A modern Rioja style, made from 70 year old vines, aged in FR oak and produced only 200 cases. Medium+ red colour. Complex and unique aroma of cured meat, char, graphite, dried red berries, tobacco, medicinal and cola hints. Medium bodied palate also showing quite unfamiliar side of Rioja to my knowledge. Turning to a downside with its mild melted tannins and barely visible fruitiness. Flavour is salty, smoky and earthy with medium light viscosity, medium acidity, concludes with smoky dried plum finish.
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Light dirty cellar nose - with a hint of cassis nose. forest floor - richer and thicker in color than the prior two tonight. Integrated and fuller bodied. Strong tannins at 7.5
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B-day Bash - Carlisle, BDX, Nemo and more (Danny Brown - Queens): vanilla, lots of oak at the start (this is a baby). plums and dark fruit dominate. minerality is well present in the mid. good finish. modern powerful wine - even with 2 hours in the glass it didnt move much. hard to judge it fully now - but the structure is there and so is the acidity and the fruit. With time this may develop into a beauty.
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The nose was beautiful, showing dark fruits, undergrowth and cherry with fall leaves, dried spices and floral tones. On the palate it was rich, with a dark shroud of fruit, yet kept in check by cheek puckering acidity. Ripe strawberry, menthol, blackberry, minerals and citrus peel were front and center, leading into a long and saturate finish full of spiced, ripe cherry and menthol.
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From 75cl, perfect cork. Complex, multilayered scent, lots of dark spice, smoke, organic matter; full-bodied, rich, sweet entry, very much a New Style Rioja; dark red-black berry fruit on mid-palate with very lively acidity; liquorice and some bitterness on the finish. Still not worth the 35 EUR it cost on release, this might, however, well be worth picking up if you see it offered more cheaply. Good for at least 5-6 years, may improve further. 89-90P
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From 75cl, natural cork with long fissures at the side; seepage stopped just short of cork end. This very dense, concentrated wine is trying hard to mimic a massive New World blockbuster, which is trying in turn (very hard) to imitate Chateau Latour. Dark ripe berry fruit, powerful tannins, new oak treatment. Oddly inexpressive, monolithic. Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet can cope with this kind of treatment well, but I'm not convinced that the grapes in this blend profited from the experience. Mature, will hold 3-5 years. This was far too expensive at 35 EUR on release (2004). 88P
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From 75cl, perfect cork closure. Decanted, but it didn't alter over 3 hours. This "96 Parker pointer" is, I fear, just another overpriced yuppie new wave Spanish wine, past its peak and fading away. Not quite ripe blackberry/mulberry fruit, crabby grape-pip-mouth-puckering-acid balance, badly needing some american oak and suffering from having been reared in french barrels, this is obviously an attempt to go for purity of fruit. Alas, it doesn't quite work out. Deeply ephemeral. Medium bodied (despite 14% alc). I haven't described the scent or the finish because both are AWOL. Best thing is a hint of roasting meat on the entry. For the 35€ this cost in 2004 I could have bought two bottles of proper Rioja from Lopez, Murrieta, Muga etc etc etc which would be wonderfully mature today. Drink up. 87P
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Sweet, jammy, dark fruits. Blackberries. Just what we were looking for to match with a black bean & turkey chili. A nice touch of sweetness up front, smooth tannins. Opened, decanted, then started to drink.
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This is the third bottle I've had, each time about a year apart. I have to say that this wine is really developing nicely - I enjoyed it thoroughly. It has a lot going on - beautiful tempranillo flavor profile with deep crushed red fruit, smoke, and smooth tannins - truly velvety. It begs for cheese. It still is vivacious and youthful and certainly nowhere near the end of the road. I have 4 bottles left and look forward to opening them every year or so and watching them evolve.
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The nose consists of dark berries, earth, and deliciousness. The palate has amazing ripe fruit coupled with perfect acidity. The finish has a fair amount of round tannin and last for an amazing 45 seconds+ This wine can cellar for more years to come, but with about an 40-60 minute decant it is singing now. Incredible. 94+
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A very good wine, very Spanish style, good finishing and smooth. Need more time to mature. Still had tannins. Floral and elegant. Need to keep for another three to five years. Decant for three hours then open up but still has way to go for keeping for sure.
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I think the fruit here was just too overripe. This wine has certainly settled since the last bottle I had almost two years ago. It had some complexity and is clearly a well made wine, but it's not really my style of Rioja, too modern.
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Heavy sweet nose, loads of vanilla, red berries, oak and toast. Quite big on the palate, spicy oak, vanilla and berry cream. Not a refined wine but definely of good quality.
