I also tasted a couple of older vintages that should be available today. The 1994 Gran Reserva, pure Tempranillo from Rioja Alta aged for 40 months in French oak barrels, has a developed nose where the spicy, balsamic and tertiary aromas of leather, incense, cigar box, charred wood, raw meat, paprika, clove and nutmeg clearly dominate. The palate reveals polished tannins, good acidity and spicy flavors where the spicy (paprika) notes linger for a long time. Highly recommended for lovers of traditional-styled Rioja. Drink now-2020.
This classical name now belongs to the Osborne group from Jerez, and still represents the pure traditional Rioja style. Following the tradition of past times they still offer some older vintages once they have acquired more complexity and are ready to drink.
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