1952 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Viña Pomal Reserva Especial

Community Tasting Notes (7) Avg Score: 91.5 points

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  6/4/2023 - gnosis wrote:

  Firstly, I didn't necessarily mean to open this. Originally, I bought it thinking I might open it one day. Last week I put up some expensive wines to auction. This was one of them. However, as I stood the bottle up, the cork dropped down. Ugh. Guess I'll have to open it now.
  
  Well mostly I agree with the recent notes. You have to like old wine, as some will not like it at this stage. For the Happy Few, the rewards are glorious. It is definitely alive and well at 71 years of age.
  
  Let's walk through it. A good bottle, no leaks, solid capsule.
  
  Eye, like cola, but tinge more red, clean, but this must have been a solid wine in its day.
  
  Nose. On opening, lots of varnish. After hours, less varnish and more stewed tomato and jam, but not in a sweet way. Varnish, some. A very buried whiff of espresso. Earth, leather, damp wood, all there.
  
  Palate. The attack is very suave, nice old integrated tennins, low acid attack. Good acidity. If you plugged your nose, you'd be surprised by the acidity still, but it is only a supporting player. Coating.
  
  Aromas and finish. Dry fruit without the sugar. Old wood notes. Both persist a long time. A whiff of orange on the end.
  
  It might not be an immediate pleasure bomb - but I guarantee you, you also will not be able to put it down.
  
  That is the crux of old wine. And who after tasting the old, would want the new?
  
  Day 2. Half the bottle was not poured out and was immediately sealed with Vacuvin after opening. That seemed to have worked well, because the wine was not too tired, and was also decanted.
  
  Mostly the same, but way less varnish and more actual, sweeter stewed fruit. A bit less acid too. Only a little sediment. Very pleasant, more just to drink on its own. Tastes way younger, as well. Very cool experience, amazing.

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  11/12/2018 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points

  My bottle tasted blind in a flight. Immediate American oak(!) Various vinous and non-vinous perfumes waft out; old tea leaves, fish sauce, seawater, cedar chest, sandalwood. Silky texture with a salty tang. Wraps up with a touch of tangerine sweetness. Widely disliked by the table, but as one person said, "this is what happens to 70 year old wine when nothing goes wrong."

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  7/16/2017 - Dave Canada wrote: 91 Points

  Deep Garnet with some orange to the edge.
  Nose leans towards the oxidative…binned apple, red and black fruit, spice and cedar.
  Palate shows some vibrant fruit, tobacco, cedar, sandalwood and black fruit
  Finish is medium + with moderate complexity.

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  12/21/2014 - doctornoah wrote: 94 Points

  Beautiful, elegant, brick red with dry, dusty cherries, earth and soy. Expressive and refined.

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  4/19/2014 - DarinC Likes this wine: 91 Points

  Base neck fill. Slight seepage halfway into the cork. PnP and consumed over 2 hours. Slight browning and heavy bricking. Surprisingly youthful in the mouth. Some dusty funk that dissipated with air. Predominantly red cherry, iron, sage and other herbs, and slate-like minerality. Medium body and finish. Lovely.

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