Quite evolved. Tastes more like a 95 than 2005. Tertiary flavours, comes across as unbalanced, the alcohol protrudes. Better on the nose than palate. Last bottle from a case and it’s the least enjoyable.
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Some black fruit upfront but the tannin is still quite assertive, and there's a bit of heat on the finish. This really needs some food, will it soften with more age?
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Just over 10 years on from my last note, and this wine continues it's glacial evolution. It's in a pretty decent place but definitely benefits from food. It seems destined to last at least another 10 years from here, but the question is whether there will be any fruit left once the tannin and structure subsides!
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This could not be better. Fully integrated oak with loads of red and black fruit, creating an exotic sensation of dense tempranillo. Theres a reason why wine grapes are wine grapes, and this humble grape can create a very beautiful experience. Loved by all,, including me. Drink
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I am hugely impressed with how this wine is drinking at this age. It's been stored properly and decanted for 2 hours. Dark color and great balance of fruit and earth. Tannins are mostly gone but the nose, early then late palate are very consistent. Dark fruit, leather, herbs. Drank with a spicy paella.
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Moderately evolved pomegranate red color with a tertiary brick-red hue. Spicy, toasty and rather powerful nose with aromas of licorice, savory woody spice, some mocha oak, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light smoky notes of toasted wood, a hint of freshly ground coffee and a touch of earth. The wine is rich, full-bodied and quite powerful on the palate with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of juicy dark plums, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of mocha oak, light cooling minty tones, a hint of boysenberry jam and a touch of sweet cocoa. The mouthfeel is rather warm and quite tightly-knit thanks to the ample, grippy tannins. The structure seems to rely more on the firm tannic structure than on the medium-to-moderately high acidity which is a bit lacking in relation to the big, concentrated fruit. The finish is juicy, moderately grippy and quite long with rather sweet flavors of plums, mocha oak, some milk chocolate tones, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light jammy notes of boysenberries, a hint of earth and a touch of boozy alcohol.
A juicy and very modern Tempranillo bruiser. Impressive in its huge size and admittedly very powerful expression, but this feels more like a wine that is not singing but just screaming at full power without any nuances. I can imagine some people can be wooed by this kind of massive power, because it's quite easy to get and fills your mouth, but I can't really find much interest here. This is not bad in any way, but it really shows nothing that would warrant a high score. However, at 19,90€ this was a good purchase.
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Past due. tastes old and tired. It was drinkable on PnP, but fell apart over the next hour. Undrinkable by the end of dinner. Not corked or flawed just devoid of flavor with an overarching mustiness.
I’ve not had good experiences with 05 RdDs.
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This wine is right in the zone! The tannins still provide a dry wine, and are a big part of the long finish. The wine is all about pen ink, slight earth, graphite, red crunchy fruit, and oak cream. A RDD that has faired quite well with time and can give wines twice its cost a nice shoulder to lean on. Drink or hold...Drinking quite well.
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Decanted 1 hour, followed over another 2. Notes from memory. Dark garnet. Dark fruit bouquet with notes of spice and eucalyptus. Brisk attack giving way to a balanced and generous dark fruit profile with some fine drying tannins.
Good interest, hedonistic and well made. This has progressed considerably over the years based on my bottles. Will try and get to my last one in around 2 years or so. Much longer lived than I thought it would be.
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Decanted 1.5 hours. This gets better and better. Silky tannins, abundant dark fruit, and a lively acidic backdrop. Faint spice notes adds some complexity. Paired nicely with BBQ Irish filet.
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Pretty, structured Ribera. Needs a little time to open up and a little restrained. Black and blue fruits, minerals, vanilla, mushroom, forest floor. Great wine for the value.
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Not really dark. Great nose, smoke, black currant, earth and iron. Beautiful balance and a long dry finish. This really developed nicely. I wish I had more.
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Medium bodied Ribera, with decadent dark fruits and high acidity, which is lipsmacking. Very fresh, but serious, with some depth and that otherworldly exotic dark berry fruit that is the signature of its pedigree. Impressive for a second wine at this estate.
