TN: Lots of sensational mature Rioja (1942-1996) in NYC

[Blanquito]

Got together with my brother, a few of the NYC regulars (JC, Ramon, and Dale), and a few new wine friends for a wonderful night of mature Rioja at Noreetuh in Manhattan. It was a special night, the food was spectacular and the wines were nearly all firing on all cylinders. It is not every night that we get to taste so many mature classics from Rioja, including from 1964 and 1981 which are considered amongst the vintages of the century in the region. I don't think these wines are for everyone stylistically, given the high American oak and distinctly lemony acidity, but I love them.

• Whites
• 1996 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Viña Gravonia
  Badly corked.
• 1996 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia
  Wow, really good. Smells of sherry, almonds, fresh ground ginger and unsweetened caramel. Attack seems sweet like caramel at first, yet this is actually quite dry with grapefruit and linseed. Good layered mouthfeel, long lingering acetic finish. In that oxidative style but still fresh and has enough fruit for balance. Not something for everyday, but special. 92 pts.
• 1987 Marqués de Tomares Rioja Reserva Blanco
  Tastes like a bordeaux Blanc after the Tondonia. Shockingly light and fresh still. Dominated by flavors of fresh honeydew melon, wonderfully intact, a little honey on the attack, a bit light on the backend. 90 pts.
  
  Reds
• 1973 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay Etiqueta Blanca
  I was quite charmed by this, perhaps because it showed the most like claret. Sweet nose of tobacco and earth, reminds me of a Graves, just lovely. High acid but good fruit too. Nice length, tart notes, some savoriness, still has some structure (someone says that 73 was a big, tannic year in Rioja). 93 pts.
• 1989 Marqués de Murrieta Rioja Ygay Reserva
  Huge oak on the nose still, quite woody palate as well, super lemony acids, almost giving it a white wine profile. Nice midpalate weight, quite rustic and intense with loads of sour-saison notes. Most at table think this is too young, I find it the oakiest wine of the night both aromatically and on the palate with lots of dry wood tannins. If oak integrates, could get better. 89 pts.
• 1942 R. López de Heredia Rioja Viña Bosconia
  Incredibly dark color. Beautiful fruit still. Monolithic at first, but with air, starts to give dill and balsamic and scents of lime zest. Tart, lean, sour cherry fruit, classic Rioja. Gets much better with some air, fanning out on the palate and showing more complexity. Must have been a monster in its youth. Special to try such a museum piece. 93-94 pts.
• 1947 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia
  FLAWED, fully maderized.
• 1964 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Rioja Royal Reserva
  I like a lot, one of the most mature wines at the table, wood completely integrated, very fresh and bright, complex with citrusy acids and spicy fruit. Good depth and length, but nothing explosive. Rather it charms with aromatic expressivity and a silky resolved palate. Lovely. 92-93 pts.
• 1966 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Rioja Royal Reserva
  Very good, but not a complete as the 64 served next to it. This has a bruised fruit note, smelling of sur-maturité, lacking the freshness of the 64 while seeming a bit bigger bodied. I'd still happily drink any time and probably rate it higher if enjoyed by itself. 90-91 pts.
• 1981 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia
  Terrific showing, if not quite as explosive as prior bottles. Quite Burgundian in profile, shy nose at first, lovely fresh rounded palate but still quiet. Has sneaky depth and everything is perfectly integrated, I like the fruit profile of sour cherries, but not too sour or acetic. Tasting this Lopez wines tonight makes me realize how much less new oak they (appear) to receive than the other wines, which I prefer. 92-93 pts.
• 1964 C.V.N.E. Rioja Viña Real Reserva Especial
  In the running for wine of the night. Wonderfully youthful, with great fruit and grip still. Seems to transcend the Rioja profile, with a bit more structure and fruit intensity than the others, showing just a timeless red wine magic. Darker colored than the other wines except perhaps the 42 Bosconia. Cherry fruit, licorice, herbs, cigarbox, big and bright. Balanced, fully mature, spicy yet buttoned-down. 94 pts.
• 1985 C.V.N.E. Rioja Viña Real Reserva
  I've had this wine several times before, and it shows very differently in this line up than other nights, seemingly exceedingly young and fruit-forward. It does come across as rich and layered with a high-toned minty nose, lacking the integration and the elegance of the older wines. This makes it popular with one or two at the table who prefer a bigger, fruity wine. At any rate, this wine is quite intense with all that sour cherry Rioja fruit bound with lemon acids and notes of dill and some exotic spicy liqueur nuances. Excellent to be sure, and hard to believe that it really needs more time, but I am left little doubt that my remaining bottles will hold decades longer and hopefully gain a little more nuance in the process. 91 pts.
• 1982 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904
  Sweet'n'sour palate again like most of these Rioja, with plenty of dill and lemony acids. This has a silky smooth attack, one of the most resolved palates of the night with great layers of spicy fruit to go with the terrific acidity. Stacked with fruit and flavor compared to some of the more delicate wines on the table. Would be my favorite perhaps, except that it still has a super oaky nose, borderline too woody for me. Hence, hard to rate: 94-95 pt palate, maybe 88-90 pt bouquet.
• 1995 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Bosconia
  Opened later on a whim, I was worried it would show too young after all the senior citizens, but this is an outstanding Bosconia and already giving lots today. Again, quite Burgundian in texture. Clean, bright fruit, terrific depth and balance, fresher than some LdH wines and also shows very little if any new oak influences. Doesn't seem fruity yet has all the fruit needed to balance the acids and structure. If you own some, you are lucky and will enjoy this wine for decades to come. 93 pts.
  
