Ericsson

9.3

Good depth, acidity, fruit, and nuance. — 19 days ago

Jan de Weerd

8.9

Hmm. 🤔 wasn’t able to connect with this, expectingly great wine. Actually first direct out of the bottle it was promising. Strong oak notes with vibrant dark red fruit underneath it. But over the next hour, the oak flavors started to be integrated more but the acidity became very prominent and made the wine rather single note, diluted, lacking depth, acidic tasting. So needless to say. Disappointing experience. Maybe it was not the right day 🤔. — 24 days ago

with Tammy

Jay Kline

9.4

Opened around 8pm the evening prior, double decanted and left in room temperature until service on Friday evening. In total, this was opened 24hours before service. The 1995 pours a beautiful garnet with transparent core; medium viscosity with moderate stating of the tears. On the nose, the wine is developing with surprisingly boozy dark fruit. Brambles, cassis, bell pepper, licorice, spearmint and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long with great acidity. Overall, remarkably youthful. While it’s certainly ready to go, it will likely continue some positive evolution over the next couple of decades. Drink now with a long decant through 2045. — a month ago

Andrea Watt

9.3

Bright citrus and melon over jasmine, oak, and pear. Crisp acidity balanced out by rich flavor. — 8 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Yellow gold with copper hue, quite thin pale rim . Caramelised pineapple, saffron , vanilla , creme brûlée , quite rich and decadent. On the palate again quite rich , barley sugar , creme brûlée and saffron, just enough acidity to balance and a little alcoholic warmth . On the medium length finish , lemon rind and a touch of caramel . This is probably at peak now , just misses a little vibrancy , freshness, however successful for the vintage . Drink now and over the next 10- 15 years — a month ago

Lyn Farmer

9.4

This is still young but drinking superbly. Plenty of acidity to offset the sweetness, very long finish. Aromas and flavors of pineapple, orange blossom, honey, peach, apricot, dried apricot, ripe pear, candied lemon, ginger, saffron, vanilla - so much going on in the glass! Exceptional wine with excellent balance of sweetness, flavor intensity and acidity. Has many years ahead of it but hard to resist now. — a month ago

Carmen

8.9

La Rioja Alta, “Viña Ardanza” Rioja Reserva, 2016 🇪🇸
🍇Tempranillo 80%, Garnacha 20%
😋 Cherries and dried red fruits, vanilla, leather, and spice.
🕰️The term 'Reserva' on the label indicates this Spanish wine was aged for a minimum of 3 years, with at least 1 year spent in the barrel.
✅ Pretty bold with a clean acidity, this🍷tastes great now but could also age for a few more years. — 2 months ago

Nicole Ocasio

9.2

Perfect for the Summer. If you're in the tropics, perfect for everyday. Light color, balanced in acidity, and with a hint of earthy volcanic undertone. — 20 days ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Leaner than the El Puntido. This is more classic Tempranillo. Drier & earthier.

Beautiful wine. Ripe, juicy & slightly candied & floral fruits of; mid to dark cherries, black raspberries, black raspberries, dry blue berries. Cherry cola, dry tobacco w/ ash, dry leathery, barrel staves, muddy herb mix, dark, dry spices, steeped, sun tea, mid; clove, nutmeg, vanilla, limestone minerals, crushed limestone/dry rocks, dry flowers that are black, red w/ dry lavender, round, high acidity with a high, dry tannin finish that falls on to the wild, dry, earthy, wildest finish that is balanced for many minutes.

Paired this with/ a dry rub tri-tip and a burgundy marinaded Cardiff Crack tri-tip. Both very different and enjoyable, but liked the dry rub with the Rioja.

Photos of, my visit to the Bodega, old oak vats that are decades old, neutral wood that is still used as of 2015 when I visited & been repaired endlessly, old wood press and tasting room outside their cellar/tasting room. — 21 days ago

Delectable Wine

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9.7

The 2016 Montrose is a supremely gifted Saint-Estèphe. Very harmonious and precise on the nose, faint hints of mocha and freshly rolled tobacco are behind those floral scents, black rather than red fruit. The palate has very fine tannins, extraordinarily harmonious with a nigh-perfect line of acidity. There is a subtle crescendo that leaves you utterly smitten by its charms, a touch of graphite on the finish. I just have the feeling that this might close up for a while. Tasted from an ex-château bottle at the Icons of Bordeaux dinner at Legacy Records in New York. (Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2024)
— 2 months ago