Tag Archives: tempranillo

Bodegas Balbas Ribera del Duero Ardal Reserva 2006

16 Tuesday Dec 2014

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An interesting Tempranillo blend from Spain.  The bottle label included a sticker eschewing it’s 92 point Parker rating.  It’s gotta be good then, right?

Bluish purple color in the glass that was quite dense.  Cranberry meets blackberry on the nose for an interesting mix of red and black.  Plum and hoisin on the initial attack with succinct acidity and deft tannins. I got a black tea component on the mid palate which is atypical for me and this varietal, enjoyable though. Mouth puckering juiciness on the tail end with a long finish of black berry pie made me salivate for more.
Secondary hints of tar and traces of oak appeared throughout as the wine mellowed in the glass. Still young with a drinking window of 2014-2022.  It would pair well with wild game, perhaps Gnocchi and truffle oil.  Would I go 92 points?  Nope.  It is serviceable, tasty and well made, but it lacks some complexity and I found the acidity just a hair out of balance.  91 points is more like it and for the $40 price tag, a solid 4 star wine.  Salut….

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Vina Eguia Rioja

07 Thursday Aug 2014

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I forgot to make note of the vintage and did not see it in the picture but I will definitely be on the lookout for this charmer.  My friend bought it at Costco in California for $7.99.  I was blown away by it’s complexity and structure.  Dark purple hues were a welcome sight in the glass.  On the nose there were hints of cinnamon and chocolate with Bramble.  Floral notes and black berries caressed the palate as the melded tannins gave way to a smoke and leather finish.  Classic Tempranillo from Rioja and an absolute steal.  I love being introduced to wines like this!  89 points and 5 stars for sure.  Salut….

vina eguia

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada 2012

30 Monday Jun 2014

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I just recalled where I got this bottle from- Total Wine for $18, it was on special as they were doing a Spanish wine tasting that day.  I’ll be back for more…  I had to look very hard to find any vintage details, but a tiny set of words ‘Cosecha 2012’ gave it away.  I was startled by the color, it was purpley purple in the glass- more so than I have ever seen in wine.  An unmistakable Tempranillo nose of tar, black fruits and earth came wafting over.  The initial profile was of earthy tar and black berries.  The wine is still young with nice tannins and a very gentle acidity, but then I noted “Wow, really young”.  Brooding black cherries on the mid to back end with a deft use of oak made this textbook and juicy, delicious.  This wine is full on, in your face Tempranillo that I can really sink my teeth into.  It is ready now but will age well for another 5-8 years.  I can’t think of a better pairing than with a big steak!  Bang for the buck, this wine rocks.  91 points and 5 stars for this Spanish beauty.  Salut….

Senorio del Tallar Ribera del Duero Vendimia Seleccionada

Bodegas Muriel Rioja Reserva 2008

06 Friday Jun 2014

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I saw this wine on a flash sale site, 95 points for $15!  What a bargain, so I ordered up 6 and opened one last night with some Sirloins.  I was expecting fireworks, depth, concentration and a halo around the bottle.  Decanter magazine was the giver of such a high rating and put it at number 7 of it’s top 50 wines in 2013.  I was in for a treat, or a big disappointment.

It was the latter.  My expectations were so high that it was nigh on impossible to reach the lofty imaginations.  It was a good bottle, just not excellent.

It was reddish purple in the glass.  On the nose there was earthy loam and blueberries.  Stone fruits and blueberry jam started off the taste profile and there was a noted crispness due to the acidity.  I wrote that the wine was slightly tart, still young with passive tannins but great acidity.  Albeit still only 6 years of age it shows aged Tempranillo characteristics with leather, dust and tobacco all coming out on the back end.  The structure of this wine is interesting and will hold it well for another 10 years minimum.  I think this is a solid 91 point wine worthy of 5 stars.  It drank beautifully by itself and was a great accompaniment to the grilled meat and veggies.  Salut….

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Tridente Tempranillo 2009

20 Thursday Feb 2014

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My buddy ‘the Beave’ brought this little gem to the party.  He paid $9 for it, which is the price of all three wines we tasted that day.

I love Spanish wines, the Tempranillo grape is delicious and flexible.  Serious wines made from the varietal are long lived, complex and rewarding to cellar.  Wines like the Tridente are made in an easier style, meant to be consumed without cellaring and offer tremendous value.  This wine was a stunner.  It was everything you could want in an everyday wine and delivered it with style for under $10.  Dark cherries and judicious oak give way to some spice box and earth.  The tannins are present yet not too dry.  The mouthfeel is great and makes this wine equally good with or without food.  I gave it 86 points and reckon it is a 4 star wine worthy of looking out for.  Salut….

