What a treat! Tasted leather, dry cherry, dry plum. Tannins full resolved, like a velvet glove; great balance, structure etc.
This was a bottle at the top of its curve, don't wait - drink now.
Day 3: even better. But now the intense oak & vanilla from the barrel is showing almost at the same level as a typical, high end Napa Cabernet. Their web site highlights how they use their own barrels made from California and French oak. C'est en peu Parkerizé. No wonder Parker loved this wine. The question is, is this where we want Tempranillo to go? It may be moot, this bottle is nearly 20 yrs old, from a different time.
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Til lammebog på stranda. Forsmak: Mørk rød farge. Forsiktig lukt. Som åpne litt oppmed krydder, nellik. Skarp rein smak og god syre. Lukket? 1 dag: fått et hint av kork i løpet av natten, svakt men forstyrrer litt. Ca 86p
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Still a strong violet color still has a decent amount of tannins so I probably could sit a little longer. This was a Wine Enthusiast wine of the year, number 65 it showed nicely with some beef dish (Waugh) It was very much enjoyed by an audience of friends and I’m sorry this is my only bottle
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DVery good on day 1. Bordeaux-like nose. Red fruit, smoke, camphor. Supple dark red fruit in the mouth with some nice sweetness. Lost much of its energy on day 2. Pretty amazing value at $30. Not sure it is going to get better. I'll drink the remaining 3 botles soon.
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Enjoyed this just a touch more than last time. This pours medium, almost dark ruby, with no bricking. The nose isn't super expressive but shows coffee grounds, dark cherry, cassis, overripe strawberry, and a whiff of alcohol. The palate definitely has some new oak astringency married to the lush dark fruit and medium plus acid. The finish replays some of the elevated alcohol. Overall the palate is a bit aggressive, even after all this age with the acid, tannin, and alcohol all a little aggressive here.
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This wine drank beautifully tonight with grilled lamb loin chops. IMO it was fully mature but not close to being over the hill. The gradation the color was dark in the center and clear on the rim, which is expected in an almost 17-year-old Rioja. This has a Bordeaux tone to it, including a 35-second finish. Picked up flavors of cherries, blackberries and vanilla. There was more of a hint of oak rather than a full-throttle dollop. All in all, very nice accompaniment to lamb, and I look forward to seeing how the other half of the bottle tastes tomorrow with leftovers
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Nice Muga. Though I’ve had better bottles. This is a reserva and the other bottles were older gran reservas. Had open for three nights, and it’s picking up more acidity. First night, tasted the oak, now just zesty, tart juice. But It’s all still pleasant. I’m a loyal Muga fan, so it’s all good. *Some Ume salted plums are coming out, perhaps it has to with the acidity. 5th or 6th night.
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Strawberry and earth on the nose. On the palate, cherry, currant, and blackberry with notes of vanilla, prune, and leather, with moderate tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. This is classic Rioja, without the note of dill that shows up in some versions. It's early in its drinking window, with easily a decade or more to go; the Cellartracker drinking window is far too short. This was a very good value at under $40; at the $60 I see it for now it would be an average to good value.
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Leaf Day - PnP - still dark garnet out to a lighte garnet/crimson edge. Nose of damp earth, savoury herbs, light vanilla, some oak, red flowers, and both dark and red fruit (dark predominant). On the palate it first shows dark fruit, loam, dried herbs, and some red floral notes before the tannins clamp down. Yes, there’s still plenty of ripe tannin left in this one. However, it’s MUCH better than the last corked one (haha) and while it could still spend more time in the cellar to let the tannins soften, I suspect it will lose too much fruit. There’s still a good bit of acidity left as well making it excellent with tonight’s lightly seasoned beef-based meal. The finish is long and warming with dark fruit, herbs, sweet tobacco and some lovely sous bois lingering. Drink now and over the next couple of years I’d say for peak pleasure.
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Opaque dark red. Charred meat and rosemary nose. Drinking really well. Black spicy Tempranillo fruit with lots of secondary notes. Well softened at this point. Everything you look for in a well made Rioja.
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Very solid still. Dark ruby. Black fruits, some dark cherry. Smoky meats. Tobacco. Plenty acidity. Still some solid tannins. Medium length. Excellent value. Going strong, no rush.
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Black centre with a red rim and an orange hint. Very attractive aged nose, layers of fruit and forest floor. Beautifully balanced mouthful, tannins have mellowed but fruit is still there. Tannin hits at the front, but fruit lingers for minutes. At its peak. Classic gentle Rioja. Gentle, lingering, stonacco leaf and fruit. Well worth the wait. Excellent value. `consistently enjoyable.
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Deep garnet and color with slight bricking edge. Nose of dark cherries, olives, and hint of earth. Tastes of dark cherries, leather, olives, and prunes. Excellent fruit for the age, nicely balanced and still some tannins that resolve after aeration. Probably picked, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
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Wine is a deep crimson. Does not look at all like a wine that can now almost drive.
Rich nose that is almost Northern Rhone like. Beefy, olives, pepper, with a spicy undertone.
Palate matches nose. Lots of acidity. Tannins still surprisingly a little rough, but I suspect it just needs to open up a bit. Nice wine, not particularly magical.
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Dark ruby red center with slight bricking on the rim. Cork was in good shape but I recommend prongs just in case. Nose was loaded with spices allspice being noticeable, dried meat, oak, currants, blackberries and raspberries core. On the palate dried black fruits laced with blackberries, black currants and smoke, lead pencil, dried mushroom and ash. A good solid 30 second finish follows. One of the stellar vintages of Rioja. Classic pairings include Paella (of course), Sunday Pot Roast, Mushroom Risotto, Chorizo Sauaage. Properly cellared wines will last until 2024.
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Nice showing, tannins are in the background, some development of tertiary flavors (not a lot) adequate structure to provide cut. I see no rush to drink up
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Interesting indeed. Bottle one had a poor cork, was a bit thin and acid dominated. Bottle two had a lovely cork, flexible and sound. Completely different. Plush dark fruits, full, on top of smoke, dried meats, spices. Lovely. So, score for bottle one, 85, for bottle two, 91. Be sure to get one with the good corks! Ridiculous situation really.
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Opened and let it breathe for about an hour. It was a bit tight upon opening, but it opened up nicely and became soft and smooth. Nice dark fruits. Quite luscious. Nice middle ground between old and new world styles.
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Black centre, dull red rim, fine sediment at finish. At its peak two hours after opening. Appealing vanilla fruit nose, full in the mouth but finish is drying out. Blackcurrant and warmth linger for 50 secs. Very enjoyable. Drinkthe last two in the next two years.
PnP 89. Has complex aromas of earth, leather, chalk, truffles, ham, blackberries, vanilla , coffee, raspberries and strawberries. Its medium bodied broadly shouldered four square yet spherical and chewy coffee and vanilla infused meaty black and red fruits palate has got zingy acidity and very good depth. Ends mediumish a bit tannic and very lip smacking. 14%. Aerate 3-4 hours. Drink up in the next 2-4 years.
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This had a fragrant, earthy bouquet of black cherry, raspberry, leather, tobacco, licorice, vanilla and spice aromas. The palate was elegant and dry with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, leather, licorice, vanilla and spice.
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Very dark ruby. Surprisingly primary still. Chunky black fruits. Bits of spices and meats in the background. Quite solid tannins and significant alcohol. Think this needs to be allowed a while longer but it is a serious wine which will still improve.
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A bit heavier and more fruit forward with higher tannins than expected for a Rioja. Slight bitterness on the finish. Could possibly improve in about 5+ yrs but this was my last.
Dark red. Cedar, and smoked meat with dark fruits on the nose. Tart cherries! Has subtle savory flavors that adds to the red fruit. There is leather and dried cherries on the long finish. These Reserva Muga's do age well. Drank with split pea soup and ham. Nice pairing.
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Tasted from 375... pretty, red fruited nose with just a touch of candied fruit, and oak notes that are integrating aromatically. The palate is much more marked by the oak, more so than I recall from prior bottles. The finish is dry with oak tannins. I remain hopeful for this improving down the line (and I have more in the cellar), but too woody for me to really enjoy right now.
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From 375ml: 4 years since last taste. Still concentrated, but not quite as dense or tannic (which is a good thing). Really great floral, sandalwood and savory notes accentuate the fruit. It should still be good in this format into the next decade.
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Had a very bitty cork, had to double decant again. Was an 89 on day one. On day two filled out to a 90. Has fragrant aromas of earth, coffee, vanilla, blackberries, raspberries and strawberry hints. Its medium bodied powerful and masculine palate has got good fruit, nice oak and delineation on the plush middle. Ends longish, zingy and a little tannic. Needs 2-3 hrs decant. Would be excellent with pork fillet, or lamb fillet or goats cheese.
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The challenge is waiting. Twelve years and many to go, but this was my last bottle. Nose is strong with red and black fruit, baking cocoa, an herbal note, black olives, and a deep earthy touch. Palate is dark in color and brooding in tone. There is texture from the tannins, nutmeg, and a deep emphasis on that umami-like earthiness. Finish is poised between earthy and bright, but is long. Love this wine.
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Popped and poured. A bitty cork so needed a double decant. Typical smokey earthy aromas of liquorice, graphite,vanilla, figs, blackberries, strawberries and mint. Its medium bodied quite powerful palate has got good density a nice fresh solid yet lush black and red fruits zingy palate feel, a plump middle with some oak and a medium long tangy finish with liquorice hints. After an hour fills out and is an 89 with more oak and a lengthening sweet and sour finish. After two hours is more complete and structured with oaky aromas and flavours and is a 90. Don't think this wlll improve.
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From 375ml, purchased on release... This has come a long way since release and has now reached a highly drinkable state with the new oak integrated and the structure mostly resolved. The bouquet is expressive, smelling of roses, cherry reduction and some oaky vanilla. The palate is quite sweet with cherry liqueur, but there is plenty of acid to keep things in balance. The finish is still a bit coarse, with some drying oak tannins and a hint of heat. Still, well done overall, mouth filling without being heavy, sweet without being cloying, charming enough to drink on its own but with enough structure and acid to drink with dinner, with a foot in the traditional Rioja camp and the other in the internationalist one. Will hold and improve for a while still. 91-92 pts.
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More impressive than likeable - a heavy true rioja but a bit short on charm. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Plenty of life left, so not a problem of age. Maybe even too young?
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Last tasted about 2.5 yrs ago. Quite similar to my notes of 7/8/13, except the wine is more mature. The tannins have abated. Paired nicely with Italian meat sauce and pasta. I like the wine better now.
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Not at the end, by any means. Can probably go another 4-5 years at least. 2004 was a classic and stellar vintage. A close second to the spectacular 2001 vintage. Lovely fruit, lively acid, tasty lead pencil and smooth, silky, integrated composition keeps you sipping....and sipping. Nice dark core of tannin, as I well. I had with a Ribeye followed up with dark chocolate--all delicious. I'll try my last one in a couple of years as oak presence may be even more integrated by then, still a tad distracted by the vanilla overtone, but a beautiful wine.
Intense red/violet and clear in the glass. Black cherry, vanilla, anise, chocolate, and eucalyptus notes on the nose and palate. Intense and concentrated with mouth-watering acidity. Mild tannins. Appropriate alcohol. Still very young. Another excellent Muga!
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Red rim, black centre. Nose muted. Smooth in the mouth, but a little bitter. Missing the fruit. Good with food, but missing the ripeness on its own. The tannin dominates the aftertaste, although strangely it is blackcurrant that lingers at the end. Could a few more years reverse that ?
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From 75cl, brittle cork which broke during extraction. Decanted 30 minutes. Strong balsamic American oak aroma; oak persists on palate, with good sweetness, powerful acidity and mighty tannins. Excellent, if slightly wild and furry-tannic right now. Will hold and might even improve for 3-5 years. 89-90P
Not as good as two years ago. Developed some real funk that doesn't easily blow away. Cork crumbled as others have noted which is a disappointment for storing a Reserva. Lots of funky mushroom, too much initially with very little fruit. After several hours some tannins and fruit present itself as well as some spice/acidity. Day two the funk is gone, still has strong mushroom taste with oak but fruit, spice and tannins are more balanced. It shows much better character. Rate an 84 day 1 - 88 day 2. The crianza has evolved to be much more approachable and tasty wine than the reserva.
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Some Spanish Wines on a Saturday afternoon (Some very old ones) (CB): Always a favorite of mine. This wine is in a good place right now. Certainly with life left before declining. Dark cherries, slight black olives, a bit of vanilla and a bit of dill. Nice texture. Medium tannins. Good cherry fruit. Layers of complexity. Nice finish.
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From 75cl, good but slightly crumbly cork. Less generous than I remember it being 16 months ago, tonight this is a big, dry-tannic (thanks df1962 TN 05.04.2014: "black tea tannic grip" nails it) red-cherry Rioja which didn't budge much despite 2 hours in the decanter. If consuming with red meat, no problem. We had it with lightly sauced pasta = problem. 89P(?)
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Brooding, black color. Expressive bouquet of oak, anise, wood, black cherries, balsam, dill... verging on garish. The palate is more restrained, with excellent brightness, sweet'n'sour cherries (very tempranillo in profile), and a lithe mouthfeel, but there's still lots of oak imparting rough, drying tannins and vanilla flavors. A bit foursquare at the moment, but overall this is drinking well, wide open texturally and aromatically. Still, I would like to see if more time in the cellar helps it to develop more nuance and integrate all that wood. This could be really good, but why so much new oak? I ask myself that with Spanish wines a lot these days. 88-89 pts+?
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After my previous bottle in 2010, I thought 2 years would be enough time. Upon opening, still some stewed tomato stew, took about 3 hours to really blow off and open up. Then got some nice Tempranillo cherry flavors, still strong tannin and good acidity. Can drink now with plenty of air but prob better to wait.
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This bottle took 30 minutes or so to come around with lots of horsey notes at first. With a bit of air this became a compelling mix of roasted coffee/cocoa, toast, cooly medicinal mineral notes, and an underpinning of dark berry/cherry. Lots of tannins on the close, if they were a tiny bit less drying this would merit another point or two.
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Opened two hours before serving as part of 2004 Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva tasting.
Dark dense purple almost opaque with a garnet rim. Cherry licorice Goody's (Good and Plenty) on the nose. Medium weigh with a black tea tannic grip. Cherry plum leather and coffee flavours.
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Much cleaner, purer, and more accessible than the 2001. Unlike its older brother, a juicy-fruity with no signs of adolescent sulking, and a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. I wouldn't throw it up against goose, grouse or grass-fed beef, but perfect for pig, partridge, or pheasant.
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Très bon vin, certes, mais un peu trop réduit et boisé. C'est l'archétype du blockbuster qui plaît tant à plusieurs mais qui nous fait perdre la notion de cépage et de terroir.
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From 375ml: Upon opening, this wine is a deep red, opaque. The wine exhibits concentrated cherry & vanilla flavor as well as a marked presence of extended barrel aging. The wine is pretty tight, with plenty of structure. It's still quite tense for a 9 year-old wine, but not unexpected.
Day 2: A floral note becomes prominent on the nose, with sour black cherry & vanilla cream soda, plum skin, coconut and toasted almond. It is much more expansive on the palate, thoroughly coating the tongue. The tannins are more muted and the wine fans out on the finish. Drink now to 2020+ out of 375ml -- longer in larger formats. Last sips are the best. This wine will be better yet in a few more years. 91+ points.
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Wonderful bright acidity with some herbal notes and long finish. Went great with some spanish cheeses and stuffed Chicken Dinner with Cherry and Apple Stuffing.
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very dark ruby color. juicy cherries in the aroma, with notes of earth and black pepper. Young for a Reserva, and will do better with cellar time. Still, it's enjoyable now.
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One of my favorite Riojas. 1 hr. decant. Black cherries on the nose with some spice. Medium palate. Cherries & currants on tge palate and well integrated oak. Tannins are integrated but could definitely go longer. Finish is smooth. & lengthy with a tobacco note. Score reflects another hour of decanting when the fruit started to come alive and balance it even more. Very nice. I have one more bottle that I'll probably lay down for two more years.
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Black cherry amidst blankets of subtle spice and vanilla on the nose. More cherry on the palate with a hint of bitterness. The finish is long and elegant with well judged oak.
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I little Brett on the nose and palate, but it's not overpowering and adds a rustic component. Black cherry, vanilla, and black pepper flavors, with just the right amount of acidity and tannins. Mushrooms on the finish. This is a conservative 90, I think.
