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- My Location:
- Chicago, IL
- Member Since
- May 2009
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- About me in 10 words or less
want traditional wines that exhibit terroir
My hometown
chicago
My favorite wines
Barolo, Burgundy, Sangiovese, Rioja
My favorite foods
Lamb, Salmon, Risotto
My favorite websites
www.italianwinemerchantstore.com
When I am not on WineZap, I...
look for fellow curmudgeons to taste wines with
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Review a new wine!
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2004 - Hornillos Ballesteros, Bodegas Mibal Seleccion |
| Aug 13, 2009 |
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Despite the use of mostly American Oak, this Ribera del Duero is made in a decidedly modern style. Almost black in color with a huge attack of black fruits and new oak aromas, this nevertheless tastes more like classic tempranillo than the bouquet would lead you to believe. Loads of rich, silky black fruit flavors with hints of leather, coffee and chocolate, and a nice finish that is a bit more tannic than one would find in traditional Spanish wine. The tannins are sweet and ripe, however, and the considerable new wood treatment does not overwhelm the fruit, as I thought it would when it was tasted on release.
During a tasting of non-Riserva Riberas, most 5-10 years old, we concluded that all but the most over-oaked of these 100% Tempranillo wines seem to shed their "woodiness" with a bit of bottle age (8-12 years seems to be the best time to drink them).
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2000 - Vega Sicilia Alion |
| Aug 13, 2009 |
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100% Tempranillo aged in mostly new French Oak.
This Crianza from the owners of Vega Sicilia is almost 9 years old, and the wine has already shed its tannin and "new-wood" aromas. It now shows a pretty bouquet of leather, bacon fat and raspberries. On the palate, a rich silky mouthfeel with an intense core of black raspberry and cherry fruit with hints of coffee and cocoa. Long, elegant finish, it carries its high alcohol (14%) seamlessly. The folks at V-S claimed that they wanted to make Alion in a claret style, but this wine is more Burgundian than anything else. Really 4.5 Stars. Splendid!
If this wine is typical, I would say that Ribera del Duero Crianzas from good vintages are best between 8-12 years from the vintage.
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