  Dessert
• 1985 Bodegas Toro Albala Montilla-Moriles Don PX Gran Reserva
  This was the current release in 2011 when I was in Spain. Liquid sugar, with molasses and maple syrup. Exotic scents of licorice, incense, char. As always, super sweet and unctuous on the attack, yet hyper bright and fresh on the finish. A little goes a long way. Wonderful in its style. 93 pts.

[Nicklasss]

Tremendous tasting Patrick! And the NYC gang!

I think i never had old Rioja like these, but make me wonder why because the profile of these wines look like something I would appreciate.

I have some 2004 Ygay Especial Selection (or something like that) in my reserve, but do I need to what that long?

R. Lopez Heredia is a wine I appreciate for it superb traditionnal style, and Bourgogne style mouth, but on a different profile.

We are still young, but if I buy recent C.V.N.E. Reserva Especial, and need to wait as long as for that 1964, i will open it at 96 years old...

I don't drink enough Rioja, young or old.

Nic

[SF Ed]

I'm not the world's biggest Rioja fan, but I am probably the world's biggest 1964 vintage fan, and 1964 Riojas are great. Lively, full of fruit, and as affordable as 55 year old fine wine gets.

I had exactly the 1964 Royal Rioja you did a week ago, and my note on CT reads - Wine in perfect condition, very youthful with no oxidation and ripe red fruit and a bit of tannin as well. Not particularly long or profound, but a very enjoyable and lively wine, a great example of the longevity of Rioja.

CT tells me I have one more bottle, plus some 1964 CVNE and Marqués de Riscal. Just let me know next time you are in SF and we'll pop one or many.

SF Ed

[stefan]

You make me wish I had some old Rioja.

[Comte Flaneur]

Bravo Patrick!

I remember a tasting we did in NYC probably a bit more than a decade ago of mature LDH, and some of them showed sensationally well, especially the 1970 and 1973 Tondonias, the latter I managed to pick up at auction recently.

For our group Christmas lunch we had these two:

1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia
1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

They were both captivating. The Gran Reserva displayed stunning complexity on the nose and palate and was constantly evolving over the afternoon, while the straight Reserva had extraordinary length on the palate. It was difficult to pick a winner.

[AKR]

Very nice. I always thought that NYC cadre would / should be on this board more often.

I've always loved their sensibility toward wine & food.

My marginal dollar of wine purchases this year is much more likely to be going into Rioja, as the 2010 Gran Reservas get released into the market, than Bordeaux.

[jckba]

Patrick - it’s always a pleasure to get together when you are in NYC and I really thought that this was an outstanding all around dinner between the variety of dishes to the pairings that we put forth and the more that I think about it, the more in awe I am of just how well the lineup we put together was as it really seemed to come together in the end The only thing I used my phone for on this evening was to take pictures so here they are, one at a time along with my slight takeaways.

the lineup

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[Blanquito]

Bravo Patrick!

I remember a tasting we did in NYC probably a bit more than a decade ago of mature LDH, and some of them showed sensationally well, especially the 1970 and 1973 Tondonias, the latter I managed to pick up at auction recently.

For our group Christmas lunch we had these two:

1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia
1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia

They were both captivating. The Gran Reserva displayed stunning complexity on the nose and palate and was constantly evolving over the afternoon, while the straight Reserva had extraordinary length on the palate. It was difficult to pick a winner.

These whites are quite something. They are unusual of course and take some getting use to, but the complexity they show... wow. It was Ramon who first introduced me to the joys of Lopez's whites at one of our NYC offlines, bringing an 89 Gran Reserva which I then bought some of the next day for all of $29.99 at PJs! The secret is long since out and these are now >$100.

[jckba]

Much as Patrick stated in the opening post, these 2 Rioja wines came from opposite sides of the stylistic spectrum and to be fair; I preferred the oxidative style of the LdH better by itself whereas I thought the MdT which was oddly white Bdx like paired better with the dish but when push comes to shove:

1996 LdH > 1987 MdT

1st course paired with a couple of white Rioja

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[Blanquito]

I'm not the world's biggest Rioja fan, but I am probably the world's biggest 1964 vintage fan, and 1964 Riojas are great. Lively, full of fruit, and as affordable as 55 year old fine wine gets.