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Inky deep black/purple. No bricking. Nose of alcohol, plums, vanilla, dill, coconut. Palate is tannic, drying, with hints of sweet fruit and an alcoholic finish. Labels says 14%, but it comes across as quite noted. I hope this integrates over time, but now it is disjointed.
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No score. Popped and poured after a dinner out. Cork was all crumbly and I don't think we were in any shape to comment on the bottle due to previous "refreshments." Have vacuumed sealed it and will taste again in the next day or two.
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Decanted 30 hrs prior to serving. Deep crimson hues, bountiful nose of dark fruit and vanilla, velvet mouth feel with medium to light body, well integrated tannins, nice balance; flavors delivered with a great deal of finesse. Medium length finish. Exquisite!
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Dark garnet, with red maturing characteristics toward the edges. Aromas of cherry, earth, tobacco, spices and oak. Flavors of cherry, black currant, tobacco, cinnamon, spice and oak. The longer the wine is open, the oak becomes more vanillin-like on the nose.Tannins are not fully resolved, displaying a jolty acidic sting on the tongue. This acidic tongue sting abates though with food. Rich and fairly intense fruit in the mouth; some tartness. Good structure and acid. A soft medium finish (nothing acidic). A good pairing with roasted chicken, with sprinklings of herbs and spices. Then, an exceptional pairing with Pecorino Medoro Cheese from Sardinia. Score 91-92.
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Medium red, slight fade at the rim. Raspberry, tobacco, and spices on the nose. The aromas follow through on to medium bodied palate. Fully mature, complex and tasty! Went very well with grilled pork.
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From 75cl, excellent cork. Model Rioja Reserva balanced on a tightrope between traditional and modern styles. Fine oaky acidity; balsamic entry; silky smooth red-fruited medium-bodied mid-palate which reminds me most of a mature Brunello(?), vibrant, almost sparklingly acidic finish with furry but exquisitely ripe tannins. The most satisfying red wine I've tasted in a while, and a stellar value at 15,90 EUR retail. Perfect now with a 1-hour decant, but no hurry. 92P
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Decanted for 1,5 hour. Nice and complex on the nose...I've got lots of flowers, sour cherries, some cinnamon, oak, vanilla and mint. I don't get the aggressive and harsh tannins that other reviewers have described. At this moment, the tannins are refined and the wine is elegant and juicy. It was worthy to cellar it for some years. Really good! I don't think it's going to improve, so drink it now. 91+
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I've been waiting a few years to open this and I must say I'm a little disappointed. The fruit here is a bit smudged on the nose and some heat comes through. I feel like the oak is a bit overdone but does add a nice clove aspect. Open 40 minutes now and the nose is coming together nicely, the fruit is more precise and shows the tell tale Rioja (for me anyway) orange skin aroma. What really brings this wine down is the steely, gritty, coarse tannins on the finish. I guess that makes this a food wine but i'm really looking forward to rinsing these tannins away with this Donnhoff kabinett. I won't comment on a drinking window here as this is from half bottle. Oh and hey Robert Goulet I agree with you on the overdone oak but this is the review for the 04, not the 01.
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This is really very good. Much more style than the CVNE wines. One of the best I tasted. A star, and at £13, pretty much bang on the best value. Worth buying.
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My last bottle, and the first signs of overmaturity have started being evident. Medium to dark garnet in color with a nose of cherry, spice, tobacco alongside tertiary aromas of mushrooms, undergrowth and cabbage. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and nice acidity but the fruit is tired and fading. Long aftertaste. Drink up.
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Dark fruits and brown spice start out on the nose, then licorice and floral notes emerge with air....on the palate the wine is medium + bodied, smooth and ripe. On the finish the tannins and acidity show up, adding a nice backbone and reminding me that this wine still has plenty of life ahead of it. I would definitely call this a modern style Rioja, although that doesn't detract from its character....it's delicious and ripe right now, and will definitely hold up for 3 - 5 more years, maybe even developing more complexity in the process.
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Very good wine;nice bouquet; big wine that fills your mouth, good balance of tannin and fruit; enjoyed the bottle; not sure if wine is near its peak or if it has more to go since the tannins remain strong.
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Requires an hour or so to open, but remains a bit pinchy and bitter even at 23 hours. I'd say wait another couple years. Plenty of intensity in the flavors and a little acidic. The tannins are better, but still grippy. Alcohol feels high, which would be better if the fruit was deeper rather than tart. I still rate this pretty high.
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From 375ml. Developing some enticing floral complexities. Still a bit grippy, but possesses good mid-palate concentration. On the cusp of entering its prime drinking window (from 375ml: drink 2013-2018).
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Still a very promising wine, with rich abudant vanilla oak and dark fruits, mostly of blackberries and lush cassis. Really aging nicely, with a good softening of the tannins and a nice solid fruit backbone. Highly suggest holding off on drinking this wine if one has only one bottle, but sampling regularly if multiples are owned. It's got another 10 years in the tank, easily.
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A very solid rioja. Avoided drinking this early and it is paying off well. Dark fruits, blackberry and currants, some dark chocolate, well integrated tannins, mild spice and good length on the finish. Very nice structure and balance.
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decanted for about 45 minutes. nose of Red fruit, oak, and a touch of leather. On the palate the wine is smooth, with medium tannins, and red fruit, with a touch of oak. nice bottle. Lots of sediment in bottle.
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First of seveal bottles. Tannins are nicely integrated. Seemed to get a bit tart about an ahour and half in but then softened again. A year or two left but not much more based on this bottle. But nice flavors, went well with a mixed grill of pork and beef. Enjoyable wine. Drink up.
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One of the best bottles of this wine I have opened to date. Dark ruby/garnet. Attractive aromas of black cherry, red and darker berries, sweet spice and plums. Med+ bodied, soft, round and perfectly balanced. Long aftertaste. One more bottle left.
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Deep, dark red with no ageing. Dark fruit nose with hints of liquorice an dmint. Those hints are on the palate too once it warms and is given time. Lovely fruity mouthful with subdued oak.
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Just what I have in mind for a modern Rioja. Enough of the dusty character I expect and look for without being dry or astringent. Textbook Rioja with more years of improvement ahead. I tasted lead pencil, tea and pain grille. If drinking now decant and give it 30-40 minutes of air.
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Much better this time. Dark cherry, blackberries, cassis and home-made sour-cherry jam with hints of sweet spice on the nose. Signs of evolution, but the fruit remains fresh. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins and balancing acidity. Long. Drinking very well right now.
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Earthy and dark fruity. Much better than previous bottle. Interesting Rioja blend: Tempranillo (70%), Garnacha (20%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Decanted in the glass for half hour. Drinking well now. Not world class complexity, but good QPR.
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This bottle was a gift. Opened this bottle in Michigan with NY strips, grilled sweet candy onions, stir fried green beans, peaches and cream sweet corn and hash brown baby new potatoes on the grill. Bought all the veggies at the farmers market from local producers and they were great. This was the 3rd different vintage of this wine which I've had and was the best. I scored both the 1997 and 2000 vintages of this wine 88 points. This wine was a nice match with the meal and was drinking fine. Served slightly too warm at first but it warmed in the glass. Notes of kirsch, black currant and an underlying earthiness. Medium to full bodied. 90 points.
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Dark red. Plum fruit with some spice and earth. Very nice dark fruit flavours and a tannic finish. I'm not sure this is an ager. I could be wrong because everything is here, just a hunch.
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Half-bottle, consumed over two days. The nose was sweet and vegetal, with dark fruits, citrus peel, leather, tobacco, sweat, mint, melissa and gingerbread. On the palate the full-bodied wine showed aggressive tannins, with sweet dark fruits emerging after two hours (marked by intense plum and fig flavours), some red fruits, sour cherries, tobacco and chocolate. The wine was all about power and lacked balance. It seemed though that the wine has a long live ahead and might turn out nice once matured.
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PnD let air for 1.5hrs. Dark purple almost saturated with a plum edge. Cassis leather tobacco cedar and shoe polish aromas. Medium weight with integrated polished but not too polished tannins. Bright cherry cassis and blackberry flavors then leather tobacco earth blood and coffee. Long red fruit finish. Great balance. Delicicous with a grilled rib eye. Got better with each glass as it was consumed over several hours.
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We had this at a friends house with Fabada Asturiana on 3/27/11. It had a terrific, classic bouquet of cherry, raspberry, licorice, spice, vanilla, toast and tobacco aromas. The palate was elegant, fruity and delicious with flavors that followed the nose. 91+
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Garnet colored with very slight bricking on meniscus. Nose offers cherry, gunpowder, and floral notes. On the palate, I found this to be medium-bodied and balanced, and dominated by cherry flavor, with hints of spice. Long finish. Drank this over a couple of hours after not decanting, it opened up nicely, but recommend decanting.
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I guess this wine is undergoing a dumb phase. Very restrained on the nose with weak red berry fruit and lactic notes. Mid-bodied, almost fruitless with harsh tannins and high, unconnected acidity.
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I am not sure I experienced the same wine as many of the notes here. Quite tight on opening. Decanted and became more expressive after about 40 minutes. It was full to medium bodied, dark, but by no means black, with only a hint of bricking at the rim. blood, meat and a hint of dried fruits on the nose. The same on the palate, with underlying minerality. mediumish finish. Sufficient tannins to go longer.
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PnP. First shot at the '04. Nose is dark berry and vanilla/oak driven. Lacks the charm of the '01, but my notes on those showed that it took some time integrate and open. Palate showed ample red fruit, nice acidity and some lightly grippy tannins. Very little complexity or finesse. Texture was a little soft and 'new-world' to me. Plan to hold, but not sure if it will improve (but low risk at the price).
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splash decanted and then drank over a couple hours. Improved over the last bottle which was opened 18 months ago. Will wait a couple more years for the next one. Tannins beginning to settle out. Plenty of fruit and depth to cellar for at least 5 more years
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Deep brick red color. A strong bouquet of ripe strawberries, dried fruit, anise, and a hint of tea. Silky texture on palate with sour dried red cherries, licorice, oak, and tobacco. Great fine, smooth tannins with terrific depth of flavor. Sweet raspberries on an earthy finish with moderate acidity. This should improve with age as well. A well refined Rioja.
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Solid performance. Dark fruit with very nice leather notes. Very good balance. Not particulary complex or noteworthy, but I expect the great majority of folks would enjoy this wine.
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I do not have much experience drinking Rioja, so I came to his bottle without clear expectations. Good solid bottle of wine. Dry without being astringent. The fruit was not that prominent (don't know if it should be), but overall the wine was fairly well-balanced. I did not catch any vanilla flavors or the like.
It benefited considerably from breathing (about an hour or so), as it was pretty sharp upon opening. I have two more, and reading the other TNS more carefully, I think I will let them rest for a while.
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Slightly sharp and tight on opening, but it settled down. All in all, a restrained wine, not bursting in character and personality. Needs more bottle age?
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Nice, classic Rioja. Dark purple-red colour. Leather, sour cherry and oak. Fairly tight still and a little demanding of the drinker. Nice to have a little more going on than the CA stuff.
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Textbook Rioja. Well balanced with good length. Maybe lacking a bit of depth but everything is in place with this wine. Maybe slightly heavy on the vanilla/oak.
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Drank this over three nights, but it was at its best the first night which surprised me. Lots of cherries and dark cherries. Some tannins. I think this is in a tweener phase right now and probably should not be opened. Its balanced, but the fruit is not as prominent as it was. Still, its very good.
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the color is purple-red, clear and full. the nose is explosive. This is its best quality by far. cherries, sour, baked and some exotic spices thrown in, really lovely. the taste is dry and tannins make it mouth puckering. fruit is there, nice but a bit out of balance. oak is prevalant as well. this is always a qaulity product. well made, consistent, and has been my go to house wine for years running
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Dark red. After an hour in the decanter this was just not ready to go. We drank it with our dinner but it never showed too much. Kind of simple. The previous bottle was excellent so this one needs more time or a 4 hour decant.
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Great nose with blood, iron, dark fruits, baked earth, spices/sandalwood/cedar. A little thin in the middle and a moderate finish. Excellent old school Rioja and an excellent value. Feels like it's just starting to get into it's window and should improve for several years at least still.
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Still very dry and tight even after 2 hours open. This wine has promise but still simply needs more cellar time. There is some nice red fruit , cold tea, and earthiness flavors just hidden behind the strong tannins and acidity. I drank my first bottle 2 years ago an was hoping it was ready. I'll wait two more years for my next bottle.
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Brought to Susan's for Rib Eyes with Norman on a Hannah visit. My first, and probably last shot at this one, as it is my only bottle. It is a beauty. Deep, Daek purple to the rim. Bursting with dark red fruit and spice, both on the nose and palate. Great match with choice rib eyes. Excellent balance and structure. Maybe just a tiouch young, should be good for at least 5 or more years. Wish I had more.
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Deep red almost black. Very tight but intense nose bof black fruit, spice and a little oak. Really concentrated dark fruit and vanilla flavours. Very grippy tannins and lots of them. Dry finish. This needs 5 years just to start with, and should improve for a very long time. Excellent to Outstanding, and this is one of their lesser wines.
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Decanted 2 hrs, which maybe was not long enough, as the wine improved considerably over another 2 hrs. Cherry,mocha, cedar, pencil lead/minerality are dominant, along with refreshing acidity. Very nicely structured.
The wine is still very young. It opened up to some extent after I poured it through Venturi. Typical Muga nose of dark and red fruit, toasted oak, coffee and some tobacco. Smooth, good acidity, good fruit but still a bit rough with biting tannins. Needs more bottle time.
This wine is in a good place, but I believe that it will improve with some additional cellaring. It shows red fruits, spice, some oak, medium acidity, and moderate tannins.
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Not the bottle I was expecting - a tart and restrained wine, with a nose that never opened up that much on day one. Most vexsome issue was the midpalate and the finish - both were much dimished from previous bottles of same vintage. Maybe there's some bottle variation here? Others suggested a drink window of 10+ years, this one was more like 2-3. Simply weird. Oh weel, still two more left, hopefully they will be more like the prior bottles. Positive note, on day three the tartness had softened somewhat, which got the wine to the final score. Maybe a two hour or more decant is still warranted with this bottling?
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Fruity, very fragrant nose. Forward flavors of red berries. Highly acidic, hot on the palate. Will this reduce with age? With the acidicy and tannins, this is a good wine with food. Luscious long finish.
Popped and poured. Dark ruby. Cassis, pepper on the nose. Cassis and cherries on the palate which is otherwise dominated by drying tannins and a touch too much heat. Good acidity, though, which leads me to believe this will be better balanced in a couple years. 90+
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Nose of cherries, coffee, cedar and a bit of hickory. Nice vibrant acidity on the palate with some grainy tannins but still showing lots of structure. The acidity refreshes your taste buds and it is a definite food wine but it very satisfying on its own. Long tannic cedary finish. 90+ for now but definitely will improve over the next couple of years. Pleasure factor 92 points.
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Nice Spanish wine. Has age, but doesn't show much on it. A nice fruit-filled wine that could use even more years, although is very drinkable right now.
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first day still too much acidity, 2nd day much improved, with more meaty and earth tones more predominant. Good fruit as well.. Still too young in my view.
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Dark purple. Oak and spices on the nose. Full bodied and intense. Long and balanced. Dark berries, tobacco and vanilla. Typical and, in my opinion, a very good rioja. Quite oaked of course, but well integrated. Should improve for several years.
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Served at 59 degrees without decanting. Dark red color. Aroma of ripe, red fruit and spice. Flavor is blackberry with a touch of graphite. The tannins are nicely integrated. This is a very good wine that is drinking well. We served it with a pot roast and the match was superb.
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Plum, sweet tobacco, and earth on the nose; dark cherry and minerality on the palate; nice weight; plenty of acidity; 30+ second finish; definitely needs time, but a nice wine with food right now.
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Complex nose with plum, cherry, spicy earth, and leathery notes on top of a considerable oak contribution. I didn't like this bottle as much as the last - the tannins were formidable and it took a pairing with washed rind muenster to tame them.
Tart cranberry acidity matches the dusty oaky leather and heavier fruit. Did I mention the oak? I think this wine will benefit from another 5 years of patience but it drinks beautifully now, given a little air.
On sale @ $20.99 makes this a good buy, 89+ pts.
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Drank with the Kushner's at Ole. We all could not believe the strong smell of butter on the nose. A little butter on the palate. Smooth and enjoyable none the less.
