2014 Escalada do Sil Valdeorras

Community Tasting Notes (10) Avg Score: 92 points

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  10/6/2018 - srh Likes this wine:

  Winebar [4 Whites, 8 Reds, & 6 *shared* bottles] from 10/05/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): THANK for the opportunity to retaste this, Arturo! :)
  
  60% Merenzao (Trousseau), 30% Mencia, & 10% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) from vines planted in 1993 in slate & granite sandy soil with traces of clay at 1,640-2,460 ft elevation. Pressed & aged in 500 L FR barrels for 15 mos; 425 cs (6 pack).
  
  N: Attractive straws & flowers
  
  P: LM body; NICE frt met by some astringent pucker which pretty much resolves by the LONG finish with a tangy/swtness (60:40) to the very, VERY fine tannins. Deserves another yr, then drinking for 2-3 more? 13.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. 95 pts Suckling, 92 Vinous, 91 WS, & 90 WE @ $40. [This vendor's $33.95 heads the currently limited wine-searcher class -- other than 1 outlier which is showing $14 < ??]

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  7/28/2018 - srh Likes this wine:

  60% Merenzao (Trousseau), 30% Mencia, & 10% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) from vines planted in 1993 in slate & granite sandy soil with traces of clay at 1,640-2,460 ft elevation. Pressed & aged in 500 L FR barrels for 15 mos; 425 cs (6 pack).
  
  20-30 min decant into cylindrical plastic pitcher, top being closed immed after decant & between pours; Private Preserve used after Day 1.
  
  N: Straws, red rasps, floral; Reminiscent of Cru Beaujolais (or even poss Burgundy?)
  
  P: LM body; Rndish entry with nice, almost blk olive-tinged frt met by an acidic astringency which controls the action into the fairly LONG, tangy finish with a BITTER/swtness (60:40) to the very, VERY fine tannins. // Day 2: Finish has smoothed out. Nonetheless, disappointing overall vis-a-vis my aspirations from having tasted it on 4/7 & 4/28/18. POSS entering a "snoozing"/shut down period? My only bottle, & perhaps mistakenly, I don't see myself repurchasing in order to investigate THAT theory. [For better or worse, I've too many other options.] 13.5% ABV; My VG/VG+. 95 pts Suckling, 92 Vinous, 91 WS, & 90 WE @ $40.

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  4/28/2018 - srh Likes this wine:

  Spanish Reds (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 60% Merenzao (Trousseau), 30% Mencia, & 10% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) from vines planted in 1993 in slate & granite sandy soil with traces of clay at 1,640-2,460 ft elevation. Pressed & aged in 500 L FR barrels for 15 mos; 425 cs (6 pack).
  
  N: FRAGRANT berries, pyrazines & minerals underneath?
  
  P: LM body; LOVELY, focused frt met by a fairly tannic yet swtly fruity pucker which transitions into a LONG, tangy, very, VERY finely tannic (albeit swtly so) finish. DESERVES into early '20, given the acidity, then making its 10th? Potentially elegant. 13.5% ABV; My VG+/EXC-. 95 pts Suckling, 92 Vinous, 91 WS, & 90 WE @ $40. [This vendor's $33.95 heads the currently limited wine-searcher class -- other than 1 outlier which is showing $14 < ??]

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  4/7/2018 - srh Likes this wine:

  Winebar [4 Whts, 8 Reds, + 1 Shared Bottle] from 4/6/18 (Vintage Wines Ltd., San Diego, CA): 60% Merenzao (Trousseau), 30% Mencia, & 10% Garnacha Tintorera (Alicante Bouschet) from vines planted in 1993 in slate & granite sandy soil with traces of clay at 1,640-2,460 ft elevation. Pressed & aged in 500 L FR barrels for 15 mos; 425 cs (6 pack)
  
  N: Fragrantly RIPE berries with notes of smoke & poss pyrazines
  
  P: LM body; Rndish entry with NICE, ALMOST swtish frt met by a very, VERY slightly puckerish astringency which never even comes CLOSE to losing the initial sense of frt as it slowly transitions into quite a LONG, BALANCED finish with a tang & swtness to the very, VERY fine tannins. For now & the next 4+ yrs. SENSATIONAL! 13.5% ABV; My EXC. 95 pts Suckling, 92 Vinous, 91 WS, & 90 WE @ $40. [This vendor's $33.95 heads the currently limited wine-searcher class.]

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  3/18/2018 - pablor wrote: 89 Points

  A wine that is not for everybody. An agreeable floral nose with touches of spice and black cherry, but with a highly acidic palate with medium body that reminds a cool climate Austrian red wine. I can see die hard fans of barbaresco or old fashioned riojas liking this wine. Not an easy type of wine and definitely not meriting the high score given by JS

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