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WINE REVIEWS & RATINGS
Spanish Wine Reviews the Reds 2004 to present
2004
2004 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas Viñas Viejas $$
Color: Medium red
Nose: Spices, crushed rock, oak, and vanilla
Taste: Nice with less tannins then when I had it years ago with spices, cranberry, raspberries, oak and vanilla
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: I bought 3 of these wines and this is showing the best of the three on a recent sale purchase 90 points
2004 Alto Moncayo Campo De Borja $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Heavy with black pepper, violets, crushed rock, spices
Taste: Big wine with heavy spices, black pepper, violets, crushed rock, sweet fruits, oak
Finish: Massive and long with a buttery note at the end
Evaluation: A massive wine that needs some aging and should improve. 92 +points
2004 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja - Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja (2/16/2010)
A sensation of heat on the nose. Aromas of pepper, floral and spice. On the palate the spice is too intense but also features pepper, floral, chocolate and crushed rock. Medium and concentrated finish. This wine is a bit off balance but has a lot of interesting elements. I will try this on day 2 and 3 and see if anything settles down. (90 pts.)
2004 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Campo de Borja - Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja (2/17/2010)
2nd Day review. This is a totally different wine and I encourage heavy decanting or drink it on the second day of opening. Aromas of violets, coffee, minerals, cranberry On the palate there is still a concentrated spice quality but also shows coffee, violets, crushed rock and cranberries. Medium and intense finish. This wine certainly has opened up. (93 pts.)
2004 Aalto Ribera del Duero $$$$
Color: Medium red
Nose: Vibrant and explosive from the glass with mineral, tar, floral
Taste: Really clean wine without the heavy tannins. Floral, mineral, smoke and nice fruit
Finish: Concentrated with some sweet fruit and well integrated oak and vanilla
Evaluation: This is a must buy and cellar selection. A great 10 year anniversary wine 94 points
2004 Aalto Ribera del Duero $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Coffee, spices, game, violets, black fruit
Taste: Toasted oak, vanilla, cherry, violets, spice and coffee
Finish: Medium and concentrated with a mild buttery finish
Evaluation: Still a great wine 94 points
2004 Alvaro Palacios Le Terrasses Priorat $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Oak, plum, earth, spice
Taste: Floral, oak, vanilla, spices, cherries
Finish: Big wine that needs to be decanted five hours. Long finish with floral, oak, vanilla, spices, fruits. Tannic
Evaluation: Good value that needs five years in the cellar. 90 points
2004 Bodegas Bilbainas Vicuana Rioja (75% Tempranillo, 25% Graciano) $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Earth, fruit
Taste: Inky purple jams, spice, crushed rock, slight oak component
Finish: Spices, crushed rock, which leads into a medium buttery finish
Evaluation: Full flavor here and this really would complement red meat. 90 points
2004 Castano Hecula Monastrell $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Intense with spice, floral, pepper, oak
Taste: Nice acidity with spice, plum, floral, pepper, oak, vanilla
Finish: Medium with pleasing qualities. It is almost refreshing which is not usually a quality of the Monastrell grape
Evaluation: Great wine at a great price. 90 points
2004 Castell Del Remei Gotim Bru (Tempranillo, Cabernet, Merlot, Garnacha)
$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, earth
Taste: Big up front but lacks much more then tobacco and earth
Finish: Medium but nothing memorable
Evaluation: Not a great wine 80 points
2004 Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero $$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Oak, mineral, vanilla
Taste: Oak, mineral, plum, raspberry, cherry, firm tannins
Finish: Medium with a nice balance of earth and fruit
Evaluation: Cellar. This needs time. Currently 87 points
2004 Bodegas El Nido Clio Jumilla $$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, blackberries, oak, vanilla
Taste: Cherry, blackberries, good acidity with a little too much oak
Finish: Medium and a bit tannic but drinkable with decanting
Evaluation: Very nice wine 92 points
2004 Bodegas Palacio Cosme Palacio y Hermanos Rioja $$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Plum, spice
Taste: Spice, pepper not over intense
Finish: Solid with pepper and spice
Evaluation: Very nice wine 87 points
2004 Bodegas Alejandro Fernadez Pesquera Ribera del Duero $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, earth
Taste: Good acidity along with spice, blackberries, earth, and Intense!