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Much different experience than the last bottle. Complex nose of graphite, fresh earth and cassis. Very smooth entry, with a long finish. Must be bottle variation because this wine was much different than the last bottle.
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Great color, ominously dark with a stunning nose of cooked prunes, graphite, black berries, plus a bit of hard to identify 'funk'.
Oak-heavy at first, this bottle settled down on the second day into a marvelously balanced Rioja. Great big spicy Tempranillo character but fruit and depth supplied by what I assume to be Grenache. Layers of black fruits, leather, a touch of tobacco, grippy tannins and a funk that I love. The backbone to stand up to meat dishes yet the elegance to be drunk alone. I wish the acclaim hadn't driven it's price up to the $25+ range though.
90 pts, would buy it by the case for $20 or less.
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Good structure. A bit tannic. I think this should sleep for a little while longer. On the third day this was much improved. The dusty and raspberry flavors took a frontseat and the tannins faded a bit, but still had not quite disappeared. I would decant for at least 6 or more hours before drinking or wait.
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Liked this a bit less than previous bottles, but still gets the job done - old world flavors, with a bit more spice this time than previous bottles, but felt a bit thinner or flatter in flavor overall.
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Tom Ricks is spot on. Lots of wood initially. Wonderful wine. Hints of true beauty. Best with food, but that's a given - it's a traditional Rioja. Noticed a little cumin powder in the nose in the middle of the night.
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At first the wine is closed with tastes of oak dominating and the acidity out of balance. Two hours of decanting revealed softer fruits on the palate of cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Finish is still oak but it doesn't dominate like it did after the pop and pour. Suggest 3 hours of decanting or several years of cellaring. Should produce and please given enough time.
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Notes from day 2. Nice dark red color. On the nose there is black cherry, plum, a hint of cinnamon, and lots of tobacoa. On the palate there is black cherry, low quality tobacoa, a little minerality, dirty earth flavor towards the back everything is sort of sour. There is good balance with this old world style rioja and I would think it would go better with food, but not really my type of wine. Seemed tightHold 50+5+12+12+8
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Best on day 2; black fruits, licorice and minerals; oak is already well integrated; juicy acidity and big time tannins; will be a very nice Muga reserva in a few years.
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Til Lammelår og skokk. Forsmak på spisebordet: Bjørnebær fin balansert avsluttning. Til maten: Har hatt godt av 3 timer i åpen flaske. Masse spennende smak, relativt balansert, men fremsto som litt voldsom sammenlignet med broderens Margaux. 1 dag i flaske: Søt lukt, bjørkeløv og marshmallows. Svært spennende lukt og fast smak. Burde vært drukket mellom i går og i dag. Det blir spennende å smake denne om noen år.
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Popped and poured. Crimson red color. On the noise, the wine is a bit shy with aromas of oak. On the palette flavors of white pepper and bitter fruits / green. Decent concentration, but rather disappointing taste. A bit closed at the moment and not well integrated. Persistent tannins present. If drinking now, it needs decanting.
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I have loved this wine the past 2-3 times I had it but today felt it was so so closed. Not much on nose but some plum and blackcurrant. Nice acidity and firm tannins with a somewhat woody finish. Some red fruit on palate. After about 2 1/2 hrs some more fruit aromas like blueberry and a hint of oxidized finish? Maybe it is entering a dumb phase but I clearly enjoyed this wine much more in the past. Because of the nice structure and price, should keep a bottle for a few years and try again.
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Tasted double blind. Oxidative note on the nose blew off. Ripe fruit and slight earth. Thought it was cab or merlot blend from the U.S., or even a new world bdx. Nice, and drinking well. 91+
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Dark red color and a firm nose of ripe dark fruit, some wandering spice and a touch of pepper, with a little chocolate underneath. Almost a "bam" on the entry which did settle with time, as did the whole palate structure which did stay firm with a tight grip at mid palate...with abundant fruit...strong edge that did loosen a bit. This needs some time to develop after opening. Went well with a variety of grilled meats and sausages...actually perfect pairing for the rich grilled meats.
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Very solid, well made wine for sure. Tons of dark fruit, smoke and spice on the nose and full bodied palate. Just a little one dimensional to give it a 90.
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Not bad if you're after a classic, foursquare Rioja with old world style. Because J. appreciates that, she liked this more than me. I thought it was a good wine, with plum and prune, tobacco leaf, and forest notes, but I, like others found the flavors to be leaning too much toward the green and tart side. Does not seem to be the same wine reviewed by IWC, WS, or WA.
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Showing a deep plum at the core with a light rim of clarity at the edge this wine struts in all the power and glory of it's youth. On the nose it's vanilla, oak, kettle corn, and a faint hint of prunes. In the mouth there is nice structure, acidity, medium plus tannins and a lingering purity of fruit as flavors of black berries, blueberries, and spice. Now the oak is so dominant that it reminds me of a teenage girl who just found "mommy's make up" and put too much on. Maybe, hopefully...with time in the bottle this will find some balance. However, right now...it's just a bit too much for me.
nice medium weight red. Great with food. Just a hint of that old-world mineral-iness that I don’t care for, but mostly fruit oak and tannins as it should be. Great wine for the money.
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Even Tanzer scored this wine well and he's a tough critic. I don't know what the hell any of them were thinking when they all scored this one 90+. Maybe it was stellar young and just died off. Right now there's hardly a nose to speak of. It's bitter on the palate with veggies galore and a generic tart berry flavor. The finish is very short and unpleasant. It's probably not as bad as i'm making it out to be I was just expecting so much more.
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I did not give this a high rating because it is not really my style. Nose cherry, damp wood, mint/alcohol, nose has a "freshness to it". Dark smokey cherries are very prominent, also taste damp wood/cigar box. Very tart cherry finish. The finish was too tart for my taste but I also had this without food, so it may be better suited with food.
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From a half bottle. I like the smoky dark cherries but it has a slightly vegetal component and a tad bitter. Finish is rather short. Good mouth-coating feel and richness to the wine though.
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After aeration you get black cherries, dark chocolate and vanilla on the nose and a rich and balanced palate. The finish is a bit short and the wine seems to lack a bit of magic. It drinks well now and it is a respectable effort, but it has too much new oak (vanilla, coconut, toast) and it falls short of being outstanding. Drink from now until 2012.
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Wonderful wine that is good to go now. Dark cherry fruit with mont/herbal notes. Silky smooth mouthfell but plenty of stuffing on the finish. Great value.
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Clear, medium garnet. Clean medium intensity aromas of cherry, wood, earth, blackberry. Medium-plus acidity, medium tannin, medium body. Flavors match aromas with more cherry, and berry fruit. Earthy finish that lingers with red fruit. Nice wine.
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Robust nose. Full of black cherry and herbs, with a creamy texture, a cigar note, and a hint of coffee. Would be a great wine if it weren't just a little short on the finish. I disagree with the 2009 start to the drinking window, this is ready now and won't benefit from decanting.
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Purple. Elegant aromas of red and dark fruits, coffee and spices. Mid bodied with strong but nice tannins and high acidity around the rich fruit core. A complex and balanced wine. Long finish. Enjoyable now, will gain ifurther in complexity and harmony after 2-3 years of cellaring. Excellent value.
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Very very good rioja had at the monthly wine tasting at the Hickory Wine Shoppe earlier tonight with Kim and good friend neighborbill. Excellent QPR at this price point and highly recommend this wine. Subtle nose which really opened up expressively in the glass with aeration thus this wine would probably significantly benefit from decanting. Great mouth feel, very well balanced and no off tones. Strong dark stone fruit flavors balanced by tobacco, coffee and leather.
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Juicy red fruit on the nose. Balanced attack with earth and peppery notes. Bit of a quick, sour finish. Still, quite good and relatively cheap. Some tannins in there but nothing wild.
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Deep crimson; tar, herbs, black cherries, cedar; dried cherry, smokey, medium-full body, good balance, firm tannins, lingering finish. Decanted 4 hrs. Intense tarry/herbal/smokey nose jumped out of the glass and revealed juicy cherry flavour with tannic grip. Young but delicious with t-bone. Excellent value!
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Dark color, berries in the nose, cherries in the taste as well as a touch of smokiness. Benefits from an hour's time in the decanter to balance. Medium to medium-plus body. Will continue to improve in the near term, looking forward to that.
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Decanted through a vinturri. Dark ruby to almost purple color, cherry and cedar nose. Lots of tart cherry, some earth and leather on the palate. Medium finish with firm, drying tannins. Very good, but would benefit from more time in bottle.
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Drank next to the 2003 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI d'ARAGONA Brunello which is rated 91pts. This is actually fairly similar in structure and flavor (even though 2 diff grape types) but with deeper fruit. I would prefer a little more leather or Rhone character to this but is a very solid rioja.
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This is still very young but just packing in the flavor. Decanted. The oak was prominent on the nose initially, but it integrated with about 30 minutes of air. Massive fruit on the palate, with superb natural acidity. Long finish with the oak influence coming back on the tongue. A real pleasure to drink, in spite of being a tannic youngster still. Worlds of upside here -- and a bargain for the price. A-
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Tight and tannic at first...took about 2 hours to really show its stuff. Flowers and crushed cherries on the nose - sour cherry and pomagranite on the palate. Enjoyable.
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Decanted for about 1.5 hours before drinking as part of Joe G's simultasting on ustream. Dark color to the wine. Got a restrained nose of cherries and red fruit, that carried over to the palate. To the taste sour cherry was the predominant flavor, which yielded to a caramel - maple syrup finish. Light to medium bodied, with Medium + acidity. Alcohol was not even noticeable. Finish had some chewy tannins. Overall drank to its $20-$25 price point. Nice wine
My wife felt it had a bitter taste to it and did not like it nearly as much as I did
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JoeG's simultasting ala enotria. Decanted 1.5 hours before first taste.
nose: initially, soon after pouring, I got a whopping dollop of mint chocolate. After a few minutes, this changed to more of a caramel aroma, with hints of eucalyptus at the tail end. The palate was at first thinner than I like, with med+ acidity, and a lack of a midpalate. (88 pts) After more air, the midpalate fleshed out a bit, the tannins melded well and it became more of a complete package. Flavors were of dark chocolate, tea, dark cherry and a very chewy finish. Good stuff.
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Nice dark color. On opening, lots of black fruit: cherries, raspberries, blackberries and a touch of pomegranate on the nose. Lots of blackberry upfront, modest tannins, and some nice acidity. Modest blackberry and cranberry finish.
+30 minutes Black cherry and raspberry still there, but more blackberries and blueberry and some oak notes (cedar). More layers of black fruit upfront, transitioning through the mid-palate. and the tannins have grown stronger. Finish is longer as well, with light tannins, mostly blackberry with some cranberry, black tea, etc.
+60 Black cherry, pomegranate, blueberry jam on the nose. Tastes very similar, but tannins are stronger still while the fruit upfront has intensified as well.
+120 minutes, plateaued nicely
+150 touch of cedar stronger now on the nose, but the rest much the same.
+180 Nose is much the same, but the black cherry notes upfront are gone and the blackberry a bit muted. A really great black raspberry has emerged instead, esp on the finish.
+210 The cedar is moving towards vanilla, plus a hint of gaminess. The tasting profile remains as at 180.
+240 Still the same.
+270 Nose still much the same, but while the finish is still long, it's not quite as long, and the acidity is weakening as well. Still very good, though
+300 minutes The finish is getting a bit modest, but other than that, it remains much like +270
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This is my fourth bottle...the first 3 were good. Number four was outstanding and a 93. The first 3 I bought at Total Wine ...and this was one of 12 bought at Old Naples Wholesale. The colour was medium dark purple. The nose was warm and inviting with an sweat aroma of dried rose petals. The palate was rich with fruit... wiith a medium finish you could savour. Maybe its time has come or just an exceptional bottle. I have 11 more to test.
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My notes on this wine mirror those of another CTer. This is a great sub $30 wine but in no way is it a 93 point (WA) wine. We did a quick splash decent and after about an hour in the decanter it started showing very well with salty minerals / tar mixed with blackberries on the nose and nice ripe fruits on the palate with a pretty heavy dose of oak as well. The oak is almost a little too heavy but still bearable. The finish reveals tannins which are quite dry and leave a bit of a chalky feeling. Overall this is a nice Rioja Reserva and with a good decant it will drink well now but has plenty of stuffing to rest for a few more years.
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night 3. stored in the cellar, not much chance to sit down with it till tonight. Blackberry on the nose, but surprisingly tight. I recall more oak the previous evenings. Cedar, tobacco, current jelly and dried cherries. The tannins are noticeable but otherwise well integrated. The finish is short and a bit tart, but otherwise enjoyable. VERY GOOD. Drink or Hold.
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Outstanding wine!!! Thick mouthcoating dense blast of flavor. New world fruit with the slightly rustic notes you get from Rioja. Will purchase more bottles.
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This bottle is fantastic. Dark cherry, vanilla and a touch of spice and yes, even a bit of that elusive lead pencil made a fleeting showing.(would not have picked that up though without the suggestion of JM) Full body, food friendly acidity with juicy plum taste. Tannin is integrated. An outstanding bottle.
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A great wine for under $30, but I don't see how this deserves 93 pts. You probably need to subtract 3 points from all of Jay's ratings at WA. Aside from that snark, this wine is very promising but way too young. Sort of a tar-blob at opening, by four hours, it finally opens to a fairly intense tar-cherry with some vanilla. The fruit extraction and oak hides the strong tannins pretty well, so again, we will want to wait a few years for things to settle, integrate and open. Contrary to some of the notes, and despite the vanilla, I don't find this to be one of those intense, modern Riojas. This is no Numanthia or Puntido. On the other hand this head and shoulders above some of the other (good) Riojas in the $15 - $30 range (I'm thinking Artadi's Vina de Gain); it just has more going on, or will when it opens. So, my 89 is really a two thumbs up, and I'll buy more.
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This time we gave the wine more time. This bottle showed the same. Ripe fruit but great elegance. By the end of the evening as the fruit softened, the tannins became more noticeable. Not a wine that will run you over. I wine I could drink most nights of the week. Should last for quite awhile.
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Decanted 4 hours prior to consumption. Poured blind, and guessed Rioja Reserva. Nose was a bit closed after 3 hours, but now is a bit more open, showing crushed cherry pits, No. 2 pencil (cedar and graphite), vanilla bean, and some nice spicey aromas. Light to medium bodied, showing plenty of bright fruit in jam form (raspberry and strawberry). Finishes with a big smack of strawberry, and some drying tannins. Quite delicious, if not the most complex wine.
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This not-so-little bottle of vino from the Rioja region of Spain needs a little time to open up, but when it does...WOW! What a great nose of spicy red fruit, loads of cedar and pencil lead. With the hour or so of breathe time, this little beauty showed black raspberry fruit, cigar box, tobacco, earth and a little smoke. This is an outstanding bottle of wine that will only improve with a few years of bottle age. Think about pairing this with a good piece of red meat off the grill!
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Consistent forward notes of plum, peppery mocha and vanilla. Great acidity with loads of tannin. A great drink. Once again, drank this too early. Outstanding.
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Had from a 375. So nice. I just loved all the non sweet fruit. This went down pretty fast and Laura and I were a bit enamored by it. Not life changing ... but it kept alluring us. Quite a bit of acid and tannin so I think it will improve easily ... and 91 may seem very conservative. I am going to open another bottle very soon and see what I think on a different night.
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Very clear medium deep ruby. Spicy, pine wood notes and blackberry dominate the nose, but the wood recedes to some extent as it opens. Medium weight with strong acidity accompanying the black fruit and anise. Here, the fruit is deep enough to buffer the structure and wood and give the wine a bit of roundness and flesh. Could probably benefit from a few years in bottle to soften and harmonize a bit, but good basic Rioja now.
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This not-so-little bottle of vino from the Rioja region of Spain needs a little time to open up, but when it does...WOW! What a great nose of spicy red fruit, loads of cedar and pencil lead. With the hour or so of breathe time, this little beauty showed black raspberry fruit, cigar box, tobacco, earth and a little smoke. This is an outstanding bottle of wine that will only improve with a few years of bottle age. Think about pairing this with a good piece of red meet off the grill!
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A good wine but maybe less distinctive and more "international" than the previous vintages I recall. Well balanced. Raspberry and currant. Spicy oak. Structured tannins. Long finish.
