Sipping Fine Wine

9.2

Just love this wine, just gets better and better, had bottle for Fat Tuesday. Deep Ruby with an elegant bouquet of berry fruits, light spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja. On the palate, the wine was silky smooth with layers of flavors, berry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice lingering finish. Delicious! Can age well into next decade. — 2 days ago

Gary Root

9.1

We had a vertical of sorts... 2016 2016 2016 Crianza, 2012 Reserva, and 2010 Gran Reserva! All Conde Valdemar all Tempranillo blends with different aging in barrel and bottle. We all should meet in Rioja to continue the journey! We are out having fun again and we just can’t stop!!! — 7 days ago

with Lara and Sheryl

Jason Gelman

9.0

this one is really nice but still too powerful for my tastes. could use another 10 years to soften the oak and then will be superb. — 4 days ago

Bart Van Rompaey

9.4

This must have been quite an “in your face” wine when younger. This still has loads of fruit and sweet candy on the nose and palette. Soft tannins, some vanilla from the oak barrels. Nice balance! I guess this is in its sweet spot concerning drinking window. I am loving this a lot! — 7 days ago

Josh Morgenthau

9.2

Beautiful. This old wine is a treat, with a musty and gamey nose of balsamic fruit, lilac, tamari and earth. Old school rioja. — 10 days ago

Austin Hohnke

9.2

Always a stunner. So much acidity on this vintage! Oxidative, full bodied and salty with lots of citrus, orange peel, and almond with a long, nutty finish. This would kill with crab cakes. Plenty of time ahead of it. — 3 days ago

Victor Charcan

9.2

Fine mediterranean vintage. Red and dark red fruit driven (ripe cherries and strawberries), cinnamon, lavender and rosemary. Good acidity, complexity and length — 5 days ago

Will Stanley

9.5

Second time trying this and more time on this occasion to study it.

In short, this is an exceptional traditional style Rioja that has a long life ahead.

How it looks - deep ruby red but hints of brick orange at edge already.

How it sniffs - leaping out of the glass. This is an unmistakably traditional rioja with plenty of oxidative oaky aroma married with dried red fruit and savoury meat.

How it tastes - oddly, this tasted more youthful and vivacious on the second night, whereas on the first (with no decant) it seemed slightly more mellow and reserved. No doubt, this is more towards the traditional side of Rioja with ten years of age and not dissimilar in style to a Tondonia. I have more hope this time however for the longevity of the wine. This has acidity to last years. Tannins are fine grained and in some sense mellow, but there’s so much going on with the palate to make this well worthy of extended cellar time. It is racy, vivacious and exceptionally well put together with plenty of red fruit, dried meat, savoury and vanilla notes. The finish is long, dry and exemplary of a harmonious, perfect Rioja.

Will leave now for a few years! — 5 days ago

Evan Bienstock

9.4

So soft and silky. Everyone loved it! Great year for Rioja and it showed up! — 14 days ago

Jason Sliwa

9.0

It’s been a year since we opened the last one of these. It’s still in excellent shape. One more left in the cellar... — 5 days ago

with Vicki