What's happening here? Spoofiness? I hope not.
Blind tastes today:
Vega Sicilia Valbueña No.5 1994 was a second bottle tasted in the last year or so and neither has been corked though apparently VS recalled much of the vintage because of cork problems. But it still wasn't a pleasant wine: spoofy, dilly oak, massive fruit which to me was over-ripe though many of the other tasters found it perfectly lovable. The palate was big, spoofy, but at least it had fairly noticable acidity and tannins.
Vega Sicilia Valbueña No.5 1998
Like above, but more dill, more American oak, dark chocolate - but at least it isn't over-ripe, only very ripe! The palate is lacking. Sure there is a sweetness to the fruit, a bit of tannins and some slight acidity noticable, but the mid palate and the aftertaste just disappear leaving only alcohol to show.