by Michael Malinoski » Thu Aug 09, 2007 10:02 pm
As threatened, I'm adding my impressions to Bill's excellent notes on this fantastic evening of Rioja.
A quick background: I came into this year with a resolution to try more Riojas and to better understand some of the more traditional producers--primarily starting with R. Lopez de Heredia. Having now tried 11 different bottlings from this producer over the past eight months, I have to add it to my list of all-time favorites! The style is fairly consistent, but manages to continually surprise (as shown by the performance of the 1947 Bosconia). This tasting was a cherry on top of the sundae of this journey and I have to thank Joe Perry and all those that organized, attended, and donated bottles to this event. Thanks!
On to my notes:
1989 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Gravonia “Reserva” Rioja Blanco. Bill has apparently made inquiries and determined that somehow this was mistakenly labeled as reserva, but is really and truly crianza. In any event, the color is darker than the ’88 Tondonia Blanco, which is more like a deep straw color. The somewhat enticing nose here sports honey, oxidative notes, tobacco leaf and earthy funk, with more exotic spices sprinkling in with air. The attack is very taut and minerally to the point of being almost tinny. However, it quickly fans out in the mid-palate, where if you really let it roll around for a while, it richens and grows considerably. Yellow apples and ample spices provide the flavor profile, with the spices carrying through to a moderate finish.
1988 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Reserva Rioja Blanco. Bill’s note is right on that this is a more elegant, feminine style than the Gravonia. To start, the nose is more restrained, and shows more finesse overall, presenting a softer, more floral bouquet with hints of white pepper. In the mouth, this has much more body and a creamier texture in a lithe, finesse-driven style sporting great juiciness and excellent balance. Also, it features excellent length, with plenty of tingly acidity on the finish to keep it all fresh.
1994 La Rioja Alta 890 Gran Reserva Rioja. I fell in love with this wine the moment I lifted the glass to my nose. The bouquet is just heavenly, leaping from the glass with a knock your socks off sensuousness featuring dusty sweet cherries, mulling spices, faint balsam wood and lily flowers. Later, touches of earth and caramel join the party. It is fresh and immediate and seems to have reserves of depth to go along with a personality that prevents it from even approaching gaudiness. In the mouth, it is a little less “special” at this time, but still offers nice sweet red berry fruits and dried cherry fruit. It has very solid grip, a nice juiciness and superb balance. There is a hint of fine grain tannin on the moderate length finish—all boding well for a fine future.
1985 Montecillo Gran Reserva Selección Especial Rioja. The nose opens with definite funk bordering on “dirty”, though Joe assured us it was just a little micro flora(?). Beyond that, though, there are aromas of dark cherry, earth and coffee grounds. I let this sit for an hour or more, and coming back to it later, the dirtiness had subsided, and there was a huge impression of balsam, almost dill seemingly coming out of nowhere. The next day, I served the leftovers to some friends, and the nose was all about leather, manure and earth. So, you might be in for a bumpy crazy ride with this one, at least aromatically… Not so much in the mouth, though, where it is rather smooth with rich, but integrated tannins. It is certainly less finesse-driven than the other wines this night, but does show some decent layering.
1987 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja. Ah, we are back to the land of fragrant, pretty bouquets. This one reminds me of polished furniture, persimmon, orange rind, flowers, caramel and anise. In the mouth, it is just so approachable and easy to drink. One gets no sense whatsoever of aggressive tannin or of anything but flawless balance and overall seamlessness. It is medium-bodied and is on the lean side, though I would hardly call it delicate or under-fruited. It has cranberry and cherry flavors, juicy acidity, and a spicy, dry finish with very good length.
1973 CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva Rioja. This wine shows a whole different kind of nose, with gewurtz-like lychee and spice aromas being the first thing one notices. There is also a darker cherry note on top, but that sense of lychee keeps boiling up. Very interesting. The palate is on the richer end of the spectrum, with mocha, black cherry, lychee, and dark caramel flavors that lead to a prickly finish. It tastes quite clean, with little tannin interference, offers a nice texture and hangs out on the finish for a good long while.
1970 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva Rioja. Again, I’m experiencing a fabulous Lopez de Heredia nose of leather couch, minerals, cranberry, raspberry and spicy wood, joined later on by coffee overtones. On the palate, there is an intense shot of juicy red berry fruit and dried cherry right up front (Joe tells me this was a very fruity vintage in Rioja) that has immediate appeal. It is more rounded and filled in than the 1987, seeming almost viscous in comparison. It offers a lovely shot of balancing tang on the very long finish. Very nice! It may not be as impressive or showy as the 1946, but I would say I enjoyed drinking this wine even more on this particular evening—WOTN for me.
1964 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Rioja. I got a rather different read on this wine than Bill for some reason. To me, the nose is a bit brooding, really, with forest floor, dark wood and rich fruit. I actually wrote down “burly”, though I am sure this is a relative term amongst this style of wine. In the mouth, I find this to be surprisingly meaty and masculine with dark berries and black cherry fruit over polished but fuller tannins. Again, though, I find the seamless texture and beautiful layering that I have become accustomed to in my half-year-long exploration of this bodega.
1947 R. Lopez de Heredia Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva Rioja. I was shocked to see just how dark and healthy the color was on this wine—in fact I would say it was the darkest wine of the night. Also, in the glass, it looks quite heavy on the glycerin, coating the inside of the wine glass as you swirl. The nose is a very interesting blend of light airy aromatics and a darker, earthy underbelly. Later, secondary nuances of sweet caramel, spicy wood and some alcohol notes come on, but not so much the old cracked leather and fading flowers I was expecting for some reason. This bouquet seemed like it was still waiting to really strut its stuff in like another 20 years. In the mouth, this is almost unctuous when compared to some of the younger wines—with great richness and mouthfeel to go along with sweet cherry fruit and tangy acidity. And the tannins are right there—giving the impression of a wine not 60 years old but more like 6. The finish just goes on and on, showing impressive persistence. On the whole, I think it is in some ways too young to drink now and is really only showing some fraction of what is under the kimono! It was a great experience to taste this wine (and all the others, really!)—my sincere thanks to Joe.
2003 Chateau Coutet Barsac. I talked to Pmac about this wine. I asked several questions about it. I watched people pour themselves some. I heard them discuss it. And then when I went to pour it, it had disappeared! Of course, the restaurant was closing down around us by the time I got to this point, so I have nobody to blame but myself! Albert shared his last drop with me after closing time, and it made me really wish for that extra glass…
1963 Quinta do Noval Vintage Porto. This one I was not going to miss! And I’m glad I didn’t! The color is a muddied garnet. This wine has a soaring bouquet of smoky black cherries, caramel, spices and spirits. In the mouth, it is very spicy, with bright, sweet candied fruit and tangy acidity. It is massively long in the mouth, just coating the palate and staying with you for minutes after swallowing. It possesses medium body, a silky texture, well-integrated tannins and a lip-smacking personality that just won’t quit. The finish goes on and on and provided a perfect ending to a fabulous evening.
-Michael