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Violets, mineral, blackberry and blueberry, pencil lead, smooth, round even opulent with an extended finish. Any wine from Alonso del Yerro is great wine!
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1 hour decant. Dark crimson. Dark red fruit and a touch of alcohol on the bouquet. High pitched cherry, blackcurrant palate with acidity backing a medium final. Fine drying tannins.
Initially felt a bit thin but this rounded out and opened up over an hour or so. Still has some years in front of it.
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Gets better ever time I try this. Appealing blackberry, licorice and spice nose. Still fades mid palate to finish and there is some alcohol and tannins mid palate. But I believe with time, this will continue to improve. Recommended decant is at least two hours and I believe you will be rewarded if you give this a few more years in the cellar.
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Lovely wine, supple and velvety smooth. Tannins strong but balanced. Tried this wine a couple of years ago and found it almost cloying- too sweet with an un-subtle mouthfeel. Waited a bit, and it is now ready to enjoy. We gave it a 2 hour decant.
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Supple wine that restores my belief in the aging potential of wines with 14+% alcohol. Nice combination of dark berries bittersweet mocha, vanilla and cola.
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Splash decanted. Dark purple. Subdued nose opened to show black cherries. Round entry, soft attack. Pleasant mid-palate although not overly complex with nice balancing acidity and fine drying tannins. Nice balance - a little modern but in a nice way.
This paired very well with filet of beef and has come along nicely since my last bottle a few years ago. Drinking very well now.
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Very dark. The nose offers a lot of complexity including black fruits, spice, earth and vanilla depending upon when evaluated. The attack is inviting, but just falls short on the mid and finish. The tannins suggest a longer life, but there also was a significant amount of sediment in the bottle which gives pause. All things considered, clearly a well made wine.
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Happy Tempranillo Day! I'm celebrating happily. This wine has very divergent professional review, and I lean towards the Wine Spectator view. the wine is deep and brooding and easy to drink. There is nice oak and sweet vanilla and enough spice to keep this wine interesting. There is no downside to this wine, but I'm just not quite convinced that it has a lot of high-end complexity. I love holidays... :-)
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Massive pepper on the nose and palate. Some really good dark fruit coming through also. This is little over the top in which I find very consistent with Jay Miller's high ratings. It is surprising to see such differences in scores and drinking windows between WS (87 2008 - 2010) and WA (94 2014 - 2025). I would say I agree more with WA as this is still very much a baby as the tannins that are present would suggest this will last quite a few more years. But 94 points? Not for me. An excellent wine but nothing that is life changing.
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Cherries, Plums, Leather, Black Pepper. All effectively present in the nose with the fruit reserved and the spice well mixed. Just delightful on the palate, crushed fruit, zipped spice, with med+ tannins and a lingering finish. Really enjoyable, and could just as easily hold another 2-3 years.
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Worldwide Wines Offline (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2+hrs. Nose has prominent earth, blackberry, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, licorice, spice. The palate is inky, dense, with rich flavors of taart blackberry and blackberry liqueur, black cherry,minerals, earth, graphite, firm tannins. the alcohol is well hidden, Long finish. At times the tannins are a bit grippy. Group #2 WOTN. My #4 of the reds.
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The Alonso del Yerro is a deep garnet wine with a medium body. Black cherry, rich earth and spicebox comprise a nicely aromatic nose. Supple and appealing in the mouth with tastes of black cherries, earth with the mid palate picking up a nutmeg and clove note. The medium plus finish hangs in there with black cherry, chocolate and more of the nutmeg and clove. This has started to show some interesting secondary notes at this point. Looking forward to the next bottle in a year or so. Tasted at dinner with a baked ham, but it was the rye bread with the caraway seeds that really made the wine pop and brought out the spice notes. Very impressive
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Ribera del Duero and Rioja Wines (Sara's House): A nice wine overall and dark in color. the wine features dark fruits, floral, herbs and raspberries. Medium finish and a bit tannic. Cellar.
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Minneapolis Wine Club does Spain (Sara's house): Dark red color. Nose shows damp earth, dark fruits, black cherry, blackberry, cassis, herbal, with some floral elements. The palate shows a bit of alcohol, it is dusty with minerals and the same dark fruits, dry tannins and slightly soft on the mid palate. Solid, but a little disjointed up front or this would have scored better.
