Dark opaque red, ceda, leather, and tobacco notes on the nose, still fresh and astringent, yet muddy, and much more side-to-side than full palate even with a long finish that practically evaporates leaving an astringent coating that somehow remains pleasant. It doesn’t taste too old at all, remarkably fresh, and not as multi-dimensional as I had hoped.
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This took a while to open up - better the second day. Rich dense blackberry and cassis, along with vanilla and coconut cream. Nice earthiness about this wine as you typically find in Spanish Tempranillo based reds. Good freshness. Long and dry finish, some complexity. Still young better in a few years. Drink over the next 10 years I think.
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Double-decanted. A pretty intense nose of ripe blue berry fruit and cranberries, a pinch of spice, dried herbs and floral notes of violets, earthy aging notes. Over time becomes more vegetal, adding green bell pepper. This is not really elegant nor particularly refined. Palate is fresh with lots of power, grippy tannin and a more red berry type of fruit profile. A bit rustic, but drinks well and should hold another 5-10 years.
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Having had 2 bottles of this now I still can’t tell if it needs a lot more time, if it’s just not an amazing wine, or if it’s too ‘modern’ for my tastes. This bottle was slow-oxed for a day and I had one glass at the end of day 1. Was very muted and certainly not worth its price tag. Left the bottle until the next night and it was slightly better but still only just above average. Considering I paid about £50 a bottle I was expecting much more! Will leave it a good few years before trying another bottle.
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Nice rioja, decent concentration, balance, but (like with many riojas) I find them to lack distinction compared to other varietals/regions, somewhat of an indistinguishable but solid red wine.
Tasted double-blind. Correctly identified as a Rioja. Dark color but turning garnet to show it's age. First thought, perhaps Riserva or Gran Riserva. Super smooth palate - medium body and acid, refined tannins. Must have some age on (thus R or GR). Leather, prune, fig, clove... tastes older. Despite that, it has a light finish.
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Third of 6, gets better each time. Medium to full body, wonderful dark fruit, fig, hints of liquorice and tobacco. Fresh and balanced with smooth tannins. One of my favourite Riojas. Interesting to note at least one professional critic rated it higher than Artadi's El Pison in 2009. *****
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Dark fig, blackberries, dried black fruit, soft oak, plum, peach, balsamic, cedar, graphite, laurel, medium to full body, strong long aftertaste. In a great spot, drink now up to 5 years
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Wines of San Sebastian; 7/9/2019-7/11/2019: Classic warm Rioja nose. Very velvety indeed. Dark and red fruit with all those lovely opulent spices. Feels very young considering it is a 10 year old wine. Juicy and well balanced on the palate. Actually combines perfectly to grilled turbot.
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This is a blockbuster. Impenetrably dark in colour with a huge jammy nose. It is so young but so good. It’s very hard to resist, but it needs time to calm down and integrate a bit more. Everything is turned up to 11 at the moment - it’s a wild beast, but you still have a ball drinking it.
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I opened this when friends dropped for beef stew on 4/7/18. It had a deep, rich bouquet of floral, blackberry, plum, coffee, licorice and spice aromas. The palate was rich and layered with flavors that followed the nose.
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You just know this is going to be good as soon as you pop the cork. Huge nose of dark fruit, the same jammy fruit on the palate - I could swear there is Garnacha in here, even though there isn’t. The tannins are still big but the fruit keeps them in check and the finish is long and chewy. This is one that will improve over the next 5-10 years easily, but hugely enjoyable now
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Rich, tongue coating, modern style spicy rioja. Violet, hints of damson plum fruit, wood polish on the nose. Blackberry, dark wood spice and fleshy on the palate. Long finish. Tannins resolved. Like it but for me this needs drinking now - neither fruit nor acidity to improve especially given heat of the vintage.
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(BBR Spain Tasting) :: Dark garnet. On the nose, dried figs and black cherry, balsam, smoke & leather. Expressive and open. Dense, rich and dusty palate, but not heavy. Good, proportionate acidity. Very good.
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Tasted after 2012 Valdeginés and 2011 La Poza de Ballesteros. Quite open and generous on the nose. A bit more layered with a nice earthy character, spices, grilled herbs. On the palate again very well balanced. The tannins are quite grippy still. There is good acidity and ripe fruit. Spicy. Fine length. 91-93
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Very nice indeed. Ripe and rich. Christmas cooked plum fruit. Smoky on the nose. Modern but not simple. Tannins fine and resolved. Long. Mouth and tongue coating. Drinking well from now although holds up well in the fridge overnight.