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Garnet color. Blackberry, herbs and funky/earthy notes. Flavors of dark fruit with pine undertones. Slight earthy quality through the finish. Really tasty stuff.
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Big, spiced, heavy, and alcoholic. It was probably a bit too warm. Dark berry, and graphite on the nose, maybe some baking spice. The palate was hot and spiced.
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Opened and decanted for 2 hours before tasting. Interesting bouquet of candy store meets delicate red fruit (currents etc). Upon tasting this Rioja immediately coats your palate with black licorice coupled with cola notes. Smooth as a babies bottom intergrated tannins. Almost an minute finish. If you love licorice this is your wine. I will hold my last bottle for 2 more years. Delicious - 94 pts.
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diep rood, geur van zwarte bes met bramen en rijpheid, goede tabakinvloed met licht houtgebruik. fruitig in de smaak met soepele elegantie en mooie structuur. prima
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Had this with dinner on Sat and another tonight. Most of the group thought this was an interesting wine and all enjoyed it. This had a lot of character after 45 minutes or so. If you have this, go for it now since it is ready.
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3/3/2024 - Joelene wrote: 91 Points
Drinking well.
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1/7/2022 - Ernestas wrote: 84 Points
A modern Rioja style, made from 70 year old vines, aged in FR oak and produced only 200 cases. Medium+ red colour. Complex and unique aroma of cured meat, char, graphite, dried red berries, tobacco, medicinal and cola hints. Medium bodied palate also showing quite unfamiliar side of Rioja to my knowledge. Turning to a downside with its mild melted tannins and barely visible fruitiness. Flavour is salty, smoky and earthy with medium light viscosity, medium acidity, concludes with smoky dried plum finish.
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12/23/2016 - cab blends wrote: 93 Points
Light dirty cellar nose - with a hint of cassis nose. forest floor - richer and thicker in color than the prior two tonight. Integrated and fuller bodied. Strong tannins at 7.5
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7/30/2014 - Mlermontov wrote: 91 Points
B-day Bash - Carlisle, BDX, Nemo and more (Danny Brown - Queens): vanilla, lots of oak at the start (this is a baby). plums and dark fruit dominate. minerality is well present in the mid. good finish. modern powerful wine - even with 2 hours in the glass it didnt move much. hard to judge it fully now - but the structure is there and so is the acidity and the fruit. With time this may develop into a beauty.
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7/29/2014 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 92 Points
The nose was beautiful, showing dark fruits, undergrowth and cherry with fall leaves, dried spices and floral tones. On the palate it was rich, with a dark shroud of fruit, yet kept in check by cheek puckering acidity. Ripe strawberry, menthol, blackberry, minerals and citrus peel were front and center, leading into a long and saturate finish full of spiced, ripe cherry and menthol.
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12/14/2013 - honest bob wrote: 89 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork. Complex, multilayered scent, lots of dark spice, smoke, organic matter; full-bodied, rich, sweet entry, very much a New Style Rioja; dark red-black berry fruit on mid-palate with very lively acidity; liquorice and some bitterness on the finish. Still not worth the 35 EUR it cost on release, this might, however, well be worth picking up if you see it offered more cheaply. Good for at least 5-6 years, may improve further. 89-90P
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5/4/2013 - honest bob wrote: 88 Points
From 75cl, natural cork with long fissures at the side; seepage stopped just short of cork end. This very dense, concentrated wine is trying hard to mimic a massive New World blockbuster, which is trying in turn (very hard) to imitate Chateau Latour. Dark ripe berry fruit, powerful tannins, new oak treatment. Oddly inexpressive, monolithic. Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet can cope with this kind of treatment well, but I'm not convinced that the grapes in this blend profited from the experience. Mature, will hold 3-5 years. This was far too expensive at 35 EUR on release (2004). 88P
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3/25/2013 - hjjvr wrote:
- Ruby color and aromas of dusty. It's lacking fruit with a medium/full body. Smooth texture with a medium finish.
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12/7/2012 - andyrowe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking very well.
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9/10/2012 - Seweint wrote: 88 Points
Kind of disappointing after being cellared since release. I was expecting big things from this wine and it didn't show the complexity I had hoped.
