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. — 8 months ago

David Kline

10

Rim to rim unvaried. Cola color showing but maintaining red-garnet. Nose of baked plum with framboise liqueur, morel, black trumpet, black truffle, and portobello. A nuttiness trailing; pecan-hazelnut. Otherworldly mouthfeel for its age. Tart cherry, violets, lightning bursts of fungus, grilled earth, cedar and cinnamon sharpen onto a point of intense roobios. Dried raspberry, cherry and blackberry pop and drop. Insane.
How is this still kicking?
#remoissenetpèreetfils #remoissenet #richebourg #richebourg #grandcru #richebourggrandcru #cotedor #bourgognerouge #redburgundy #burgundy — 3 years ago

Holly Morgan

9.2

Great with a black trumpet mushroom and butternut squash tart. — 4 years ago

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.6

Just beautiful. Absolutely killer with our wagyu beef and black trumpet linguini. — 4 years ago

Jim Wagonfeld

9.2

Light, medium yellow. Crystal clear. Red apple nose followed by a palate of apple, citrus, peach and apricot. Wet stones and acid to spare. Wonderful stuff needing aging and food. We had Toulouse sausage, black trumpet mushrooms, sauté onions and pasta. — 5 years ago

with Judy

Severn G

9.1

On the Lawn at Tanglewood this afternoon with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Our conductor Andris Nelsons is leading BEETHOVEN (Symphony No. 4), HK GRUBER (Aerial, Concerto for trumpet and orchestra) with the amazing Håkan Hardenberger as the trumpet soloist and then STRAUSS (“Dance of the Seven Veils” from Salome). Andris and Håkan happen to be friends, and both are trumpet players, I expect to see some playful nature to their interaction this afternoon. Mr. Hardenberger is a world renowned and virtuousic player, we're always glad to hear him, this will be his 4th Tanglewood appearance in 5 years. We expect various mutes to be employed over the work, a cow horn (yes it is want you think) and then finishing with piccolo trumpet, exciting to have a soloist work multiple instruments over his appearance

Nose has strawberry-banana smoothie, light crushed red raspberry and freshly washed cherry.

Palate has red currant, red raspberry, slight grassy note and faint wet sandstone.

Exciting to get back to this bottle. Our last experience was directly off tank (Fall '18) which was tapped by Morten for us, very cloudy then, but flavors were beginning to come together. 100% Pinot Noir. — 7 years ago

Tom Casagrande

9.4

15-yr. old Finger Lakes Gewurz, still alive and kicking like a mule. Very brassy golden color. Like a trumpet. Nose still showing some Gewurz fruit, but showing a bunch of unique tertiary notes. Full bodied and off dry. Long lingering finish. Amazingly little oxidation. This is remarkable. — 10 months ago

with Dan and Angelo

Jeremy Shanker

Sommelier at RN74

9.6

Finally had a Dunn that was ready to drink! Pasilla, black currant, forest floor, black trumpet mushroom. — 3 years ago

David Kline

9.3

Complex nose with earthy mushroom, black plum and raspberry, some mixed tobacco and cola nut. Cedar and dried raspberry, trumpet mushroom, smoky blackberries, and a wound up chicory and coffee. Brimming with goodness.


#authentique #authentiquekeelerestate #keelerestatevineyard #eolaamityhills #eolaamity #oregonpinotnoir #oregonwine #oregon #pinotnoir #authentiquewinecellars #biodynamicwine #biodynamite #biodynamicgrapes — 3 years ago

with Courtney

John Howard

Harvest production at Hirsch and Cobb Wineries

9.1

Better than last time. Killer with black trumpet pasta. — 4 years ago

Brian Hearty

9.2

2017. Sommelier poured to pair very well with their Certified Piedmontese Filet Mignon, parsnip, black trumpet, huckleberry, and red wine braised cabbage. - at Casa Bovina. — 5 years ago

Vanessa

9.0

Pic #3. 2013 Domaine Huet, Le Mont, Vouvray Sec. Golden hue with notes of melon, honeydew, cantaloupe, pear, white flowers, and grapefruit on the palate. Well-balanced and complemented the Lake Superior whitefish served in a mussel jus, with guanciale, and Brussels sprouts. Also in this pic is a tortellini enveloping a bite of good thunder cheese, tossed with zucchini agrodolce, baby corn, Swiss chard, and black trumpet mushrooms (which was paired with the Barbera on next pic, 4) #vouvray #cheninblanc #winesofloire #loirevalley #touraine — 7 years ago

with Deked1

Jenevie Shoykhet

9.7

What a great find! And the price pint is perfect. I can’t believe there was a bottle with over ten years of age hidden at my local coop. The fruit and acidity have mellowed beautifully giving way to the subtleties of earth and mushrooms, gentle tannins—and lots of sediment! — 8 years ago

