Bodegas Castillo de Fuenmayor 2008 Gran Familia (Rioja)

Varieties: Tempranillo blend  
Region: Rioja
Vintage: 2008
Closure: Cork
Colour:  Ruby
Alcohol: 12.5%
Bouquet:  Strong sour cherry with hints of forest floor earthiness
Flavour: Pleasant, good, even length of fruit finishing with long, lingering tannins.  There's a little hint of pepper in the flavour as well.
Points: 85 (3+7+11+7+7+50)
Notes: Bought for $12.50~225Kc five years ago, there's not much not to like about this wine. Obviously it doesn't have the additional complexity of a lot of oak but excellent as is. 

Martinez Bujanda 2003 Rioja Gran Reserva

Variety: (not detailed) Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Vintage: 2003 - Gran Reserva
Closure: Cork
Colour:  Brickish-purple
Alcohol: 13.5%
Bouquet:  Vanilla, cardarmon and distant dried plum
Flavour: Dense flavours which include cooked meat, earthy spices and in the distance, some fruit according to the nose. Very gentle tannins giving lovely length.
Points: 88 (3+7+12+8+8+50)
Notes: It's been a while since I brought the winner to a wine night. This was from a case bought a few years ago. Lovely, gran reserve drinking well right now. The undisputed winner in our tasting.
 

Berberana 2005 Rioja Gran Reserva

This came second in our tasting of 5. Checking my notes, I found that it won our Rioja tasting 2 1/2 years ago. (V. provided it this time after we shared a case a few years ago and I provided it in 2013).

Clearly popular with the group, I was probably harsh marking it down as 86 when compiling my scoring. I was much more generous the last time scoring it blind.

R. Lopez de Heredia Vinia Tondonia 2003 Rioja Reserva

Varieties: Tempranillo 75%, Garnacho 15%, Graciano and Mazuelo 10%  
Region: Rioja
Vintage: 2003 - Reserva
Closure: Cork
Colour:  Purple-brickish
Alcohol: 13.0%
Bouquet:  Intense, sour cherry with vanilla in the periphery
Flavour: Lots of tannin which scared some of us at first. However, as this opened the excellent tannin provided structure and length gave weight to the cooked meat flavours. It got better and better
Points: 87 (3+6+12+8+8+50)
Notes: This wine divided the group as some were put off by the strong tannins. However, when it opened (and we re-tasted), I was one of its converts. I ranked this a narrow second best of the night although the group had it 3 of 5
 

El Coto 2011 Crianza

Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Vintage: 2011 - Crianza
Closure: Cork
Colour:  Purple
Alcohol: 13.0%
Bouquet:  Basic, sour cherry and hint of spice
Flavour: Straightforward according to the nose. Relatively short
Points: 76 (3+5+8+5+5+50)
Notes: On tasting, there was concern this bottle suffered taint. On balance, we thought it possibly ok although a few of us had previously had this wine in earlier vintages and remembered it more fondly. It came in last of the wines scored, in our tasting
 

Bodegas Roda 2011 Sela

Not scored at our tasting as we all agreed that something was not right. Tainted.

 

Pio Cesare 2012 Barbera d'Alba

Variety: Barbera
Region: Barbera d'Alba
Vintage: 2012
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 14.0%
Colour: Ruby
Bouquet: Preserved strawberries, red-currants, dusty, touch of cedar
Flavour: Great structure and integration. Velvet smooth balance of fruit and the savoury with flavours following the nose. Lovely and still lively.
Points: 88 (3+8+12+7+8)
Notes:  A Christmas present from last year. I think it retails for about $35~630Kc. More please.

Mud House 2014 Claim 431 Vineyard Pinot Noir

Region: Central Otago
Vintage: 2014
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.5%
Colour: Ruby
Bouquet: Piercing sour cherry, gun-powder and gravel
Flavour: Nice, even with delicate decline from sour cherry with a hint of tar. Medium length and a gentle tannin covering the tongue
Points: 86 (3+7.5+11+7+7.5)
Notes:  It retails for about $30~540Kc. Delightful.
 

Orange Highland Wines 2009 Pinot Noir

Region/G.I.: Central Ranges, Orange
Vintage: 2009
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.5%
Colour: Transparent brick/purple
Bouquet: Sour cherry, almost rotting strawberry
Flavour: Weak flavour which eventually yields some bramble flavours
Points: 76 (3+6+7+5+5+50)
Notes:  Well past its peak. Probably shouldn't have kept this for four years since buying it
 

Quinta do Porto Franco 2012 Brigando

Tasted almost two years ago, the description is still very apt.

Tintara 2009 Shiraz

Variety: Shiraz

Region/G.I.: Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

Vintage: 2009
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 14.0%
Colour: Dark purple-brown

Bouquet: Soft liquorice, dark chocolate, plum conserve, vanilla

Flavour: Densely packed flavours with fruit at the fore strongly supported by the dark chocolate and vanillan elements. A dip from this richness to a soft, tingling tannin which accentuates the finish.

Points: 87 (3+7.5+11.5+7+8+50)
Notes:  While not a huge Shiraz fan myself, this one is particularly well done. About $20~360Kc bought a couple of years ago. An excellent wine for a Sunday night family dinner

 

El Toro Macho 2011 Reserva

Varieties: Tempranillo, Bobal, Merlot, Shiraz

Region: Utiel-Requena, ES

Vintage: 2011
Closure: Screwcap
Alcohol: 13.0%
Colour: Copper-purple

Bouquet: Plummy, a hint of meat, white pepper, oak

Flavour: Fruity wine where peppery, plummy flavours shine through. New world style. A light, lingering tannin for the roof of one's mouth. Very, very pleasant.

Points: 84 (3+7+11+6.5+6.5+50)
Notes:  An Aldi wine I bought for $7~125Kc, it is surprising for what you get. Loads of flavour in the new world style.