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Rioja 'Gran Riserva' 1987 Baron de Ley

8/98. Bought in Spain June-98 for $20.
One of a number of bottles we brought home from our recent visit to Spain. Even after spending a week in Andalusia and tasting a different wine each day, my experience with Spanish wines is extremely limited and my knowledge about them is even less. All I know is that 1987 is considered a "Muy Bouena" vintage in Rioja.
Dorit made an excellent Paella tonight with chicken, shrimps and calamari. What better to accompany this delicious Spanish dish then a (hopefully) good Spanish wine?
COLOR: Medium-dark red, with noticeable clearing around the rim. Good 'legs' but no evident of sediment.
NOSE: Lovely! Profound ripe red and black berries, bacon fat, some vanilla and even faint but discernible 'Bourgogne Nose'-like aromas. Nothing dusty or vegetative on the nose. A pleasure to sniff at.
TASTE: Simply wonderful! Sweet fruit, complexity, lots of stuffing, ample acidity and some tannins. Deep and smooth. Wood is there but it serves to enhances - not overpower - the flavorful wine.
LENGTH: Medium length. Fruit, acidity and tannins all apparent in the aftertaste too.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Fullish body with plenty of winyness. Though not perhaps particularly delicate, the wine is far more complex and interesting than a simple fruit bomb. The perfect balance between the ample fruit acidity and tannins delivers an elegant, far-from-rough sensation.
OVERALL: Superb! A real surprise to find a wine so good for $20. I assume this wine is at its peak now.
MARK: 18/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Yes.


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Jacob "Yak" Shaya.