2005 Pujanza Norte
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Tasting notes
The 2005 Norte is the first to show genuine freshness on the nose, with bright red currant, boysenberry and tobacco aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp tannins and a firm backbone. Attractive cranberry, spice and cocoa notes interlace towards the slightly austere, but delineated finish. Overall, this constitutes a fine, bucolic Rioja that should be consumed over the next couple of years. Drink now-2014.
Critic scores
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
100% Tempranillo. Very modern packaging. No gold string here. Gently herbaceous and peppery blackberry fruit. Very peppery and juicy on the palate, fresh and bright and clean. Remarkably young and vibrant. Dry fine tannins. Still a baby. (JH)
Saturated ruby-red. Incredibly perfumed nose offers an exotic, room-filling bouquet of black raspberry, candied cherry, Asian spices, gingerbread and licorice. Pliant, juicy dark berry flavors are liqueur-like in depth and power but at the same time energetic, with tangy mineral lift and back-end snap. Picks up exotic black cardamom and cinnamon on the impressively pure and focused finish. This is extremely seductive.
Mainly Tempranillo, with some Graciano etc. 14 months in new French oak and won released for another 12 months. Attractively restrained nose, with sweet dark fruit starting to emerge. Has the power and the elegance of a ballet dancer. Incredibly fresh overall. Mineral cassis, with a hint of fresh cassis leaf lift and a slight minty note. Tannins are very present but wonderfully fine. Structured, muscular but very very elegant. (JH)