Rioja Tasting
Selfridges
14^th May 1992

White wines

• 1990 Campo Viejo Albor
  Very pale.  Nice fragrant nose with some spice.  Dry with good length; just a bit hard.  85/100  (£5.29)

• 1990 Faustino V
  Pale gold colour.  More grassy on the nose that the Albor.  Quite complex on the palate.  Good length.  Again slightly hard on the finish.  86/100 (£5.99)

• 1988 Montecillo Viña Cumbrero
  An attractive pale gold.  Very odd nose with some very intense, blackcurrant hiding at the back.  This is competent, unexciting stuff.  OK.  81/100  (£5.19)

• 1985 CVNE Blanco Seco Reserva
  A very good gold colour.  Rich, fruity nose.  Smooth, and it fortunately lack the hardness present in the previous wines.  It has a good complex depth of flavour.  Great length.  Very Good Indeed.  89/100  (£6.99)

• 1985 Marques de Murrieta Reserva
  An even more attractive, very rich gold.  Lovely nose; very full, rich and a bit raisiny.  There’s a hint of sweetness on the palate: full and rich, with good length.  89/100 (£8.99)

Red Wines

• 1988 CVNE Rioja Tinto Crianza
  A maturing red colour – not at all young.  Nice smooth, rich nose. This is a good quaffing Rioja, and also really quite interesting.  88/100 (£5.49)

• 1987 Montecillo Viña Cumbrero Crianza
  This looks slightly more mature than the CVNE ’88.  OK nose.  Not bad, but not really very interesting.  81/100 (£5.49)

• 1987 Viña Alberdi Crianza, La Rioja Alta
  Thin appearance, with a mature orange rim.  Heavy vanilla on the nose.  Very, very heavy on the oak on the palate too.  Dry with mouth rotting tannins.  82/100 (£6.79)

• 1985 Campillo Crianza
  Rich and heavy looking.  Not much on the nose.  Smooth.  Fair length.  82/100 (£6.29)

• 1986 Baron de Ley Crianza
  Very attractive colour.  Good full nose – very fruity, with just a hint of oak.  Rather interesting.  87/100  (£7.29)

• 1987 Faustino V Reserva
  A fairly maturing appearance with more than a hint of orange at the rim.  Rather unexciting on the nose.  There’s a slightly pepperiness on the palate, especially on the finish.  86/100 (£6.99)

• 1985 Urbina Reserva
  Remarkably thin looking and very mature.  Interesting nose – slightly odd.  Ditto on the palate.  Nice and smooth.  85/100 (£9.29)

• 1985 Marques de Murrieta Reserva
  An even, nicely mature appearance.  Decent nose.  Slightly raisiny on the palate.  A bit lacking somewhere.  81/100 (£9.99)

• 1985 Faustino I Gran Reserva
  Quite a deep colour.  It has an old fashioned Rioja nose with loads of oak.  This is a good, old fashioned, oaky, tannic Rioja.  89/100 (£9.69)

• 1982 Montecillo Viña Monty Gran Reserva
  A very attractive, mature red with some browning.  Notably lighter than the Faustino Gran Reserva on the nose and palate.  Very long, with a decent balance of tannin and fruit.  90/100 (£8.99)

• 1985 CVNE Viña Real Gran Reserva
  A good, even, middle-aged colour.  Ok nose.  Not over-oaked.  Nice, fruity, clean palate, but with a well structured tannic backbone.  Very long indeed.  91/100  (£9.49)

• 1981 La Rioja Alta Reserva 904 Gran Reserva
  A noticeably orangey-bricky red with a caramel centre.  Powerful legs.  Lovely roast plums and coffee on the nose.  Very smooth and impressive, but perhaps not quite as exciting as it should be.  90/100 (£14.79)

• 1978 Campillo Gran Reserva
  Properly mature appearance.  Rather shallow.  Good in all respects.  90/100

Brandies of Jerez

• Osborne (£40) – a not entirely pleasant yellow colour.  Fairly sweet nose.  Decent structure; not too fiery.  Pleasant.

• Lepanto (Gonzalez Byass) (£20.22) – fine

• Carlos I (£22) – not at all fiery.  Smooth and rich.  Quite sweet.

• Fundador (£14) – very raisiny, fruity and sweetish.

