Conrad Green

8.9

Slightly oxidized. Oily soft lemon. Nice but lacks some of the drive it has in youth — 7 months ago

with Peter, Gregg and 1 other

Joy Hammons

9.7

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

Dasha

9.3

Jasmine, quince paste, spiced pear, lemon curd, pineapple sweetness, punchy. Touch of lemon pith at end, but tons of juicy acid. Creamy / lactic. Chalky minerals. Layered, delicious, weighty.
— 5 years ago

Donald Williams

9.6

Bonnie’s favorite Pinot Noir, with good reason. It’s just beautiful. — 6 years ago

with Bonnie

Ryan Foxley

9.3

This 2016 was gifted to me at a meal I was hosting. Beautifully presented bottle and a Very pleasant, well balanced wine with great aromas. This paired really well with roasted beef. — 7 years ago

Gunja Gargeshwari

9.0

I was not impressed but that’s because of being partial to Oregon Pinot. — 8 years ago

with Amit and Joe

Marilyn Elledge

9.1

$12 - Very good. Excellent for the price - nice, smooth and sweet. — 10 years ago

Logan Brooks

9.1

Good acid, rich flavor solid lunch rose — 11 years ago

Lia Zavisho

9.0

Yum. Nice and smooth. — 11 years ago

Marshal White

9.4

First time checking in since bottling. Like a laser beam of dark, intense fruit with very woodsy overtones. — 12 years ago

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. — 7 months ago

Jane Quinn

9.0

Fresh, lively, apple flavours maybe a bit weak on the finish but very enjoyable — 5 years ago

Michael Brown

8.9

Notes of toasted bread, apples and strawberry. Soft tiny bubbles. Great on a summer evening. — 6 years ago

Peter Coulthard

8.9

Waitrose. Liked it. Fruity raisin taste after double aerating. Slightly drying aspect on the palate. Decent — 6 years ago

Byron Hewett

9.1

Delicious. Interesting. — 7 years ago

Liz McNeal

9.5

Smokey nice with Ribeye — 10 years ago

Angel Martinez

Brand ambassador GHMumm Spain, Wine reviewer www.theluxury.es"

9.1

Un infanticidio terrible. El próximo dentro de 20 años. — 10 years ago

MaJ CappS

9.2

High fruit high acid. High deliciousness! — 11 years ago

Juan Flurenga

9.8

Drank with Derek and Stacey 3/14/15. Fantastic. A little bit of oak. Derek says "floral toast" and he's right. — 11 years ago

Peter Tripp

9.9

One of these days I will have a wine from the Loire Valley which I don't like. Today is not one of those days. — 12 years ago

Roberto Carli

9.3

Great bang for the buck. Yeasty savory bread, macerated peach, overripe/candied pineapple, and a long creamy mouthfeel with fine perlage. An expressive ripe style that is very well executed for the price point  — a year ago

Ebi Obaidi

10

10 is all i can say — 2 years ago

Fredybeans

9.2

Jaune claire
Huître et fruit jaune
Bouche grasse fraîche — 4 years ago

Eoin Danaher

9.0

Stephens day tipple... Beautiful — 5 years ago

Damon Lee Carter

9.0

Lovely soft flavours with rich grape overtones — 6 years ago

Natalie Griffin

9.4

Great champagne blend with sharp bubbles and toasted caramel notes. Some green apple. Excellent especially at $25. — 7 years ago

Paul Lewis

9.5

A fantastic wine , amazing nose and good palate. Best paired with a oven baked dorado from Ligurian sea. — 10 years ago

Bob Bryden

Founder The Lake Sommelier, LLC, Author Wine Talk

9.1

The Chenin Blanc adds another dimension to the predominantly Chardonnay based wine. Just right acidity leaves room for flavors to be enjoyed. Enjoyed in Chardonnay glasses, not flutes. Terrific! — 10 years ago

with Tom and Gregory

MICHAEL COOPER DipWSET

Owner TomeVinos wine shops, WSET Level 3, Blogger www.spanishwinesandmore.com, blog.tomevinos.com

9.1

Lovely wine. Clear and bright with glimmering pale lemon colors and a fresh and crisp aroma of new basketballs and rubber hose like a good Riesling from Mosel along with honey and honeysuckle notes. Lively and good acidity on the palate it has a lot of expression and would go great with Asian or Indian cuisine. — 11 years ago

with -

Nat Waters

9.5

Great Shiraz. $20. Rex selection from lush — 12 years ago