Freddy R. Troya

9.0

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. — a day ago

Scott Kahn

8.9

This Aussie GSM was much richer than most Rhône wines that I’ve enjoyed - more red fruit and compote. Enjoyable albeit not overly complex. — 7 days ago

Jan A

9.3

All time favorite! Huge qpr crusher — 2 months ago

Renato Grandmont

9.2

Very well balanced — 3 months ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.2

Fresh bottle, just opened. Pop & pour.

I have 09 & 10 of this second wine of Pichon Longueville. I just haven’t considering opening one yet.

As 2010 is a big vintage, I choice to pair this with the cheeseboard but writing notes before digging in. Something to soften the tannins of what I consider to be a brawny vintage that needs time. Cheese pairing is often chosen to pair with young, big reds as it coats the palate and softens the impact of big, brawny tannins.

This is quite nice, showing the quality of the vintage, yet being a second wine, you can open one now for what otherwise is a long age vintage for first wines.

The nose is somewhat expressive & inviting. Dark core of black currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, black cherries, some poached strawberries, hues of purple & blue fruits, anise, charcoal notes, anise, understated black licorice, French roast coffee beans, dark toast, steeped black tea, candied to withering dark flowers with candied violets.

The palate is clean with strangely not a ton of astringency. M+ dry, powdery tannins Ripe & juicy; black currants, blackberries, black plum, plum, black raspberries, black cherries, some poached strawberries, raspberry overtones and hues of purple & blue fruits. Anise, charcoal notes, sweet tarriness, anise, understated black licorice, French espresso roast, dark toast, steeped black tea, oak barrel shavings & powder, dry twigs/leaves, leather, dry tobacco, lead pencil, dry herbs, dark earth, dry top soil, nice dark spice, caramel, dark & milk chocolate, mocha powder, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon & vanillin, dry stone, withering dark flowers, red roses with slightly candied violets, excellent acidity, it’s balanced but will be better balanced w/ age, structure & tension show the brawn of the vintage, it’s getting to an elegant and polished finish that lasts two-minutes and falls on dry earth, oak and spice.

Showed some tiny, velvety sediment at finish.

This drinks now but I would wait another 3-5 yrs to open and will age nicely for another 10-15 yrs.

Definitely worth picking up if you find Pichon Longueville outside your price point. 92-93. Rounding up today from 91.6.

Cheeseboard is bourique cheeses, served with crackers and accompaniments including grapes, churney, honey, dried fruits and nuts

@EK225 — 7 days ago

Rufus King

9.4

Delightful Margaux with light cherry notes and and fine tannin, Bloom Brasserie, Dublin — 19 days ago

Christian Fischer

9.0

Good, but not my favorite. Very different from the Ruinart we had before. Much darker in color and significantly more tannins. — 3 months ago

Bob McDonald

9.5

A perfect balance between oak and fruit (blackberry) from this Barossa Shiraz. Great winemaking from John Duval who has quite the CV. John was Chief Winemaker at Penfolds from 1986 until 2002 being only the 3rd custodian of Penfolds Grange after Max Schubert (creator of Grange) and Don Ditter. In 2020 this wine received Shiraz of the Year and 99 points from the James Halliday Wine Companion. The product of old vines in the Barossa. Luscious but in balance and overall - delicious. — 11 days ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.4

Deep opaque core, thin ruby rim. Deep slightly spicy creme de cassis , blackberry , charcoal embers , grafite . On the palate this is quite intense but has good freshness , and ripe but firm , quite dry tannins . Creme de cassis , blackberry , grafite , crushed rocks , quite saline and fresh in style , oyster shell and sea breeze hints . Well balanced alcohol and good length grafite , saline tinged finish . This is actually quite enjoyable , though obviously way too young , fresh and detailed with cool fresh dark fruit and grafite nuance. Better in 10 years and will last well a further 10-15 maybe more . Really enjoyed the style and balance of this . — 18 days ago

James K

9.3

Impressed this held up for so long. Has zero hope or expectations when our neighbor brought it over. — 3 months ago