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Dark red. Lots of dark fruit and a little spice in the nose. Not as ripe and oaky as the 04 Maria. Nice decent rich flavours and a medium weight finish. Needs at least another 3 or 4 years.
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Decanted about 30 mins. Dark ruby with a purple hue. Nice aromatics of cherry, leather and a little coffee. Nice dark fruits and cherry on the palate, a bit more modern with the ripeness level, and less astringency than a traditional Rioja for example. Some leather and coffee with a hint of vanilla. Very balanced, and with a moderate finish. Very nice.
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I did not see what Parker saw, which is unusual as I regularly agree with his Spanish palate. This was dark purple and had fine ripe tannins, but not much fruit or complexity. I left it open for 24 hours to check again, but it never did open up.
Dark purple-ruby; almost inky. Somewhat inky in flavor, also. Blueberry-blackberry with some vanilla, but the needle is to the earthy rather than fruity side. Rich sensations in the mouth with glycerin texture. Fruit barely hides the tannins, and ripeness barely covers the acid, which to means things are nicely balanced.
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I had not opened a bottle of this wine for at least 3 years and was pleasantly surprised at how much it improved. It is drinking well now with a deep, inky color and a balanced fruit with a touch of chocolate.
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This bottle was smoking!!!! The Chef (Marriott Resort Exec Chef) and me and the spouses were nuts for this bottle (actually 2 bottles) with thomme (from Sweet Grass Dairy) and great bleu cheese from NJ and some fine cut serrano ham and genoa salami from StarProvision in Atlanta. Great eats, great fun. We single handly pushed the Spanish futbol team past the Nederlands in the World Cup final. Spanish Ribera del Duero and Rioja wines are so drinkable with so many things, and this one was best of the best.
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Hmm, liked this one better than a bottle in December. Very rich, this has tons of fruit and kirsch, a mouthcoating feel with some-but-not-quite-enough acidity and a long finish. Lots of flavors, this was nice with pizza but not something I could drink often or a lot of.
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Dark purple, but no opaque. Slightly transparent. Dark berry, lilac floral tones on the nose, but more of a dark fruit and tar on the palate. Medium body and mouthfeel, with smooth tannins. This is more refined spanish blend than the usual, and food friendly, but not something I would seek out.
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Discovering Wine: An inky wine with a medium body. The nose was very tight and reluctant initially, opening after 60-90 minutes to mushroom, earth and dark fruits. In the mouth, the wine is big and round with highly extracted dark fruits (not jammy) accented with chocolate/mocha notes. The finish is on the hot side with dark fruits. Nicely balanced overall. The finish doesn't quite stand up to the rest of the wine. Nonetheless, this is very nice (73 views)
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nose: some alcohol, but ripe red fruits and oak influence predominate. palate: very nice. Firm, ripe tannin, a touch of alcohol, but not enough to annoy me (though it is definitely more obvious on this compared to the last bottle). Heavy, ripe fruit, some chocolate nuance. Altogether a nice package. Not a showstopper, but a solid wine for the price. I would buy this again.
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Easily one of the smoothest wines I've had in a while. Loads of espresso and milk chocolate with berries and spice in a sweet-finishing wine. God, I love this wine!!
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Dark purple color and viscous. Blueberry jam with vanilla notes on the nose. Blueberry/cherry and fruit forward on the attack. Approachable, some acidity and with too much alcohol coming through mid palate. Blueberry jam on finish with alcohol resididual. Good wine would have been better with better alcohol balance.
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I agree with drm's notes below (my bottle was not decanted). But I think I enjoyed the bottle more than he/she did, and my bottle was not marred by excess alcohol; instead I got some pencil shavings and a med finish of dark chocolate. At $24, I would buy again.
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Dark purple. Smooth yet weighty mouth feel. Closed at first but the nose opened up nicely. Candied cherry and caramelized oak on the nose. Dark fruits on the tongue with good length on the finnish. Tanic - definitly drank this young.
