WINE REVIEWS & RATINGS

1968 Bodegas Vega-Sicilia Ribera

del Duero $$$$$+

Color: Medium red

Nose: Rose petals, minerals, cassis

Taste: Wow! Rose petals, earth, cherry

Finish: Long and Intense for such an old wine. Super concentrated with flavor

Evaluation: Top wine of all time! 98 points

1995 Pesquero Tinto Crianza $$$

Color: Medium red

Nose: Oak, vanilla, cherry and spices

Taste: Big mouthful of black fruits, oak and vanilla

Finish: Nice toasted oak and dark fruits on a medium finish

Evaluation: Beautiful wine 92 points

2000 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero Malleolus - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (2/15/2010)
Medium red and a little bricking. Leather, violets, wood, and On the palate the wine shows intense spices, cherry, wood, vanilla, and violets. Soft tannins and balanced. This is drinking well right now and I don't see a reason to age too much longer. (91 pts.)

2001

2001 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas Viñas Viejas $$

Color: Red

Nose: Spices, damp earth, and floral

Taste: Really past its peak with earth and cigar

Finish: Medium

Evaluation: Bought on sale for $8 in 2010 so can't expect much 84 points

2001 Finca Allende Rioja

Color: Medium red

Nose: Cherry, earth and spice

Taste: Nice cherry, smoke and spices

Finish: A very dense wine with a thick finish

Evaluation: A solid effort from Spain which retails at about $27. 90 points

2001 Bodegas LAN Culmen Reserva Rioja $$$$$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Spice, floral, menthol, earth

Taste: Spice, floral, oak, tobacco, earth

Finish: Medium and intense

Evaluation: Not worth the $55 (half of retail) 90 points

2001 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (2/12/2010)
Red. Nose shows earth, tobacco, cherry and raspberry. Palate has mellowed out then a few years ago. Shows nice fruit, subtle tannins, and earth. Finishes smooth and has medium length. Drink up sooner then later. (90 pts.)

2001 Pesquera Tinto Riberia Del Duero $$$

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Chocolate, rapsberries, pepper and licorice

Taste: Big wine with a balance of fruit and earth character

Finish: Long and concentrated wine. Medium tannins

Evaluation: Cellar past 2011 92 points

2002

2002 Joan D'Anguera Montsant El Bugader - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (11/11/2010)
Minneapolis Wine Club does Worldwide Syrah: Very earthy with a bit of funk along with pepper, oak, cherry and leather. Medium finish. (90 points)

2002 Joan D'Anguera Montsant El Bugader - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (8/22/2010)
Really integrated wine with minerals, floral, earth and tar. Good concentration and medium finish. I would drink this up as it is at its peak. (90 points)

2002 Joan D'Anguera Montsant El Bugader - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (5/5/2010)
Second bottle in the past week and this one is showing much better. On the nose cigar, bing cherries, violets and minerals. On the palate earth, cigar, spice, cherries, raspberries and pepper. Medium finish and smooth. Drinking well right now. I would not age this wine for any more then 2 years. (93 points)

2002 Joan D'Anguera Montsant El Bugader - Spain, Catalunya, Tarragona, Montsant (4/26/2010)
Medium purple. Nose sweet fruits, tobacco, heavy floral On the palate it features spices, dirt, black fruits, and crushed rock. Medium and concentrated finish. Nice wine overall. (91 points)

2002 Bodegas San Valero Manyana Crianza Tempranillo/Carinena $

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Spice, little musty

Taste: Spice, oak, leather

Finish: Uneven

Evaluation: Simple wine but not bad for the price. 83 points

2003

2003 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas Viñas Viejas $$

Color: Red

Nose: Spices, violets, mineral

Taste: Some cranberry, minerals, floral and spices

Finish: Medium and still youthful

Evaluation: Sampled in 2010 and it is drinking well for under $10 a bottle 88 points

2003 Alto Moncayo Campo De Borja $$$$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Scorched earth, oak, raspberries, spices

Taste: Heat evident but died down over a few days with rapsberries, oak, earth, vanilla, spices

Finish: Medium and powerful. This is a wine to cellar.

Evaluation: Not as good as the 04 tried side by side but solid. 90 points

2003 Bodegas Emilio Moro Malleolus $$$$

Color: Medium red

Nose: Oak, vanilla, smoke and rapsberry

Taste: Nice toasted oak, vanilla, spices, floral and fruit

Finish: Medium and concentrated wine

Evaluation: Drinking well in 2008 and should age for another half decade 91 points

2003 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero Malleolus - Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero (2/12/2010)
Medium red. Nice nose of black cherry, smoke, vanilla, and spices. The palate has mellowed a bit since two years ago. Cherry, raspberries, spices, and oak. Medium finish and tannins are still at a medium level. Paired this with lamb and it was perfect. (92 pts.)

2003 Bodegas Ostatu Crianza Rioja $$

Color: Dark purple

Nose: Plum

Taste: Cranberry, pepper, spice

Finish: Buttery finish with pepper and spice

Evaluation: A full flavored wine. 87 points

2003 Bodegas Riscal Reserva Rioja $$

Color: Medium purple

Nose: Mushroom, earth, mineral

Taste: Very earthy wine featuring mushroom, earth, with a good acidity

Finish: Medium

Evaulation: Solid Rioja 87 points

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