Jay Kline

9.5

Splash decanted directly before service; enjoyed over the course of a few hours out of red Solo cups. The 1981 Gran Reserva Blanco pours, a golden color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of Khalas dates, dried apricot, black lemon, almonds, toasted coconut and marshmallow. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is long and the texture is waxy. A cerebral wine and just lovely stuff. Well stored bottles have a long life yet left ahead. Drink now with patience and plenty of air and through 2051. — 2 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.5

Blend of mostly Tempranillo with about equal amounts of Garnacho, Graciano and Manzuelo, deep Ruby with a graceful bouquet of berry fruits, cigar box spice with fresh earthy tones, a traditional Rioja, still reticent. On the silky smooth palate, elegant with layers of flavors of ripe blackberry and cherry, tobacco, smoky cedar, dark fruit, vanilla spice, very well balanced with fine soft tannins and a clean structure ending with a nice long chalky earthy character. Delicious! — 4 months ago

Jay Kline

9.1

Popped and poured; enjoyed over the course of an hour. The 2001 Reserva pours a deep ruby/purple color with an opaque core; medium viscosity with moderate staining of the tears and loads of fine sediment. On the nose, the wine is vinous with notes of mostly dried, desiccated fruit: cherries, blackberries, leather, cocoa, earth and warm spices. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium, integrated tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose plus the addition of an umami note that’s quite attractive. The finish is medium+ and slightly savory. Drink now. — 9 months ago

Juan Pablo Perez

9.0

Nariz: cereza, ciruela, rosas secas, violetas, tierra, cuero

Boca: Tanino M+, Acidez M, Alcohol M/M+ — 3 years ago

Ginnis Tonik

10

Everything I want in a summery sparkly rose! Dry but with just the right amount of berry fruits! — 5 years ago

Kaa Kaa

8.9

Very good !!! — 6 years ago

Pablo

9.1

Fantastic — a month ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.3

Deep Ruby, aromas of sweet red and black fruits with pepper spice and oak. 4 grape blend from some of CVNE's best vineyards in the Rioja Alta (85% Tempranillo, rest Garnacha, Mazuelo & Graciano), aged in both French and American oak for 24 months. On the palate flavors of blackberry and currants with licorice, vanilla, tobacco & toasty oak tones. Soft full ripe tannins, wonderful balance, lively acidity on a long finish ending with an earthy mineral character. Very nice! — 2 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.2

Medium ruby , medium wide terracotta , garnet rim . Touches of leather , earthy , caramel coated spiced cherry , vanilla . Elegant on the palate , notes of leather , cherry , black tea , vanilla spice . Fresh acidity , fine tannins , balanced acidity. This has an earthy mineral undertone with good length . This is showing well now and will continue well over the next 10 years or so. — 6 months ago

Joe Fischer

9.2

Thought this was a really unique Rioja. Deep Rick ruby with a smokey burnt caramel aroma. On the bud, stewed dark cherries, pepper, and pomegranate that is smooth and a long finish. Nice tannins in the mouth. Great price for a gran reserva from a famous Rioja winery. — 3 years ago

Kristin the Wine Girl

9.0

Tobacco, leather and black pepper with a hint of caramel. BIG boy! — 4 years ago

John Davidson

8.9

Great value at $20 — 5 years ago

Matthew Mountford

10

Pretty good. Got me drunk. — 6 years ago

Ericsson

9.6

Wine of the Year by WS in 2020. Revisiting this jewel is magical. Wine is aging incredibly well. Showing secondary and tertiary characteristics. The tannins are becoming fine grain and velvety. The fruit even more consentrated. — 2 months ago

Stephen Dodson

9.2

No sediment, great colour and rich deep flavours — 4 months ago

Andrew Cullimore

9.1

Medium copper salmon colour , with wide slightly yellow tinged rim . Toasty notes , with some dried herbs , orange rind , candle wax , toasted almonds , sea breeze, in some ways quite similar to the white reserva. On the palate this is quite intense and grippy again , with a nutty , spiced orange rind , dried red fruit . Good balanced acidity , good volume and decent length . This is ready and drinking well now but will probably last well over the next 5 -8 years, though I don’t see it improving — 6 months ago

Carter White

9.6

Last bottle, still hitting on all cylinders. Sad to see it go 😩 — 3 years ago

Jan de Weerd

9.1

Vibrant Rioja with bright flavors of pie cherry, marionberry and tart plum. Needed opening for at least 60-90 minutes to get a deeper layers of earthy, leather and oak. — 4 years ago

with Tammy

Juan Pablo Perez

9.1

Nariz: cereza, frambuesa, ciruela, cuero, rosas. Aromas secundarios y terciarios.

Boca: Tanino M, Acidez M, Alcohol M

En su punto de tomar. — 5 years ago

John Davidson

8.9

Hard to give a read on this, given its wine companions for the night. Seems like it’s at its peak and the tannins were medium through the two hours we drank from it. Wasn’t decanted, would love to be tasting it again today to see what was left. — 6 years ago