95 |
Wine Review Online |
I confess that very few white wines from Rioja provide much excitement for me, but this is a fantastic exception to the rule. If you looked at the Vintage date: and saw 2010, you might head in either of two direction: optimism, as this was a truly great year in Spain generally and in Rioja in particular, or pessimism, as we’re talking about a decade-old white wine. Trust me, optimism is the right turn, as this is not only still in good shape, but is actually only now entering its prime, with at least another five years of improvement ahead of it. The fruit is derived from 95-year-old vines (95% Viura and 5% Garnacha Blanca) and was fermented and aged in large (500 liter) new oak barrels (85% French, 15% American). All of that seems quite promising, and the wine really delivers. Enough time in bottle has now passed that the wine has absorbed most of the overt oak notes on the palate, and is no longer texturally “grippy,” though it does show excellent structure. The wood mostly lends aromatic complexity, with some lovely spicy and toasty notes. Rich but not heavy, it is very complex, and there’s actually not much point in writing specific descriptors here, as the wine develops very dramatically over the course of multiple hours, and shows different facets all along the way. Believe it or not, it is actually much, much more interesting after a few hours of aeration, and likewise better at room temperature than when pulled from the refrigerator. Frankly, I have my doubts that other reviewers exercised the patience needed to see this amazing wine at its best. Very few white wines from Rioja deserve to be whispered in the same breath as those from Lopez Heredia, but this one deserves to be shouted at the same time. This producer also turns out a very good Barrel Fermented Rioja Blanco, and I scored the 2017 at $22, but still recommend that you steal another $28 to trade up to the 2010 Gran Reserva, which is a truly great wine.
Michael Franz - October 2020 |
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93 |
Vinous Media |
Light, bright gold. Smoky, mineral-accented orchard and pit fruit aromas show excellent clarity and take on a suave floral overtone with air. Chewy and sharply focused on the palate, offering pear skin, nectarine, anise and honey flavors underscored by a touch of vanilla. The impressively persistent finish is sharpened by hints of bitter quinine and smoky minerals and shows a hint of chamomile and a briny element. Aged for 30 months in 85% French and 15% American oak barrels. 2021 – 2027
Josh Raynolds - April 2021 |
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93 |
View from the Cellar |
The 2010 Rioja “Gran Reserva” Blanco from Viña Otano is all from the same, ninety year-old vineyard, with the blend here ninety-five percent Viura and five percent Garnacha Blanca. It was fermented in stainless settle (both alcoholic and malolactic fermentations) prior to aging for thirty months in cask, with the mix of oak eighty-five percent French and fifteen percent American wood. It is starting to really blossom nicely on the nose at ten years of age, wafting from the glass in a blend of lemon, breadfruit, salty soil tones, dried flowers, incipient notes of orange peel and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, focused and complex, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent mineral drive, still a fine girdle of acidity and a long, poised and perfectly balanced finish. This is first rate Rioja Blanco! 2020-2045.
Issue #86 - March/April 2020 |
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93 |
Washington Wine Blog |
The 2010 ‘Gran Reserva’ by Vina Otano is a blend of nearly all Viura (95%) with just a touch of Garnacha Blanco. Right away you are impressed by the aromatic range from kumquat zest and salted Marcona almond alongside the melon, wet stone and Japanese pear tones that all build in the glass. Once on the mouth you notice the weightless character of the wine, as this deftly glides cross the mid-palate. The silky texture entices with layers of Macadamia nut, kiwi, orange rind and shades of damp earth they all mingle on the palate. Gorgeous to enjoy in its youth, this beautiful wine has many years ahead of it. Drink 2020-2032.
Dr. Owen J. Bargreen, CS - July 2020 |
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