Just had another bottle of this and felt the need to retell the story…
We first ran across the Tahon de Tobelos Rioja Reserva 2009 at a tasting sponsored by a new importing entity that was establishing a beachhead here in SoCal with a new distributor. This was one of the standouts in what was an intriguing lineup with a lot of labels we had not seen before, as well as a few we knew well that had been off the market for a while. A short time later, the representative for the company came by to follow up after the tasting and, to our surprise, this label was already being discontinued.
Introductory closeout!
Hey, things can run a little hot in Spain. We get that. Apparently the breaking point was not related to this wine, but another one from the same ownership that was not ‘a fit’ for this importer. Ties were broken and everyone went their own way. We have always made a joke of such happenings as being ‘introductory closeouts’. But, as silly as that sounds, this is exactly that. Hey, whatever makes the deal possible, and this one’s a beauty.
So who are these guys? We found a piece from the Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutierrez on Tahon de Tobelos that encapsulates the story nicely, “I was pleasantly surprised by the wines from Tobelos, which are sought after by savvy drinkers in the famous tapas street, Calle Laurel in Logrono, (the capital city of Rioja) as they represent very good value. The winery is a very young operation, only created in 2001, their goal being to blend tradition and modernity. Today they own 10 hectares of vineyards averaging 30 years of age in the villages of San Vicente de la Sonsierra and Brinas…This is a new name to follow.”
That piece was written in December 2013, along with an enthusiastic review of the Tahon de Tobelos Rioja Reserva 2009, “The 2009 Tahon de Tobelos is pure Tempranillo from vineyards averaging 60 years of age with malolactic and aging for 14 months in new oak barrels of different origin, which is racked every four months, and is clearly an ambitious wine with the intensity and depth of the old vines. It’s still very young, with a big imprint from the aging in oak with notes of smoke, vanilla and chocolate covering the aromas of ripe blackberries and plums, with a meaty palate and some gritty tannins that should resolve with a couple of years in bottle. A clean, powerful Rioja that requires a bit of patience. Drink 2015-2020. 92 points.”
As we dug some more, we found a more recent review from Wine Spectator, a web-only review from 2016. They liked it, too, commenting, “This bold red delivers blackberry, currant, cola and chocolate flavors, with light leafy and licorice notes that add a savory element. This is round but not heavy, with well-integrated tannins and balsamic acidity. Drink now through 2019. “ They laid a 93-point score on it and showed a retail of $37.
It was one of the highest-scored Riojas of the vintage, going toe-to-toe with, as you can see, the region’s best wines and the wine had, at the time, one of the lowest prices at that $37 retail vis-à-vis its pricier peers.
Now? Wow…
It is clear from the heavy bottle, long cork and intense flavor that this juice was not intended to sell for this kind of price. This is big Rioja, with mouthfilling, oak-infused fruit and richness, sort of a modern-styled Senorio de San Vincente meets Muga Reserva. It has the size, weight, and flashy fruit to play to fans of New World reds but the polish and flair to keep Rioja fans quite happy.
You’ll note we’re in the prime drinking window of both reviews (and we suspect it will live past 2020), so the ‘market’ has done the hard work for you. Most important, due to this aforementioned disagreement, we have it at a crazy good price. Looks can be deceiving, and this wine looks and tastes more expensive. It was supposed to be. But nobody has to know it only cost you $19.98. It’ll be our little secret.