Press Review - Vinous Media - Bodegas Roda

11.30.15

Sela 2012 || 91 points
“Bright ruby. Fragrant aromas of ripe red berries, candied rose and incense. Spicy and penetrating in the mouth, offering juicy flavors of raspberry, bitter cherry and allspice. Shows very good focus and lift--and repeating red fruit and floral notes--on the long, gently tannic finish. This wine went through its secondary fermentation in large French oak foudres and was then moved into small, used French oak barrels for another year.”

Roda Reserva 2010 || 92 points
“Deep ruby. Deeply pitched aromas of black raspberry and cherry, with complicating notes of rose oil, pipe tobacco and vanilla. Spicy oak nuances emerge with air and carry onto the palate, which displays sappy dark fruit liqueur flavors and hints of mocha and floral pastilles. The expansive, focused, long finish leaves vanilla and spicecake notes behind. The malo occurred in large French oak casks and the wine was then aged in French oak barriques, 40% of them new, for 14 months.”

Roda I Reserva 2009 || 93 points
“Opaque ruby. Complex, exotically perfumed bouquet of ripe black and blue fruits, incense, vanilla and lavender, with a mineral note adding vivacity. Sappy, concentrated and focused on the palate, offering vibrant blueberry and cherry pit flavors that become sweeter and spicier with aeration. Delivers a suave blend of richness and finesse and finishes very long, with gentle tannins sneaking in late.”

Cirsion 2011 || 94 points
“Dark purple. Powerful, deeply pitched black and blue fruit, licorice, pipe tobacco and violet scents are sharpened by mineral and peppery spice elements. Broad, sweet and seamless on the palate, offering concentrated cassis and cherry compote flavors accented by exotic allspice and black cardamom nuances. Shows unlikely vivacity for its brawn and finishes with superb energy and thrust, with supple tannins quickly absorbed by the wine's plush fruit. Distinctly modern but in no way unwieldy or gaudy in character, this sexy Rioja has a fine track record for aging.”

Reviewed by Josh Raynolds