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Decanted 2 hours served at 16C. Quite aromatic with cherries, almost macerated cherries wafting up over a perceptible alcohol note. Soft attack with acidity making itself known during the mid-palate with soft tannins and fnish is a little short. The fruit is decent but did diminish with warming in the glass and over 2 days. Still, enjoyable and a good value. I'd say this will be best 2010-2013 or so.50+5+11+14+6=86.
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I also got this for $9 and, of course, it is worth 3 times that price. Lots of vanilla for me and a bit different than most of the Ribera del Duero's I have had. Not nearly as tannic and ready to go right now. Much sweeter than most Riberas as well.
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I feel like I robbed someone. Put on a mask, brought a gun and held them up. Benchmark had this on sale for 9 bucks. Down from the usual 30. This would have been a good deal at the usual 25-30 bucks that it goes for. At 9 dollars I just flat out committed larceny. Beautiful dark ruby color to it. Took 2 hours to get anywhere near open. Once it was though, it had a gorgeous nose of Tar, black cherries, a touch of Vanilla and wet earth? Medum-Full bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel. Got a bunch of blueberries to go with the earthiness and some dark bitter chocolate on the finish. Great acidity and huge tannins that proved to me at least that this would last a while. The finish lasted for a good long while. Overall this was a great wine, especially at the price point.
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This wine is young and can benefit from more cellaring. Good Concentration. Rich with plenty of black fruit. More enjoable to drink on it's own then with food or needs right food pairing. It was more balanced on the second day and was still showing good on the third.
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Brought to dinner at Fora. Double decanting didn't seem to budge this one much. Wrapped up tight with strong tannic structure, there was notes of some bright dark fruits and violets on the nose and palate but were beaten down by this wine's youth. Brought half a bottle home to watch over the next few days and see what happens.
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4/12/2024 - rayq wrote: 88 Points
Quite evolved. Tastes more like a 95 than 2005.
Tertiary flavours, comes across as unbalanced, the alcohol protrudes. Better on the nose than palate. Last bottle from a case and it’s the least enjoyable.
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2/24/2024 - empire80 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is my best bottle, the tannins have integrated and there's still some sweet black fruit. Perfect now but no rush.
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3/18/2023 - empire80 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Some black fruit upfront but the tannin is still quite assertive, and there's a bit of heat on the finish. This really needs some food, will it soften with more age?
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2/6/2022 - empire80 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Just over 10 years on from my last note, and this wine continues it's glacial evolution. It's in a pretty decent place but definitely benefits from food. It seems destined to last at least another 10 years from here, but the question is whether there will be any fruit left once the tannin and structure subsides!
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1/6/2022 - Purple Tooth wrote: 92 Points
This could not be better. Fully integrated oak with loads of red and black fruit, creating an exotic sensation of dense tempranillo. Theres a reason why wine grapes are wine grapes, and this humble grape can create a very beautiful experience. Loved by all,, including me. Drink
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3/14/2021 - tfesmgk Likes this wine: 92 Points
I am hugely impressed with how this wine is drinking at this age. It's been stored properly and decanted for 2 hours. Dark color and great balance of fruit and earth. Tannins are mostly gone but the nose, early then late palate are very consistent. Dark fruit, leather, herbs. Drank with a spicy paella.
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2/13/2021 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
14,7% alcohol.
Moderately evolved pomegranate red color with a tertiary brick-red hue. Spicy, toasty and rather powerful nose with aromas of licorice, savory woody spice, some mocha oak, a little bit of sweet plummy fruit, light smoky notes of toasted wood, a hint of freshly ground coffee and a touch of earth. The wine is rich, full-bodied and quite powerful on the palate with somewhat sweet-toned flavors of juicy dark plums, some extracted woody bitterness, a little bit of mocha oak, light cooling minty tones, a hint of boysenberry jam and a touch of sweet cocoa. The mouthfeel is rather warm and quite tightly-knit thanks to the ample, grippy tannins. The structure seems to rely more on the firm tannic structure than on the medium-to-moderately high acidity which is a bit lacking in relation to the big, concentrated fruit. The finish is juicy, moderately grippy and quite long with rather sweet flavors of plums, mocha oak, some milk chocolate tones, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light jammy notes of boysenberries, a hint of earth and a touch of boozy alcohol.