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Great nose of cherry, plum, grilled bread and coffee. Plush texture with solid structure. Still a bit too young though -- plan to wait another 1-2 years before drinking my remaining bottles.
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Nose: strong and dense nose dominated by tart black cherry with warm, moist leaves. Has a tolerable amount of oak for me--typically, I'm not a fan of anything more than noticeable amounts of oak in wines.
Taste: a full bodied red with corresponding medium to full mouth feel. Well-balanced for a young wine, again, with a tolerable amount of oak for me. Medium to long finish.
Overall: Young right now but already drinking well. Still holding together very well after approx 2 hours in the glass with secondary notes of vanilla on the nose. At the $20-$25 price point, I'd be foolish not to buy another bottle and hold it for a while to see how it evolves over time. IMO very good wine for the $ but for full disclosure I am a fan of Tempranillo.
90-92 points.
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My wife got me a nice Eisch decanter for my birthday and as an after thought a "final touch" aerator or a "flavor enhancer". I thank her for the decanter but said that the party gimmick will be returned for obvious reasons. However, my 2 year old son has other plans and torn apart the box. So I am stuck with the thing.
I have had a case of the 2001 vintage of this wine and several 2004. I have always detected a off color funky smell to it on first opening which mostly goes away after 1.5 hours detracting from the overall experience. Furthermore, I never quite understood the rave review of this wine. Well, I thought this would be a great test for this "flavor enhancer" to ameliorate the funky smell. OMG. This thing really works. A blast of dark cherry, blackberry. toasty oak, vanilla and pleasing subtle peppery aroma without a hint of the funky smell immediately satiated the senses. Afterwards, perhaps violet and even lavender made an appearance. Great acidity and balance. Firm tannin. Good length. I am not convinced if it is the "enhancer" that did the trick. Afterall, the new decanter (which is made from "breathable" glass) may have something to do with it. But wow. At least I am on the same page with RP and JM now. Outstanding.
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Modern-style Rioja with showing large amounts of sweet red fruit, some chocolate, and a bright finish (which keeps it from becoming too much). Not too woody, seemed fairly well integrated. Bigger and fatter than the 2001 was at this point.
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Way outclassed by the clos st jean 2005. Some funky smell that was typical of the 2001 that I had previously has emerged from this 2005 too. Not showing as well as the last bottle.
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Full body, dark ruby red, aromatic, red forest fruits, tobacco, species and smoky wood aroma, black currants, woody and mineral on the palate, juicy on finish, long finish, juicy, bold, rich, balanced, complex, tannic. Well associated with meat or fat white cheeses. Serve to 18º - 22º. Open at least one hour in advance. Very enjoyable now.
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Drank it with my cousins. Well, well. None of that funk that I detected on the case of 2001 I had a couple years ago. (well, maybe a little funk is still there) Chocolate, oak and dark cherry. Good food friendly acidity with cherry and plum finish. A much better wine than the 2001. A solid effort.
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I had this together with La Vicalanda 1999, Remelluri Reserva 2003, Solar de Samaniego 2001 and Vina Real 1996
I remember Muga as one of the famous Rioja producers which kept the classical style for their wines. The 2002 was still very light, bright and fruity. This one however is very dark, heavy, concentrated and strong (70 % Tempranillo, 20 % Granacha and Mazuelo / Graciano). Nothing of its former light gentleness is left. Of course this one is still much too young. The tannins are extremely strong. Doubtlessly a high quality, but unfortunately I miss the old style. I guess it is time to say good bye to classical Riojas.
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Bright cherry wine with medium intensity. Great aromatic nose, showing violets, wet heart under a rich blanket of vanilla, chocolate, delicate spiced wood and black cherry. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied, with bright acidity and firm, fine tannins. Not completely integrated as if yet, but with time, I sense this wine will relax and grow into its big britches. Nice minerality over a lattice of complex dark berry flavors. 4/5
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Deep blackish purple in color with a nose that shows dark cherry laced with smoke and anise hints. Light toasted notes mix with this as the palate shows cherry and fine tannins that are very structured. Medium acidity, and a rich dense profile make this a wine that falls into the good value category. 3.5/5
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7/21/2023 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
Still some unintegrated oak here but by the next day it's become silky and aromatic.
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4/24/2023 - Carib Likes this wine: 95 Points
What a treat! Tasted leather, dry cherry, dry plum. Tannins full resolved, like a velvet glove; great balance, structure etc.
This was a bottle at the top of its curve, don't wait - drink now.
Day 3: even better. But now the intense oak & vanilla from the barrel is showing almost at the same level as a typical, high end Napa Cabernet. Their web site highlights how they use their own barrels made from California and French oak. C'est en peu Parkerizé. No wonder Parker loved this wine. The question is, is this where we want Tempranillo to go? It may be moot, this bottle is nearly 20 yrs old, from a different time.
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4/9/2023 - FjordogFjell wrote: flawed
Til lammebog på stranda. Forsmak: Mørk rød farge. Forsiktig lukt. Som åpne litt oppmed krydder, nellik. Skarp rein smak og god syre. Lukket? 1 dag: fått et hint av kork i løpet av natten, svakt men forstyrrer litt. Ca 86p
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8/21/2022 - JAKE1 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still a strong violet color still has a decent amount of tannins so I probably could sit a little longer. This was a Wine Enthusiast wine of the year, number 65 it showed nicely with some beef dish (Waugh) It was very much enjoyed by an audience of friends and I’m sorry this is my only bottle
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5/4/2022 - short and confused wrote:
DVery good on day 1. Bordeaux-like nose. Red fruit, smoke, camphor. Supple dark red fruit in the mouth with some nice sweetness. Lost much of its energy on day 2. Pretty amazing value at $30. Not sure it is going to get better. I'll drink the remaining 3 botles soon.
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5/1/2022 - Wine Canuck wrote: 89 Points
Enjoyed this just a touch more than last time. This pours medium, almost dark ruby, with no bricking. The nose isn't super expressive but shows coffee grounds, dark cherry, cassis, overripe strawberry, and a whiff of alcohol. The palate definitely has some new oak astringency married to the lush dark fruit and medium plus acid. The finish replays some of the elevated alcohol. Overall the palate is a bit aggressive, even after all this age with the acid, tannin, and alcohol all a little aggressive here.
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8/8/2021 - mouton45 wrote: 92 Points
This wine drank beautifully tonight with grilled lamb loin chops. IMO it was fully mature but not close to being over the hill. The gradation the color was dark in the center and clear on the rim, which is expected in an almost 17-year-old Rioja. This has a Bordeaux tone to it, including a 35-second finish. Picked up flavors of cherries, blackberries and vanilla. There was more of a hint of oak rather than a full-throttle dollop. All in all, very nice accompaniment to lamb, and I look forward to seeing how the other half of the bottle tastes tomorrow with leftovers
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7/6/2021 - 559Cheers wrote: 91 Points
Nice Muga. Though I’ve had better bottles. This is a reserva and the other bottles were older gran reservas. Had open for three nights, and it’s picking up more acidity. First night, tasted the oak, now just zesty, tart juice. But It’s all still pleasant. I’m a loyal Muga fan, so it’s all good.
*Some Ume salted plums are coming out, perhaps it has to with the acidity. 5th or 6th night.
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3/31/2021 - RichardP wrote: 90 Points
Strawberry and earth on the nose. On the palate, cherry, currant, and blackberry with notes of vanilla, prune, and leather, with moderate tannins and strong acidity on the medium to long finish. This is classic Rioja, without the note of dill that shows up in some versions. It's early in its drinking window, with easily a decade or more to go; the Cellartracker drinking window is far too short. This was a very good value at under $40; at the $60 I see it for now it would be an average to good value.
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12/22/2020 - biggie Likes this wine: 94 Points
Leaf Day - PnP - still dark garnet out to a lighte garnet/crimson edge. Nose of damp earth, savoury herbs, light vanilla, some oak, red flowers, and both dark and red fruit (dark predominant). On the palate it first shows dark fruit, loam, dried herbs, and some red floral notes before the tannins clamp down. Yes, there’s still plenty of ripe tannin left in this one. However, it’s MUCH better than the last corked one (haha) and while it could still spend more time in the cellar to let the tannins soften, I suspect it will lose too much fruit. There’s still a good bit of acidity left as well making it excellent with tonight’s lightly seasoned beef-based meal. The finish is long and warming with dark fruit, herbs, sweet tobacco and some lovely sous bois lingering. Drink now and over the next couple of years I’d say for peak pleasure.
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11/22/2020 - BcDuncan Likes this wine: 89 Points
very smooth, rich, still good fruit
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11/7/2020 - Davidalan Likes this wine: 85 Points
Very dark and smooth. Earthy and hints of tobacco.
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9/18/2020 - Doblk Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opaque dark red. Charred meat and rosemary nose. Drinking really well. Black spicy Tempranillo fruit with lots of secondary notes. Well softened at this point. Everything you look for in a well made Rioja.
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7/27/2020 - biggie wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/28/2020 - iamandyc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark and rich with earthy and cigar tobacco notes. Nice acidity. Me like!
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5/30/2020 - Vizionista wrote:
Entered twice in error.
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5/18/2020 - cannym Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very solid still. Dark ruby. Black fruits, some dark cherry. Smoky meats. Tobacco. Plenty acidity. Still some solid tannins. Medium length. Excellent value. Going strong, no rush.
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4/24/2020 - rupertg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Black centre with a red rim and an orange hint. Very attractive aged nose, layers of fruit and forest floor. Beautifully balanced mouthful, tannins have mellowed but fruit is still there. Tannin hits at the front, but fruit lingers for minutes. At its peak. Classic gentle Rioja. Gentle, lingering, stonacco leaf and fruit. Well worth the wait. Excellent value. `consistently enjoyable.
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2/24/2020 - humagne wrote: 93 Points
In good shape. Spicy nose, nutmeg, pepper, mahogany. Good structure and length, some sweetness in the finish. Ready.
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8/15/2019 - efeldhake@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet and color with slight bricking edge. Nose of dark cherries, olives, and hint of earth. Tastes of dark cherries, leather, olives, and prunes. Excellent fruit for the age, nicely balanced and still some tannins that resolve after aeration. Probably picked, drink over the next 3 to 5 years.
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2/22/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Popped and poured out of the apartment cooler.
Wine is a deep crimson. Does not look at all like a wine that can now almost drive.
Rich nose that is almost Northern Rhone like. Beefy, olives, pepper, with a spicy undertone.
Palate matches nose. Lots of acidity. Tannins still surprisingly a little rough, but I suspect it just needs to open up a bit. Nice wine, not particularly magical.
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11/30/2018 - redhead6971 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Dark ruby red center with slight bricking on the rim. Cork was in good shape but I recommend prongs just in case. Nose was loaded with spices allspice being noticeable, dried meat, oak, currants, blackberries and raspberries core. On the palate dried black fruits laced with blackberries, black currants and smoke, lead pencil, dried mushroom and ash. A good solid 30 second finish follows. One of the stellar vintages of Rioja. Classic pairings include Paella (of course), Sunday Pot Roast, Mushroom Risotto, Chorizo Sauaage. Properly cellared wines will last until 2024.
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10/2/2018 - thalver wrote:
Nice showing, tannins are in the background, some development of tertiary flavors (not a lot) adequate structure to provide cut. I see no rush to drink up
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9/22/2018 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Interesting indeed. Bottle one had a poor cork, was a bit thin and acid dominated. Bottle two had a lovely cork, flexible and sound. Completely different. Plush dark fruits, full, on top of smoke, dried meats, spices. Lovely. So, score for bottle one, 85, for bottle two, 91. Be sure to get one with the good corks! Ridiculous situation really.
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9/1/2018 - IndyTom Likes this wine: 91 Points
Opened and let it breathe for about an hour. It was a bit tight upon opening, but it opened up nicely and became soft and smooth. Nice dark fruits. Quite luscious. Nice middle ground between old and new world styles.
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8/25/2018 - rupertg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Black centre, dull red rim, fine sediment at finish. At its peak two hours after opening. Appealing vanilla fruit nose, full in the mouth but finish is drying out. Blackcurrant and warmth linger for 50 secs. Very enjoyable. Drinkthe last two in the next two years.
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8/22/2018 - macaujames wrote: 89 Points
PnP 89. Has complex aromas of earth, leather, chalk, truffles, ham, blackberries, vanilla , coffee, raspberries and strawberries. Its medium bodied broadly shouldered four square yet spherical and chewy coffee and vanilla infused meaty black and red fruits palate has got zingy acidity and very good depth. Ends mediumish a bit tannic and very lip smacking. 14%. Aerate 3-4 hours. Drink up in the next 2-4 years.
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4/28/2018 - garambler Likes this wine: 91 Points
This had a fragrant, earthy bouquet of black cherry, raspberry, leather, tobacco, licorice, vanilla and spice aromas. The palate was elegant and dry with flavors of black cherry, raspberry, leather, licorice, vanilla and spice.
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4/26/2018 - cannym Likes this wine: 89 Points
Very dark ruby. Surprisingly primary still. Chunky black fruits. Bits of spices and meats in the background. Quite solid tannins and significant alcohol. Think this needs to be allowed a while longer but it is a serious wine which will still improve.
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3/7/2018 - acheng wrote: flawed
another cork bottle!
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3/7/2018 - acheng wrote: flawed
cork
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2/28/2018 - BornToRhone wrote: 90 Points
A bit heavier and more fruit forward with higher tannins than expected for a Rioja. Slight bitterness on the finish. Could possibly improve in about 5+ yrs but this was my last.
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11/29/2017 - rustyRudy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dark red. Cedar, and smoked meat with dark fruits on the nose. Tart cherries! Has subtle savory flavors that adds to the red fruit. There is leather and dried cherries on the long finish. These Reserva Muga's do age well. Drank with split pea soup and ham. Nice pairing.
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10/19/2017 - champ12oh Likes this wine: 90 Points
PnP. Another great showing. Fresh, silky, balanced, good fruit.
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10/1/2017 - blanquito wrote:
Tasted from 375... pretty, red fruited nose with just a touch of candied fruit, and oak notes that are integrating aromatically. The palate is much more marked by the oak, more so than I recall from prior bottles. The finish is dry with oak tannins. I remain hopeful for this improving down the line (and I have more in the cellar), but too woody for me to really enjoy right now.
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8/26/2017 - MarkLA wrote:
From 375ml: 4 years since last taste. Still concentrated, but not quite as dense or tannic (which is a good thing). Really great floral, sandalwood and savory notes accentuate the fruit. It should still be good in this format into the next decade.
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4/19/2017 - Sijan wrote: 84 Points
Woody nose, almost seemed corked. Fine on the palate, but a bit subdued. Past its prime.
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3/31/2017 - Oskiwawa wrote: flawed
corked
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3/11/2017 - macaujames wrote: 90 Points
Had a very bitty cork, had to double decant again. Was an 89 on day one. On day two filled out to a 90. Has fragrant aromas of earth, coffee, vanilla, blackberries, raspberries and strawberry hints. Its medium bodied powerful and masculine palate has got good fruit, nice oak and delineation on the plush middle. Ends longish, zingy and a little tannic. Needs 2-3 hrs decant. Would be excellent with pork fillet, or lamb fillet or goats cheese.
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1/28/2017 - rupertg Likes this wine: 90 Points
Delicious, easy drinking, turning plummy but still full and smooth.
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11/20/2016 - Lobonick Likes this wine: 92 Points
The challenge is waiting. Twelve years and many to go, but this was my last bottle. Nose is strong with red and black fruit, baking cocoa, an herbal note, black olives, and a deep earthy touch. Palate is dark in color and brooding in tone. There is texture from the tannins, nutmeg, and a deep emphasis on that umami-like earthiness. Finish is poised between earthy and bright, but is long. Love this wine.
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10/22/2016 - albrigsr wrote:
Beautiful and classic Rioja
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10/8/2016 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
Some what thin,short and crisp. Drink
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2/25/2016 - macaujames wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. A bitty cork so needed a double decant. Typical smokey earthy aromas of liquorice, graphite,vanilla, figs, blackberries, strawberries and mint. Its medium bodied quite powerful palate has got good density a nice fresh solid yet lush black and red fruits zingy palate feel, a plump middle with some oak and a medium long tangy finish with liquorice hints. After an hour fills out and is an 89 with more oak and a lengthening sweet and sour finish. After two hours is more complete and structured with oaky aromas and flavours and is a 90. Don't think this wlll improve.
