Sallee, Kayla and I just did a comparative tasting of this and the Precious, and we couldn’t believe how different from each other and distinctive they are. The Precious just explodes out of the glass, but with a bit of a burlier style. (The aromatic fullness and style in fact remind me of the huge early vintages of Pesquera Reserva: it’s that powerful and opulent.) This Semi-Precious, meanwhile, was much more suave and composed – and much more in the silky/velvety/opulent/luscious and utterly seamless style Ringland has perfected at Alto Moncayo. (With 14 Parker scores from 95 to 100 points!)
This is also a bit lower in alcohol, At 14.5%.
Of course, there’s no press (or even internet presence) on this, as it’s essentially a ghost (or a myth). We are the only store anywhere to have any.
We bought all of this our supplier could get, but it’s only 165 bottles.
If you like Southern Belle (or any of Ringlands’ super-stars, but don’t want to pay $100 to $1000 for them!), you are going to absolutely LOVE this beauty.
This really does drink like a hypothetical Alto Moncayo made with Syrah (darker, deeper), but also with that touch of Pappy van Winkle spice!