Light, mineral, oak, berries. Perfect with any food. — 4 months ago
One of the best Sauvignon Blancs I’ve ever had. — 5 months ago
Barón de Ley – Varietales Tempranillo – 2014
Rioja DOCa – Spain 🇪🇸
Overview
A 100% Tempranillo from Rioja’s esteemed Barón de Ley Varietales Collection, crafted to highlight the noble face of the region’s flagship grape. Although structured in a crianza style with a projected drinking window of 10–12 years, opening it in 2025 revealed the wine perched right on the twilight edge of maturity. This is bottle #04400, now showing the soulful evolution that Rioja Tempranillo is famed for.
Aromas & Flavors
Initially faint cherry fruit, now firmly in the tertiary spectrum: leather satchel, dried rosemary, forest floor, and faint cigar box. Gentle hints of balsamic and dried fig linger in the background.
Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with softened, polymerized tannins. Acidity remains fresh enough to carry the wine, but fruit presence has largely faded, leaving savory and earthy notes to dominate.
Food Pairings
A fine match for aged Manchego cheese, braised lamb shank, mushroom-stuffed peppers, or even a rustic stew where earthy and herbal notes harmonize.
Verdict
This Tempranillo no longer plays its youthful cherry trumpet but rather resonates like the old violin sound of Rioja—mellow, textured, and contemplative. A fascinating study in maturity, best enjoyed with reflection rather than exuberance.
Did You Know?
Rioja wines are often classified not just by grape but by aging designations (Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva). This bottle leaned into crianza timing, showing beautifully at first but demonstrating how Tempranillo gracefully transitions from fruit-driven vibrancy to complex tertiary elegance. — 7 months ago
Mycket gott! Drack på La Ruelle. — 10 months ago
[60% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 15% Cinsault, 5% Carignan, 5% Mourvedre] Still very grapey and primary, I actually tasted this wine in barrel in May of 2019 at the Chateau, and it tastes like it’s barely evolved since then, great acid, ripe, round tannins, long, lingering finish, this should easily age another 10 years based on my history of tasting this cuvée since the 1998!! — 3 months ago
Jan 2026: PnP, picks up air and ready in 10 min in the glass. Black fruit, coffee, fine tannins, a brunello on the elegant side. Nice, but oak seems a bit too much so that somewhat dominates over classic brunello palate — 5 years ago
Great wine combining southern burgundy richness, use of luxurious oak, great acidity and low alc levels. Wonder how this ages.. Tx @Jan A for pointing this one out!. — 5 months ago

Buy. Crisp with pear or apple finish. Not salty. — 9 months ago
Excellent! It took very little time to breathe which was unexpected for a 2011. We will be buying more of this if we can find it. — 2 years ago
Delicious. Mouth watering acidity and ripe fruit. — 3 months ago
Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.
Beautiful nose of red fruits with earth, light wood, coffee, spices, dark chocolates and peppercorn.
Medium bodied with medium acidity.
Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, spices, chocolates, light oak and licorice.
Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.
This 8 year old GSM blend from Châteauneuf-du-Pape is delicious now. Complex, well balanced and entertaining. Elegant and fruit forward.
I had the 2020 vintage not too long ago, and this one drinks so much better.
Will continue to age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.
Robert Parker 93 points.
Easy drinking and good by itself as a sipping wine.
A blend of 40% Grenache, 40% Syrah and 20% Mourvedre. Aged in large French oak barrels for 18 months.
15% alcohol by volume.
92 points.
$55. — 3 months ago
Full body, berries mild tannins. Go well with game or lamb. Delicious for a Friday night for 2 — 4 months ago
Deliciously smooth and creamy, pairs perfectly with comte — 5 months ago
Non sweet full bodied. Medium after taste. Almost like Sauvignon blanc — 4 years ago
Jeremiah Diaz
Clear, medium ruby to garnet in color; on the nose, it's clean with pronounced intensity primary and secondary aromas of black cherries, cassis, and graphite; on the palate, it's dry with high acidity, high tannins, medium alcohol, medium body, and intense primary and secondary flavors of blackberries, black cardamom, and wet gravel with a medium finish. This wine is simple, but balanced. Overall, I rate this wine as good. — 2 months ago