost chocolate; Adds a cheesy note after 24 hours
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9/8/2013 - Ricky99 wrote: 90 Points
Soft and balanced....
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9/7/2013 - soyhead wrote:
heavily hyped
nose - caramel, mocha, oak, anise
mouth - big wine, blackberries, black cherry, coffee, broad tannins, not as highly concentrated as i was expecting. has potential to gain complexity. if i had more of these i'd let them sit 5 years
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8/18/2013 - benny wrote: 95 Points
Now this is extraordinary wine. If you want the good stuff this is it!
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8/2/2013 - Urodude wrote: 91 Points
Had with burgers on the BBQ, sauté onions. Nice
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7/4/2013 - benny wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour and drank over two more. Great nose at first and a complicated palate. But weak at the end of the three hours. To get the most out of this wine I would drink now and not decant. Pop and drink.
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6/20/2013 - ftc wrote: 93 Points
Popped and poured, which worked well- this didn't really need air to release the aromas and flavors. Abundant raspberry and hints of black fruit on the nose. Very nice tiers of prune, plum tart, cassis and blackberry with touches of charcoal and black pepper. Has hit a sweet spot with the tannins and acidity in just the right place. Non-traditional in its fruit-forwardness (and probably flavor profile) but certainly not over the top. Dignified and elegant. 93-94
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1/27/2013 - benny wrote: 95 Points
This is it if you want the benchmark.
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9/4/2012 - DarinC wrote: 85 Points
2 hr decant. Dark fruit, leather, smoke. Medium body, with some harsh tannins and acidity that mellowed out in the glass and quickly fell apart. Medium finish. On the upside it went well with various foods including grilled salted shrimp, surprisingly. I wouldn't buy again at current prices.
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8/3/2012 - bblx wrote: 92 Points
Inky, dark red with a full nose of black fruit, burnt toast. Mouthcoating, long finish, with leather, charcoal, plum, and some dark berry notes. Great example of newer Rioja style, different from Lopez de Heredia, with both holding their own.
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8/1/2012 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
Drank half on day 1. Gassed and half on day 2. Dark. Really dark. Inky. Black fruits, coffee, wood, spice on the nose and palate. Mouthfilling. Tannin on the finish. Needs some time.
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5/24/2012 - DRob wrote:
Almost black in color, turning deep ruby red at the rim. No sediment. Black fruit in the nose, with some red notes, great dense legs. Massive drying tannins, smoky and dense. Tobacco all over. IMO, not a typical flavor profile for the varietal. Just too huge. Good wine, but not what I expect from Rioja.
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4/8/2012 - mister wine wrote: 86 Points
3 hour decant. Harsh tannins never tempered. Unimpressive finish.
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8/4/2011 - Jbaileyn wrote: 88 Points
Earthy and tannic. Medium legs. Short finish.
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7/21/2010 - Tim Heaton wrote:
Vinturi decanted 3 hrs. Very dark ruby core, with effusive aromatics of roast plum, kirsch, saddle leather and cassis. The medium+ body is tightly wound, yet the purity of the fruit and the overall harmony are nonetheless obvious. Vibrant acidity and fine tannic structure will see this drinking well for a decade or two. Just gorgeous. Recommended +
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7/9/2010 - dougsmith wrote: 92 Points
Five Nights in Rioja, July 2010; 7/8/2010-7/13/2010 (Rioja, Spain): Black with a deep ruby rim. Nose of powdered floral perfume, black cherries and dry spice. On the palate it is full bodied with loads of powdery, ripe tannins. This is quite a youthful wine but very expressive.
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5/13/2010 - bevetroppo Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have a lot of stuff going on right now, a lot of it not great, and it was in one of those f-it moods that I opened this tonight with a well charred steak, thinking I wouldn't normally on a Thursday night but if not now, when kind of thing.
I also played squash earlier and pulled up a little lame and had to quit, so I'm a touch dehydrated, which anyone who knows me can only mean one thing, that I'm in hyper-tasting mode (see French Wine Taster's Open 1982).
I honestly love this stuff. Dark reddish borderline purple, nose of deep, ripe strawberry, leather and minerals, sophisticated on the palate with attractive red fruit flavors and then a tannic wave indicating substantial life expectancy but at the same time serving as a good foil to the char and fat in the steak. Subtle, sophisticated and good drinking, this is welcome in my house any time. I actually think this was a gift from someone, probably Jim. Muchas gracias, amigo.
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4/11/2010 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 92 Points
Saturdays at One - Volume 18: WIML92+
Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear hue throughout. Nose of smoke, loganberries, white pepper and Kirsch. Flavors of black cherries, black berries, raspberries and a hint of bitters. Medium to bright acidity, medium to firm tannins, medium to full bodied. Drink now with some air or continue to hold.
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4/11/2010 - mmurry Likes this wine: 90 Points
V.I.P. Spanish Tasting (Farpointe Cellar): The nose had cherry, spice, mocha, and a little leather. The palate had cherry, espresso, pepper, and a good earthy finish.
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4/7/2010 - Vinomarcus wrote: flawed
Wednesday Night Blind - April 2010 (Peter Pratt's Inn): Blind Wine # 7 - Oak, oak, oak and nothing else save for the alcohol, later it was speculated to be mildly corked or defective in some way as our resident Spanish Wine expert had recently had a great bottle of this very wine.
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7/10/2009 - nycebo wrote: 86 Points
Medium, semi-transparent ruby color with some white rim variation that showed some sheeting and medium legs. Modest heat on the nose with a touch of leather, red cherry and strawberry. On the palate, I noted some black cherry and tobacco with a lingerin
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6/19/2009 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
great aroma. Still closed.
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5/20/2009 - nzinkgraf wrote:
Tour of Spain (Waterford Wines Milwaukee): nose of molasses and brown sugar. again deep cherry fruit penetrates here. hints of lime leaf on the nose. tannins flex their muscle and then fall off.
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5/20/2009 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Coffee, oak and cedary sweet spice. Shows oak but also shows some balance. Not quite a monster like Pingus (which I love). Conceptually you could see this reaching a balance point.
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5/13/2009 - Stephan O wrote: 93 Points
Big, sweet, and spicy, with smoky red fruit, charcoal, and a hint of what may be tobacco. The alcohol is noticeable but not overbearing. Very good (and refreshing) balance of acid and tannin, with a solid, clean finish. Supremely enjoyable.
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2/8/2009 - PSirah Tampa wrote: 95 Points
Tasted with numerous Jorge Ordonez wines at the B-21 Spanish tasting. This wine packs all the right stuff for a long term ager with plenty of upside potential. Beautiful deep garnet color with a black fruit nose. Crisp acids, soft carressing tannins, and a long finish. The American Oak is noticable but not distracting. Needs at least 5 years to develop, but this will turn into a great bottle of wine!
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12/9/2008 - goofy Yno wrote: 75 Points
strawberry nose, more strawberry in the mouth with a sweetness and nothing else. good for rose drinkers
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12/9/2008 - jeff nowak wrote:
the rep was eating dinner at another table, and sent this over saying it would "blow away those other wines on your table ( i.e. nit de nin, el nido clio, bodegas y vinedos alion)" uh...no. super sweet, no midpalate expansion, short finish, thin, no complexity. i told him it was a winebar wine to get your date drunk with. fortunately, he had a sense of humor and didn't break the bottle over my head, although that might have given the wine some props, and pleased his companions.
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