Marqués de Legarda 1987 Gran Reserva

Wine: Marqués de Legarda 1987 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas de la Real Divisa (Ábalos, La Rioja)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, Mazuelo and Garnacha
ABV: 12% vol. 

Winemaking:
All grapes are sourced from estate vineyards located in the municipality of Ábalos. Fermentation takes place in concrete tanks and large old wooden vats, where the wine completes its fermentations and stabilizes before being racked. It matures for 48 months in used 225-liter American oak barrels. Subjected to several manual rackings each year following the traditional barrel-to-barrel system. Aged for a minimum of 2 years in the winery's bottle racks before release. 

 

Tasting Notes

 

Appearance: Brownish-ruby color with medium-low depth; evolved, very clear, and translucent. Coppery and tile-colored reflections, lacking much brilliance. Broad orange rim, showing almost no difference from the meniscus.

 

Nose: Upon opening, we find a silent wine, with no registry whatsoever: neither good nor bad. There is simply nothing there! Despite decanting, swirling, and forcing the senses, it is impossible to get a single word out of it. A tough guy! It seems the wine passed away prematurely in the bottle and has remained discreetly embalmed, incorrupt, without the usual off-putting smells.

 

Palate: The surprise comes on the palate: very correct, extremely smooth, perfectly round, balanced, and still alive thanks to an acidity that tightens the ensemble with good form. What could have happened here? Inexplicable! It is well-integrated, medium-bodied, light, and easy to drink, without any defect that explains the total absence of aromas. It is hard to explain this phenomenon.

 

Commentary:
An olfactory enigma. While the nose is completely mute, the palate remains surprisingly functional and balanced. The best course of action would be to open another bottle soon to see if this "bottled silence" is consistent.

 

Personal Score: 82
Tasting Group Average: 85