Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Barón de Ley – Varietales Tempranillo – 2014
Rioja DOCa – Spain 🇪🇸

Overview
A 100% Tempranillo from Rioja’s esteemed Barón de Ley Varietales Collection, crafted to highlight the noble face of the region’s flagship grape. Although structured in a crianza style with a projected drinking window of 10–12 years, opening it in 2025 revealed the wine perched right on the twilight edge of maturity. This is bottle #04400, now showing the soulful evolution that Rioja Tempranillo is famed for.

Aromas & Flavors
Initially faint cherry fruit, now firmly in the tertiary spectrum: leather satchel, dried rosemary, forest floor, and faint cigar box. Gentle hints of balsamic and dried fig linger in the background.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with softened, polymerized tannins. Acidity remains fresh enough to carry the wine, but fruit presence has largely faded, leaving savory and earthy notes to dominate.

Food Pairings
A fine match for aged Manchego cheese, braised lamb shank, mushroom-stuffed peppers, or even a rustic stew where earthy and herbal notes harmonize.

Verdict
This Tempranillo no longer plays its youthful cherry trumpet but rather resonates like the old violin sound of Rioja—mellow, textured, and contemplative. A fascinating study in maturity, best enjoyed with reflection rather than exuberance.

Did You Know?
Rioja wines are often classified not just by grape but by aging designations (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva). This bottle leaned into crianza timing, showing beautifully at first but demonstrating how Tempranillo gracefully transitions from fruit-driven vibrancy to complex tertiary elegance. — 10 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Opus One 2011
Napa Valley, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A Bordeaux-style blend from one of Napa’s most iconic estates, co-founded by Robert Mondavi and Baron Philippe de Rothschild. The 2011 vintage was a challenging, cool year in Napa, producing wines of lower alcohol, more restraint, and higher acidity compared to the opulent, sun-soaked vintages before and after. Blend typically centers on Cabernet Sauvignon with Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec.

Aromas & Flavors
Opens with blackcurrant, cassis, and dried cherry layered with graphite, violets, tobacco leaf, and hints of cedar and espresso. As it evolves in the glass, notes of leather, savory herbs, and cocoa powder emerge.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied compared to more powerful Opus vintages, with fresh acidity and fine-grained tannins. Elegant and balanced, showing more finesse and structure than richness. The finish lingers with red and black fruits, spice, and a touch of earth.

Winemaking Notes
Aged in French oak for 18 months. The cooler season resulted in smaller yields, but a style closer to classic Bordeaux restraint rather than plush Napa ripeness.

Food Pairing
Beautiful with herb-crusted lamb, grilled duck breast, wild mushroom risotto, or aged cheeses like Comté.

Verdict
A vintage that divided critics due to its lighter profile, but for those who enjoy elegance and classical structure, the 2011 Opus One is a refreshing outlier. Drink now, though it still has a few years of graceful life ahead. Cheers!
— 2 months ago

Doug Powers

9.3

Really lovely Lirac, Grenache and Syrah show mostly, the proprietor (Rodolphe des Pins) (in my opinion!!) dragged his feet too long in joining the Lirac appellation, but his wines have LONG been undervalued and are fantastic at their pricepoint, I personally have more bottles of this, which I expect to age well!! — 5 months ago

with Jim

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Fresh bottle, just opened. Pop & pour.

I have 09 & 10 of this second wine of Pichon Longueville. I just haven’t considering opening one yet.

As 2010 is a big vintage, I choice to pair this with the cheeseboard but writing notes before digging in. Something to soften the tannins of what I consider to be a brawny vintage that needs time. Cheese pairing is often chosen to pair with young, big reds as it coats the palate and softens the impact of big, brawny tannins.

This is quite nice, showing the quality of the vintage, yet being a second wine, you can open one now for what otherwise is a long age vintage for first wines.

The nose is somewhat expressive & inviting. Dark core of black currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, black cherries, some poached strawberries, hues of purple & blue fruits, anise, charcoal notes, anise, understated black licorice, French roast coffee beans, dark toast, steeped black tea, candied to withering dark flowers with candied violets.

The palate is clean with strangely not a ton of astringency. M+ dry, powdery tannins Ripe & juicy; black currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, black cherries, some poached strawberries, raspberry overtones and hues of purple & blue fruits. Anise, charcoal notes, sweet tarriness, anise, understated black licorice, French espresso roast, dark toast, steeped black tea, oak barrel shavings & powder, dry twigs/leaves, leather, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry herbs, dark earth, dry top soil, nice dark spice, caramel, dark & milk chocolate, mocha powder, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dry stone, withering dark flowers, red roses with slightly candied violets, excellent acidity, it’s balanced but will be better balanced w/ age, structure & tension show the brawn of the vintage, it’s getting to an elegant and polished finish that lasts two-minutes and falls on dry earth, oak and spice.

Showed some tiny, velvety sediment at finish.

This drinks now but I would wait another 3-5 yrs to open and will age nicely for another 10-15 yrs.

Definitely worth picking up if you find Pichon Longueville outside your price point. 92-93. Rounding up today from 91.6.

Cheeseboard is bourique cheeses, served with crackers and accompaniments including grapes, churney, honey, dried fruits and nuts

@EK225 — 16 days ago

brando cox

8.9

All the right things. Cherry. Cassis. Blackberry. Balanced warm vanilla cherry crumble which good riojas are known for. A hint of undergrowth. 2013 drinking superbly in 2025. — 4 months ago

sasha

9.5

Needs time to open. Delicate with a beautiful balance of cherry/raspberry, hay, and acidity. Drink ASAP — 5 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.6

The 3rd wine at the First Growth Bordeaux lunch at the Downs Club last Saturday. My contribution to the lunch. 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Opulent and Powerful. The experts say this is a 50 year wine and tasting it now at 39 years currently it will definitely not have an issue reaching 50 years. Mint, spice and black fruits. The masses of dry tannins 20 years ago are starting to resolve. Jancis wondered in 2004 if they would ever soften. I have one left which I hope to drink on its 50th birthday in 2036 if I am still around. This was the oldest wine in the lineup and also the most robust. — 6 months ago

Doug Powers

9.4

OK, I’ve posted on these “older” Baron Louis CdR from Montfaucon before, not certain the exact year that Rodolphe (Rudi) des Pins sought DOC for this cuvée as Lirac (2014??), but my understanding is that the earlier vintages were also (mostly? all?) Lirac grapes (dating back to 1998, at least, since you KNOW I likely still have a bottle of that 1998)!! Anyway, label says 40% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 10% Carignan, 10% Mourvedre, 10% Counoise.

At age 18, this would give a heck of a lot of older Gigondas/CdP a run for their money, lovely color, still quite youthful and structured, quite a long finish, my congrats to Rudi (who is my brother’s close friend, but I consider Rudi a friend as well, plus I’ve been in the historic, 1,000-year-old Chateau de Montfaucon on the Lirac side of the Rhone River across from the vineyards of CdP).

A poor man’s CdP, it’s that complex and age-worthy!! — 18 days ago

with Jim

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this . — a month ago

Jan A

9.3

Consistent with previous bottles and notes. Just love the rich, slightly oxidized style of vanilla drenched ripe yellow fruit, cedar and marzipan with a touch of sweetness. Good acidity and complexity. — 5 months ago