Jay Kline

9.4

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of several hours. The 2023 pours a deep ruby/garnet with a near opaque core; medium+ viscosity and moderate staining of the tears. On the nose the wine is developing with heady notes of tart cherry, mixed brambles, spearmint, red and purple flowers, old school permanent marker, licorice, tomato, green herbs, clove and stony earth. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the body is, ooof…very nice. Another delicious vintage of Cuvée Réservée. Drink now through 2043. — 6 months ago

Jay Kline

9.2

Double decanted before service; enjoyed over a several hour period. The 1988 pours a deep garnet color with a near opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and significant signs of sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with dried dark fruit, tobacco, mocha, grilled meat, mushrooms, damp earth and baking spices. On the palate, the wine is dry. At this point, the tannins have integrated completely and are perceived as medium; acid is similar. Finish is medium. This leaned towards the more rustic, old school style of Bordeaux and I’m all for it. While this isn’t falling off a cliff, I would drink now. — 2 years ago

Paul J

9.0

Short decant. Amazed at the quality after seeing an almost black cork and a very low fill level. Wouldn’t be craving a glass, but for a wine this old it was consumable with a few in the party really enjoying it. Garnet, almost brown in color. Leather and stewed fruit dominate. — 2 years ago

with Steve and Brooke

Shane Walker

9.3

Clear, deep garnet,almost black in colour. Clean, pronounced fruits. Dry, high acidity and tannins in nice balance. Full bodied with chocolate and mocha flavours. Long finish. Outstanding value. — 3 years ago

with Michele and

Matt Perlman

9.2

Garnet color, dark spicy baked plum fruit, anise, violets, game, garrigue. Gorgeous acidity. Supposedly a crummy vintage but this is a real success — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.6

This is still my favourite Rioja & vintage at present, worth £80 😍 My 10th try & still a beauty I can’t resist 👍 I exemplifies the pure essence a high quality Rioja 👏

📍 La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 2001

▶️ @lariojaaltasa 🤗

🏵 96 points

🍇 95% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano & 2% Mazuelo

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Smoked oak through mashed earthy cherries covered in vanilla coconut cream, balsamic jam & double caramel choc mocha w/ red liquorice, truffle, prune, date & light spiced herbs #nosetasia

👄 Med body of rich smooth silky creamy dark & red cherry bathed in balsamic goo w/ melted mocha & earthy liquorice

🎯 Long balsamic cherry mocha berry blast w/ a balsamic linger, touch of woody oak & red berry — 8 years ago

Byron C Mayes

8.9

Ruby garnet. Red fruit and leather on the nose and palate with cola and cassis. Plush velvety tannins. Very nice right now. — 9 years ago

Chris England

9.2

Quick review as drinking w/ friends 😉 Not the best VCC I've had but still a decent aged drop 😎 @ £113

🍷 Garnet red w/ brown

👃 Rose petal perfumed mushrooms in a damp cellar filled w/ earthy soggy leaves through stewed plum, dark cocoa & smoked soft oak

👄 Med creamy smooth body of sweet blackcurrant & earthy plum in mocha

🎯 Med+ plummy mocha — 9 years ago

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.3

Third out of the three year blind vertical after the blind Burgundy night. Deep garnet red but a shade or two lighter than the 2002 and 2006. Lots of rustic, earthy and vegetal notes on the nose. Vegetal such as bell peppers. Moderate tannins (6/10) and medium bodied. Lots of greenery, some bark and definitely a rustic edge. Long and lingering finish, that is quite dry. Drink till 2025. — 11 years ago

Lesa Gough

9.1

Garnet with rim variation turning brick/terracota, corn on the cob, dill, molasses. — 12 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(lots of sediment). A gorgeous purplish garnet color. On the nose: Intoxicating musky notes of dark fruit, potting soil, worn leather, truffles, stewed meat, slight menthol. Taste: velvety, seamless, balanced, intense wine with dark fruit, cassis, earth, tobacco, mineral, herbs, and a chocolate graphite long never-ending finish. YUM! This wine has aged gracefully and has more gas in the tank. Enjoy. — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Jay Kline

9.5

Presented to me double-blind. The wine pours a deep garnet with an opaque core and some rim variation; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and signs of sediment. On the nose the wine is vinous with notes of cassis, blackberry, black plum, tobacco, menthol, leather, and mix of cool and warm spices. On the palate the wine is dry with medium+ tannin and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long. This is really delicious.

Initial conclusions: this could be a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend or other Bordeaux-styled blend or a Tempranillo based blend from the United States, France or Spain. This saw French oak so I eliminated Spain. I thought the fruit was outshining the structure…so I liked the USA over France. And, based off the appearance, I thought this probably had 30+ years of age. Final conclusion: this is a Cabernet Sauvignon based blend from the United States, from California, Napa, Rutherford; 1994. Ugh…the 1990 vintage in Bordeaux has bit me twice now recently. Really awesome stuff! Drink now through 2040+. — 9 months ago

Marc Ouellette

9.6

This 2003 Musar Grand Vin Rouge is most exquisite with a jeweled and opaque garnet red color. On the nose, fragrant notes dark currants, cherry tobacco, lavender, leather and exotic spices. On the palate, a lively symphony tying the robust structure, supple tannins and acidic elegance. The finish was somewhat effervescent, long and extraordinary… — 3 years ago

