With Hart et al at Tiara’s birthday celebration

Everyone who saw the bottle were quick to point out that this was apparently a legendary wine.

In the glass: a bright ruby with distinct garnet at the rim (second photo is more accurate). The thing that surprised me the most was how mid- bodied it was.

On the nose: fresh off the bottle, this was just S W E E T OAK. Very aromatic, but just so much oak it overwhelmed the fruit. Thankfully with air, this blew out a little, and we got to smell the currants a little more distinctly. Certainly spices. Chocolate. Did I mention oak?

On the palate: touch elevated alcohol, but shockingly elegant on the palate. This is the not usual Rioja I dislike. This was high intensity, mid- body, super nice structure, and long finish.

If you love well oaked wine, this is certainly a delicious well-made wine. But perhaps not to my palate given the sheer amount of oak. Perhaps better with a little more age!