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2/23/2016 - champ12oh Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blanquito nailed the tasting note. This would be fantastic with food. Crazy quality for the price.
Hey restaurants, this is the type of wine I want you to stash and for which I will pay. Stop with the Prisoner already.
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1/7/2016 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
From 375ml, purchased on release... This has come a long way since release and has now reached a highly drinkable state with the new oak integrated and the structure mostly resolved. The bouquet is expressive, smelling of roses, cherry reduction and some oaky vanilla. The palate is quite sweet with cherry liqueur, but there is plenty of acid to keep things in balance. The finish is still a bit coarse, with some drying oak tannins and a hint of heat. Still, well done overall, mouth filling without being heavy, sweet without being cloying, charming enough to drink on its own but with enough structure and acid to drink with dinner, with a foot in the traditional Rioja camp and the other in the internationalist one. Will hold and improve for a while still. 91-92 pts.
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12/8/2015 - rjpbath wrote: 88 Points
More impressive than likeable - a heavy true rioja but a bit short on charm. Decanted for 1.5 hours. Plenty of life left, so not a problem of age. Maybe even too young?
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12/1/2015 - Chainthroer wrote: 92 Points
Last tasted about 2.5 yrs ago. Quite similar to my notes of 7/8/13, except the wine is more mature. The tannins have abated. Paired nicely with Italian meat sauce and pasta. I like the wine better now.
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11/24/2015 - SexyEpicurean Likes this wine: 90 Points
Not at the end, by any means. Can probably go another 4-5 years at least. 2004 was a classic and stellar vintage. A close second to the spectacular 2001 vintage. Lovely fruit, lively acid, tasty lead pencil and smooth, silky, integrated composition keeps you sipping....and sipping. Nice dark core of tannin, as I well. I had with a Ribeye followed up with dark chocolate--all delicious. I'll try my last one in a couple of years as oak presence may be even more integrated by then, still a tad distracted by the vanilla overtone, but a beautiful wine.
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7/21/2015 - David J Cooper wrote: 88 Points
dark in the core but with clear edges. Nose of blackberries, leather and currant. Nice soft finish.
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5/23/2015 - texanoblues Likes this wine: 92 Points
Intense red/violet and clear in the glass. Black cherry, vanilla, anise, chocolate, and eucalyptus notes on the nose and palate. Intense and concentrated with mouth-watering acidity. Mild tannins. Appropriate alcohol. Still very young. Another excellent Muga!
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4/18/2015 - rupertg Likes this wine: 89 Points
Red rim, black centre. Nose muted. Smooth in the mouth, but a little bitter. Missing the fruit. Good with food, but missing the ripeness on its own. The tannin dominates the aftertaste, although strangely it is blackcurrant that lingers at the end. Could a few more years reverse that ?
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12/28/2014 - WilD wrote: 89 Points
Still a decant wine. Vivid, nice acidity. Some leather and earth. Nice wine.
On day two even better: 90 pts.
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10/24/2014 - Spyder14 Likes this wine:
Very good even the leftovers were nice a week later
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10/9/2014 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, brittle cork which broke during extraction. Decanted 30 minutes. Strong balsamic American oak aroma; oak persists on palate, with good sweetness, powerful acidity and mighty tannins. Excellent, if slightly wild and furry-tannic right now. Will hold and might even improve for 3-5 years. 89-90P
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9/14/2014 - Kentw wrote: 87 Points
Not as good as two years ago. Developed some real funk that doesn't easily blow away. Cork crumbled as others have noted which is a disappointment for storing a Reserva. Lots of funky mushroom, too much initially with very little fruit. After several hours some tannins and fruit present itself as well as some spice/acidity. Day two the funk is gone, still has strong mushroom taste with oak but fruit, spice and tannins are more balanced. It shows much better character. Rate an 84 day 1 - 88 day 2. The crianza has evolved to be much more approachable and tasty wine than the reserva.
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9/14/2014 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 91 Points
Some Spanish Wines on a Saturday afternoon (Some very old ones) (CB): Always a favorite of mine. This wine is in a good place right now. Certainly with life left before declining. Dark cherries, slight black olives, a bit of vanilla and a bit of dill. Nice texture. Medium tannins. Good cherry fruit. Layers of complexity. Nice finish.
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7/19/2014 - Napacablover wrote: 87 Points
Not a fan.
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7/17/2014 - The Bossman wrote:
Cork was dry and crumbly, wine was actually quite good. For my Tate, this is drinking very well. I'd say the one has a good year or two left.
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6/23/2014 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, good but slightly crumbly cork. Less generous than I remember it being 16 months ago, tonight this is a big, dry-tannic (thanks df1962 TN 05.04.2014: "black tea tannic grip" nails it) red-cherry Rioja which didn't budge much despite 2 hours in the decanter. If consuming with red meat, no problem. We had it with lightly sauced pasta = problem. 89P(?)
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5/15/2014 - blanquito wrote: 88 Points
Brooding, black color. Expressive bouquet of oak, anise, wood, black cherries, balsam, dill... verging on garish. The palate is more restrained, with excellent brightness, sweet'n'sour cherries (very tempranillo in profile), and a lithe mouthfeel, but there's still lots of oak imparting rough, drying tannins and vanilla flavors. A bit foursquare at the moment, but overall this is drinking well, wide open texturally and aromatically. Still, I would like to see if more time in the cellar helps it to develop more nuance and integrate all that wood. This could be really good, but why so much new oak? I ask myself that with Spanish wines a lot these days. 88-89 pts+?
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4/15/2014 - J2K wrote:
After my previous bottle in 2010, I thought 2 years would be enough time. Upon opening, still some stewed tomato stew, took about 3 hours to really blow off and open up. Then got some nice Tempranillo cherry flavors, still strong tannin and good acidity. Can drink now with plenty of air but prob better to wait.
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4/12/2014 - vendange Likes this wine: 91 Points
This bottle took 30 minutes or so to come around with lots of horsey notes at first. With a bit of air this became a compelling mix of roasted coffee/cocoa, toast, cooly medicinal mineral notes, and an underpinning of dark berry/cherry. Lots of tannins on the close, if they were a tiny bit less drying this would merit another point or two.
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4/5/2014 - df1962 wrote: 89 Points
Opened two hours before serving as part of 2004 Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva tasting.
Dark dense purple almost opaque with a garnet rim. Cherry licorice Goody's (Good and Plenty) on the nose. Medium weigh with a black tea tannic grip. Cherry plum leather and coffee flavours.
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3/22/2014 - rojoloco wrote: 92 Points
tannins well-integrated. Good right out of the bottle. Tasty tempranillo though it took several years to smooth out.
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2/21/2014 - SandNJ wrote:
- Ruby color with fast forming legs and aromas of dusty and has flavours of dusty and blackberry.
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2/21/2014 - SandNJ wrote:
- Flavours of blackberry and black pepper.
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1/26/2014 - brianakrin wrote: 89 Points
rich, somewhat tannic. angular, rustic but nice with food. D/H
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12/6/2013 - Vinomane wrote: 91 Points
Much cleaner, purer, and more accessible than the 2001. Unlike its older brother, a juicy-fruity with no signs of adolescent sulking, and a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. I wouldn't throw it up against goose, grouse or grass-fed beef, but perfect for pig, partridge, or pheasant.
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11/29/2013 - Atreyu wrote: 86 Points
still a bit too oaky but approaching nice red fruit maturity. Low tannin.
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11/24/2013 - millesime66 wrote: 86 Points
Très bon vin, certes, mais un peu trop réduit et boisé. C'est l'archétype du blockbuster qui plaît tant à plusieurs mais qui nous fait perdre la notion de cépage et de terroir.
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11/17/2013 - MarkLA wrote:
From 375ml: Upon opening, this wine is a deep red, opaque. The wine exhibits concentrated cherry & vanilla flavor as well as a marked presence of extended barrel aging. The wine is pretty tight, with plenty of structure. It's still quite tense for a 9 year-old wine, but not unexpected.
Day 2: A floral note becomes prominent on the nose, with sour black cherry & vanilla cream soda, plum skin, coconut and toasted almond. It is much more expansive on the palate, thoroughly coating the tongue. The tannins are more muted and the wine fans out on the finish. Drink now to 2020+ out of 375ml -- longer in larger formats. Last sips are the best. This wine will be better yet in a few more years. 91+ points.
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11/1/2013 - macliii Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wonderful bright acidity with some herbal notes and long finish. Went great with some spanish cheeses and stuffed Chicken Dinner with Cherry and Apple Stuffing.
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10/24/2013 - alexandersingh wrote: 90 Points
very dark ruby color. juicy cherries in the aroma, with notes of earth and black pepper. Young for a Reserva, and will do better with cellar time. Still, it's enjoyable now.
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10/21/2013 - vinniemontoni wrote: 92 Points
One of my favorite Riojas. 1 hr. decant. Black cherries on the nose with some spice. Medium palate. Cherries & currants on tge palate and well integrated oak. Tannins are integrated but could definitely go longer. Finish is smooth. & lengthy with a tobacco note. Score reflects another hour of decanting when the fruit started to come alive and balance it even more. Very nice. I have one more bottle that I'll probably lay down for two more years.
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10/19/2013 - dustbuddy Likes this wine: 90 Points
Black cherry amidst blankets of subtle spice and vanilla on the nose. More cherry on the palate with a hint of bitterness. The finish is long and elegant with well judged oak.
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9/28/2013 - pinoteer Likes this wine: 90 Points
I little Brett on the nose and palate, but it's not overpowering and adds a rustic component. Black cherry, vanilla, and black pepper flavors, with just the right amount of acidity and tannins. Mushrooms on the finish. This is a conservative 90, I think.
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9/27/2013 - rupertg wrote: 84 Points
Dark but clear red, pale rim. Medium weight, fruit going. Lovely oaked flavour, very enjoyable.
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9/17/2013 - rustyRudy wrote: 91 Points
Dark red,good cork
Mineral,leather and grilled beef on the nose
Tart blackberry and cherry with stones and pomegranate flavors.
Long finish.
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8/24/2013 - Wine Canuck wrote: 88 Points
Inky deep black/purple. No bricking. Nose of alcohol, plums, vanilla, dill, coconut. Palate is tannic, drying, with hints of sweet fruit and an alcoholic finish. Labels says 14%, but it comes across as quite noted. I hope this integrates over time, but now it is disjointed.
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8/24/2013 - SMagowan wrote:
No score. Popped and poured after a dinner out. Cork was all crumbly and I don't think we were in any shape to comment on the bottle due to previous "refreshments." Have vacuumed sealed it and will taste again in the next day or two.
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8/10/2013 - DTWOB Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted 30 hrs prior to serving. Deep crimson hues, bountiful nose of dark fruit and vanilla, velvet mouth feel with medium to light body, well integrated tannins, nice balance; flavors delivered with a great deal of finesse. Medium length finish. Exquisite!
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7/8/2013 - Chainthroer wrote: 91 Points
Dark garnet, with red maturing characteristics toward the edges. Aromas of cherry, earth, tobacco, spices and oak. Flavors of cherry, black currant, tobacco, cinnamon, spice and oak. The longer the wine is open, the oak becomes more vanillin-like on the nose.Tannins are not fully resolved, displaying a jolty acidic sting on the tongue. This acidic tongue sting abates though with food. Rich and fairly intense fruit in the mouth; some tartness. Good structure and acid. A soft medium finish (nothing acidic). A good pairing with roasted chicken, with sprinklings of herbs and spices. Then, an exceptional pairing with Pecorino Medoro Cheese from Sardinia. Score 91-92.
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4/14/2013 - Stirling Likes this wine: 90 Points
Medium red, slight fade at the rim. Raspberry, tobacco, and spices on the nose. The aromas follow through on to medium bodied palate. Fully mature, complex and tasty! Went very well with grilled pork.
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2/15/2013 - mwneil Likes this wine: 87 Points
I usually love this wine but I think it may be over the hill. I have 1 moe bottle to try. The fruit was disappearing in this bottle.
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2/13/2013 - honest bob wrote: 92 Points
From 75cl, excellent cork. Model Rioja Reserva balanced on a tightrope between traditional and modern styles. Fine oaky acidity; balsamic entry; silky smooth red-fruited medium-bodied mid-palate which reminds me most of a mature Brunello(?), vibrant, almost sparklingly acidic finish with furry but exquisitely ripe tannins. The most satisfying red wine I've tasted in a while, and a stellar value at 15,90 EUR retail. Perfect now with a 1-hour decant, but no hurry. 92P
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2/2/2013 - burgbob wrote: 90 Points
Fairly deep and concentrated, with some spice and deep fruit. Tails off a bit in the finish.
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1/19/2013 - Napacablover wrote: 89 Points
Ok for an everyday bottle.
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1/11/2013 - vsbastosx Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 1,5 hour.
Nice and complex on the nose...I've got lots of flowers, sour cherries, some cinnamon, oak, vanilla and mint. I don't get the aggressive and harsh tannins that other reviewers have described. At this moment, the tannins are refined and the wine is elegant and juicy. It was worthy to cellar it for some years. Really good! I don't think it's going to improve, so drink it now. 91+
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1/9/2013 - boodra wrote: 87 Points
Rioja made in the classical way. Sound cherry fruit, and drying oak tannins.
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1/9/2013 - kanjimoti wrote: 88 Points
I've been waiting a few years to open this and I must say I'm a little disappointed. The fruit here is a bit smudged on the nose and some heat comes through. I feel like the oak is a bit overdone but does add a nice clove aspect. Open 40 minutes now and the nose is coming together nicely, the fruit is more precise and shows the tell tale Rioja (for me anyway) orange skin aroma. What really brings this wine down is the steely, gritty, coarse tannins on the finish. I guess that makes this a food wine but i'm really looking forward to rinsing these tannins away with this Donnhoff kabinett. I won't comment on a drinking window here as this is from half bottle. Oh and hey Robert Goulet I agree with you on the overdone oak but this is the review for the 04, not the 01.
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11/10/2012 - MC wrote:
With an hour decant it showed dark fruits and solid body. Tannin still a little firm, so would give it a bit more time, but very nice wine. A-
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11/9/2012 - Too much practice. wrote: 88 Points
This is really very good. Much more style than the CVNE wines. One of the best I tasted. A star, and at £13, pretty much bang on the best value. Worth buying.
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10/26/2012 - WilD wrote: 90 Points
Still vivid and fresh. Nice acid and hints of oak. Decant it for 1 hour. Nice fresh Rioja.
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10/18/2012 - ACS Driffield wrote:
Very good indeed. Drinking well. Wish I had more.
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10/13/2012 - johnnyo wrote: 91 Points
Classic Rioja, lovely again.
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10/10/2012 - Yiannis wrote: 86 Points
My last bottle, and the first signs of overmaturity have started being evident. Medium to dark garnet in color with a nose of cherry, spice, tobacco alongside tertiary aromas of mushrooms, undergrowth and cabbage. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and nice acidity but the fruit is tired and fading. Long aftertaste. Drink up.
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9/30/2012 - davidga75 wrote:
Dark fruits and brown spice start out on the nose, then licorice and floral notes emerge with air....on the palate the wine is medium + bodied, smooth and ripe. On the finish the tannins and acidity show up, adding a nice backbone and reminding me that this wine still has plenty of life ahead of it. I would definitely call this a modern style Rioja, although that doesn't detract from its character....it's delicious and ripe right now, and will definitely hold up for 3 - 5 more years, maybe even developing more complexity in the process.
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9/29/2012 - rupertg wrote: 84 Points
Still dark, red rim. Huge berry nose. Smooth on the tongue although quite a dry finish. Pleasant toasted blackcurrant with a hint of cherry.
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9/2/2012 - mwneil wrote: 93 Points
Very good wine;nice bouquet; big wine that fills your mouth, good balance of tannin and fruit; enjoyed the bottle; not sure if wine is near its peak or if it has more to go since the tannins remain strong.
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8/21/2012 - Gilder53 wrote: 91 Points
Very intense. Needs more time yet but a real hanger.
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8/15/2012 - ParkHill wrote: 90 Points
Requires an hour or so to open, but remains a bit pinchy and bitter even at 23 hours. I'd say wait another couple years. Plenty of intensity in the flavors and a little acidic. The tannins are better, but still grippy. Alcohol feels high, which would be better if the fruit was deeper rather than tart. I still rate this pretty high.
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7/30/2012 - MarkLA wrote: 91 Points
From 375ml. Developing some enticing floral complexities. Still a bit grippy, but possesses good mid-palate concentration. On the cusp of entering its prime drinking window (from 375ml: drink 2013-2018).
