In the late 90s, I tasted a fair deal of Rioja and Ribera del Duero and stashed away some. For the most part, these have been disappointing – never as complex as I had hoped.
This was a wonderful exception – an absolute pleasure. And that was notwithstanding a dubious cork (seepage up the sides and noticeable shrinkage in the upper part of the cork, indicating it had been stored upright).
On the nose: A wonderful, old Bordeaux-like earthiness – really more like wet leaves in an autumn forest – that lingered and lingered. Later some sour cherry essence emerged, but without a trace of candy or medicinal notes. You could detect the alcohol on the nose, but it was all in balance. Indeed, aroma-wise, this was one of the most satisfying wines I’ve had in many months.
In the mouth: Luscious, fairly mature – almost silky – but still with good tannic and acid texture that keep it entirely fresh. Fruit at the perfect ripeness level. Some more sour cherry. I kept searching for descriptors, but the flavors were so perfectly integrated that it defied my attempts to conjure up a string of adjectives. It was simply seemless.
Finish: This was drying just a tad, but still there was lots of flavor.
Overall, this was 93+ for me. I suspect the ~15% syrah may have been a plus here.
As a footnote, I’ve found in other cases that I prefer the lower level bottlings like this to the reservas, and that may be the lesson of this bottle for me.