Imagine you are Aalto, a property that makes their ‘little’ wine (this one) out of grapes from 60 year old Tempranillo vines done up 18 months in new French oak under the direction of Mariano Garcia, expatriate of Vega Sicilia and one of the most accomplished winemakers in Spain. Yet you kind of have to struggle for attention in your wholesalers own book alongside the likes of Clos Erasmus, Artadi, Hacienda de Monasterio and Mas Doix? In any other line, this is the headliner. The 2004 is the best one we have tasted thus far, with brilliant, authoritative and very pure, gorgeously ripe blueberry fruit and notes of mineral and toast. This is a Wine Advocate 94 and we dare say that is a point or two low for this wine, but Aalto suffers a little because it is usually presented alongside its even rarer and higher scoring (and more expensive) sibling. This is a superb effort
From Wine Advocate: The 2004 Aalto has a far different personality than the 2003. More deeply colored, it is also significantly more expressive aromatically. It reveals pain grille, pencil lead, wild blueberry, black raspberry, and blackberry liqueur notes. Opulent on the palate, it has layer upon layer of ripe fruit, and superb length but is still an infant developmentally. Give this top-flight effort 6-8 years to further evolve and drink it through 2032.
