2009 La Rioja Alta Rioja Viña Alberdi Reserva

Community Tasting Notes (22) Avg Score: 88.4 points

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  2/12/2018 - CheviotCellar wrote: 88 Points

  Nice nose. Oak, leather and ripe fruit aromas typical of LRA, but thinner than 904 and Ardanza. Color is very dark red, nearly black. Takes about 40 minutes to open and tannins to add to structure. Decent wine, and again thinner and more acidic than the Ardanza. Was hoping this would be more balanced after 9 years. Overall, no complaints at $35 on restaurant menu. Its a good wine but not great.

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  12/13/2017 - Margaux Bro Likes this wine: 89 Points

  Needs air, super tight on the open. Not as oaky as its bigger brothers in Rioja Alta's line-up, which I prefer. However, the grape quality isn't as good as their other wines. All said, it's a respectable effort after letting it breathe.

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  12/3/2017 - mjwstickings Likes this wine: 91 Points

  La Rioja Alta, a winery founded in 1890, is rightly regarded as one of the more unabashedly traditional Rioja producers. And wines like the mid-range Ardanza (around $45 in Ontario) very much express that approach. But the winery, like Rioja itself, is also about innovation and evolution, and the Alberdi, at the low end of the range (this was $29, but the '10 was just $25), expresses that vividly, with better balance between old and new than the Ardanza. Sure, traditional Rioja is there, especially at the outset, with notes of baking spice (cinnamon, clove), coconut, vanilla, sandalwood, leather, and even buttered toast (sweet and smoky). But the fruit is there as well, cherry and raspberry, and with time there's also blackberry and blueberry, even raisin and prune, a compelling blend of ripe, dried, and tart, the various aromas and flavours nicely balanced, the acidity balancing the richness, the fine tannins melting but still providing ample structure. It's certainly in its prime now, but I suspect it has good staying power for a few more years at the very least.

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  5/18/2017 - theoves Likes this wine: 92 Points

  First rate Rioja. Drinking beautifully now.

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  2/18/2017 - K&J Likes this wine: 88 Points

  Good solid 88, meaning good, not great.

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View all 22 Community Tasting Notes

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