Meredith Moody

9.7

Wow. Big fan. Lots of bright red fruits like cherries and raspberries in the beginning. Great acidity. It is more earthy than I expected, but not unwelcome. I really appreciated the almost floral/rosy note that contrasts the brightness off the bat. Still pretty tannic, I imagine this would only get better with age. Tasted expensive. I have no clue how much it costs. Only improved with time/air as we ate dinner. Super cool to taste how it “opened up” and how it changed. — 20 hours ago

Meredith Moody

9.5

This is what I think of when I think of Rioja. Dried cherry and cranberry is what I get right away, and then it has more savory/earthy notes like leather and mushroom. When I tasted it I said “it tastes old.” That is a compliment. Hints of vanilla and spice. Felt elegant with a long finish. Had it with fatty new york strips. Tannins and acidity balanced it well. Not a loud wine, but a great one. — 2 days ago

Meredith Moody

9.4

Smells amazing. I get some coffee/chocolatey notes. Another great Rioja. Was very smooth, but still had structured tannins. I taste dried red fruits like the other one, but this had more acidity/brightness. Beautifully complex with great depth. Some warmth from vanilla and spice notes from it being so old. Had with the other Rioja I reviewed with a steak dinner. Great comparison drinking them side by side. Can taste the age, but not as much as the other. Think I slightly prefer the former. This is still amazing and I would highly recommend. — 20 hours ago

Meredith Moody

8.5

Super fresh and easy to drink, perhaps too easy. Bright citrus like lemon and grapefruit up front, with crisp green apple later on. There’s a light herbal note that makes it really fresh. Clean, zippy finish with nice acidity. It’s really refreshing and not overly sweet. Pretty subdued compared to other sauvignon blancs i’ve tried. Better with food. — 2 days ago

Meredith Moody

8.0

Enjoyed this more than many Chardonnays, especially California Chardonnays. I just don’t love Chardonnays in general because of the buttery/creaminess. This felt like a happy medium between French and California Chardonnay. It is fresh enough that I didn’t write it off by the first sip. Has some pear and apple notes up front. The oak comes through with some vanilla and toasted notes later. This does have some creaminess, but not enough to make it heavy as it opens with those crisp notes. If you are a Chardonnay person I imagine you would love this as a more balanced approach. — 20 hours ago