I had exactly the 1964 Royal Rioja you did a week ago, and my note on CT reads - Wine in perfect condition, very youthful with no oxidation and ripe red fruit and a bit of tannin as well. Not particularly long or profound, but a very enjoyable and lively wine, a great example of the longevity of Rioja.

CT tells me I have one more bottle, plus some 1964 CVNE and Marqués de Riscal. Just let me know next time you are in SF and we'll pop one or many.

SF Ed

I kinda lost the love for Rioja for a long while but then a local wine buddy wowed the group with some oldies. I decide to dip into vino tintos again, but by then it was too late as classic rioja had skyrocketed in price and is now quite hard to find, especially those magical '64s. But a trip to Spain may be in order, as these are still quite reasonably priced in Espana and there's lots of mature stuff floating around there per wine-searcher.

Let's definitely meet up the next time I'm in the Bay Area! Not sure I have any more 64s but I can always source an old Italian from Chambers.

[jckba]

Justin who imports Spanish wines and specializes in finding restaurant cellars in Spain brought several older bottles of LdH that had lowish fills and felt as he felt they were not resellable, so we went through a 1947 LdH Vina Bosconia GR that was completely maderized and then came to this 1942. While initially it has some odd animal hair like smells, that blew off and the longer this aerated the better it got and it was classic Rioja at its finest. At 78 years of age, I’d probably be several whole points higher than Patrick on the rating for this wine as it real historical treat.

1942 LdH Vina Bosconia GR

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[jckba]

I sourced the ‘73 from my friend Jim’s cellar at his cost which he picked up at Acker a number of years ago and it had a 98 point nose and a 91 palate and it was absolutely gorgeous in it’s fully resolved profile. The ‘89 suffered by comparison and I think I think it will be a good wine one day, but that day is just years from now.

1973 MdM Etiqueta Blanca > 1989 MdM Ygay Reserva

A pair of Marqués de Murrieta’s

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[jckba]

So this was my red wine flight of the night as both the wines were in their respective zones. The LdH was my preferred wine as personally, I have trouble dealing with the American oak signature in the LRA even when it was firing at this level.

1981 LdH Bosconia GR >= 1982 LRA 910 GR

81 LdH Bosconia GR vs 82 LRA 910 GR

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[jckba]

A pair of fully resolved examples where the 1964 was clearly the more complete wine and it was a treat to taste 2 vintages of the same wine in a side by side fashion such as this.

1964 > 1966

1964 vs 1966 Franco Espanolas Royal Reserva

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[jckba]

I think the ‘64 was most everyone’s wine of the night and it was glorious but I was also one of the people that appreciated the fruit in the ‘85 but it was clearly overmatched.

1964 > 1985

1964 CVNE Vina Real Reserva Especial vs 1985 CVNE Vina Real Reserva

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[jckba]

Ramon graciously opened a 2nd Bosconia GR but this bottle was clearly an infant and it’s best days are ahead.

1995 LdH Bosconia GR

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[jckba]

And this post concludes my picture montage of the evening.

[AKR]

I'm going to be the skunk at the garden party and declare that every time I try the LdH blancs and rosado's that I think they are flawed and its some practical joke Maria Jose is playing on Americans!

[Blanquito]

Arv, as much as I enjoy Lopez’s whites from time to time, I fully grok any and all distain towards them. They are so weird, lifted and wooly. It greatly helps their appreciation if one likes dry sherry.

[Comte Flaneur]

I remember Justin from my last visit to the City in Sep 18.He really is the man for aged Rioja. Thanks for the pictures JC.

[Blanquito]

Great to catch up, JC. Epic night, really enjoyed meeting your crew. Thanks for the pics.

[JimHow]

Testing....
Other than the first picture taken in this thread, which was taken horizontally, can BWEers tell me whether the rest of JC's pictures appear vertical or on their sides on your computer screens?

[stefan]

All the others are horizontal on my screen.

[DavidG]

The pictures are all showing properly on my iPad. The first is in landscape, the rest in portrait. None are rotated improperly.

Most show rotated on my Samsung phone.

[dstgolf]

I missed this thread back in Jan but nice to review now. Enjoy Rioja for daily drinkers and great qpr. Remember visiting LdH a few years back trying to get a bottle of the Tondonia for Alex R unfortunately they didn't have any...personally never had it.

Similar to JH pictures displaying sideways except the 1st one on my Macbook but Danielle's ipad like David's are perfect?? Go figure!!

[Claudius2]

Patrick
I have rarely had old Rioja but am quite a fan of Spanish wines - though I really don't like overt American oak in any wine and that includes a lot of Australian Shiraz.
To what extent has the style of these wines changed over the decades?