TN: 2003 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Colección Privada

WINE TALK
1

2003 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Colección Privada - Spain, La Rioja, Rioja (12/15/2008)
– decanted for a few hours before tasting –
– tasted non-blind on Day 1 and again on Day 3–

NOSE: DAY 1: big-time cigarbox aroma is supported by concentrated plum, moderate oak, and hints of funk, smoke, and squash; the bouquet is dark and brooding, and pleasantly earthy, if not a bit dusty; for each glass poured the oak became more prevalent as the wine sat in the glass … notes of brown sugar emerged with time; both “A” and I thought the bouquet was rather tight right now, but it’s obviously quite complex and spellbinding; a slight citrus (underripe fruit?) note emerged four hours after 1st taste – so about 7-8 hours after initially decanting. DAY 3: fruitier than Day 1, and the strong cigarbox aroma has eased-up a bit; a balsamic note has entered the picture as well.

BODY: this wine simply looks “big”: lots of fine particulate matter is suspended in the wine … a bit of fine sediment was left in the bottle; black cherry color of medium-deep depth; medium-full bodied.

TASTE: DAY 1: wonderful front-palate acidity balances the impeccably interwoven fine-grained tannins; cigarbox is repeated on the palate and is complemented by flavors of dusty blackberries, plum, and moderate oak; this wine does not taste funky, despite the hint of funk appearing in the bouquet; the palate is full & seamless; slightly hot on the finish; the oak still needs some time to integrate more fully, but this is hardly an “oak bomb”; the finish is ridiculously long (1.5 - 2 minutes)!!! Even after swishing a sip of water around my mouth, I could still taste the wine … and I don’t mean “I could tell I had a sip of wine a couple minutes ago” … I mean, I could still taste all the flavors of the wine – absolutely remarkable. DAY 3: Pretty much the same as DAY 1, but more minerals today, and less oak … very smooth, and no longer hot on the finish … very nice. This wine will get better with time, and has the structure and stuffing to safely sleep under years of cellar dust … this wine is an absolute blockbuster! If you have one in your cellar, wait 5 or 10 years … if you have more than one, open one now to taste what I’m talking about. I will be buying more, and giving them extended aging … I think this can easily ride for 20+ years.

B: 50, 5, 13, 18, 9 = 95
A: 50, 5, 11, 17, 8 = 91

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NOSE: initially: dill – and lots of it, followed by chalky spearmint, black and cherry licorice, and a hint of smoky rubber — that was all right after opening. An hour or so later, the oak was still present, but started to step into the background, allowing the fruit to come forward.

BODY: lots of particulate matter present; blood red color of medium-deep depth; medium-full bodied.

TASTE: initially: lots of oak; full palate; fine tannins are a bit drying; cherry licorice; juicy acidity lying beneath the oak; long finish. After allowing to sit in decanter for an hour or so, the oak subsided some, and the bright cherry shone through. The fruit is still very primary, and this drinks like a youngster (which it really is, at a mere 8 years old). Thankfully, this seems to have the requisite structure for aging — and it needs some age (for the oak to integrate). Beneath the oak, there seems to be an excellent wine waiting in the wings. Hold for 10 more years. If this ages as I anticipate that it will, my score could easily see a 2 - 4 point uptick.

B: 50, 5, 11, 17, 8 = (91 pts.)

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2003 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Colección Privada - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (6/8/2019)
– cork pulled a few hours before initial taste –
– tasted a couple pours non-blind over approx. 1 hour –
– 100% Tempranillo –

Nose: moderately oaky; minty; a bit stony; some tertiary aromas clearly creeping-in now (finally).

BODY: medium bodied; dark color.

TASTE: still a bit tannic; black cherry; oak seems to be French oak rather than American oak (research indicates it’s actually 50% new French, 50% American); alcohol pokes through a bit; coming along nicely, and I still see room for further improvement. I do think this is going to have a very narrow Prime Window, as it’s a bit lacking in acidity, and the alcohol is noticeable. That said, there’s lots of fruit here, and it is starting to develop some of that aged character that I find enjoyable. Drink now and over the next few years; I’ll probably tee-up my last remaining bottle for 2023. Gut impression score: 90 - 91.