TN: 2004 Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain (Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja)

WINE TALK
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  • 2004 Artadi Rioja Viñas de Gain - Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja (7/28/2014)
    PNP - great nose! Fresh dark berries and some forest floor. Thankfully, no vanilla oak on the nose. Enjoyed this btl so much more than my last btl in late 2010 which was a bit more oaky at that point. This is a modern styled Rioja and still inky black but, other than the color, the oak is now perfectly integrated. Plenty of depth and richer than a more classically styled Rioja. Lovely silky texture! Less minerality, less leather & tobacco than a Lopez but very cool in its own right at 10yrs old. No signs of fading. PnP in a Rioja shaped glass worked perfectly. Terrific nose and delicious. The right amount of acid keeps this fresher and less weighty than its dark modern color would suggest. CT says I have one left of the 04 vintage and may wait a year or 3 to see if it shows even better? No regrets about drinking now as this is fully within its best drinking window. I probably wouldn’t buy this wine today but happy to own and drink this one. Paid $17 on release and now easily drinks like $35 plus. Really liked this at my high 50s cellar temp. Quite a bit of sediment. 13.5% ALC. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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Thanks Craig -

I’ve had this a couple times in the last year, and it’s really fattened up quite a bit - and you are right - it’s just plush and silky on the palate - one of my favorite Riojas of the last few years.

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Thanks for the note. Dang $17, I am sad to have missed out.

Jason