A juicy and very modern Tempranillo bruiser. Impressive in its huge size and admittedly very powerful expression, but this feels more like a wine that is not singing but just screaming at full power without any nuances. I can imagine some people can be wooed by this kind of massive power, because it's quite easy to get and fills your mouth, but I can't really find much interest here. This is not bad in any way, but it really shows nothing that would warrant a high score. However, at 19,90€ this was a good purchase.
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4/2/2019 - Gen NY Does not like this wine: 79 Points
Past due. tastes old and tired. It was drinkable on PnP, but fell apart over the next hour. Undrinkable by the end of dinner. Not corked or flawed just devoid of flavor with an overarching mustiness.
I’ve not had good experiences with 05 RdDs.
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12/7/2017 - Zitan Likes this wine: 94 Points
Leather and roses. Voluptuous. Tannins fully integrated. Fully mature but not at all over the hill. Glad I waited this long. Sad this was my last one.
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2/5/2017 - Purple Tooth wrote: 91 Points
This wine is right in the zone! The tannins still provide a dry wine, and are a big part of the long finish. The wine is all about pen ink, slight earth, graphite, red crunchy fruit, and oak cream. A RDD that has faired quite well with time and can give wines twice its cost a nice shoulder to lean on. Drink or hold...Drinking quite well.
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5/30/2016 - ctjared wrote:
standard. and likely on the way down
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1/16/2016 - ctjared wrote:
not sure about this. maybe over the hill or closing
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5/27/2015 - David Meddings wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 1 hour, followed over another 2. Notes from memory. Dark garnet. Dark fruit bouquet with notes of spice and eucalyptus. Brisk attack giving way to a balanced and generous dark fruit profile with some fine drying tannins.
Good interest, hedonistic and well made. This has progressed considerably over the years based on my bottles. Will try and get to my last one in around 2 years or so. Much longer lived than I thought it would be.
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2/16/2015 - David Meddings wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1.5 hours. This gets better and better. Silky tannins, abundant dark fruit, and a lively acidic backdrop. Faint spice notes adds some complexity. Paired nicely with BBQ Irish filet.
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11/18/2014 - mclanew wrote: 90 Points
Pretty, structured Ribera. Needs a little time to open up and a little restrained. Black and blue fruits, minerals, vanilla, mushroom, forest floor. Great wine for the value.
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10/22/2014 - David J Cooper wrote: 92 Points
Not really dark. Great nose, smoke, black currant, earth and iron. Beautiful balance and a long dry finish. This really developed nicely. I wish I had more.
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8/17/2014 - ctjared Likes this wine:
consistent
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8/15/2014 - ctjared Likes this wine:
really drinking well right now. it's all come together. dark fruit, long finish. not as fruity, but elements of a good cab
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7/26/2014 - boegemann Likes this wine: 89 Points
Violets, refined tannins, ready now, pairs well with food
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4/27/2014 - Henry Miller Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium bodied Ribera, with decadent dark fruits and high acidity, which is lipsmacking. Very fresh, but serious, with some depth and that otherworldly exotic dark berry fruit that is the signature of its pedigree. Impressive for a second wine at this estate.
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3/9/2014 - K&J Likes this wine: 92 Points
Violets, mineral, blackberry and blueberry, pencil lead, smooth, round even opulent with an extended finish. Any wine from Alonso del Yerro is great wine!
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2/18/2014 - David Meddings wrote: 88 Points
1 hour decant. Dark crimson. Dark red fruit and a touch of alcohol on the bouquet. High pitched cherry, blackcurrant palate with acidity backing a medium final. Fine drying tannins.
Initially felt a bit thin but this rounded out and opened up over an hour or so. Still has some years in front of it.
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10/2/2013 - KSWinegeek wrote: 90 Points
Gets better ever time I try this. Appealing blackberry, licorice and spice nose. Still fades mid palate to finish and there is some alcohol and tannins mid palate. But I believe with time, this will continue to improve. Recommended decant is at least two hours and I believe you will be rewarded if you give this a few more years in the cellar.
