Seek  
Upstate NY
Wine Thief
Posts: 2772
 | | 01-11-2003 04:02 AM |
| 1998 Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva
Alcohol 14%
I picked a 6 pack of this up for a song at $35 per bottle over the Holidays. This usually sells for $44-60 so I was quite pleased with this price.
Dark ruby/purple color with wonderful clarity this unfiltered Rioja is a joy to drink. Reminiscent of many fine Bordeaux that I have had the Remirez has awesome breadth and depth. The large scaled palate reveals balanced levels of tannin, fruit, acidity, and alcohol giving the consumer a fabuous experience. Blackberries, black cherry, tobacco, smoke, integrated oak (soaked up nicely), and slate round out the flavors. This still needs some time in the cellar and should drink well for 10-15 years +.
93+ points | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9425
| | 01-11-2003 03:37 PM |
| seek, I just saw this wine for $48. Do you think it is a buy at that price?
jb | | | |
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Seek
Upstate NY
Wine Thief
Posts: 2772
| | 01-11-2003 04:03 PM |
| | I think it is a buy at that price to have one or two in your cellar. In 5-10 years this will be singing a pretty tune. WL has it on sale for $43.99. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Stomper
Posts: 167
| | 01-11-2003 08:29 PM |
| | Seek1, ever had the 96? To me, the 96 was the best Spanish wine I have ever tasted and a steal for $40! | | | |
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Seek
Upstate NY
Wine Thief
Posts: 2772
| | 01-11-2003 09:22 PM |
| | The `98 is the only one I have had of this label. I don't beleive that a `97 was released. If it is anything like the `98 I am sure the `96 was fantastic. | | | |
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DdB
Barrel Filler
Posts: 1452
| | 01-11-2003 10:22 PM |
| Seek - Thanks for the note.
I've got one of these -- you think 5 more years?
Great price btw.
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ChangeMe
Grape Truck Driver
Posts: 40
| | 01-11-2003 11:57 PM |
| I've been Jonesin' to try this one, but its going for $52 here in the Bluegrass state, and there's no shipping.  I guess I just have to live vicariously through your TN's...or get out there and sell something, man!  | | | |
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stemor
Collierville, TN
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5564
| | 01-19-2003 05:17 PM |
| kybeaux,
Sam's Wine has this for $37.92 by the case ($39.99/bottle). If you have reason to come to Memphis for business, I'll be happy to pick some of this up for you and hold it 'til you get here.
Send me a PM if you'd like to discuss the possibilities.
Remember: it's a WA95 with an anticipated maturity of 2004 - 2020. How can you pass this up?
| | | Cheers, y'all | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11072
| | 06-12-2003 03:12 PM |
| I tasted this one last night at a Spanish tasting. This is a wine so big and brute-like it tried to escape from its glass. It was meaty on the nose and in the middle with a raspberry fruit. I found it a bit rustic but it seemed like distinctive winemaking.
Spec's has this here for $49.94. It was good wine, maybe a bit overpriced, and needs a couple of years to shine. A toss-up on a buy with this price point.
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Blair Ridley
Wine Labeler
Posts: 3980
| | 06-12-2003 03:36 PM |
| Many of us (including myself) got this for $33 from Internetwines through a special deal they were having.
At that price, it's a no brainer. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11072
| | 06-12-2003 03:56 PM |
| | A serious no-brainer at that price. Nice score. | | | |
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Zeke Boston
Grape Sorter
Posts: 341
| | 06-12-2003 11:12 PM |
| I was all over that one too, Short. A case at $33/per  | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11072
| | 08-03-2004 08:36 PM |
| 1998 Fernando Remirez de Ganuza Rioja Reserve [Rioja, La Rioja, Spain] 92 pts. (8/3/2004)
Tasted again at a Spanish Wine Tasting on 8/2/04. Medium ruby in color with raspberry, vanilla and oak on the nose. A huge, chewy wine in the middle with leather and blackberry on the finish. Very different than other Rioja wines I've tried. Very good! Expensive at about $50 retail.
Posted from CellarTracker! | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9425
| | 08-03-2004 08:40 PM |
| Thanks for the note, WT. Has anyone tried the '96? I have a 3.0L amd I'm waiting for a good time to "release the hounds"!
jb | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11072
| | 08-03-2004 08:46 PM |
| October perhaps?  | | | |
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Joseph Bembry
Advanced Sommelier
Posts: 9425
| | 08-03-2004 08:51 PM |
| Perhaps...
jb | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts: 11169
| | 08-04-2004 03:36 AM |
| | I have 2 botles of this at $44 apiece, bought this past Winter. Parker gave this a 95. Any guesses on when this wine should be at its best? | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts: 986
| | 08-04-2004 11:05 AM |
| The 4 or 5 times I've had a Remirez de Ganuza I thought it reminded me more of St. Emilion than Rioja.
That said, it's still a delicious drink & available for under $50 (easily) in my market, where the Numanthia has climbed to $54.
There's not a long track record regarding aging this wine, so there's really no way to know when it will be at its peak. I last had it in November (the '98 that is) & it was drinking well, but still so primary. I would think another 2-4 years would be needed to bring about secondary complexities. | | | |
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Seek
Upstate NY
Wine Thief
Posts: 2772
| | 08-04-2004 11:45 AM |
| | Board-O, regarding the 1998, I tired the one which my TN's reflect above and do feel as stated this needs to remain in the cellar for some time. Built like a fine Bordeaux 4-6 more years of rest will not hurt this wine IMO. | | | |
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Winetex
Austin, Texas
Master of Wine
Posts: 11072
| | 08-04-2004 02:19 PM |
| | I agree with Seek & RF- it depends on what you like. The wine is still very primary so more cellar time would probably be better for your tastes. If I owned this I would open one in 2006 then others after that. | | | |
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