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Spain (123)
By Varietal
Albarino (2)
Cabernet Sauvignon (1)
Grenache (18)
Mencia (1)
Mourvedre (7)
Pedro Ximenez (2)
Proprietary Blend (47)
Tempranillo (38)
Verdejo (1)
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| 2001 - Montecillo Rioja Gran Reserva |
| Aug 18, 2009 |
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| Medium-light red with tones of purple, leading to a red rim that fades to milky pink at the rim. The nose is full of a slightly sweet, luxurious fruit core surrounded by delicate floral aromas. The balance stays true on the palate and the soft plum and cherry fruits are surrounded a nice layer of cedar and spice. The oak is well integrated and this is drinking great now! |
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| 2004 - Hornillos Ballesteros, Bodegas Mibal Seleccion |
| Very fine "Nuevo" Ribera del Duero |
| Aug 13, 2009 |
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Despite the use of mostly American Oak, this Ribera del Duero is made in a decidedly modern style. Almost black in color with a huge attack of black fruits and new oak aromas, this nevertheless tastes more like classic tempranillo than the bouquet would lead you to believe. Loads of rich, silky black fruit flavors with hints of leather, coffee and chocolate, and a nice finish that is a bit more tannic than one would find in traditional Spanish wine. The tannins are sweet and ripe, however, and the considerable new wood treatment does not overwhelm the fruit, as I thought it would when it was tasted on release.
During a tasting of non-Riserva Riberas, most 5-10 years old, we concluded that all but the most over-oaked of these 100% Tempranillo wines seem to shed their "woodiness" with a bit of bottle age (8-12 years seems to be the best time to drink them).
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| 2000 - Vega Sicilia Alion |
| Very fine Ribera, just beginning to mature. |
| Aug 13, 2009 |
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100% Tempranillo aged in mostly new French Oak.
This Crianza from the owners of Vega Sicilia is almost 9 years old, and the wine has already shed its tannin and "new-wood" aromas. It now shows a pretty bouquet of leather, bacon fat and raspberries. On the palate, a rich silky mouthfeel with an intense core of black raspberry and cherry fruit with hints of coffee and cocoa. Long, elegant finish, it carries its high alcohol (14%) seamlessly. The folks at V-S claimed that they wanted to make Alion in a claret style, but this wine is more Burgundian than anything else. Really 4.5 Stars. Splendid!
If this wine is typical, I would say that Ribera del Duero Crianzas from good vintages are best between 8-12 years from the vintage.
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| 2005 - Torres Celeste Crianza |
| Jul 13, 2009 |
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| Very dark, with a unique fragrant nose of crushed purple flowers and an intoxicating sweet element on top. Blueberry city on the palate, with flavors of the crushed berries. Very dense, surprisingly tannic in the mid to rear palate, this probably needs a couple more years in the bottle to smooth out. Very nice. |
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| 2007 - Salneval Albarino |
| Mar 11, 2009 |
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| Crisp, Minerally white wine. I tried this wine at a wine tasting on Saturday. For not being much of a white wine drinker, I really enjoyed this one! It is a great wine to pair with fish or just to drink on the deck on a nice spring or summer night. A great drink to enjoy with others or while reading a good book! |
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| 2006 - Marques de Caceres Rioja Rosado |
| Ridiculous Value Rose |
| Mar 06, 2009 |
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This is an absolutely stunning value rose from Spain. This has a beautiful pinkish hue and an incredibly aromatic nose. Watermelon, strawberries, white peach, and a soft floral note all play well together. On the palate crisp, clean, and fresh, with great acidity and rich minerality. This is a perfect wine for the Spring and Summer months ahead. It is an excellent apertif wine and will go great with grilled foods. I swear if I was served this in a black glass that it was a red wine; it has that much complexity!
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| 2007 - Bodegas Ateca Atteca |
| Great Spanish Value |
| Jan 30, 2009 |
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I was very impressed by this wine. If you like Big, Bold, Spanish grenache this wine is an unbelieveable value. A deep, dark purple wine, with a magenta rim. Loads of dark black fruits, blackberry, raspberry, casis, and strawberry. A good dose of toasty oak and smooth tanins make this an easy wine to drink.
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| 2006 - Hijos de Juan Gil, Bodegas Juan Gil |
| Jan 09, 2009 |
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| Dark purple core with a pink rim. Cranberry, tea and blackberry aromas with
a hint of sulfur and some toasty oak. Thin on the palate (in flavor) with
rather big tannins. Burnt licorice and black fruit flavors. Finishes gummy. |
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| 2004 - Pingus Flor de Pingus |
| suggested by the french laundry |
| Aug 10, 2008 |
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I enjoyed a half bottle of this wine at the French Laundry in June of 2008, while on an epicurean excursion through California's wine country. This wine was, by far, the best wine I tasted that week, before, or since. I am in love with the Pingus. It paired with everything nicely, deliciously full bodied but not overpowering or heavy.
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| 9998 - Segura Viudas Brut Cava Aria NV |
| Good and Cheap! |
| Jun 09, 2008 |
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| This is a great inexpensive sparkler! This wine has a golden/brass appearance and smells toasty. The taste is dry, crisp, and features good alcohol. It's yeasty and toasty with a bit of apple and pear. It's clean with a medium texture. |
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| 2002 - Venta Mazzaron |
| Excellent! |
| Jun 08, 2008 |
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| IF you like fruit bombs....has a nose of vanilla and cassis.nice plum and blackberry front giving way to some toffee flavored gripping tannins then the finish is full of raisins. this is an interesting wine needs to open a little. it's worth a shot but surely not for everybody. would pair nicely with a juicy steak. |
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| 2003 - Venta Mazzaron |
| Great Value! |
| Jun 08, 2008 |
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| This vintage has vanilla notes up front, with some ripe berry and currant flavor there as well. Hard but integrated tannins come accross on the midpalate and finish. Probably not one for the old school Tempranillo drinkers, but this has to be a hit in the domestic market that loves the big stuff. |
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| 2004 - Venta Mazzaron |
| New from Old |
| Jun 08, 2008 |
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| This is a very new world styled wine with vanilla oak and fruit exploding. Big and ripe, very much seeming to show a "new world" style, this tempranillo could almost pass for some kind of California cabernet. Drink over the next 5 years. |
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| 2003 - Agapito Rico Jumilla Carchelo |
| Another Solid Value |
| Jun 05, 2008 |
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| At $10 a bottle, how can you top this? This winery has produced mostly solid value red wines and this vintage is no exception. It was just as good as I hoped it would be based on the previous two vintages, with black fruit and spice with smooth tannins, just the way I like my reds. Buy a case! |
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| 2002 - Agapito Rico Jumilla Carchelo |
| Yummy |
| Jun 05, 2008 |
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| This was another solid vintage, and I actually enjoyed this wine more than the 2001 but I felt like the 01 was more complex. Overall its a great value - wonderful table red. Strong chocolate and berry notes. Yummy. |
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