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Bodegas Penafiel Miros de Ribera Reserva Coleccion Privada 2001

22 Tuesday Oct 2013

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I have drunk numerous bottles of the lovely ’01 Penafiel wine and love its evolution.  Speaking of evolution, our caveman diet continues and Moxie has really gotten creative. Tonight, she used my Moroccan Tagine for the first time.  Designed by the Bedoins, it needs very little liquid and was used to slow cook meat, spices and fruits.  The conical top retaining the moisture while the ceramics evenly distributed the heat.  For our dinner, beef with butternut squash seasoned with paprika, cinnamon, ginger, red and black pepper, garlic, cilantro, onion and salt.  She added some whole tomatoes not realizing how much liquid they would add to the pot.  A truly sumptuous dietery meal that was complex, filling and a revelation.

The Tagine

The Tagine

The Beef

The Beef

The Wine

The Wine

To the wine. I needed something that would handle the beef, the spices and offer a complexity to match the ingredients.  I found it in my old favorite.  The wine has matured since I last tasted it and the secondary life is now alive and kicking.  Still dark purple on the nose, I saw no bricking (indicating age).  The nose was vibrant, with cherry, red currants, oak and spice.  I was getting excited about the first sip.  It offered up a mature compote of berries, blue and red.  Black stone fruits and some spice with a hint of vanilla came through.  The extra depth was made up of earth and cedar, with some plum notes mixing it up with incredible tannins.  The structure of this wine is amazing.  Precise acidity and hand crafted tannins are holding this wine upright.  I honestly think it is just starting its evolution, with at least another 4 years ahead.  It paired beautifully with the dinner as the wine was able to stand up to the myriad of spices Moxie had thrown in there.  Made from 100% Tempranillo, it rates a 92 from me and 5 stars.  I can’t remember what I paid for it, but if you can find it you need to get summmm.  Salut….

Bodegas Ondarre Ursa Maior 2006

30 Saturday Mar 2013

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A Reserva from the Rioja that won’t break the bank and brings some serious flavors to the table. Deep purple in the glass it offers dark cherry and wood pencil shavings on the nose. Classic Tempranillo on the palate, it melds nicely with good tannins and a balanced acidity. Dark blue fruit pops out on the mid palate and the tannins are tickling my gums! A medium length finish to this wine that begs for another sip. The label claims 14% alcohol, yet it is well hidden. The wine is rich, which helped when I paired it with BBQ ribs and French fries. The flavors are very pronounced and get more complex as the night progresses. At 6 years of age, this wine is but a child. I reckon it will further evolve and drink nicely until 2019 at the least. I originally gave it 4 stars, change that to 5. Bang for the buck, this wine rocks. Technically speaking, 89 points. I love it.

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Marques de Riscal Reserva 2006

12 Tuesday Mar 2013

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An old favorite to which I have a connection to via some Spanish friends. I have been drinking this wine for many years. The nose is textbook Reserva from Rioja, the Tempranillo jumping out at you. On the first taste I was taken back a bit by the thinness of the wine, but soon settled into enjoying the brooding dark berry meets tar flavors. I know it sounds weird, tar, but it really is a descriptor that works with aged, oaked Rioja. Good oak integration and some earthiness round out the profile.
In the glass , the wine actually looks a little thinner than normal, the ‘legs’ giving tale to the 14% dosage I am about to feel. There’s is a slight off-balance to this thing, I can only hope it will sort itself out after a few years in cellar. The tannins are impressive, if somewhat muted right now. The nagging alcohol is what is throwing me, if that were sorted out this thing would cruise. I might be a bit harsh here, but I think the thinness and off-balance cost this wine big in points and I have to go with 86. For $20 a bottle, it slips into 3 star territory for me. It’s a shame really, this wine has a good pedigree and I have never had a disappointing bottle. Perhaps I shall re-taste it in the near future.

Lan Gran Reserva 2005

04 Monday Feb 2013

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A Rioja made primarily from the Tempranillo grape, this was a treat from someone else’s cellar.  Good nose of fruit that has been tempered by oak aging, giving way to classic tempranillo flavors.  Balanced and fuity on the palate with a tannic structure hiding in there somewhere.  I don’t know how much this wine costs so I cannot give any stars, but for quality, an 89 pointer in my opinion.

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Sierra Cantabria 2010

08 Thursday Nov 2012

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A Tempranillo from Rioja, it’s on the lighter side. Typical on the nose, it gives way to floral and red fruits melding nicely with all the required components. Later on I am getting some plum and spice. 3 stars and 86 points.

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