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

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

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 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

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 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 Pesquera Tinto 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 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 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%) Catatayud $$

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 Artadi Orobio Rioja (Tempranillo) $$

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 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 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 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 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 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 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

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