Wine: Monte Real 1970 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Riojanas (Cenicero, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 5% Garnacha, 2% Graciano, 3% other varieties (Viura, Malvasía Riojana).
ABV: (Not specified)
Winery: Bodegas Riojanas (Cenicero, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 5% Garnacha, 2% Graciano, 3% other varieties (Viura, Malvasía Riojana).
ABV: (Not specified)
Winemaking:
The wine spent 12 months in old 20,000-liter wooden vats to complete malolactic fermentation and stabilize before racking. It subsequently matured for 72 months (6 years) in neutral 225-liter American oak barrels, with regular rackings performed every 8 to 12 months. Following blending in tanks and a final stabilization period of 6 to 12 months, the wine underwent a minimum of 6 years of bottle aging in the winery’s subterranean cellars prior to its commercial release.
The wine spent 12 months in old 20,000-liter wooden vats to complete malolactic fermentation and stabilize before racking. It subsequently matured for 72 months (6 years) in neutral 225-liter American oak barrels, with regular rackings performed every 8 to 12 months. Following blending in tanks and a final stabilization period of 6 to 12 months, the wine underwent a minimum of 6 years of bottle aging in the winery’s subterranean cellars prior to its commercial release.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
Brownish-ruby color with medium-high depth; more extracted than other
contemporary vintages. Clean, with a light sediment at the base of the
bottle. Featuring brilliant coppery and orange reflections. Broad
brick-orange rim.
Nose: An overwhelming bouquet that captures the essence of Monte Real with extreme potency. It opens with notes of cured hide, animal nuances, faisandage,
lacquers, and resin, showing a wild edge. Within minutes, it reveals
the finest and most elegant reduction: black truffle, English tobacco,
Russian leather, damp earth, and forest floor. Toasted notes of
wine-soaked old foudres and cedar emerge, alongside mineral hints of
gunpowder and embers, all supported by a formidable smoky and spicy
background of allspice, cloves, and vanilla.
Palate:
Fresh and austere on the palate; compact, dry, and firm. It possesses a
tremendous "backbone," featuring rocky, vital tannins and a nervous
acidity that guarantees decades of life. While it lacks the relative
lightness of the 1973 vintage, it offers a solid and unyielding
structure.
Commentary:
The 1970 Monte Real Gran Reserva remains a benchmark for Bodegas Riojanas, showing itself in full plenitude. It is a powerful and informative red that continues to gain complexity and new registers with every year in the bottle. Its combination of structural "nerve" and profound tertiary depth makes it a legendary Rioja, built with a granitic solidity that defies the passage of time.
The 1970 Monte Real Gran Reserva remains a benchmark for Bodegas Riojanas, showing itself in full plenitude. It is a powerful and informative red that continues to gain complexity and new registers with every year in the bottle. Its combination of structural "nerve" and profound tertiary depth makes it a legendary Rioja, built with a granitic solidity that defies the passage of time.
Personal Score: 95
Tasting Group Average: 93
Tasting Group Average: 93
2 comments:
Salud golafres.
Catando este vino el 23 de enero de 2016. Botella comprada en el area de San Francisco, California. Parece no haber mas existncia de este vino en venta en Norte America. La botella en perfecta condicion. Las notas de cata muy similares las de su blog. Al medio paladar se suman notas de te negro con cascara de naranja. Mas especiado, con clavo y pimienta gorda. Los taninos en el marco posterior, aunandolo todo, con mucha suavidad. La acidez fina, perfecta. El vino tiene vida por delante, pero se goza hoy muchisimo hoy. Al cabo de dos horas del decorche se comporta mas impune: la hojarasca, hongos y frutos rojos marchan juntos. Siguiendolos hay huesos de res. La profundidad del vino impresiona. Una hora mas adelante hay cueros finisimos y ebanisteria. El sotobosque se ha disipado, y en su lugar entran avainillados y maderas. Aumenta el vigor de los frutos rojos como grosellas y moras silvestres, junto con cedro y tabaco ligero. Sandalo y cardamomo siguen. La fuerza en nariz y paladar no disminuye. Empiezan tonos de hierba seca, como ajedrea y algun matiz de laurel, que le va muy bien al vino que se presenta cada vez mas licoroso, pero sin cansancio. Un gran Monte Real, un gran Rioja. Puntuacion personal: 98 Alex Klip, Toronto, Canada
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