Wednesday, September 5, 2012

1996 Marques de Tomares Rioja Gran Reserva


Importer: Parador Selections

Source: Astor

Consumption Date: 9/5/2012

Notes: High-toned aroma of warm herbs, spices, vanilla, and fruit (black currant) with a woody/leafy note and a distinctive mildly medicinal, alcohol quality.  Medium bodied with intense fruit (dark cherries and mild black currant); a dry, woody, leafy character with an edge of slightly bitter herbs framed by a mild chocolate note.  Finishes long with sweet fruit and leafy, dry wood and chocolate notes.  Moderate tannin.

This wine has proven to be a bit puzzling, although enjoyable, and pleasantly challenging.  While seemingly an intensely fruity, but simple wine, this actually has a compelling complexity to it.  While perhaps not as well balanced or as elegant as I expect from Rioja Gran Reservas, it has enough interesting components, including an unexpected fruitiness for the style, to be intriguing.

Value: Good

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