Rioja
Ramon Bilbao Mirto 2002
This is the high expression from Ramon Bilbao and it looks like they've used every trick in the book to assemble a very high quality wine. Bunch selection in the vineyard, then table sorting in the bodega, temperature controlled fermentation in French oak vats, into new French oak barrels with a bit of bâtonnage thrown in for good measure. Its then bottled after 24 months in barrel. Sounds good? Well the resulting wine certainly is.
It opens up with plenty of wood derived characters: espresso, caramel, pencil shavings and vanilla which sits over some earthy boozed cherry, plum and current fruit. Very smooth and textured in the mouth, there is a lot of wood artefacts here but the fruit stands up to it. Cherry, plum, mocha, cinnamon, liquorice and pepper. Its rich and juicy with some sandy tannins on the finish. A very good wine for the vintage, it will cellar well for at least 10 years. 93 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $100 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.bodegasramonbilbao.es
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Great review!
The vintage was not good indeed (too much rain before 21of September), in both Portugal and Spain…
The ‘03 is amazing. We call it «New Rioja».
Nuno
Is that New Rioja because of the boldness of the vintage?
“New Rioja” because now (ie., since the late ’90) it’s more fruit and less wood. In the old days, Rioja was mainly pencil shavings and other wood artefacts. Now, as you say in the review, the fruit stands up.
Nuno
Ahhh so it’s kind of like “new school” Rioja, which is what I generally call it….