Wine: Solar de Amézola 2001 Gran Reserva
Winery: Bodegas Amézola de la Mora (Torremontalbo, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo
ABV: 14%
Winery: Bodegas Amézola de la Mora (Torremontalbo, Rioja Alta)
Appellation / Zone: D.O.Ca. Rioja
Varietals: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 5% Mazuelo
ABV: 14%
Winemaking:
The grapes are sourced entirely from various estate-owned plots in Rioja Alta. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged for 30 months in 225-liter, medium-toast oak barrels with an average age of 3–4 years (60% American oak, 40% French oak). It underwent periodic rackings throughout the year and was aged for a minimum of three years in the winery’s underground cellars before its release in mid-2010.
The grapes are sourced entirely from various estate-owned plots in Rioja Alta. Fermentation took place in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine was aged for 30 months in 225-liter, medium-toast oak barrels with an average age of 3–4 years (60% American oak, 40% French oak). It underwent periodic rackings throughout the year and was aged for a minimum of three years in the winery’s underground cellars before its release in mid-2010.
Tasting Notes
Appearance:
A beautiful garnet-red with medium-high depth; refulgent, limpid, and
entirely free of sediment. Displays brilliant pomegranate and orange
reflections. Broad, saffron-toned (azafranado) rim, showing great contrast against the meniscus.
Nose:
Fruit-forward, open, and communicative. It is packed with perfumed
notes of fresh fruit (sour cherries, black cherries), sage, and laurel,
featuring a slight medicinal accent over a backdrop of luxurious wood.
Clear, clean, and perfectly woven, it shows a profound varietal
expression (very Tempranillo-esque)
and optimal ripeness, avoiding the excesses of more modern-style wines.
A great interpretation of Rioja, sitting midway between the classic and
the new.
Palate:
Impeccable on the palate: fresh, silky, and tense, with superb balance.
It offers juicy, mature fruit that has barely been reduced by time,
displaying a high-quality hint of sweetness. The overall balance is
remarkable—elegant, with very fine tannins and notable acidity.
Exceptionally long finish, slightly spicy, with a retronasal of herbs
and aniseed.
Commentary:
An absolute surprise. It is likely at its peak, yet given the total absence of reductive signs, it possesses the potential for further aging. A poised, harmonious wine that showcases the excellence of the 2001 vintage in Rioja Alta.
An absolute surprise. It is likely at its peak, yet given the total absence of reductive signs, it possesses the potential for further aging. A poised, harmonious wine that showcases the excellence of the 2001 vintage in Rioja Alta.
Personal Score: 92
Tasting Group Average: 93
Tasting Group Average: 93
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