Tom Garland

9.3

1.5 hour decant(surprisingly just a little cloudy sediment). A prodigious medium dark garnet color with little signs of aging. On the nose: funky stewed meats, blackberry, smoke, plum, minty pepper, creme de cassis. Taste: KABOOM! Rich, silky, full body wine with blackberry, earth, cedar, wet gravel, menthol and a cassis pencil lead long finish with some ashy tannins. In its prime drinking window and this 13.8% alc wine should rock another 10 years. Cheers! — 6 years ago

with Brenda

Greg Ballington

Co-Founder of Millennial Drinkers Wine Blog

9.2

Light to medium garnet red with bricking on the edges. Lovely aged nose with tons of mushrooms, forest floor, dried cherries, leather, cigar box and something a little medicinal. Great acidity and well balanced tannins (5.5/10) with a medium body. Layered palate with notes of tart dried cherries, raspberries, leather, truffles and earthiness. Medium plus length finish. Drink within the next couple years. — 8 years ago

with India

Sabine Freire

9.3

Had the 1988 vintage fantastic mix of ripe plum with touches of prunes, a little green bell pepper on the nose and slight spicy note of black pepper. Well balanced tannins, garnet shade — 9 years ago

Narun P

9.0

58% CS, 33% M, 6% PV, 3% CF
Slightly bricked garnet red, compact rim, more red than purple.

Pretty bouquet - red cherry, dried herbal aromas, leather, tobacco, mineral.

The palate is harmonious. Integrated tannin, med plus acidity, dry, medium bodied. Showing a lot of red fruit character, animalistic, floral. Very classic Margaux-esque character.

This wine is at the perfect drinking spot. No need at all to wait. After a solid month of full bodied, extracted Napa Cab, this is a welcome reprieve! 90. — 9 years ago

Al Shikoh

9.0

The color has faded to a translucent garnet with tawny colored rim. It has developed a complex bouquet of red cherry, dried fig, old leather, and tobacco as well as some barnyardy notes from Brett. This is one of my favorite producers in Rioja but I would prefer to consume this younger as although there is some nice fruit and acid, the tannins have really faded leaving little grip or bite. Classic blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha, 5% Graciano, and 5% Mazuelo. — 10 years ago

with Drew and Kelly

Osvaldo Gomez

9.3

Red garnet with dry dark sherry,fig,licorice, hazelnut, prune, tobacco, toasted coffee beans, well integrated and silky tannins, long after taste — 11 years ago

Alexis Davis Iaconis

Hospitality Director Copain Wines

8.9

Aromatic, high acid and medium plus tannins. Roasted bacon and eucalyptus. Garnet brown in color — 12 years ago

Tom Garland

9.5

1 hour decant(some chunky sediment). A striking deep garnet color with some bricking. On the nose: exquisite notes of dark fruit, herbaceous, cedar lined cigar box, floral, pencil shavings. Taste: silky, brooding, balanced wine with blackberry/dark cherry, loamy soil, graphite, tobacco, licorice and a minerally roasted coffee persistent finish. YUM!! — 7 months ago

with Brenda

Brenda Terzich-Garland

9.3

What a treat opening this 27 year old Napa Valley Spottswoode Cabernet! A deep purple garnet color with some bricking. Nose - dark fruit and wet forest floor initially standout followed by subtle notes of blueberry dark chocolate, fennel and a touch of tobacco & spearmint. Taste - cherry and dark plum stand out giving it a luscious smooth feel. Well integrated with secondary notes of dark soil, crushed rock, espresso, cedar and a medium finish — 2 years ago

with Leslie, Karin and 1 other

Tom Garland

9.1

Decant for sediment and pour(some fine/cloudy sediment). A still dark murky garnet with bricking. On the nose: dark currants, stewed plums, boiled meat, herbaceous, pencil lead, eucalyptus, and mocha. Taste: velvety, smooth wine with some dried cherry, earth, graphite, smoked meat, and a dry mocha/cedar/dried herb medium finish. On the downside, but still drinkable at 20 years. — 2 years ago

with Brenda

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium ruby core, garnet rim . More leafy and crunchy cassis, slightly foursquare , cooler slightly mint touches . Crunchy dark fruits on the palate , more tobacco , cedar , grafite notes , fills out on the palate pretty well. Good refreshing acidity , moderate quite fine tannins, slight green notes on the ok length . Good to drink now and probably won’t improve very much , now and over the next 10 years. — 4 years ago

Kimberly Anderson

9.3

Dark garnet in color. Heady scents of bay leaf, red plum, and tobacco. Mid-palate of dark chocolate, raspberry, and a hint of graphite. Long, plush finish — 7 years ago

with Chad

Chris England

9.4

Top year 904 @ £75 that was drank in Zalto burg glass as its like an aged burgundy

🐽 Paired w/ Iberian Ham 😍

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick

👃 Smoked burnt oak, soggy earthy leaves, leather, dark cherry & figs w/ balsamic & damson

👄 Med body of creamy stewed cherry w/ earthy balsamic & slight mocha

🎯 Med finish of above w/ earthy balsamic linger

Reaching peak but I preferred the 95 904 over this but the 890 94 was better than the 95! — 9 years ago

Jean-Francois Pelletier

9.8

Gorgeous garnet color. Very complex nose of dark fruit, leather and soil with a definite sauvage character. Soft and balanced body. Very complex and nuanced on the palate. Finish keeps going. Absolutely incredible — 9 years ago

with Frankie

Mike Mayer

9.1

Beautiful garnet color in the glass. Light floral and licorice on the nose. Silky smooth flavors of dark fruit, licorice, and spice followed by some mineral like overtones on the finish. Very complex. Really good wine. — 10 years ago

with Lisa

Kevin McGarry

9.0

Fuller bodied. Great match for poultry. From high altitude Sonoma vineyards. Petaluma gap. Lots of cherries and spice. — 11 years ago

Natalie Wurst Harris

8.9

Smooth way drinking. Not too heavy! — 11 years ago

with Dave and P