Monday 15 January 2018

Two Bottles Of Rioja - 1998 Rioja Reserva, Marqués De Riscal & 2010 Rioja Reserva, Remelluri

1998 Rioja Reserva, Marqués de Riscal
This old estate, established in 1860, has turned out a very good Reserva in 1998. The nose is deep, soft, mature and round with a dried up sweetness from strawberries and lingonberries. There are additional notes of cooked root vegetables, red tea, moist earth and a hint of dry vanilla. Very good. If this was handed to me blind I would have guessed a maturing Burgundy given this nose.
The taste is mature, velvety and dry with notes of dried strawberries, undergrowth, chocolate biscuits and dry licorice. A fine mouthfeel, very smooth and drinkable. Maybe a tad soo, there isn´t much resistence here, no contrasts. But drinking very nicely with a light flavoured chicken dish.
87p   (tasted 2018/01)


2010 Rioja Reserva, Remelluri
The younger Rioja from a much younger Bodega, established 1970, offers up that opposition that I missed in the wine above. The nose is deep and concentrated with notes of black cherries, smoke, leather, violets and mocka. Deep and refined.
The taste is young, focused and very fine with notes of ripe cherries, raspberry licorice, bakelite, smoke and tobacco. Lots of ripe, sweet fruit arund a firm tannin structure. One for aging 5+ years. Very fine. Long and lingering. Fine stuff indeed.
93p   (tasted 2018/01)

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