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7/23/2012 - GARDEN wrote: 92 Points
Improved to 92 after some exposure to air
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6/27/2012 - rupertg wrote: 87 Points
Dark red, hint of purple. Instantly attractive fruity nose, blackcurrant on the palate and a lovely lingering oak and berry. Strong and enjoyable.
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5/16/2012 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 91 Points
Still a very promising wine, with rich abudant vanilla oak and dark fruits, mostly of blackberries and lush cassis. Really aging nicely, with a good softening of the tannins and a nice solid fruit backbone. Highly suggest holding off on drinking this wine if one has only one bottle, but sampling regularly if multiples are owned. It's got another 10 years in the tank, easily.
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4/18/2012 - Armando B wrote: 87 Points
Dark fruit. Good grip. Medium-to-full bodied. Very much like a good cru bourgeous bdx. A bit disappointed by lack of distinguishing characteristic.
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4/11/2012 - GARDEN wrote: 92 Points
91 on night one and 92 on night 2
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3/21/2012 - Kentw wrote: 90 Points
A very solid rioja. Avoided drinking this early and it is paying off well. Dark fruits, blackberry and currants, some dark chocolate, well integrated tannins, mild spice and good length on the finish. Very nice structure and balance.
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3/13/2012 - robnmo wrote: 89 Points
decanted for about 45 minutes. nose of Red fruit, oak, and a touch of leather. On the palate the wine is smooth, with medium tannins, and red fruit, with a touch of oak. nice bottle. Lots of sediment in bottle.
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2/19/2012 - rojoloco wrote: 91 Points
First of seveal bottles. Tannins are nicely integrated. Seemed to get a bit tart about an ahour and half in but then softened again. A year or two left but not much more based on this bottle. But nice flavors, went well with a mixed grill of pork and beef. Enjoyable wine. Drink up.
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2/17/2012 - thomaskeil wrote: 88 Points
Similar impression as last bottle, one year ago. PnP. Nicely balanced, medium/light weight cherry/vanilla, earth. A little soft.
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2/9/2012 - cgrohman wrote: 95 Points
Really aged well. Dark tanins and supple black fruit. Great value wine.
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2/6/2012 - PourSomeRed wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Nice nose. Great balance and finish. Drinking very well.
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12/28/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 91 Points
One of the best bottles of this wine I have opened to date. Dark ruby/garnet. Attractive aromas of black cherry, red and darker berries, sweet spice and plums. Med+ bodied, soft, round and perfectly balanced. Long aftertaste. One more bottle left.
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10/23/2011 - jaejsvv wrote:
ok. not great. I have had better temps at a lower price.
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10/4/2011 - Olderbhoy wrote: 88 Points
Deep, dark red with no ageing. Dark fruit nose with hints of liquorice an dmint. Those hints are on the palate too once it warms and is given time. Lovely fruity mouthful with subdued oak.
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10/3/2011 - MC wrote:
almost ready, but needs another year. A-
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9/24/2011 - bons vinhos wrote: 85 Points
Dusty...boring and the alcohol was completely awful...won't buy again...
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9/19/2011 - Lessthanzero wrote:
As before. Still tannic, could last, but won't in my cellar...
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9/11/2011 - vijayk416 wrote: 90 Points
This is still very much a baby. Give it another 2-3 years. 90+
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9/6/2011 - northbridge wrote: 93 Points
Just what I have in mind for a modern Rioja. Enough of the dusty character I expect and look for without being dry or astringent. Textbook Rioja with more years of improvement ahead. I tasted lead pencil, tea and pain grille. If drinking now decant and give it 30-40 minutes of air.
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8/31/2011 - Guisteagall wrote: 90 Points
Orange peel, medium tannin, fruity, chocolate. Opens up after 30 minutes. Great body.
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8/7/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 90 Points
Much better this time. Dark cherry, blackberries, cassis and home-made sour-cherry jam with hints of sweet spice on the nose. Signs of evolution, but the fruit remains fresh. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins and balancing acidity. Long. Drinking very well right now.
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8/6/2011 - ELH wrote: 90 Points
Earthy and dark fruity. Much better than previous bottle. Interesting Rioja blend: Tempranillo (70%), Garnacha (20%), Graciano and Mazuelo (10%). Decanted in the glass for half hour. Drinking well now. Not world class complexity, but good QPR.
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7/29/2011 - rupertg wrote: 83 Points
Still dark, sediment well formed. Good fruit initially, but quite stalky and bitter at the end.
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7/26/2011 - frielander wrote:
Took down to wedding weekend in Hood River
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7/17/2011 - Vino Me wrote: 90 Points
This bottle was a gift. Opened this bottle in Michigan with NY strips, grilled sweet candy onions, stir fried green beans, peaches and cream sweet corn and hash brown baby new potatoes on the grill. Bought all the veggies at the farmers market from local producers and they were great. This was the 3rd different vintage of this wine which I've had and was the best. I scored both the 1997 and 2000 vintages of this wine 88 points. This wine was a nice match with the meal and was drinking fine. Served slightly too warm at first but it warmed in the glass. Notes of kirsch, black currant and an underlying earthiness. Medium to full bodied. 90 points.
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7/10/2011 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. Plum fruit with some spice and earth. Very nice dark fruit flavours and a tannic finish. I'm not sure this is an ager. I could be wrong because everything is here, just a hunch.
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7/3/2011 - PSPatrick wrote: 88 Points
Half-bottle, consumed over two days. The nose was sweet and vegetal, with dark fruits, citrus peel, leather, tobacco, sweat, mint, melissa and gingerbread. On the palate the full-bodied wine showed aggressive tannins, with sweet dark fruits emerging after two hours (marked by intense plum and fig flavours), some red fruits, sour cherries, tobacco and chocolate. The wine was all about power and lacked balance. It seemed though that the wine has a long live ahead and might turn out nice once matured.
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6/12/2011 - df1962 wrote: 91 Points
PnD let air for 1.5hrs. Dark purple almost saturated with a plum edge. Cassis leather tobacco cedar and shoe polish aromas. Medium weight with integrated polished but not too polished tannins. Bright cherry cassis and blackberry flavors then leather tobacco earth blood and coffee. Long red fruit finish. Great balance. Delicicous with a grilled rib eye. Got better with each glass as it was consumed over several hours.
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6/5/2011 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. No fruit some oak and lots of tannin. Damaged I think.
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3/27/2011 - garambler wrote: 92 Points
We had this at a friends house with Fabada Asturiana on 3/27/11. It had a terrific, classic bouquet of cherry, raspberry, licorice, spice, vanilla, toast and tobacco aromas. The palate was elegant, fruity and delicious with flavors that followed the nose. 91+
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3/20/2011 - Martin Redmond Likes this wine: 89 Points
Garnet colored with very slight bricking on meniscus. Nose offers cherry, gunpowder, and floral notes. On the palate, I found this to be medium-bodied and balanced, and dominated by cherry flavor, with hints of spice. Long finish. Drank this over a couple of hours after not decanting, it opened up nicely, but recommend decanting.
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2/28/2011 - njg6gs wrote: 88 Points
Nice complexity but unbalanced, dominate acidity. Little bit hot on palate and heady even though only 14% avl.
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2/28/2011 - Yiannis wrote: 80 Points
I guess this wine is undergoing a dumb phase. Very restrained on the nose with weak red berry fruit and lactic notes. Mid-bodied, almost fruitless with harsh tannins and high, unconnected acidity.
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2/26/2011 - thalver wrote: 90 Points
I am not sure I experienced the same wine as many of the notes here. Quite tight on opening. Decanted and became more expressive after about 40 minutes. It was full to medium bodied, dark, but by no means black, with only a hint of bricking at the rim. blood, meat and a hint of dried fruits on the nose. The same on the palate, with underlying minerality. mediumish finish. Sufficient tannins to go longer.
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2/22/2011 - cliffkol wrote:
minimal nose very acidic. over the hill already?
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1/28/2011 - thomaskeil wrote: 88 Points
PnP. First shot at the '04. Nose is dark berry and vanilla/oak driven. Lacks the charm of the '01, but my notes on those showed that it took some time integrate and open. Palate showed ample red fruit, nice acidity and some lightly grippy tannins. Very little complexity or finesse. Texture was a little soft and 'new-world' to me. Plan to hold, but not sure if it will improve (but low risk at the price).
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1/26/2011 - cabdrinker wrote:
Very Good +
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1/23/2011 - Oskiwawa wrote: 89 Points
splash decanted and then drank over a couple hours. Improved over the last bottle which was opened 18 months ago. Will wait a couple more years for the next one. Tannins beginning to settle out. Plenty of fruit and depth to cellar for at least 5 more years
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1/15/2011 - macker100 wrote: 91 Points
Deep brick red color. A strong bouquet of ripe strawberries, dried fruit, anise, and a hint of tea. Silky texture on palate with sour dried red cherries, licorice, oak, and tobacco. Great fine, smooth tannins with terrific depth of flavor. Sweet raspberries on an earthy finish with moderate acidity. This should improve with age as well. A well refined Rioja.
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12/30/2010 - Armando B wrote: 88 Points
Solid performance. Dark fruit with very nice leather notes. Very good balance. Not particulary complex or noteworthy, but I expect the great majority of folks would enjoy this wine.
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12/21/2010 - cliffkol wrote: 90 Points
Still chugging along as a very good, reliable Rioja. Mellowing and integrating with age. Excellent with BBQ ribs with dry rub tonight.
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12/20/2010 - John Nezlek wrote: 88 Points
I do not have much experience drinking Rioja, so I came to his bottle without clear expectations. Good solid bottle of wine. Dry without being astringent. The fruit was not that prominent (don't know if it should be), but overall the wine was fairly well-balanced. I did not catch any vanilla flavors or the like.
It benefited considerably from breathing (about an hour or so), as it was pretty sharp upon opening. I have two more, and reading the other TNS more carefully, I think I will let them rest for a while.
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12/19/2010 - ELH wrote: 88 Points
Slightly sharp and tight on opening, but it settled down. All in all, a restrained wine, not bursting in character and personality. Needs more bottle age?
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12/5/2010 - Lessthanzero wrote: 90 Points
Nice, classic Rioja. Dark purple-red colour. Leather, sour cherry and oak. Fairly tight still and a little demanding of the drinker. Nice to have a little more going on than the CA stuff.
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12/5/2010 - stevief10 wrote: 88 Points
Textbook Rioja. Well balanced with good length. Maybe lacking a bit of depth but everything is in place with this wine. Maybe slightly heavy on the vanilla/oak.
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11/23/2010 - spotfin wrote: 85 Points
Good simple Rioja.
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11/16/2010 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 90 Points
Drank this over three nights, but it was at its best the first night which surprised me. Lots of cherries and dark cherries. Some tannins. I think this is in a tweener phase right now and probably should not be opened. Its balanced, but the fruit is not as prominent as it was. Still, its very good.
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11/16/2010 - lolo66 wrote: 92 Points
the color is purple-red, clear and full. the nose is explosive. This is its best quality by far. cherries, sour, baked and some exotic spices thrown in, really lovely. the taste is dry and tannins make it mouth puckering. fruit is there, nice but a bit out of balance. oak is prevalant as well. this is always a qaulity product. well made, consistent, and has been my go to house wine for years running
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11/16/2010 - ParkHill wrote: 90 Points
Much better than my first bottle a couple years ago. More complex while remaining fruity with some tannins. 2nd day was still good.
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11/6/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Dark red. After an hour in the decanter this was just not ready to go. We drank it with our dinner but it never showed too much. Kind of simple. The previous bottle was excellent so this one needs more time or a 4 hour decant.
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10/29/2010 - WilD wrote: 89 Points
Vanilla, bright acid, smooth tannins. Reminds me of baron de ley. Nice rioja.
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10/3/2010 - johnnyo wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 90 minutes; Lovely Rioja with ripe black cherry, spice and cedar and beautiful old world earthiness. Good QPR
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9/10/2010 - pbjosh wrote:
Great nose with blood, iron, dark fruits, baked earth, spices/sandalwood/cedar. A little thin in the middle and a moderate finish. Excellent old school Rioja and an excellent value. Feels like it's just starting to get into it's window and should improve for several years at least still.
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9/4/2010 - J2K wrote:
Still very dry and tight even after 2 hours open. This wine has promise but still simply needs more cellar time. There is some nice red fruit , cold tea, and earthiness flavors just hidden behind the strong tannins and acidity. I drank my first bottle 2 years ago an was hoping it was ready. I'll wait two more years for my next bottle.
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8/12/2010 - vintage61 wrote: 91 Points
Brought to Susan's for Rib Eyes with Norman on a Hannah visit. My first, and probably last shot at this one, as it is my only bottle. It is a beauty. Deep, Daek purple to the rim. Bursting with dark red fruit and spice, both on the nose and palate. Great match with choice rib eyes. Excellent balance and structure. Maybe just a tiouch young, should be good for at least 5 or more years. Wish I had more.
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7/22/2010 - GregGH wrote: 91 Points
takes a few minutes to open up and get so smooth --that the bottle just disappears ( who me - I drank that much ?? )
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7/21/2010 - jamesmenendez wrote: 87 Points
Still a bit tannic and hot on the finish...hoping this will improve in another couple of years.
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7/8/2010 - David J Cooper wrote:
Deep red almost black. Very tight but intense nose bof black fruit, spice and a little oak. Really concentrated dark fruit and vanilla flavours. Very grippy tannins and lots of them. Dry finish. This needs 5 years just to start with, and should improve for a very long time. Excellent to Outstanding, and this is one of their lesser wines.
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7/5/2010 - Haggis wrote: 91 Points
Similar notes to those I posted a couple of months ago (5/9/2010). Damn nice wine. I wish I had more of this.
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5/15/2010 - BGage41 wrote:
Dark, Fruity, Big. Didn't care for it.
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5/9/2010 - Haggis wrote: 91 Points
Decanted 2 hrs, which maybe was not long enough, as the wine improved considerably over another 2 hrs. Cherry,mocha, cedar, pencil lead/minerality are dominant, along with refreshing acidity. Very nicely structured.
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4/19/2010 - Eugene wrote: 89 Points
The wine is still very young.
It opened up to some extent after I poured it through Venturi.
Typical Muga nose of dark and red fruit, toasted oak, coffee and some tobacco.
Smooth, good acidity, good fruit but still a bit rough with biting tannins.
Needs more bottle time.
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4/4/2010 - gigabit wrote: 90 Points
This wine is in a good place, but I believe that it will improve with some additional cellaring. It shows red fruits, spice, some oak, medium acidity, and moderate tannins.
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3/29/2010 - depdoc wrote: 90 Points
Needed an hour or so to open up to get the dark fruit aroma and to begin to smoothe the tannins.
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3/24/2010 - Snookboy wrote: 89 Points
After a one hour decant, still quite closed and tight. Aromas of leather, mushrooms and sour cherries. Bright fore palate with a short clean finish.
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3/19/2010 - Mr.Overhill wrote: 89 Points
Not the bottle I was expecting - a tart and restrained wine, with a nose that never opened up that much on day one. Most vexsome issue was the midpalate and the finish - both were much dimished from previous bottles of same vintage. Maybe there's some bottle variation here? Others suggested a drink window of 10+ years, this one was more like 2-3. Simply weird. Oh weel, still two more left, hopefully they will be more like the prior bottles. Positive note, on day three the tartness had softened somewhat, which got the wine to the final score. Maybe a two hour or more decant is still warranted with this bottling?
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3/3/2010 - cliffkol wrote: 90 Points
Fruity, very fragrant nose. Forward flavors of red berries. Highly acidic, hot on the palate. Will this reduce with age? With the acidicy and tannins, this is a good wine with food. Luscious long finish.
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2/8/2010 - RobertDwyer wrote: 87 Points
A good enough wine but somehow non-luscious if that makes sense.
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1/23/2010 - SadEdjo wrote: 89 Points
Vanilla, sour cherry & celery minerally finish. crisp acidity. Outstanding traditionally style Rioja.
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1/19/2010 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
This is a good bottle. Dark, cherry, vanilla, and oak. Ripe and full body. Resolving tannin. Hint of cinnamon stick finish.
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1/16/2010 - SpiSan wrote: flawed
Such a shame. I had a 2005 at a friend's (it was purchased at the same store on the same day) and it was just fine.
