“As I have said for several years now, my nominee for best domestic Tempranillo is Baron's Impulsivo.”
—Jay Miller,
The Wine Advocate

Impulsivo

Produced: 2003 - present

Professional reviews and tasting notes from prior vintages:

2008

As for the 2008 Impulsivo En Chamberlin, it is a dense purple color with a remarkably complex bouquet of smoke, licorice, tar, violets, exotic spices, blackberry, and black raspberry. Dense, powerful, and mouth-filling, this layered, plush effort has a finish that keeps on going. It is a total turn-on that will continue to provide pleasure for another 12-15 years. 100 points.

Over the past 6 years, because of my coverage of Spain for this journal, I have gotten to know Tempranillo very well. My principal observation is that it does not travel particularly well...There is one exception, Christophe Baron’s small parcel of estate-grown Tempranillo. The wine’s only competition, in my opinion, is Dominio Pingus, the great Tempranillo produced by Peter Sisseck in Ribera del Duero. –Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate

2007

As I have said for several years now, my nominee for best domestic Tempranillo is Baron’s Impulsivo. The 2007 Tempranillo Impulsivo En Chamberlin Vineyard is a dense, brooding effort with intense mineral notes, road tar, espresso, layered black fruits, and an exotic perfume in combination with a Lauren Bacall-like sensuality. Impeccably balanced and long, it should evolve for 8-10 years and offer pleasure through 2026. 98 points. –Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate

2006

My candidate for Best Domestic Tempranillo. Admittedly, it is a rather short list but consider that its real competition is Pingus or Contador. The 2006 Tempranillo Impulsivo En Chamberlin Vineyard is a dense, brooding effort with savory, sweet, layered fruit, an exotic perfume, and an elegant personality. Impeccably balanced and long, it should evolve for 8-10 years and offer pleasure through 2026. 97 points. –Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate

2005

The 2005 Impulsivo is 100% Tempranillo. Opaque purple, the wine has great aromatics with mineral, black cherry, and blackberry. Pure, rich, and focused, the wine is layered and opulent but manages to remain light on its feet. It would be interesting to try this wine beside a great Ribera del Duero such as Pingus. Cellar it for at least five years. 97 points. –Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate

2004

The shockingly great 2004 Impulsivo "En Chamberlin Vineyard" is 100% Tempranillo from yields of a microscopic 0.8 tons/acre and was aged in French oak, 60% new. Opaque purple, it reveals an impressive bouquet of minerals, scorched earth, truffles, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. With its multi-dimensional personality already exhibiting complexity, the wine is layered and impressively concentrated, structured and impeccably balanced. Give it 6-8 years of further bottle age and drink it through 2040. In the past year, the only Tempranillos I have tasted at this level of quality are the 2004 Pingus and the 2004 Contador. 98 points. –Jay Miller, The Wine Advocate

Supple, lithe and generous with its earthy, meaty blackberry and dusky spice flavors, which linger on the polished finish. A bit hot, but the flavor profile is unique. Tempranillo. Drink now through 2010. 90 points. –Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator

2003

Deep ruby-red. Musky aromas of smoked meat, earth, chocolate and minerals; showed more primary black raspberry with 24 hours in the recorked bottle. Dense, juicy and penetrating, with a saline quality and flavors of chocolate and coffee, all framed by sound acidity. Finishes with sweet tannins. This retained a meaty nuance, like a Northern Rhone wine, with aeration. 90 points. –Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar

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