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BBR Rioja & Catalonia (One Great George Street, London): Mellowed and more evolved. Ripe and full but feels really quite harmonious. I was expecting a modern style, and whilst it is fairly modern, after the new wave fruit bombs it actually feels quite traditional and one can see where it's going. Lovely, and the value lick here. ****
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Had a bottle at an Italian restaurant. Medium red, medium to full body. Lacks some of the intensity and sophisticated flavor profile that I like to see in expensive wines. Value is questionable. I think one can do much better in this price range.
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Medium to dark cherry color. Medium intensity on nose: red ripe fruit, cinnamon, violets. On palate it's medium to full bodied, very fruity, fresh and floral with a remarkable aromatic and long finish. (90-92)
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4/23/2023 - GregBates Likes this wine:
Very nice, probably time to finish any you have up
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12/21/2022 - Twowinechicks Likes this wine: 88 Points
Dark opaque red, ceda, leather, and tobacco notes on the nose, still fresh and astringent, yet muddy, and much more side-to-side than full palate even with a long finish that practically evaporates leaving an astringent coating that somehow remains pleasant. It doesn’t taste too old at all, remarkably fresh, and not as multi-dimensional as I had hoped.
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7/17/2022 - Philip67 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This took a while to open up - better the second day. Rich dense blackberry and cassis, along with vanilla and coconut cream. Nice earthiness about this wine as you typically find in Spanish Tempranillo based reds. Good freshness. Long and dry finish, some complexity. Still young better in a few years. Drink over the next 10 years I think.
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12/24/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Double-decanted. A pretty intense nose of ripe blue berry fruit and cranberries, a pinch of spice, dried herbs and floral notes of violets, earthy aging notes. Over time becomes more vegetal, adding green bell pepper. This is not really elegant nor particularly refined. Palate is fresh with lots of power, grippy tannin and a more red berry type of fruit profile. A bit rustic, but drinks well and should hold another 5-10 years.
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5/31/2021 - mikelikewine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Having had 2 bottles of this now I still can’t tell if it needs a lot more time, if it’s just not an amazing wine, or if it’s too ‘modern’ for my tastes. This bottle was slow-oxed for a day and I had one glass at the end of day 1. Was very muted and certainly not worth its price tag. Left the bottle until the next night and it was slightly better but still only just above average. Considering I paid about £50 a bottle I was expecting much more! Will leave it a good few years before trying another bottle.
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3/8/2021 - isbjoern wrote: flawed
Cork taint.
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2/21/2021 - bonedoc wrote: 92 Points
Nice rioja, decent concentration, balance, but (like with many riojas) I find them to lack distinction compared to other varietals/regions, somewhat of an indistinguishable but solid red wine.
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11/17/2020 - jreynolds3 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Paired nicely with lamb shoulder chops. Drinking very well.
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7/20/2020 - R2-D2 wrote: 92 Points
Tasted double-blind. Correctly identified as a Rioja.
Dark color but turning garnet to show it's age. First thought, perhaps Riserva or Gran Riserva. Super smooth palate - medium body and acid, refined tannins. Must have some age on (thus R or GR). Leather, prune, fig, clove... tastes older. Despite that, it has a light finish.
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6/6/2020 - baxter67 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Third of 6, gets better each time. Medium to full body, wonderful dark fruit, fig, hints of liquorice and tobacco. Fresh and balanced with smooth tannins. One of my favourite Riojas. Interesting to note at least one professional critic rated it higher than Artadi's El Pison in 2009. *****
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2/27/2020 - Mark van Delft Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dark fig, blackberries, dried black fruit, soft oak, plum, peach, balsamic, cedar, graphite, laurel, medium to full body, strong long aftertaste. In a great spot, drink now up to 5 years
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7/10/2019 - Bobhelge wrote: 92 Points
Wines of San Sebastian; 7/9/2019-7/11/2019: Classic warm Rioja nose. Very velvety indeed. Dark and red fruit with all those lovely opulent spices. Feels very young considering it is a 10 year old wine. Juicy and well balanced on the palate. Actually combines perfectly to grilled turbot.