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1/3/2010 - cartime wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. Dark ruby. Cassis, pepper on the nose. Cassis and cherries on the palate which is otherwise dominated by drying tannins and a touch too much heat. Good acidity, though, which leads me to believe this will be better balanced in a couple years. 90+
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12/27/2009 - CarTer wrote: 90 Points
Muito bom vinho. Tomamos no Natal, com a família da Carol. Madeira presente, vinho macio, muito fácil de tomar, um bom exemplar do velho Mundo.
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12/24/2009 - yeti575rider wrote: 90 Points
Nice Rioja - would buy again. Pencil shavings, flowery on the nose. Lots of sour black cherry flavor with a hint of minerality.
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12/20/2009 - Matt T wrote: 88 Points
Smooth with cherry and mint notes. Not showing quite as much as it was 9 months ago.
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12/5/2009 - mimik wrote: 90 Points
Nose of cherries, coffee, cedar and a bit of hickory. Nice vibrant acidity on the palate with some grainy tannins but still showing lots of structure. The acidity refreshes your taste buds and it is a definite food wine but it very satisfying on its own. Long tannic cedary finish. 90+ for now but definitely will improve over the next couple of years. Pleasure factor 92 points.
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11/30/2009 - cliffkol wrote: 90 Points
enticing nose, long finish, floral, citrus flavors. Nice wine. Hoping it will improve with age.
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11/23/2009 - monkeylug wrote: 90 Points
Nice Spanish wine. Has age, but doesn't show much on it. A nice fruit-filled wine that could use even more years, although is very drinkable right now.
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11/22/2009 - Morten Kiernan wrote: 89 Points
first day still too much acidity, 2nd day much improved, with more meaty and earth tones more predominant. Good fruit as well.. Still too young in my view.
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11/15/2009 - larsrog wrote: 88 Points
Dark purple. Oak and spices on the nose. Full bodied and intense. Long and balanced. Dark berries, tobacco and vanilla.
Typical and, in my opinion, a very good rioja. Quite oaked of course, but well integrated. Should improve for several years.
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11/7/2009 - Benj wrote:
Bristol Wine Company Winter In Store Wine Tasting (Bristol Wine Company, Victoria Street, Bristol): Very smooth, silky mouthfeel. Pretty typical Rioja otherwise. Very good, but overpriced. £15.95
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10/7/2009 - tantotinto wrote: 90 Points
Served at 59 degrees without decanting. Dark red color. Aroma of ripe, red fruit and spice. Flavor is blackberry with a touch of graphite. The tannins are nicely integrated. This is a very good wine that is drinking well. We served it with a pot roast and the match was superb.
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9/22/2009 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
Tart fruit, big oak presence. Per previous notes
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9/7/2009 - chapel hill wino wrote:
drank over two days. enjoyable but nothing special. DRINK or HOLD
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9/2/2009 - gigabit wrote: 89 Points
Plum, sweet tobacco, and earth on the nose; dark cherry and minerality on the palate; nice weight; plenty of acidity; 30+ second finish; definitely needs time, but a nice wine with food right now.
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8/30/2009 - andtheodor wrote: 89 Points
Complex nose with plum, cherry, spicy earth, and leathery notes on top of a considerable oak contribution. I didn't like this bottle as much as the last - the tannins were formidable and it took a pairing with washed rind muenster to tame them.
Tart cranberry acidity matches the dusty oaky leather and heavier fruit. Did I mention the oak? I think this wine will benefit from another 5 years of patience but it drinks beautifully now, given a little air.
On sale @ $20.99 makes this a good buy, 89+ pts.
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8/29/2009 - nschmidt wrote: 90 Points
Drank with the Kushner's at Ole. We all could not believe the strong smell of butter on the nose. A little butter on the palate. Smooth and enjoyable none the less.
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8/19/2009 - Charlesaf3 wrote: 87 Points
Decent, unspectacular rioja. Not up to the much cheaper Legaris. Probably not worth buying again.
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8/15/2009 - Philly-O wrote: 88 Points
fairly new to this region. well balanced. Smoothe finish, unspectacular nose however, well structured for this qpr.
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7/26/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 93 Points
Much different experience than the last bottle. Complex nose of graphite, fresh earth and cassis. Very smooth entry, with a long finish. Must be bottle variation because this wine was much different than the last bottle.
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7/11/2009 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
Great color, ominously dark with a stunning nose of cooked prunes, graphite, black berries, plus a bit of hard to identify 'funk'.
Oak-heavy at first, this bottle settled down on the second day into a marvelously balanced Rioja. Great big spicy Tempranillo character but fruit and depth supplied by what I assume to be Grenache. Layers of black fruits, leather, a touch of tobacco, grippy tannins and a funk that I love. The backbone to stand up to meat dishes yet the elegance to be drunk alone. I wish the acclaim hadn't driven it's price up to the $25+ range though.
90 pts, would buy it by the case for $20 or less.
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7/10/2009 - dirtyharry wrote: 92 Points
Deep, rich color w/stewed plums & black fruits on the nose. Nice mouthfeel w/smooth finish. Very balanced
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6/28/2009 - Matt T wrote: 89 Points
Good structure. A bit tannic. I think this should sleep for a little while longer. On the third day this was much improved. The dusty and raspberry flavors took a frontseat and the tannins faded a bit, but still had not quite disappeared. I would decant for at least 6 or more hours before drinking or wait.
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6/22/2009 - BillyT wrote: 90 Points
Don't remember much except it drank VERY smooth and well balanced.
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6/21/2009 - bubbachumps wrote: 89 Points
Notes of dark fruits on the nose and a little funk. Smooth entry. Very enjoyable.
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6/17/2009 - Kevdog wrote: 87 Points
traditional Rioja...good with food, nothing special -decanted<hour, only opened up at end of bottle so may have been better decanted longer
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5/23/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 89 Points
Liked this a bit less than previous bottles, but still gets the job done - old world flavors, with a bit more spice this time than previous bottles, but felt a bit thinner or flatter in flavor overall.
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5/14/2009 - gwkozar wrote: 88 Points
modern style, opened up after 1 hour, typical
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5/8/2009 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
Tom Ricks is spot on. Lots of wood initially. Wonderful wine. Hints of true beauty. Best with food, but that's a given - it's a traditional Rioja. Noticed a little cumin powder in the nose in the middle of the night.
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5/8/2009 - Nacnud wrote:
The real deal. Great marriage between old and new school. Lives up to its reputation.
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4/22/2009 - Tom Ricks wrote:
At first the wine is closed with tastes of oak dominating and the acidity out of balance. Two hours of decanting revealed softer fruits on the palate of cherry, raspberry and blackberry. Finish is still oak but it doesn't dominate like it did after the pop and pour. Suggest 3 hours of decanting or several years of cellaring. Should produce and please given enough time.
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4/18/2009 - manonthemoon wrote: 87 Points
Notes from day 2. Nice dark red color. On the nose there is black cherry, plum, a hint of cinnamon, and lots of tobacoa. On the palate there is black cherry, low quality tobacoa, a little minerality, dirty earth flavor towards the back everything is sort of sour. There is good balance with this old world style rioja and I would think it would go better with food, but not really my type of wine. Seemed tightHold 50+5+12+12+8
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4/18/2009 - DHJ1968 wrote:
Best on day 2; black fruits, licorice and minerals; oak is already well integrated; juicy acidity and big time tannins; will be a very nice Muga reserva in a few years.
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4/17/2009 - dirtyharry wrote: 89 Points
Closed, never really opened up after decanting. Still excellent, but not as good as previous bottles
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4/12/2009 - FjordogFjell wrote: 89 Points
Til Lammelår og skokk. Forsmak på spisebordet: Bjørnebær fin balansert avsluttning. Til maten: Har hatt godt av 3 timer i åpen flaske. Masse spennende smak, relativt balansert, men fremsto som litt voldsom sammenlignet med broderens Margaux. 1 dag i flaske: Søt lukt, bjørkeløv og marshmallows. Svært spennende lukt og fast smak. Burde vært drukket mellom i går og i dag. Det blir spennende å smake denne om noen år.
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4/9/2009 - Villon wrote: 88 Points
Bon, encore jeune, amertume prononcée, mais assez équilibré avec un boisé intégré.
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4/1/2009 - ccn wrote: 82 Points
Quite disappointing -- thin and somewhat sour. We ended up cooking with 2 of the 3 bottles as we really disliked it.
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3/28/2009 - ludwigbpm wrote: 87 Points
L'astringence est plus marquée que la bouteille précédente. Correct mais un peu asséchant.
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3/16/2009 - djdaqm wrote: 87 Points
Popped and poured. Crimson red color. On the noise, the wine is a bit shy with aromas of oak. On the palette flavors of white pepper and bitter fruits / green. Decent concentration, but rather disappointing taste. A bit closed at the moment and not well integrated. Persistent tannins present. If drinking now, it needs decanting.
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3/9/2009 - fdiaz wrote:
I have loved this wine the past 2-3 times I had it but today felt it was so so closed. Not much on nose but some plum and blackcurrant. Nice acidity and firm tannins with a somewhat woody finish. Some red fruit on palate. After about 2 1/2 hrs some more fruit aromas like blueberry and a hint of oxidized finish?
Maybe it is entering a dumb phase but I clearly enjoyed this wine much more in the past. Because of the nice structure and price, should keep a bottle for a few years and try again.
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3/8/2009 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
Consistent notes. Needs decanter for the aroma to emerge and sediments. Vanilla, plum and spice. Juicy acidity. Still excellent.
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3/8/2009 - Matt T wrote: 88 Points
Medium bodied. Nice fruit and a bit of dust on the finish.
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3/8/2009 - LPskeleton wrote: 87 Points
Sweet aromatics with leather and meat tones. Soft and simple on the palate with a bloody iron element. Good structure.
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3/2/2009 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
Tasted double blind. Oxidative note on the nose blew off. Ripe fruit and slight earth. Thought it was cab or merlot blend from the U.S., or even a new world bdx. Nice, and drinking well. 91+
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2/27/2009 - depdoc wrote: 87 Points
rather bland-perhaps too young
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2/18/2009 - Matt T wrote: 91 Points
This is a very smooth and pleasing glass of wine. Medium-bodied with lots of cocoa and spice and a great lingering finish.
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2/8/2009 - Colia wrote: 86 Points
lots of pepper and spice
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2/6/2009 - Tejano wrote:
Dark red color and a firm nose of ripe dark fruit, some wandering spice and a touch of pepper, with a little chocolate underneath. Almost a "bam" on the entry which did settle with time, as did the whole palate structure which did stay firm with a tight grip at mid palate...with abundant fruit...strong edge that did loosen a bit. This needs some time to develop after opening. Went well with a variety of grilled meats and sausages...actually perfect pairing for the rich grilled meats.
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2/5/2009 - lumpyelbow wrote: 87 Points
not as good as I remember
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2/3/2009 - jivey wrote: 92 Points
Clean, coffe and red fruit, strawberry, plum nice tannins.
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2/3/2009 - dirtyharry wrote: 88 Points
Very good, a Rioja "light" as compared to other reservas. Lots of black cherry. Maybe my other botttles will show the Top 100 rating by WS.
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2/2/2009 - bmarshall wrote: 89 Points
Very solid, well made wine for sure. Tons of dark fruit, smoke and spice on the nose and full bodied palate. Just a little one dimensional to give it a 90.
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1/29/2009 - pgm wrote: 88 Points
Not bad if you're after a classic, foursquare Rioja with old world style. Because J. appreciates that, she liked this more than me. I thought it was a good wine, with plum and prune, tobacco leaf, and forest notes, but I, like others found the flavors to be leaning too much toward the green and tart side. Does not seem to be the same wine reviewed by IWC, WS, or WA.
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1/29/2009 - Kirk Grant wrote: 88 Points
Showing a deep plum at the core with a light rim of clarity at the edge this wine struts in all the power and glory of it's youth. On the nose it's vanilla, oak, kettle corn, and a faint hint of prunes. In the mouth there is nice structure, acidity, medium plus tannins and a lingering purity of fruit as flavors of black berries, blueberries, and spice. Now the oak is so dominant that it reminds me of a teenage girl who just found "mommy's make up" and put too much on. Maybe, hopefully...with time in the bottle this will find some balance. However, right now...it's just a bit too much for me.
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1/25/2009 - twoamps wrote: 90 Points
nice medium weight red. Great with food. Just a hint of that old-world mineral-iness that I don’t care for, but mostly fruit oak and tannins as it should be. Great wine for the money.
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1/21/2009 - vivaitalia wrote: 86 Points
Even Tanzer scored this wine well and he's a tough critic. I don't know what the hell any of them were thinking when they all scored this one 90+. Maybe it was stellar young and just died off. Right now there's hardly a nose to speak of. It's bitter on the palate with veggies galore and a generic tart berry flavor. The finish is very short and unpleasant. It's probably not as bad as i'm making it out to be I was just expecting so much more.
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1/7/2009 - mcease wrote: 84 Points
I did not give this a high rating because it is not really my style. Nose cherry, damp wood, mint/alcohol, nose has a "freshness to it". Dark smokey cherries are very prominent, also taste damp wood/cigar box. Very tart cherry finish. The finish was too tart for my taste but I also had this without food, so it may be better suited with food.
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1/2/2009 - jmoskow wrote: 85 Points
Definite smoke with dark cherries. A bit of a quick finish but the nose and taste are solid.
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1/2/2009 - mjhaakers wrote: 91 Points
The real deal of a smooth wine.
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1/2/2009 - Hazeo wrote: 87 Points
From a half bottle. I like the smoky dark cherries but it has a slightly vegetal component and a tad bitter. Finish is rather short. Good mouth-coating feel and richness to the wine though.
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1/1/2009 - Maestro wrote: 89 Points
After aeration you get black cherries, dark chocolate and vanilla on the nose and a rich and balanced palate. The finish is a bit short and the wine seems to lack a bit of magic. It drinks well now and it is a respectable effort, but it has too much new oak (vanilla, coconut, toast) and it falls short of being outstanding. Drink from now until 2012.
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12/26/2008 - matt2brad wrote: 90 Points
deep red, dark cherry, mint and citrus, even tannins and smooth finish - sorry I only had the half bottle.
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12/22/2008 - MJTed wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful wine that is good to go now. Dark cherry fruit with mont/herbal notes. Silky smooth mouthfell but plenty of stuffing on the finish. Great value.
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12/20/2008 - acheng wrote: 90 Points
Similar notes. Again needs about 30min to 1hour of airing for the proper flavor profile to build.
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12/17/2008 - incident wrote: 89 Points
Clear, medium garnet. Clean medium intensity aromas of cherry, wood, earth, blackberry. Medium-plus acidity, medium tannin, medium body. Flavors match aromas with more cherry, and berry fruit. Earthy finish that lingers with red fruit. Nice wine.
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12/14/2008 - eeeeeradicator wrote: 92 Points
Robust nose. Full of black cherry and herbs, with a creamy texture, a cigar note, and a hint of coffee. Would be a great wine if it weren't just a little short on the finish. I disagree with the 2009 start to the drinking window, this is ready now and won't benefit from decanting.
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12/12/2008 - ludwigbpm wrote: 88 Points
Belle matière pour le prix, malgré une charge en boisé trop présente. Beau vin torréfié et chocolaté.
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12/6/2008 - Yiannis wrote: 92 Points
Purple. Elegant aromas of red and dark fruits, coffee and spices. Mid bodied with strong but nice tannins and high acidity around the rich fruit core. A complex and balanced wine. Long finish. Enjoyable now, will gain ifurther in complexity and harmony after 2-3 years of cellaring. Excellent value.
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12/4/2008 - ikkaariainen wrote: 89 Points
Very very good rioja had at the monthly wine tasting at the Hickory Wine Shoppe earlier tonight with Kim and good friend neighborbill. Excellent QPR at this price point and highly recommend this wine. Subtle nose which really opened up expressively in the glass with aeration thus this wine would probably significantly benefit from decanting. Great mouth feel, very well balanced and no off tones. Strong dark stone fruit flavors balanced by tobacco, coffee and leather.
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12/3/2008 - joefouche wrote: 90 Points
Juicy red fruit on the nose. Balanced attack with earth and peppery notes. Bit of a quick, sour finish. Still, quite good and relatively cheap. Some tannins in there but nothing wild.
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11/30/2008 - ColinR wrote: 91 Points
Deep crimson; tar, herbs, black cherries, cedar; dried cherry, smokey, medium-full body, good balance, firm tannins, lingering finish.
