Plum, tobacco, leather and licorice mingle in this thick red. A bit blunt, but the tannins are well-integrated, there's depth to the flavors, and the finish is fresh and long. Drink now through 2016.
Robert Parker: 94 points(01/06/2010)
The 2004 vintage was a great one in Rioja (as it was in the rest of Spain). The 2004 Roda I Reserva is purple-colored with an expressive, youthful bouquet of wood smoke, espresso, incense, tobacco, black cherry, and blackberry. Structured on the palate, it has enough ripe tannin to evolve for another 6-8 years. Sweetly fruited, it has superior depth and concentration, layered savory flavors, and a lengthy, pure finish. Its drinking window will extend from 2015 to 2034.
Bodegas Roda is a family-owned winery in Rioja that was founded in 1987. The winery was completed in 1991, and the first commercial vintage was 1992. Three tiers of wine have been produced, Roda, Roda I, and Cirsion, all from the estate’s 17 parcels of vines, each of which is vinified separately. No wine is made from vines less than 30 years of age. Roda I focuses on the dark fruit side of the spectrum, while Cirsion is a selection of the best vines within 4 of the 17 blocks. This luxury cuvee is produced only in good years; 2002 was not produced, and 2008 will be skipped over as well. Beginning with the 2008 vintage, Roda will be releasing an as yet to be named entry-level wine designed to be more forward and appealing to younger wine drinkers. A barrel sample was very pleasant and is likely to sell for under $20. In addition, Roda has begun a project in Ribera del Duero. I tasted barrel samples of 2008 and 2009 of this yet to be named wine, and they revealed plenty of promise.
Pairing: Beef, Game Animals, Grilled Red Meats, Roasts, Stews.
In spite of the fact that Roda's establishment goes back to 1987, the winery construction began in 1991 and ended in the year 2001, developed in three phases: the first one was carried out by the architect Roses and the last one and more emblematic directed by Llimona Ruiz's-Recorder study.... />The winery directives allow only the use of autochthonous varieties of red grape, Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano. Absolute respect for the vintages and never using wines from other vintages. Only wines elaborated in house. Wines coming from the entrails of the vineyard, soil, climate, landscape, made to be enjoyed. Without hurries to obtain economic results but with the goal fixed in being with the time one of the references among the big wines of the world. The control of twenty wine-growing plots distributed in the best ecosystems of the area from where each year are vinified the best 17 ones. The employment of old vineyards as warranty of the best quality of the Tempranillo and Garnacha. A system of valuing the grapes from the suppliers as never before. The harvest in small boxes, the first table of selection installed in Rioja. The vinification in French oak tubs with control of temperature. The aging in 100% French oak casks. The year 1997 elaborates the first CIRSION, never released, with a short aging, reached an incredible level of silkiness and a fruity complexity beyond the common. The next step was to identify visually the symptoms of the plants and train a group of vintagers capable to find them. Every year, in vintages, we visit our vineyards looking for this curious natural rarety and this is the way, one between one thousand, how CIRSION's grapes are gathered.
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