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8/27/2012 - shk5157 wrote: 93 Points
beautiful nose, old world elegance, just a touch raisiny, somewhat like an Amarone
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8/12/2012 - honest bob wrote: 87 Points
From 75cl, perfect cork closure. Decanted, but it didn't alter over 3 hours. This "96 Parker pointer" is, I fear, just another overpriced yuppie new wave Spanish wine, past its peak and fading away. Not quite ripe blackberry/mulberry fruit, crabby grape-pip-mouth-puckering-acid balance, badly needing some american oak and suffering from having been reared in french barrels, this is obviously an attempt to go for purity of fruit. Alas, it doesn't quite work out. Deeply ephemeral. Medium bodied (despite 14% alc). I haven't described the scent or the finish because both are AWOL. Best thing is a hint of roasting meat on the entry. For the 35€ this cost in 2004 I could have bought two bottles of proper Rioja from Lopez, Murrieta, Muga etc etc etc which would be wonderfully mature today. Drink up. 87P
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1/30/2011 - aavello wrote: 90 Points
Good presentation for this 90 pointer. Cherry notes with a medium fininsh. Pleasant experience.
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10/19/2010 - kmerriman wrote: 93 Points
Sweet, jammy, dark fruits. Blackberries. Just what we were looking for to match with a black bean & turkey chili. A nice touch of sweetness up front, smooth tannins. Opened, decanted, then started to drink.
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7/11/2010 - jmault wrote: 93 Points
This is the third bottle I've had, each time about a year apart. I have to say that this wine is really developing nicely - I enjoyed it thoroughly. It has a lot going on - beautiful tempranillo flavor profile with deep crushed red fruit, smoke, and smooth tannins - truly velvety. It begs for cheese. It still is vivacious and youthful and certainly nowhere near the end of the road. I have 4 bottles left and look forward to opening them every year or so and watching them evolve.
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4/1/2010 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 94 Points
The nose consists of dark berries, earth, and deliciousness. The palate has amazing ripe fruit coupled with perfect acidity. The finish has a fair amount of round tannin and last for an amazing 45 seconds+ This wine can cellar for more years to come, but with about an 40-60 minute decant it is singing now. Incredible. 94+
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1/12/2010 - John McCabe wrote: 93 Points
Very nice. Some nice round, robust fruit
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1/6/2010 - winenuts wrote: 90 Points
A very good wine, very Spanish style, good finishing and smooth. Need more time to mature. Still had tannins. Floral and elegant. Need to keep for another three to five years. Decant for three hours then open up but still has way to go for keeping for sure.
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10/5/2009 - mebydef wrote: 91 Points
I think the fruit here was just too overripe. This wine has certainly settled since the last bottle I had almost two years ago. It had some complexity and is clearly a well made wine, but it's not really my style of Rioja, too modern.
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3/18/2009 - Cheryl wrote:
NYC Third Wed - 2001 Rioja Dinner (Il Corso, NYC): Nice nose of dark fruits. Pucker-inducing on the first sip. Slightly green and with angles. Okay, but not for repurchasing.
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10/10/2008 - Ltim BE wrote: 89 Points
Heavy sweet nose, loads of vanilla, red berries, oak and toast. Quite big on the palate, spicy oak, vanilla and berry cream. Not a refined wine but definely of good quality.
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12/10/2007 - AllRed wrote: 92 Points
Garnet color. Blackberry, herbs and funky/earthy notes. Flavors of dark fruit with pine undertones. Slight earthy quality through the finish. Really tasty stuff.
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8/14/2007 - mebydef wrote: 90 Points
Big, spiced, heavy, and alcoholic. It was probably a bit too warm. Dark berry, and graphite on the nose, maybe some baking spice. The palate was hot and spiced.
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7/23/2007 - Cellar Fiend wrote: 94 Points
Opened and decanted for 2 hours before tasting. Interesting bouquet of candy store meets delicate red fruit (currents etc). Upon tasting this Rioja immediately coats your palate with black licorice coupled with cola notes. Smooth as a babies bottom intergrated tannins. Almost an minute finish. If you love licorice this is your wine. I will hold my last bottle for 2 more years. Delicious - 94 pts.
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12/28/2006 - Biglama wrote: 88 Points
diep rood, geur van zwarte bes met bramen en rijpheid, goede tabakinvloed met licht houtgebruik. fruitig in de smaak met soepele elegantie en mooie structuur. prima
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10/4/2006 - mattiasjansson wrote: 91 Points
Backstreet - Spain (Backstreet Wine Salon, Phoenix): Tannic and tight. Full-bodied. A bit thin on the finish.
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5/10/2006 - Scooter wrote: 92 Points
Had this with dinner on Sat and another tonight. Most of the group thought this was an interesting wine and all enjoyed it. This had a lot of character after 45 minutes or so. If you have this, go for it now since it is ready.
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