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9/7/2013 - ctjared Likes this wine:
Drinking great. Drl fruit and very light dusty tannin. Leather and berries. Long finish.
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5/9/2013 - slrankin Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely wine, supple and velvety smooth. Tannins strong but balanced. Tried this wine a couple of years ago and found it almost cloying- too sweet with an un-subtle mouthfeel. Waited a bit, and it is now ready to enjoy. We gave it a 2 hour decant.
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3/2/2013 - David J Cooper wrote: 90 Points
Dark red. Dark berry fruit, earthy and oaky as well. Really developing nicely.
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3/2/2013 - bwaverley wrote: 92 Points
Supple wine that restores my belief in the aging potential of wines with 14+% alcohol. Nice combination of dark berries bittersweet mocha, vanilla and cola.
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2/27/2013 - David Meddings wrote: 89 Points
Splash decanted. Dark purple. Subdued nose opened to show black cherries. Round entry, soft attack. Pleasant mid-palate although not overly complex with nice balancing acidity and fine drying tannins. Nice balance - a little modern but in a nice way.
This paired very well with filet of beef and has come along nicely since my last bottle a few years ago. Drinking very well now.
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1/28/2013 - KSWinegeek wrote: 89 Points
Very dark. The nose offers a lot of complexity including black fruits, spice, earth and vanilla depending upon when evaluated. The attack is inviting, but just falls short on the mid and finish. The tannins suggest a longer life, but there also was a significant amount of sediment in the bottle which gives pause. All things considered, clearly a well made wine.
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11/8/2012 - Lobonick wrote: 88 Points
Happy Tempranillo Day! I'm celebrating happily. This wine has very divergent professional review, and I lean towards the Wine Spectator view. the wine is deep and brooding and easy to drink. There is nice oak and sweet vanilla and enough spice to keep this wine interesting. There is no downside to this wine, but I'm just not quite convinced that it has a lot of high-end complexity. I love holidays... :-)
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10/27/2012 - bablues wrote: 90 Points
Massive pepper on the nose and palate. Some really good dark fruit coming through also. This is little over the top in which I find very consistent with Jay Miller's high ratings. It is surprising to see such differences in scores and drinking windows between WS (87 2008 - 2010) and WA (94 2014 - 2025). I would say I agree more with WA as this is still very much a baby as the tannins that are present would suggest this will last quite a few more years. But 94 points? Not for me. An excellent wine but nothing that is life changing.
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9/6/2012 - J-MacK wrote:
Cherries, Plums, Leather, Black Pepper. All effectively present in the nose with the fruit reserved and the spice well mixed. Just delightful on the palate, crushed fruit, zipped spice, with med+ tannins and a lingering finish. Really enjoyable, and could just as easily hold another 2-3 years.
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7/8/2012 - Roentgen Ray wrote: flawed
corked, but had a lot of potential.
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2/18/2012 - rocknroller wrote: 91 Points
Worldwide Wines Offline (Rocknroller's (Kevin's)): Purple red color. Decanted for 2 hours. Drank 1 glass over 2+hrs. Nose has prominent earth, blackberry, black cherry, blackberry liqueur, licorice, spice. The palate is inky, dense, with rich flavors of taart blackberry and blackberry liqueur, black cherry,minerals, earth, graphite, firm tannins. the alcohol is well hidden, Long finish. At times the tannins are a bit grippy. Group #2 WOTN. My #4 of the reds.
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12/23/2011 - The Kokopelli wrote: 91 Points
The Alonso del Yerro is a deep garnet wine with a medium body. Black cherry, rich earth and spicebox comprise a nicely aromatic nose. Supple and appealing in the mouth with tastes of black cherries, earth with the mid palate picking up a nutmeg and clove note. The medium plus finish hangs in there with black cherry, chocolate and more of the nutmeg and clove. This has started to show some interesting secondary notes at this point. Looking forward to the next bottle in a year or so. Tasted at dinner with a baked ham, but it was the rye bread with the caraway seeds that really made the wine pop and brought out the spice notes. Very impressive
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10/14/2011 - empire80 wrote: 91 Points
One for the long haul. Black fruits grappling with powerful tannins. Leave the next one for a couple of years I think.
