1970 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Rioja Royal Gran Reserva

Community Tasting Notes (8) Avg Score: 92.8 points

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  9/29/2020 - Harley1199 Likes this wine:

  Helping to celebrate his 50th birthday, I gave years ago to an ingrate guy born in 1970, one of the two remaining bottles of one of the best wines I have ever enjoyed in my life. I do not regret it and let him drink it with health but I'm opening this last one in good company before another ungrateful appears by my door. And believe me that after all the monotony that I have had to swallow (spit) with Barbera d'Alba, I needed to reconcile with wine, with the quality wine.
  The first thing that stands out is the divergence between the front (reserva) and the rear (gran reserva) label. What freedom in the seventies out of so much regulation corset.
  Upper shoulder level. Capsule was stuck to the cork and glass, no doubt from some leakage in the past. While trying to stick the Durant corkscrew in, cork slid to the bottom and I had to quickly decant it. Remakable no sediment at all for a 50 year old bottle.
  On the nose a mixture of plums with red berries, plum yogurt and licorice.
  That absence of spicy notes is surprising. Pretty restricted anyway.
  Round acidity, abundant texture, excellent persistence and a slightly corky aftertaste. I can think of different causes for this defect.
  Elegant fragility always in this type of wine. Quite similar to last bottle drunk at 2012.
  
  Para que celebrase su 50 cumpleaños regalé hace años a un ingrato nacido en 1970 una de las dos botellas que me quedaban de uno de los mejores vinos que he disfrutado en mi vida. No me arrepiento y que se la beba con salud pero voy a abrir esta última en buena compañía antes de que aparezca otro desagradecido por mi puerta. Y créeme que después de todo la monotonía que me he tenido que tragar (escupir) con los Barbera d'Alba, necesitaba reconciliarse con el vino, con el vino de calidad.
  Lo primero que llama la atención es la divergencia entre la etiqueta delantera (reserva) y la trasera (gran reserva). Que libertad en los años setenta fuera de tanto corsé de regulación.
  Nivel por encima de los hombros. La cápsula estaba pegada al corcho y al cristal, sin duda por alguna filtración en el pasado. Al intentar clavarse el sacacorchos Durant, el corcho se deslizó hacia el fondo y tuve que rápidamente decantárla. Sin sedimentos para una botella de 50 años.
  En nariz una mezcla de ciruelas con bayas rojas, yogurt de ciruelas y regaliz.
  Sorprende la ausencia de notas especiadas. Bastante restringido de todas formas.
  Redonda acidez, abundante textura, excelente persistencia y un postgusto ligeramente a corcho. Se me ocurren diferentes causas de este defecto.
  Elegante fragilidad siempre en este tipo de vinos. Bastante similar a la última bebida en 2012.

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  7/31/2019 - drwine2001 wrote:

  Light red with tawny edge. Tasted after 30 minutes in the decanter. An initial blast of vinegar quickly recedes to reveal typical old Rioja scents-balsam wood and cherry. Light and elegant. Gentle, subtle sweetness of fruit, minerality, and a surprising element of chocolate. After about an hour in the glass, it seemed as though it was about to crack up, with increasing fennel and stemmy notes, but amazingly, the fruit roared right back and the bottle finished with lovely lingering spice. I wouldn't push it, but we've had (mostly) incredibly good fortune with multiple 1970 bottlings from this producer.

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  10/20/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 93 Points

  No decant although an hour is plenty. A gentle, aged, delicate wine with enough fruit and acid to make for a good experience. Although 47 years, I see this at least continuing to stay where it is and not dropping off for ten or more years. Cork just about pulled out but finally broke at the bottom, but the closure and fill were very good. Surprisingly no sediment, I mean none which, were it not for the telltale taste of an almost fifty year old wine, would have made me suspicious. Enjoy this by itself or with food that is not overpowering. I’d buy again.

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  10/17/2017 - Steve Brickley Likes this wine: 90 Points

  That aged slight good funk, a gentle wine, fruit in the background, enough acid to continue to age although improvement doubtful but shouldn’t decline over next 10 years. A bit chewy. Cork in soft good shape.. Easily overpowered with food so go light. No decant for air needed. Lovely.

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  11/15/2015 - acidqueen wrote: 90 Points

  Mature, fine, a bit on the older side. Slight VA, w orange peel, caramel and nuts. Time to drink up, but still good.

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