• Soberano (£13) – rather rougher and the poorest of this little selection.

Cava Tasting
Selfridges
16^th May 1992

• NV Freixenet Cordon Negro
  Very moussey.  Smooth and creamy.  Good finish and length.  Quite clean.  83/100 (£7.29)

• NV Codorniu Premiere Cuvée
  Not as excited as the Freixenet Cordon Negro.  Very full fruity nose.  Slightly grassy.  A bit muddied.  Good length.  81/100 (£6.49)

• NV Raventos Blanc
  Really good nose.  But disappointing on the palate and a bit odd.  78/100 (£11.50)

• NV Raimat Chardonnay
  A noticeably more golden appearance, with less bubbles.  Thin buttery chardonnay nose.  Very bubbly on the palate.  Not marvellous.  80/100  (£7.99)

• NV Freixenet Cuvée D.S.
  Very, very moussey.  Little nose.  Very dry.  Not a lot to it.  79/100 (£10.79)

• NV Juve Y Camps Extra Brut
  Not too moussey.  An interesting pissy nose.  Very dry.  Goodish palate, with a bit of something to it.  85/100 (£9.79)

• NV Freixenet Carta Nevada
  Very pale straw colour.  Spoiled by being served too warm which gave it a bit of a sickly feel.  Not rated.  (£6.79)

• NV Freixenet Rosé
  A very pale salmon colour.  Good nose.  Rich, demi-sec palate.  But nicely rounded and balanced.  85/100

Penedes Tasting
Selfridges
15^th May 1992

• 1990 Torres Viña Sol
  Very pale straw.  Buttery nose.  Clean and fairly fresh.  Quite nice, with decent length.  87/100 (£4.79)

• 1990 Torres Viña Esmeralda
  Pale straw.  Very fragrant nose – quite traminer like.  Bit muddied on the palate.  82/100 (£5.49)

• 1986 Mas Rabassa Gran Blanc
  Very pale, almost clear.  Decent nose.  Not really very interesting.  80/100 (£5.35)

• 1987 Jean Leon Chardonnay
  Pale gold.  Very pronounced chardonnay nose.  Very smooth, rich and buttery.  Bit of acidity on the finish.  86/100 (£16.29)

• 1988 Rene Barbier
  50% tempranillo; 30% grenache; 20% monastrell.  Very attractive appearance with a “just right” colour.  Wonderful nose, packed with fruit.  Light, very clean and very fruity on the palate.  Very Good Indeed.  90/100 (£4.29)

• 1988 Torres Coronas
  Very attractive appearance, just as it should be.  Slightly biscuity and alcoholic on the nose.  Well structured.  Very Good+.  88/100 (£5.19)

• 1987 Torres Gran Coronas
  Very attractive appearance again.  Dry nose, with the fruit feeling rather restrained.  Not over-exciting on the palate.  Good all round stuff though.  84/100 (£7.99)

• 1984 Rene Barbier
  85% tempranillo; 15% cabernet sauvignon.  This is markedly more mature looking, with very pronounced legs.  Cedary nose.  Quite a serious wine with good character and plenty of interest.  89/100 (£5.49)

• 1985 Cavas Hill Gran Toc
  Good colour.  Interesting nose.  Some interest, but lacks a backbone.  Some acidity on the finish.  83/100 (£7.49)

• 1988 Torres Viña Magdala
  A very clearly strawberry red, fading to orange at the edge.  Unexciting nose, but quite serious on the palate.  Doesn’t excite me, though.  84/100 (£6.79)

• 1988 Torres Mas Borras
  Light and mature appearance.  Blackcurrants on the nose, but on the palate, it feels quite pinot-ish.  Slight acidic structure.  Very long with drying tannins on the finish, but without being mouth-rotting.  85/100 (£12.99)

• 1984 Jean Leon Cabernet Sauvignon
  A just mature colour.  Structured, slightly woody cassis nose.  A bit muddy and unbalanced.  80/100 (£11.50)

• 1988 Naveran Cabernet Sauvignon
  Good colour, with a little age evident.  This is without doubt markedly superior to the 1984 Jena Leon Cabernet Sauvignon.  Clean, well-balanced and with good structure.  88/100

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Last updated: 25 October 2006