Decant Stop Tasting Wine Blog

This is kind of the kid brother to the big 2004 LAN Limited Edition Rioja we had last year… the quieter, more reserved kid brother.  This reminds me that Rioja is like the Chianti of Spain in that most of what is out there, in the lower price range and higher production the wines are pretty simple and light, but in the upper echelon of each the wines are rich and delicious.  Probably the same could be said for most varietals, but these two are of the most popular.  OK, so anyway, this wine is a little less potent than its big brother, but easier to drink, and probably would appeal to a larger audience.  It is also more balanced. 

The color is inky reddish-black.  On the nose it is mostly smokey oak and red Twizzlers… a good amount of fruit.  The mouth-feel is really nice with enough weight to give it a luscious feel, but enough acidity to make it great for pretty heavy meals (think Lamb, Roast Beef, etc.), and just enough vegetal and tannin structure to make me think of it as a very serious wine – certainly not overpowering.  The primary flavor is raspberry, with some toasty oak and plum mixed in.  The fruit is very pure in this wine, which I’ve really come to appreciate after so many jammy/extracted wines.  The finish is raspberry, spices, and soft tannins, and lasts for about 30 seconds or more. 

This is certainly an enjoyable wine and one you can feel confident serving at a dinner where you want to serve a "good" wine.  It will pair with many different foods.  However, its relative simplicity keeps it from scoring higher than it did.  At the price, I do recommend it.

Rating:  90

Price:  $16  (K&L)

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If you have tried the “7 Layer Cake” wine we’ve reviewed, and liked it, you will almost without a doubt like (at least) this wine also.  Depending on when you take a sniff, it smells very much like the 7LC, and depending one when you taste it, and what you drink it with, it also tastes a lot like it.  Two of the major differences were the increased smokey/oakey-ness and acidity.  The back of the bottle says a piece on the makers of this wine, but not much, other than a mention that it is rich, about the wine itself.  It is, in fact, pretty rich, even decadent.

The color is, well, damn dark, ruby with a hint of purple.  On the nose it is smokey/oakey, dark baked fruit, sweet tobacco, vanilla, and a hint of sulfur.  It smells like some vanilla cakes I’ve made, but much more complex.  Mouth-feel is rich and acidic.  We had this wine by itself the first night… just one glass by the pool while star gazing.  It was fabulous in this situation.  The second (and final) night I made homemade tomato/basil/fresh mozzarella pizza, with left-over BBQ chicken on the side.  This is where the wine really showed it’s stuff.  This is probably the most diverse wine I’ve ever had.  It tasted completely different with each food.  It had enough acidity to cut the grease of the chicken, yet the smoke and subtlety to match beautifully with my pizza.  In the end the flavor was back to the same as the night before, with a little added aroma and complexity since it had aired a bit more.  I can’t imagine a meal too bold for this wine, but also, I think it has enough finesse to  match up with more delicate meals.  I don’t think I’d serve it with any kind of fish, but anything above that is fair game.

So, this now ranks as our top value red, since it is $2 cheaper than the 7 layer cake – our previous top value red.  If you know of a red wine that is a greater value let us know.  This wine is a serious wine, not a fruit bomb, but quite fruity.  It has great complexity that will have you intellectualizing it until it runs out.  What I like most about this wine is the amount of flavor, fruit and all, without tasting or smelling extracted.  Seems impossible these days.

Rating:  95

Price:  $15  (K&L)

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