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7/15/2011 - aktormedic wrote:
seemed weak and over-ripe/over-oaked with the Copain it was next to. Poor QPR and simple.
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6/11/2011 - 3daywinereview.com wrote: 90 Points
Ribera del Duero and Rioja Wines (Sara's House): A nice wine overall and dark in color. the wine features dark fruits, floral, herbs and raspberries. Medium finish and a bit tannic. Cellar.
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5/7/2011 - rocknroller wrote: 90 Points
Minneapolis Wine Club does Spain (Sara's house): Dark red color. Nose shows damp earth, dark fruits, black cherry, blackberry, cassis, herbal, with some floral elements. The palate shows a bit of alcohol, it is dusty with minerals and the same dark fruits, dry tannins and slightly soft on the mid palate. Solid, but a little disjointed up front or this would have scored better.
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3/8/2011 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. Lots of dark fruit and a little spice in the nose. Not as ripe and oaky as the 04 Maria. Nice decent rich flavours and a medium weight finish. Needs at least another 3 or 4 years.
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1/22/2011 - snaff wrote: 91 Points
Thick and rich. Loaded with crushed black cherry and a spicy finish.
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12/6/2010 - Grape_ape wrote: 90 Points
Decanted about 30 mins. Dark ruby with a purple hue. Nice aromatics of cherry, leather and a little coffee. Nice dark fruits and cherry on the palate, a bit more modern with the ripeness level, and less astringency than a traditional Rioja for example. Some leather and coffee with a hint of vanilla. Very balanced, and with a moderate finish. Very nice.
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11/24/2010 - Colia wrote: 87 Points
I did not see what Parker saw, which is unusual as I regularly agree with his Spanish palate. This was dark purple and had fine ripe tannins, but not much fruit or complexity. I left it open for 24 hours to check again, but it never did open up.
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10/11/2010 - linserge wrote:
drank too young, of course. Packs a real wallop, not exactly subtle, and not quite worth the tarrif, but a solid well-built tempranillo nonetheless.
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9/29/2010 - ParkHill wrote: 94 Points
Dark purple-ruby; almost inky. Somewhat inky in flavor, also. Blueberry-blackberry with some vanilla, but the needle is to the earthy rather than fruity side. Rich sensations in the mouth with glycerin texture. Fruit barely hides the tannins, and ripeness barely covers the acid, which to means things are nicely balanced.
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8/5/2010 - RMC3 wrote: 91 Points
I had not opened a bottle of this wine for at least 3 years and was pleasantly surprised at how much it improved. It is drinking well now with a deep, inky color and a balanced fruit with a touch of chocolate.
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7/26/2010 - RuralTom wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/11/2010 - colekmmj wrote: 94 Points
Ditto the other description. This was great!
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7/11/2010 - colekmmj wrote: 94 Points
This bottle was smoking!!!! The Chef (Marriott Resort Exec Chef) and me and the spouses were nuts for this bottle (actually 2 bottles) with thomme (from Sweet Grass Dairy) and great bleu cheese from NJ and some fine cut serrano ham and genoa salami from StarProvision in Atlanta. Great eats, great fun. We single handly pushed the Spanish futbol team past the Nederlands in the World Cup final. Spanish Ribera del Duero and Rioja wines are so drinkable with so many things, and this one was best of the best.
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4/16/2010 - Squirreljam wrote:
Hmm, liked this one better than a bottle in December. Very rich, this has tons of fruit and kirsch, a mouthcoating feel with some-but-not-quite-enough acidity and a long finish. Lots of flavors, this was nice with pizza but not something I could drink often or a lot of.
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4/2/2010 - mpricher wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple, but no opaque. Slightly transparent. Dark berry, lilac floral tones on the nose, but more of a dark fruit and tar on the palate. Medium body and mouthfeel, with smooth tannins. This is more refined spanish blend than the usual, and food friendly, but not something I would seek out.