Daniel McGeough

9.5

Never had a more truffled gevrey🍷!!! What a treat! Black truffle, black trumpet mushrooms with beguiling high toned red and blue berry’s! Why Burgundy keeps me coming back... tho I technically can’t afford it! 😩 — 8 years ago

Peter van den Besselaar

9.2

Vintage 2019 | soft minerality and honey in smell, excellent body and balance. I chose this bottle to pair with choucroute and pheasant with trumpet of the dead mushrooms. — 2 years ago

David Kline

9.5

Meaty-cherry nose has dark chocolate undertones and trumpet mushrooms, pretzel bread, bresaola, vaporous sarsaparilla-into cola, and pâté. Dried black cherry shows tart red into mid-palate, white pepper, cranberry and Crimini. Dark toast, raspberry and savory.

#2016 #monopole #ClosdeTart #closdetart #misenbouteilleaudomaine #estatebouttled #grandcru #burgundy #moreysaintdenis #msd4life #côtedor — 2 years ago

David Kline

9.4

Herbaceous. Black cherry meets trumpet mushrooms, dried violets and roses. Silky warm plum compote. On the palate, a well-knit red and black cherry see cranberry compote instead; red currant, dried raspberry and blackberry. Lovely exhibit of dried flowers, touches of iron and graphite sparkle on the long long tail.



#châteauphelansegur #phelansegur #saintestephe #2014 #misenbouteilleauchateau #leftbankbordeaux #leftbank #bordeauxrouge #bordeaux — 3 years ago

LeMel Humes

9.2

Surprised by the full body bold but the melody of a smooth muted trumpet solo. It captures every color of the rainbow. — 4 years ago

with Suzanne

Ian Hamel

9.1

2022/2/6 with Forest-inspired wagyu beef cheek yoshoku curry, butter turmeric rice with apple and jujube and radicchio and tangerine salad. As you might expect, the structure is pretty much resolved and on opening, things seem pretty advanced, with brown spices and leafy undergrowth. But sure enough, with a few hours and some air, round, sweet brambly fruit re-emerges. There are some top notes almost like cut pear or apple. Not every old bottle has to be a trumpet-fanfare Grand Cru Experience(TM) - and considering what those run these days, this is pretty damn good value. — 4 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

It has taken a long time for this 95 Calon Segur to settle in. Finally, after two previous bottles. If you buy this producer, expect to wait 20 plus years for really good things with better vintages. While it’s very good, it has not revealed its best self. I think another 5-8 years before it peaks with another 15 years of good drinking ahead. Properly stored of course.

This still needed a two hour decant to settle it earthiness & funk.

The nose still reveals a fair amount of earth but, it has calmed. Classic Claret older nose. Ripe, candied & floral fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strewed strawberries, baked plum, macerated cherries, cooked rhubarb with hints of blueberries and raspberries softly over the top. Old tobacco, old, soft leather, limestone, dry stone, dark spice, nutmeg, vanillin, dry twig, graphite, dry crushed rocks, steeped fruit tea, forest floor, mushrooms, raspberry cola with withering to fresh, dark; red, purple, blue florals framed in violets.

The body is round & leaner from age. It’s clean wire to wire. The structure, tension, balance and length are just starting to hit their stride. It is gloriously lush on the palate. Ripe, candied & floral fruits of; blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, strewed strawberries, baked plum, macerated cherries, cooked rhubarb with hints of blueberries and raspberries softly over the top. Old tobacco, old, soft leather, limestone, grey volcanics, dry stone, dark spice, nutmeg, vanillin, dark chocolate, some caramel, shades of black licorice, dry twig, graphite, sage, hint of cooked green pepper, sweet tarriness, dry crushed rocks, steeped fruit tea, forest floor, mushrooms, raspberry cola with withering to fresh, dark & candied; red, purple, blue florals framed in violets. The acidity is dead on. The long finish is; balanced fruit & earth, elegance that slides into persistent earth and dark spice with just the right amount of heat.

Paired with New York Strip w/ Root Vegetables Tain, Cipollini, King Trumpet & Peppercorn Demi-glaze & Duck Fat Fries.

Have yet to have anything but a very good meal @Compline Napa. As well, they have a very nice selection of reasonably priced wines in their retail shop. Owned & operated by Master Sommelier Matt Stamp & partner(s). — 6 years ago