Rioja Reserva
2013
In 1987, Gonzalo Antón, together with a group of friends and business people from nearby Vitoria, began a ground-breaking project in deepest Rioja Alavesa. The village of Villabuena de Alava, where his family already grew grapes, was chosen as the location for the innovative bodega which would focus on making fine wine. Gonzalo’s knowledge of hotels and restaurants soon made Izadi one of the most highly-regarded wines in gastronomic circles. At the same time, the introduction of new...
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Aged for 16 months in French and American oak barrels. 20% New and 80% 2nd and 3rd use.
Beautiful black and red currant fruits, high-quality, unsmoked cigar tobacco, licorice and loamy soil undertones. Deep, medium to full- bodied, very pure, rich and concentrated.
An outstanding Rioja Reserva that has some fine plushness from the oak. Dark chocolate, cedar, dark spices and a hint of truffle to the fresh blackberries. Juicy and dusty with very firm yet dusty tannins on the fine-grained and full-bodied palate. Long, structured and well-knit.
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Sweet berries and walnuts with dried flowers and blueberries on the nose. Full-bodied with very tight, refined tannins that are focused and impressive. I like the texture and definition to the wine, as well as the complex aftertaste. Serious wine that’s nice to drink now, but with three to four years of age, this will be very special. Try after 2022.
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Dark berries, dark cherries, chocolate, cedar, dried herbs and spice box. Full-bodied with fine tannins. Balanced and fleshy with creamy and fruity character on the mid-palate and a flavorful finish with excellent length. Vibrant at the end. 100% tempranillo.
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Aromas of ripe plums and blueberries with hints of blue flowers, licorice and dried herbs. Medium-to full-bodied with plush tannins and savory fruit character. Polished and structured, with notes of chocolate and minerals to close.
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Quite fragrant black fruit aromas with concentrated dry tannins to balance them. Plenty of life, too.
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Ripe and undeniably sexy, the 2015 Izadi Reserva (100% Tempranillo) boasts a deep purple/ruby color as well as complex notes of blueberries, vanilla, scorched earth, and earthy, herbal undertones. Rounded, layered, and concentrated on the palate, it has terrific purity, no hard edges, and loads of character, and it sells for a song. Drink it any time over the coming 7-8 years.
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Winemaker Ruth Rodríguez uses Tempranillo grapes from higher zones on the flank of the Sierra Cantabria to produce her Reserva bottling. Aged in French and 30% American wood, it's youthful, modern and very stylish, with violet aromas, scented oak spice, black cherry and raspberry fruit and a balsamic finish.
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A generous plum, chocolate and earthy nose with subtle oak. Dry tannins are well integrated. An impressive modern wine. Better in 2018.
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Well-balanced and silky on the palate, this classy red features a beam of ripe mulberry fruit, with creamy tannins and aromatic hints of dried flowers, crushed pine and sandalwood, followed by a plush finish. Drink now through 2029. 29,100 cases made, 7,000 cases imported.
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The 2018 Reserva, a blend of Tempranillo with 9% Graciano, still feels quite oaky after 15 months in French and American oak barrels, half of each. It has good ripeness for a cooler vintage, at 14.1% alcohol, and has a creamy mouthfeel with tannins and plenty of oak-related flavors in the finish. For fans of oaky modern Rioja
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A polished red, layering supple tannins with an aromatic overtone of star anise, mocha and graphite. Fresh and medium-bodied, revealing black cherry coulis and fig cake notes, with a spiced finish.
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Limpid ruby. Smoke- and spice-accented cherry and raspberry aromas are complemented by suggestions of coconut, cola and pipe tobacco, and a floral nuance emerges slowly. Sweet and velvety in texture, offering palate-coating red and dark berry, rose pastille, coconut and vanilla flavors braced by a core of juicy acidity. Shows solid, spicy thrust on a long, smooth finish that's shaped by subtle, rounded tannins. 73% American and 27% French oak barrels, 20% of them new.
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This generous red delivers cherry, berry, vanilla, orange peel and baking spice notes, with light tannins and juicy acidity. Forest floor and tea details give this a traditional character.
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Youthful and bright, this wine’s plump cherry fruit fills its austere structure, with plenty of oak tannins to hold it in place. Unusually fresh for the vintage, relatively light, raspy and firm, this offers a hint of sweetness in the fruit to make the structure more accommodating. Decant it for meaty tapas.
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Here is a nicely complete, modern Rioja that combines black cherry fruit with vanilla, spice and some woodsy character. It's medium bodied, fairly supple but not too sweet or juicy. Tannins are quite fine; the length is very good. Approachable now but will drink well through 2018.
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