It's been awhile since I've written and I've tasted many wines since then, but this one really stood out to me. My sister got back recently from a trip to Spain and other parts of Europe, and it just so happened that I had plenty of bottles of Spanish wine already. So while she was gone, we talked a few times about the wine she was having and whatnot. Honestly, sounded like a cool experience (especially with the all the wine she sampled - pretty jealous of that.) Anyway, when looking through my inventory of wine, I realized that I recently purchased this 2010 Tempranillo (tem-pr-ah-knee-oh) from the Rioja region of Spain. (Note: Rioja is a region in Spain, not a varietal of wine. Tempranillo wines are often labeled by region, so this wine is a Tempranillo-based red wine from the Rioja region.) Spain also has a rating system for its wine (similar to the French and Italians), with "controls" (read: regulations) that producers have to meet to be considered a DOC, DO, VCIG, etc. You can read more about the Spanish categorization of wine here, but all intents and purposes, DOC is the highest rating a Spanish wine can earn. As you can see on the map below, Bodegas Montecillo is located in the Northern region of Spain, where the average annual rainfall in nearby Logroño is 16 inches per year (The World Atlas of Wine, 7th ed.). Now to the fun part: drinking it! So Tempranillo wines generally have a low fruit, medium-high body. This gives the wine less acidity and a higher alcohol content - this wine clocks out to 13.5% ABV. I decanted the wine for about 35 minutes and then poured a little bit into a red wine glass. The color is a deep raspberry jam red color; it's almost crimson/scarlet. It was very appealing to me as a bone dry red wine drinker.
The smell was very earthy and spicy with mixes of dried fruit (blackberry, raspberry, blueberry). Spices I noticed were dill, tobacco/cigar, a hint of sweet cinnamon, and more burnt wood. Smelling this wine was like smelling an unlit cigar combined with red and black fruits. Very, very good smelling wine (if you're into that). The taste is less woodsy, smoky and more fruit forward, although I can't say it's as juicy or fruity as a Pinot Noir, but more than I anticipated. True to its color, the wine has a tart/tangy strawberry and raspberry front followed by a quick burst of the spicy, ground peppery flavors. This Tempranillo is definitely on the drier side - it will leave your tongue a bit dry and "puckering" to regain saliva. Specs: ABV: 13.5% Varietal: Tempranillo Region: Rioja, Spain, Europe Bottle size: 750ml Pairings: Beef, spicy meats, or Indian ethnic food.
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Author20 something living in Beer City USA with an affinity for wine. Other hobbies include photography, reading, and playing my pup. Archives
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