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3/31/2010 - The Kokopelli wrote: 90 Points
Discovering Wine: An inky wine with a medium body. The nose was very tight and reluctant initially, opening after 60-90 minutes to mushroom, earth and dark fruits. In the mouth, the wine is big and round with highly extracted dark fruits (not jammy) accented with chocolate/mocha notes. The finish is on the hot side with dark fruits. Nicely balanced overall. The finish doesn't quite stand up to the rest of the wine. Nonetheless, this is very nice (73 views)
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1/27/2010 - tarheel17 wrote:
nose: some alcohol, but ripe red fruits and oak influence predominate.
palate: very nice. Firm, ripe tannin, a touch of alcohol, but not enough to annoy me (though it is definitely more obvious on this compared to the last bottle). Heavy, ripe fruit, some chocolate nuance. Altogether a nice package. Not a showstopper, but a solid wine for the price. I would buy this again.
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1/13/2010 - Roentgen Ray wrote: 92 Points
Nice complexity, drink or hold.
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11/7/2009 - Lobonick wrote: 91 Points
Easily one of the smoothest wines I've had in a while. Loads of espresso and milk chocolate with berries and spice in a sweet-finishing wine. God, I love this wine!!
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8/23/2009 - KSWinegeek wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple color and viscous. Blueberry jam with vanilla notes on the nose. Blueberry/cherry and fruit forward on the attack. Approachable, some acidity and with too much alcohol coming through mid palate. Blueberry jam on finish with alcohol resididual. Good wine would have been better with better alcohol balance.
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8/14/2009 - tarheel17 wrote: 89 Points
I agree with drm's notes below (my bottle was not decanted). But I think I enjoyed the bottle more than he/she did, and my bottle was not marred by excess alcohol; instead I got some pencil shavings and a med finish of dark chocolate. At $24, I would buy again.
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7/13/2009 - birdman5828 wrote: 89 Points
Dark purple. Smooth yet weighty mouth feel. Closed at first but the nose opened up nicely. Candied cherry and caramelized oak on the nose. Dark fruits on the tongue with good length on the finnish. Tanic - definitly drank this young.
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5/10/2009 - David Meddings wrote: 86 Points
Decanted 2 hours served at 16C. Quite aromatic with cherries, almost macerated cherries wafting up over a perceptible alcohol note. Soft attack with acidity making itself known during the mid-palate with soft tannins and fnish is a little short. The fruit is decent but did diminish with warming in the glass and over 2 days. Still, enjoyable and a good value. I'd say this will be best 2010-2013 or so.50+5+11+14+6=86.
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5/2/2009 - Javs wrote: 91 Points
Really too tight for the foreseeable next several years, but well made.
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4/14/2009 - danseng wrote: 88 Points
I also got this for $9 and, of course, it is worth 3 times that price. Lots of vanilla for me and a bit different than most of the Ribera del Duero's I have had. Not nearly as tannic and ready to go right now. Much sweeter than most Riberas as well.
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12/23/2008 - yonster24 wrote: 92 Points
I feel like I robbed someone. Put on a mask, brought a gun and held them up. Benchmark had this on sale for 9 bucks. Down from the usual 30. This would have been a good deal at the usual 25-30 bucks that it goes for. At 9 dollars I just flat out committed larceny. Beautiful dark ruby color to it. Took 2 hours to get anywhere near open. Once it was though, it had a gorgeous nose of Tar, black cherries, a touch of Vanilla and wet earth? Medum-Full bodied wine with a silky mouthfeel. Got a bunch of blueberries to go with the earthiness and some dark bitter chocolate on the finish. Great acidity and huge tannins that proved to me at least that this would last a while. The finish lasted for a good long while. Overall this was a great wine, especially at the price point.
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9/8/2008 - megropolis wrote: 92 Points
This wine is young and can benefit from more cellaring. Good Concentration. Rich with plenty of black fruit.
More enjoable to drink on it's own then with food or needs right food pairing.
It was more balanced on the second day and was still showing good on the third.
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10/30/2007 - WetRock wrote:
Brought to dinner at Fora. Double decanting didn't seem to budge this one much. Wrapped up tight with strong tannic structure, there was notes of some bright dark fruits and violets on the nose and palate but were beaten down by this wine's youth. Brought half a bottle home to watch over the next few days and see what happens.
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