International Wine Cellar:
85% tempranillo, 10% graciano and 5% mazuelo) Deep red. Blackberry, cherry and licorice on the nose, plus a strong note of smoky oak. Densely packed and very sweet on entry, then juicy and focused in the midpalate, with lush dark fruit liqueur and oak spice flavors firmed by a mineral spine. This still-youthful wine gains flesh and volume with air and finishes with silky tannins and resonating oakiness. Built for the long haul but should also show well now with enough aeration.
1999 vintage:
94 points, Wine Advocate:
The 1999 Imperial Gran Reserva from a good vintage has a very expressive nose of Asian spices, balsamic, violets, and assorted black fruits. Elegant on the palate, it is a wine of finesse in combination with intense flavors and a lengthy, pure, silky finish. It will drink well for another 6-8 years.
92 points, International Wine Cellar.