Finish: Long with just the acidity off a little other then that a great wine
Evaluation: Age worthy 91 points
2004 Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Pesquera Reserva Ribera del Duero $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Spice, truffles, oak
Taste: A little heavy with oak, spice, earth
Finish: Medium and concentrated
Evaluation: Lacks a little elegance 88 points
2004 Bodegas Palacios Remondo La Montesa Rioja $$
Color: Dark purple Nose: Spice, plum, blackberry
Taste: Spicy with blackberry, plum, vanilla, and oak
Finish: Medium tannins and is drinking well now
Evaluation: Very good wine for the money from Spain. 90 points
2004 San Gregorio Calatayud Tres Ojos Old Vines Garnacha $$
Color: Medium red
Nose: Suttle
Taste: Spice, pepper
Finish: Powerful with black pepper and spice lingering into a medium finish
Evaluation: Try this wine with meats. 87 points
2004 Vinedos de Paganos El Puntido Rioja $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Tobacco, mineral, smoke, cherries
Taste: Big wine with tobacco, smoke, minerals, and black fruits
Finish: Medium and concentrated
Evaluation: Solid but 1# of the year by Wine Enthusiast I don't get 90 points
2004 Numanthia-Termes Toro Termes $$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Big wine with Cherry, earth tones, plum
Taste: Huge wine with medium tannins (decant this one) and cherry, mineral, plum, oak, violets, earthy tones
Finish: Extremely long and balanced wine
Evaluation: This is one of the better values out of Spain and should cellar for 10 plus years. 92 points
2004 Bodegas Virgen de la (Garnacha 65%, Shiraz 15%, Tempranillo 15%) Calatayud$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Fruit forward wine
Taste: Flavorful with plum, blackberries, little bit of spice
Finish: Medium with nice consistent flavors of spice, fruit and black pepper
Evaluation: Full of flavor and you can drink alone or enjoy with food. 88 points
2005
2005 La Huella de Adaras Almansa Region $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cedar
Taste: Cranberries, spice, cedar, crushed rock
Finish: Medium and intense
Evaluation: This wine needs to be decanted for a few hours and should be cellared. 87 currently
2005 Artadi Orobio Rioja $$
Color: Medium Purple
Nose: Pepper, spice, cigar
Taste: Spice, floral, pepper, oak, vanilla, Dry!
Finish: Oak, vanilla, spice, floral
Evaluation: Really dry but a good value. 85 points
2005 Bodegas Castaño Monastrell Yecla Hécula - Spain, Murcia, Yecla (4/6/2010)
Spice, dark fruits and earth on the nose. A powerful wine on the palate and it really shows some structure for an inexpesive wine. Highly recommended. (88 pts.)
2005 Legaris Crianza Ribera del Duero $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Oak, blackberries, spice
Taste: Solid with black fruits, spices, oak, vanilla
Finish: Medium with solid elements
Evaluation: A nice $20 wine 89 points
2005 Bodegas El Nido Jumilla Clio (Monastrell/Cabernet Sauvignon) $$$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Expressive with violets, crushed rock, spices, Fireballs the candy
Taste: A meaty wine with violets, spices, crushed rock,
Finish: Medium and intense up front and then the finish disappers after 25 seconds
Evaluation: One famous critic has overated this wine year in and year out. I like it but at $50 a bottle it is not worth it. 90 points
Day2: This wine opened up quite a bit. While it is nice it really is overated at 95 points by another critic. I see this at 92 points max with some age.
2005 Bodegas Monte Aman Tempranillo $$
Color: Medium red
Nose: Earth, cigar box
Taste: Spice, cinnamon, and oak
Finish: Oak, cinnamon, vanilla, and floral
Evaluation: Solid wine. 86 points
2005 Numanthia-Termes Numathia Toro $$$$
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Wonderful with mineral, black currants, coffee and earth
Taste: Oak with mineral, black currants, coffee and floral notes
Finish: Really concentrated and complex
Evaluation: Super wine! 94 points
2005 Panarroz Jumilla $$
Color: Dark red
Nose: Red Currants
Taste: Flavorful with fruit and a little spice
Finish: Medium with fruits showing well
Evaluation: A great everyday drinker 85 points
2005 Cortifo III Rioja $
Color: Medium red
Nose: Earth, spice
Taste: Mostly spice with earth tones
Finish: Short with spice, earth and very little fruit showing
Evaluation: For the money very drinkable. 84 points
2005 Finca Luzon Jumilla Altos de Luzon $$
Color: Dark red
Nose: Earth, spice
Taste: Big fruit, spice, pepper, cola
Finish: Explosive with spice, pepper, integrated tannins on a medium finish
Evaluation: In 03 Wine Spectator gave this a 93 and this one is a tremendous value. 90 points
Hennepin Lake
2005 Bodegas Palacio Cosme Palacio Rioja $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, red peper, fruit
Taste: Spice, fruit
Finish: Medium with fruit dominating
Evaluation: A simple, well made Rioja. 84 points
2005 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Vinas Viejas Garnacha $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Intense with spice, oak, vanilla, and blueberries
Taste: Spice, oak, vanilla, raspberries, blueberries, and coffee
Finish: LONG and intense. A balanced wine!
