Wine: Marqués de Riscal 1975 ReservaWinery: Marqués de Riscal (Elciego, Álava)
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
ABV: 11.5%
Appellation: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot
ABV: 11.5%
Winemaking
The blend includes a negligible percentage of white varietals (primarily Viura), as it was customary at the time to plant a few white vines at the head of the rows for family consumption, which were ultimately harvested and processed alongside the red grapes. The wine spent approximately 12 months in tanks before maturing for 36 to 42 months in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels. Regular rackings were performed every three months during the first three years to avoid the need for filtration prior to bottling. Clarified through traditional methods using fresh egg whites and bottled by hand directly from the cask. It was aged for a minimum of 4 to 5 years in the bottle prior to its commercial release. Bottles are recorked every 15 years.
The blend includes a negligible percentage of white varietals (primarily Viura), as it was customary at the time to plant a few white vines at the head of the rows for family consumption, which were ultimately harvested and processed alongside the red grapes. The wine spent approximately 12 months in tanks before maturing for 36 to 42 months in seasoned 225-liter American oak barrels. Regular rackings were performed every three months during the first three years to avoid the need for filtration prior to bottling. Clarified through traditional methods using fresh egg whites and bottled by hand directly from the cask. It was aged for a minimum of 4 to 5 years in the bottle prior to its commercial release. Bottles are recorked every 15 years.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Ruby of medium-low depth; clear, bright, and clean. It displays reddish
and orange highlights with a broad, brick-colored rim that shows subtle
variation against the meniscus.
Nose:
Highly powerful on the nose. Initially, the profile centers on
liqueur-like notes (sour cherries, kirsch, sloe liqueur) and an
increasingly intense expression of almost raisined fruit, carob, and
caramelized sugar, backed by a black licorice undertone. Gradually,
faint hints of citrus, orange peel, and brine emerge, joined by smoky
spices and noble wood notes of fine cabinetry. This is a wine with
significant evolution, becoming increasingly honest and elegant as it
breathes. Any trace of reduction disappears to reveal a perfumed and
pure character: notes of ripe red fruit, baked apple, and hard candy,
with nuances of toast, charcoal, gunpowder, and wet earth.
Palate:
Superbly balanced, countered by the vibrant acidity that characterized
all of the winery’s offerings, making them instantly recognizable.
Refined yet possessing ample strength and drive; a beautiful wine with a
high-quality hint of sweetness, velvety tannins, and an ensemble of
ripe, somewhat spicy, and piquant fruit, all enveloped by a veil of
perfectly integrated noble wood and toasted notes. Elegant, exceedingly
so, yet without sacrificing the power typical of the great 1975s. A
magnificent Riscal.
Personal Score: 91
Tasting Group Score: 92
Tasting Group Score: 92
No comments:
Post a Comment