Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

A nice wine!! A blend of mostly Tinta del País/Tempranillo (from old vineyards), with a splash of Garnacha and other grapes, including whites. Medium Ruby with aromas of ripe fresh fruits, herb and complex spice. On the palate flavors of cherry and blackberry with vanilla oak and cacao. Good balance, fine elegant tannins, medium+ finish ending with fruit and earthy character. Very nice! — 2 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium lemon yellow . Quite high toned , with nutty orange and lemon rind , dried apricot , touch of resin and toasty almonds . On the palate quite rounded with dried orange rind , lemon pith , and toasted almonds finish . High acidity and lots of extract . This is drinking well but will continue at this level for perhaps another 5-10 years . Lots of life yet . — 2 days ago

Jae Cho

9.1

In an awkward spot that suffers by comparison to an amazing mosel troken. Has much that’s delicious, but the taut, stony tertiary flavors are incipient not quite showy. — 8 days ago

Mike Evans

9.2

Rating how it is showing now, it just needs time — 17 days ago

Conrad Green

9.3

Lush and silky. Soft oak with rounded fruit and good tension. Excellent — a month ago

with Bex

Jay Kline

9.4

Opened about three hours prior to service for color check and make sure the wine was sound since I was taking to a tasting. It was subsequently decanted about an hour prior to service. The 1998 pours a deep ruby/purple color with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and some slight signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is developing still, with notes of tart and ripe red fruits: Bing cherries, ripe raspberries, underbrush, new leather, spices, minerals, dry rocky earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. Everyone was stunned how young this came across. The fruit is still so fresh and the structure remains impressive. An evergreen wine and a perfect example why Priorat is so special. Drink now with some air and through 2038. — 17 days ago

heidi schlegel

9.9

Although not as prestigious as Unico, this Valbuena 5 was an absolute delight! Rich and balanced, it paired perfectly with fowl (pigeon). — a month ago

Alejandro

9.7

What a wonderful mencia varietal, balanced and bright red, tint of strawberry, raspberry, pomegranate, baking spice, pepper and licorice. I love it!!! — a month ago

Abbas Zand

9.6

Exotic red fruit notes. Red and black raspberry w exotic spice, earthy flavors. A lot of nice Oak influence. Very nice balance. Quite a lot of tannins. Can use more time in the bottle, but, already delicious.
Fantastic Rioja wine. Love it.
$26 — 5 days ago

Ericsson

9.2

Not as pop and pour ready as I remember but good vintage that would benefit from proper cellaring and aging. — a month ago