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9/28/2018 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a blockbuster. Impenetrably dark in colour with a huge jammy nose. It is so young but so good. It’s very hard to resist, but it needs time to calm down and integrate a bit more. Everything is turned up to 11 at the moment - it’s a wild beast, but you still have a ball drinking it.
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4/7/2018 - garambler Likes this wine: 93 Points
I opened this when friends dropped for beef stew on 4/7/18. It had a deep, rich bouquet of floral, blackberry, plum, coffee, licorice and spice aromas. The palate was rich and layered with flavors that followed the nose.
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3/10/2018 - Ianthemac Likes this wine: 93 Points
You just know this is going to be good as soon as you pop the cork. Huge nose of dark fruit, the same jammy fruit on the palate - I could swear there is Garnacha in here, even though there isn’t. The tannins are still big but the fruit keeps them in check and the finish is long and chewy. This is one that will improve over the next 5-10 years easily, but hugely enjoyable now
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11/5/2017 - bonedoc wrote: 93 Points
much better showing this time, still a young wine, dark tart fruits, good structure. drink now w/ decant or over next 10+ yrs.
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1/1/2017 - alion wrote: 92 Points
Rich, tongue coating, modern style spicy rioja. Violet, hints of damson plum fruit, wood polish on the nose. Blackberry, dark wood spice and fleshy on the palate. Long finish. Tannins resolved. Like it but for me this needs drinking now - neither fruit nor acidity to improve especially given heat of the vintage.
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10/19/2016 - Phenol73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
(BBR Spain Tasting) :: Dark garnet. On the nose, dried figs and black cherry, balsam, smoke & leather. Expressive and open. Dense, rich and dusty palate, but not heavy. Good, proportionate acidity. Very good.
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10/10/2016 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted after 2012 Valdeginés and 2011 La Poza de Ballesteros. Quite open and generous on the nose. A bit more layered with a nice earthy character, spices, grilled herbs. On the palate again very well balanced. The tannins are quite grippy still. There is good acidity and ripe fruit. Spicy. Fine length. 91-93
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8/20/2016 - Philippe_C wrote: 90 Points
Nose of very ripe black fruit, hint of freshness, milk chocolate... Medium fruit, good but not great, a bit too dry finish.
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12/28/2015 - alion wrote: 92 Points
Very nice indeed. Ripe and rich. Christmas cooked plum fruit. Smoky on the nose. Modern but not simple. Tannins fine and resolved. Long. Mouth and tongue coating. Drinking well from now although holds up well in the fridge overnight.
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10/12/2015 - SimonG wrote: 92 Points
BBR Rioja & Catalonia (One Great George Street, London): Mellowed and more evolved. Ripe and full but feels really quite harmonious. I was expecting a modern style, and whilst it is fairly modern, after the new wave fruit bombs it actually feels quite traditional and one can see where it's going. Lovely, and the value lick here. ****
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10/12/2015 - Cofxc Likes this wine: 92 Points
Youthful. Big, concentrated, filling the mouth and senses but fresh and elegant. The right sort of modern. Very good. BBR tasting.
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5/13/2015 - bonedoc wrote: 91 Points
Needs food now, needs time. Balanced but missing a little fruit to warrant a higher score.
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4/14/2015 - gravedee Likes this wine: 91 Points
Had a bottle at an Italian restaurant. Medium red, medium to full body. Lacks some of the intensity and sophisticated flavor profile that I like to see in expensive wines. Value is questionable. I think one can do much better in this price range.
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3/28/2015 - awise45 wrote: 93 Points
Spectacular -- wonderful mix of rich fruit and floral notes, long finish.
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8/6/2014 - awise45 wrote: 94 Points
- Ruby color with medium forming legs. It's somewhat balanced with a medium/full body.
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10/27/2013 - j30 wrote: 91 Points
Intense ripe red fruit with nutty aroma. Medium bodied, balanced, structured palate. Quite a lot of tannins but smooth. Long fruity finish.
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3/26/2012 - Periko wrote: 91 Points
Medium to dark cherry color. Medium intensity on nose: red ripe fruit, cinnamon, violets. On palate it's medium to full bodied, very fruity, fresh and floral with a remarkable aromatic and long finish. (90-92)
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