Decanted 4 hrs. Intense tarry/herbal/smokey nose jumped out of the glass and revealed juicy cherry flavour with tannic grip. Young but delicious with t-bone. Excellent value!
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11/29/2008 - tsmathiesen wrote: 90 Points
Dark color, berries in the nose, cherries in the taste as well as a touch of smokiness. Benefits from an hour's time in the decanter to balance. Medium to medium-plus body. Will continue to improve in the near term, looking forward to that.
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11/29/2008 - Grape_ape wrote: 89 Points
Decanted through a vinturri. Dark ruby to almost purple color, cherry and cedar nose. Lots of tart cherry, some earth and leather on the palate. Medium finish with firm, drying tannins. Very good, but would benefit from more time in bottle.
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11/9/2008 - beachnic wrote: 91 Points
Drank next to the 2003 CIACCI PICCOLOMINI d'ARAGONA Brunello which is rated 91pts. This is actually fairly similar in structure and flavor (even though 2 diff grape types) but with deeper fruit. I would prefer a little more leather or Rhone character to this but is a very solid rioja.
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11/8/2008 - vinole wrote: 89 Points
Crown Fall 08 Upscale Tasting (Boca Raton, FL): Dark cherry flavors with some acidity and some oak. Good Rioja.
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11/4/2008 - kstoddard wrote:
Dark purple color. Black fruit nose. Blackberry, plumb and earth. Firm tannins. Decent balance. Boring finish with no complexity.
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10/28/2008 - strikingvisage wrote:
Ripe cherry and raspberry, vegetation, and light oak in the nose. Tannic and vegetal with some nice fruit mid-palate.
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10/27/2008 - gutt22 wrote:
This is still very young but just packing in the flavor. Decanted. The oak was prominent on the nose initially, but it integrated with about 30 minutes of air. Massive fruit on the palate, with superb natural acidity. Long finish with the oak influence coming back on the tongue. A real pleasure to drink, in spite of being a tannic youngster still. Worlds of upside here -- and a bargain for the price. A-
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10/27/2008 - mreinitz wrote: 90 Points
Tight and tannic at first...took about 2 hours to really show its stuff. Flowers and crushed cherries on the nose - sour cherry and pomagranite on the palate. Enjoyable.
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10/26/2008 - vancouvermatt wrote: 86 Points
Charcoal, smoke, crushed stones.
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10/26/2008 - rc@ughey wrote: 87 Points
Nice, rich, and fruity--certainly enjoyable--but without the earth, smoke, tobacco, and subtlety I like from more traditionally made Riojas.
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10/23/2008 - Coupe 60 wrote: 87 Points
Decanted for about 1.5 hours before drinking as part of Joe G's simultasting on ustream. Dark color to the wine. Got a restrained nose of cherries and red fruit, that carried over to the palate. To the taste sour cherry was the predominant flavor, which yielded to a caramel - maple syrup finish. Light to medium bodied, with Medium + acidity. Alcohol was not even noticeable. Finish had some chewy tannins. Overall drank to its $20-$25 price point. Nice wine
My wife felt it had a bitter taste to it and did not like it nearly as much as I did
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10/22/2008 - tarheel17 wrote:
JoeG's simultasting ala enotria. Decanted 1.5 hours before first taste.
nose: initially, soon after pouring, I got a whopping dollop of mint chocolate. After a few minutes, this changed to more of a caramel aroma, with hints of eucalyptus at the tail end.
The palate was at first thinner than I like, with med+ acidity, and a lack of a midpalate. (88 pts) After more air, the midpalate fleshed out a bit, the tannins melded well and it became more of a complete package. Flavors were of dark chocolate, tea, dark cherry and a very chewy finish. Good stuff.
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10/22/2008 - DrT999 wrote: 90 Points
Nice dark color. On opening, lots of black fruit: cherries, raspberries, blackberries and a touch of pomegranate on the nose. Lots of blackberry upfront, modest tannins, and some nice acidity. Modest blackberry and cranberry finish.
+30 minutes Black cherry and raspberry still there, but more blackberries and blueberry and some oak notes (cedar). More layers of black fruit upfront, transitioning through the mid-palate. and the tannins have grown stronger. Finish is longer as well, with light tannins, mostly blackberry with some cranberry, black tea, etc.
+60 Black cherry, pomegranate, blueberry jam on the nose. Tastes very similar, but tannins are stronger still while the fruit upfront has intensified as well.
+120 minutes, plateaued nicely
+150 touch of cedar stronger now on the nose, but the rest much the same.
+180 Nose is much the same, but the black cherry notes upfront are gone and the blackberry a bit muted. A really great black raspberry has emerged instead, esp on the finish.
+210 The cedar is moving towards vanilla, plus a hint of gaminess. The tasting profile remains as at 180.
+240 Still the same.
+270 Nose still much the same, but while the finish is still long, it's not quite as long, and the acidity is weakening as well. Still very good, though
+300 minutes The finish is getting a bit modest, but other than that, it remains much like +270
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10/16/2008 - mdenigris3 wrote: 90 Points
Lots of oak on the nose. Palette of blackberry, currents, cocoa, tobacco. Dry powdery tannins. Excellent - and should age well for several years.
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10/8/2008 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
This had a nice balance of fruit, sweet oak, a little complexity. I'm really starting to like the reliability of Muga's wines.
Had with large group at wine bar in Pusan.
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10/5/2008 - nubbin wrote: 88 Points
Pronounced tobacco with mixed berries. Dry and tasty. -retry- (PS, J Ordonez)
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10/1/2008 - benny wrote: 93 Points
This is my fourth bottle...the first 3 were good. Number four was outstanding and a 93. The first 3 I bought at Total Wine ...and this was one of 12 bought at Old Naples Wholesale.
The colour was medium dark purple. The nose was warm and inviting with an sweat aroma of dried rose petals. The palate was rich with fruit... wiith a medium finish you could savour. Maybe its time has come or just an exceptional bottle. I have 11 more to test.
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9/29/2008 - Kamikaze wrote: 91 Points
Needs 4/6 hr decanting. Has a lot of potential, but still VERY young, closed...
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9/24/2008 - Rob MacKay wrote: 89 Points
My notes on this wine mirror those of another CTer. This is a great sub $30 wine but in no way is it a 93 point (WA) wine. We did a quick splash decent and after about an hour in the decanter it started showing very well with salty minerals / tar mixed with blackberries on the nose and nice ripe fruits on the palate with a pretty heavy dose of oak as well. The oak is almost a little too heavy but still bearable. The finish reveals tannins which are quite dry and leave a bit of a chalky feeling. Overall this is a nice Rioja Reserva and with a good decant it will drink well now but has plenty of stuffing to rest for a few more years.
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9/20/2008 - SadEdjo wrote:
dark sour cherry with lemon squirt finish.
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9/14/2008 - chapel hill wino wrote:
night 3. stored in the cellar, not much chance to sit down with it till tonight. Blackberry on the nose, but surprisingly tight. I recall more oak the previous evenings. Cedar, tobacco, current jelly and dried cherries. The tannins are noticeable but otherwise well integrated. The finish is short and a bit tart, but otherwise enjoyable. VERY GOOD. Drink or Hold.
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9/12/2008 - polimeri wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding wine!!! Thick mouthcoating dense blast of flavor. New world fruit with the slightly rustic notes you get from Rioja. Will purchase more bottles.
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9/3/2008 - arb wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for two hours before drinking. Probably should let this one cellar for a few more years.
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8/28/2008 - acheng wrote: 91 Points
This bottle is fantastic. Dark cherry, vanilla and a touch of spice and yes, even a bit of that elusive lead pencil made a fleeting showing.(would not have picked that up though without the suggestion of JM) Full body, food friendly acidity with juicy plum taste. Tannin is integrated. An outstanding bottle.
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8/24/2008 - dannyk8232 wrote: 86 Points
Good, but not great.
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8/19/2008 - ParkHill wrote: 89 Points
A great wine for under $30, but I don't see how this deserves 93 pts. You probably need to subtract 3 points from all of Jay's ratings at WA. Aside from that snark, this wine is very promising but way too young. Sort of a tar-blob at opening, by four hours, it finally opens to a fairly intense tar-cherry with some vanilla. The fruit extraction and oak hides the strong tannins pretty well, so again, we will want to wait a few years for things to settle, integrate and open. Contrary to some of the notes, and despite the vanilla, I don't find this to be one of those intense, modern Riojas. This is no Numanthia or Puntido. On the other hand this head and shoulders above some of the other (good) Riojas in the $15 - $30 range (I'm thinking Artadi's Vina de Gain); it just has more going on, or will when it opens. So, my 89 is really a two thumbs up, and I'll buy more.
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8/8/2008 - J2K wrote: 93 Points
Big strong flavors but still very tannic. Needs a couple of years to mellow and integrate.
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8/6/2008 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
This time we gave the wine more time. This bottle showed the same. Ripe fruit but great elegance. By the end of the evening as the fruit softened, the tannins became more noticeable. Not a wine that will run you over. I wine I could drink most nights of the week. Should last for quite awhile.
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8/6/2008 - David Paris (dbp) wrote: 90 Points
Decanted 4 hours prior to consumption. Poured blind, and guessed Rioja Reserva. Nose was a bit closed after 3 hours, but now is a bit more open, showing crushed cherry pits, No. 2 pencil (cedar and graphite), vanilla bean, and some nice spicey aromas. Light to medium bodied, showing plenty of bright fruit in jam form (raspberry and strawberry). Finishes with a big smack of strawberry, and some drying tannins. Quite delicious, if not the most complex wine.
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7/30/2008 - amateurwino wrote: 91 Points
smooth; some earth, slight barnyard; juicy tart red fruit
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7/23/2008 - tskrueger wrote: 90 Points
This not-so-little bottle of vino from the Rioja region of Spain needs a little time to open up, but when it does...WOW! What a great nose of spicy red fruit, loads of cedar and pencil lead. With the hour or so of breathe time, this little beauty showed black raspberry fruit, cigar box, tobacco, earth and a little smoke. This is an outstanding bottle of wine that will only improve with a few years of bottle age. Think about pairing this with a good piece of red meat off the grill!
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7/21/2008 - acheng wrote: 90 Points
Consistent forward notes of plum, peppery mocha and vanilla. Great acidity with loads of tannin. A great drink. Once again, drank this too early. Outstanding.
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7/21/2008 - cormyr wrote: 91 Points
needs many years in the cellar
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7/20/2008 - jasonh wrote: 91 Points
Had from a 375. So nice. I just loved all the non sweet fruit. This went down pretty fast and Laura and I were a bit enamored by it. Not life changing ... but it kept alluring us. Quite a bit of acid and tannin so I think it will improve easily ... and 91 may seem very conservative. I am going to open another bottle very soon and see what I think on a different night.
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7/9/2008 - drwine2001 wrote:
Very clear medium deep ruby. Spicy, pine wood notes and blackberry dominate the nose, but the wood recedes to some extent as it opens. Medium weight with strong acidity accompanying the black fruit and anise. Here, the fruit is deep enough to buffer the structure and wood and give the wine a bit of roundness and flesh. Could probably benefit from a few years in bottle to soften and harmonize a bit, but good basic Rioja now.
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7/9/2008 - tskrueger wrote: 90 Points
This not-so-little bottle of vino from the Rioja region of Spain needs a little time to open up, but when it does...WOW! What a great nose of spicy red fruit, loads of cedar and pencil lead. With the hour or so of breathe time, this little beauty showed black raspberry fruit, cigar box, tobacco, earth and a little smoke. This is an outstanding bottle of wine that will only improve with a few years of bottle age. Think about pairing this with a good piece of red meet off the grill!
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6/7/2008 - Jan Schultink wrote: 90 Points
A good wine but maybe less distinctive and more "international" than the previous vintages I recall. Well balanced. Raspberry and currant. Spicy oak. Structured tannins. Long finish.
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6/3/2008 - Li6 wrote: 91 Points
Great nose of cherry, plum, grilled bread and coffee. Plush texture with solid structure. Still a bit too young though -- plan to wait another 1-2 years before drinking my remaining bottles.
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5/29/2008 - TLHWG wrote: 92 Points
Nose: strong and dense nose dominated by tart black cherry with warm, moist leaves. Has a tolerable amount of oak for me--typically, I'm not a fan of anything more than noticeable amounts of oak in wines.
Taste: a full bodied red with corresponding medium to full mouth feel. Well-balanced for a young wine, again, with a tolerable amount of oak for me. Medium to long finish.
Overall: Young right now but already drinking well. Still holding together very well after approx 2 hours in the glass with secondary notes of vanilla on the nose. At the $20-$25 price point, I'd be foolish not to buy another bottle and hold it for a while to see how it evolves over time. IMO very good wine for the $ but for full disclosure I am a fan of Tempranillo.
90-92 points.
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5/28/2008 - acheng wrote: 91 Points
My wife got me a nice Eisch decanter for my birthday and as an after thought a "final touch" aerator or a "flavor enhancer". I thank her for the decanter but said that the party gimmick will be returned for obvious reasons. However, my 2 year old son has other plans and torn apart the box. So I am stuck with the thing.
I have had a case of the 2001 vintage of this wine and several 2004. I have always detected a off color funky smell to it on first opening which mostly goes away after 1.5 hours detracting from the overall experience. Furthermore, I never quite understood the rave review of this wine. Well, I thought this would be a great test for this "flavor enhancer" to ameliorate the funky smell. OMG. This thing really works. A blast of dark cherry, blackberry. toasty oak, vanilla and pleasing subtle peppery aroma without a hint of the funky smell immediately satiated the senses. Afterwards, perhaps violet and even lavender made an appearance. Great acidity and balance. Firm tannin. Good length. I am not convinced if it is the "enhancer" that did the trick. Afterall, the new decanter (which is made from "breathable" glass) may have something to do with it. But wow. At least I am on the same page with RP and JM now. Outstanding.
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5/16/2008 - bknysak wrote:
Modern-style Rioja with showing large amounts of sweet red fruit, some chocolate, and a bright finish (which keeps it from becoming too much). Not too woody, seemed fairly well integrated. Bigger and fatter than the 2001 was at this point.
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4/27/2008 - acheng wrote: 88 Points
Way outclassed by the clos st jean 2005. Some funky smell that was typical of the 2001 that I had previously has emerged from this 2005 too. Not showing as well as the last bottle.
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4/20/2008 - vlzat Likes this wine: 93 Points
Full body, dark ruby red, aromatic, red forest fruits, tobacco, species and smoky wood aroma, black currants, woody and mineral on the palate, juicy on finish, long finish, juicy, bold, rich, balanced, complex, tannic. Well associated with meat or fat white cheeses. Serve to 18º - 22º. Open at least one hour in advance. Very enjoyable now.
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4/13/2008 - acheng wrote: 89 Points
Drank it with my cousins. Well, well. None of that funk that I detected on the case of 2001 I had a couple years ago. (well, maybe a little funk is still there) Chocolate, oak and dark cherry. Good food friendly acidity with cherry and plum finish. A much better wine than the 2001. A solid effort.
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4/4/2008 - Oh Dae-su wrote: 88 Points
I had this together with La Vicalanda 1999, Remelluri Reserva 2003, Solar de Samaniego
2001 and Vina Real 1996
I remember Muga as one of the famous Rioja producers which kept the classical style for
their wines. The 2002 was still very light, bright and fruity. This one however is very dark,
heavy, concentrated and strong (70 % Tempranillo, 20 % Granacha and Mazuelo / Graciano).
Nothing of its former light gentleness is left. Of course this one is still much too young. The
tannins are extremely strong. Doubtlessly a high quality, but unfortunately I miss the old
style. I guess it is time to say good bye to classical Riojas.
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3/14/2008 - gabriella wrote:
Bright cherry wine with medium intensity. Great aromatic nose, showing violets, wet heart under a rich blanket of vanilla, chocolate, delicate spiced wood and black cherry. In the mouth, the wine is medium bodied, with bright acidity and firm, fine tannins. Not completely integrated as if yet, but with time, I sense this wine will relax and grow into its big britches. Nice minerality over a lattice of complex dark berry flavors. 4/5
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3/14/2008 - obiscoito wrote:
Deep blackish purple in color with a nose that shows dark cherry laced with smoke and anise hints. Light toasted notes mix with this as the palate shows cherry and fine tannins that are very structured. Medium acidity, and a rich dense profile make this a wine that falls into the good value category. 3.5/5
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