Has it really been half a year since I reviewed a Rioja? That's kinda crazy. Luckily that streak ends today! And with a hell of a lot of things going on in life, let's end the streak quickly. I really can't wait to go back to my old format of reviewing but it'll have to do just that: wait.
Bodega Classica's Hacienda Lopez de Haro Reserva 2013 is 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano from old, low-yielding vineyards. The grapes were manually harvested in October, macerated for two weeks, fermented under the controlled temperature of 28°C, and then saw twenty months of oak aging in French and American barrels. The final ABV is 13.5%.
The color of the wine is garnet. Stick your schnoz right in there and you get aromas of plum, black cherries, cigar box, graphite, vanilla, and dark chocolate. Pull the glass away while you're still inhaling and you're left with vanilla still lingering in your nostrils. The character of the nose actually makes me think more of a liqueur or fortified wine than a regular red wine. On the palate it's medium bodied with bright, salivating acidity and soft, sweet tannin. There's flavors of plum, black cherry, PEZ candy, graphite, and oak. Then it finishes with PEZ candy and oak.
This is an "ol' Reliable". It's a darn good expression of Rioja that should be widely available. So when you need a Rioja but you're in a hurry or in a pinch, or confronted with a strange wine list with this on it, then you know you can count on this one. It's solid.
QUALITY VS PRICE RATING
Price: $14
Rating: 3.5/5 = Satisfying / Recommended (what does that mean?)
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.
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