Evaluation: Incredible value for under $20. 93 points
2005 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud Garnacha $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Violets, minerals, cranberries, spice
Taste: Refreshing with violets, cranberries, minerals, spice, cinnamon
Finish: Medium and intense
Evaluation: NOt as good as the Vinas Viejas but close. 91 points
2006
2006 Atteca Old Vines Calatayud Garnacha $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Intense spice, floral, crushed rock
Taste: Little acidic with floral, spice, cinnamon
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: OK not a 91 point score by a big reviewer 86 points
2nd Day
Nose: More open
Taste: More fruit showing through
Finish: Smoother wine still with intensity
Evaluation: Just needs some time 88 points
2006 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Tres Picos Garnacha $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Raspberry, cherry, oak
Taste: Fruit forward with cherry, raspberry, blackberries, little bit of oak and vanilla and very soft tannins
Finish: Medium with fruits dominating
Evaluation: A great intro to Grenache that does not require long term aging. 87 points
2006 El Burro Kickass Carinena Garnacha $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Cherry, violets,
Taste: Floral, cherry, cranberry, toasted oak
Finish: Shorter with some nice qualities
Evaluation: Good value despite the funny name. 86 points
2006 Can Blau Montsant (Mazuelo,Syrah,Garnacha) $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Intense spices and pepper
Taste: Spice, earth, floral, crushed rock
Finish: Medium and intense. Tannins a bit harsh
Evaluation: Food wine with some aging potential 86 points
2006 Martin Codax Rioja $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Subtle spices
Taste: Red fruits and water
Finish: Simple
Evaluation: Cheap wine 77 points
2006 Bodegas Alejandro Fernandez Tinto Pesquera Crianza $$$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Pepper, cherry, spice, and floral
Taste: Earth, pepper, spices and floral
Finish: Medium and concentrated. Medium tannins
Evaluation: Nice wine 90 points
2006 Bodega Nekeas Navarra Vega Sindoa Cabernet Sauvignon/Tempranillo $$
Color: Medium
Nose: Smoke, tobacco, and spice
Taste: Smoke and earth
Finish: Medium
Evaluation: Simple everyday wine 84 points
2006 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud Garnacha $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Violets, cranberries, spice
Taste: Spicy with nice acidity and sour tastes
Finish: Medium and flavorful
Evaluation: This is one of the best everyday wines from Spain 87 points
2006 Bodegas San Valero Manyana Tempranillo $
Color: Dirty light red
Nose: Spice
Taste: Too acidic and out of balance
Finish: Very sour and not pleasant
Evaluation: The worst wine of the year? 70 points
2006 Bodegas Monte Aman Tempranillo $6.99
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, floral
Taste: Spice, floral, not complex
Finish: Short
Evaluation: Worth about $7 83 points
2006 Torres Malena Catalunya Garnacha $
Color: Light purple
Nose: Light spice and fragrant flowers
Taste: Light wine with spice, earth and herbs
Finish: Short and a little bitter
Evaluation: For $7 an ok wine. 83 points
2007
2007 Artzuri Navarra Rose (Grenache) $$
Color: Pink
Nose: Mineral, strawberry
Taste: Mineral, strawberry
Finish: Short
Evaluation: Nice refreshing wine 87 points
2007 Bodegas Ateca/Zabrin de Fuego Old Vines Calatayud Garnacha $
Color: Dark purple
Nose: Cherries, spices, floral
Taste: Cherries, floral, minerals and spices
Finish: Medium and concentrated but acidity was a little off
Evaluation: For $6 a super deal 87 points
2007 Campo De Borja Tres Picos Garnacha $$
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Vibrant with floral, spices, coffee and wood jumping out of the glass
Taste: Spices, crushed rock, violets, and coffee
Finish: Medium dominated by a variety of earth tones
Evaluation: A solid wine that is a good buy every year 90 points
2007 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud Garnacha $
Color: Medium purple
Nose: Spice, cherry, violets, crushed rock
Taste: Big wine with spices, cherry, violets, minerals
Finish: Medium and concentrated
Evaluation: One of the best $10 wines in the world 87 points
2007 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas Viñas Viejas - Spain, Aragón, Calatayud (2/25/2010)
Big nose with floral, spices and some fruit. On the palate this wine is a bit over the top with floral, spices, cinnamon, and raspberries. An extracted wine that needs some time to settle down. I recommended a 4 hour decant as this sample was out of the bottle. Maybe a range of 88 to 91 on this wine. (89 pts.)
2007 Bodegas Luzon Jumilla $
Color: Light purple
Nose: Spice, violets
Taste: Bitter with violets, spice and chalk
Finish: Too acidic and out of balance
Evaluation: Flaws in this one 80 points
