CWD: '95 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva

D

drssouth

Stephen South
My wife opened this 2 days ago.. I found the bottle.. still open to the air..and started to dump it.. I decided to try it..
1995 Sierra Cantabria Rioja Reserva, alc 13%, $18, importer, The London Wine Man: Dusty leafy nose..old tea leaves..sour leafy earthy palate with tea, dried flowers and marked tannins but a soft layer of dried figs and a hint of strawberry (? why) ...amazingly good and "of the place".. could last another 10+ years without trouble.. how the hell could this be so good??
 
Actually, it's because good 13 year-old Rioja tends to evolve in this way. When it was three years old, this wine tasted to me basically like 2005 Sierra Cantabria Reserva tastes now.
 
Sierra Cantabria hasn't changed in quality, my comment was on the greatness of the 1995 vintage.

It has doubled in price, though.
 
I tasted by chance yesterday the 2004 reserva bottling and it is as good as the 1995.

A friend of mine imports the Eguren stuff into my low land and if I understand him right, anything bottled as Reserva or Gran Reserva is made in a traditional style (I would say Giacosa-like traditional not GIacomo Conterno) and the others (Colleccion Privada, etc.) are made using modernity.

I like that approach: everybody is happy.

Price-wise, it is still extremely reasonable, at least were I live.
 
originally posted by The Fish:
anything bottled as Reserva or Gran Reserva is made in a traditional style.
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I seriously doubt the Egurens make anything in 'traditional' or 'modern' style. AFAIK, they follow the 'Eguren style'.
 
I am sure the Eguren follow the Eguren style:

- reserva + gran reserva = aging in american oak barrels + long(er) aging in oak (3years).
- other = french barrique + malo barrique + shorter aging in oak (12-24months).

stylistically, that makes a big difference in terms of type of wine you have in the glass. Now traditional and modern ... maybe I am an old school boy and haven't noticed that what I consider modern is already so much yesterday...
 
originally posted by The Fish:
I am sure the Eguren follow the Eguren style:

- reserva + gran reserva = aging in american oak barrels + long(er) aging in oak (3years).
- other = french barrique + malo barrique + shorter aging in oak (12-24months).

stylistically, that makes a big difference in terms of type of wine you have in the glass. Now traditional and modern ... maybe I am an old school boy and haven't noticed that what I consider modern is already so much yesterday...
Click to expand...

My one and only encounter with Sierra Cantabria was with a mid-'90s Crianza, but that wine struck me as quintessentially "modern": fruit-forward, tannic, cedary, softer acids. It was not an unpleasant wine to drink, but nothing that motivated me to try more. Perhaps our two definitions of modernism in La Rioja differ, Victor.

Mark Lipton
 
My one and only encounter with Sierra Cantabria was with a mid-'90s Crianza, but that wine struck me as quintessentially "modern": fruit-forward, tannic, cedary, softer acids. It was not an unpleasant wine to drink, but nothing that motivated me to try more. Perhaps our two definitions of modernism in La Rioja differ, Victor.

Mark Lipton
Click to expand...

It's amazing what a person (me) can put blinders on to, eventually.

As a whole, Sierra Cantabria rides the fence of modern and traditional styles. If you find it quintessentially modern, there is a lot of scary shit out there that you should stay away from.

Best,
Joe
 
As a whole, Sierra Cantabria rides the fence of modern and traditional styles. If you find it quintessentially modern, there is a lot of scary shit out there that you should stay away from.
Click to expand...

I ain't disagreein'.

Mark Lipton
 
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