Moderate shade of purple and nearly opaque. I leaves long, thin legs on the glass.  The nose is raspberries, cherry and iodine.  On the palate is grips right away with acidity, masking the red fruit salad that I finally get. There’s also a rooibos tea component, calming amongst the flurry of tartness.  The mid palate is cutting, this acidity is actually bothering me.  It’s too much, without fruit to offset it or much tannic bite to balance it.  The finish is more of the same.  86 points.  A shame really as it got good reviews .  Bottle #2 is much better- less cut, more fruit. Still very tart but I will go with 88 points.  For the advertised price of $40, this is a 2 star Tempranillo.  Sorry folks, nothing to see here.  Salut….

It’s a nice shade of purple, perhaps a bit subdued.  On the nose it reeks of Rioja earth, bramble, plum and tar.  The palate has a definitive creosote taste that I look forward to in Spanish Tempranillos.  Plum, blackcurrants and fig paste all come out on the palate.  I get a nice acidity on the mid palate alongside some earthy bramble and violets.  The finish is dusty, plummy and dry from the meek tannins that finally show up.  They are very well integrated and barely perceptible until the end, well played.  Overall this wine leaves me with a delicious aftertaste that I’m enjoying for a good 60 seconds, after having had a mouthful of delicious flavors.  I like it, a lot.  92 points from me and 5 stars for this $35 effort.  Ps. It got a whopping 97 Decanter points, that’s huge.  Drink till 2027 with slow cooked beef ribs, stuffed mushroom caps or a grilled duck breast.  Salut….

Medium intensity purple, almost seethrough.  On the nose there’s a definitive charcoal note alongside blackberries and bramble.  Licorice kicks in a little later after a good swirl.  On the palate it’s pretty tasty with black cherry, coffee and more licorice.  Tempranillo sometimes has a dusty, earthy component that I enjoy in Riojas, this wine has a hint of that.  The tannins grip on the midpalate alongside dark fruits .  There is a certain amount of oak at play here, but it’s not overdone.  The long finish is a touch dry from the decent tannic kick.  More blackberry and some vanilla carry me through to the very end.  Drink till 2026 with hearty pastas, steak or roasted chicken- this wine needs food.  90 points from me and 4 stars for its $18 price point.  Salut….

Murky, dark purple in the glass.  The nose has Blackberry, some funk and creosote.  I have a feeling this wine might be off unfortunately.  Let’s see.

On the palate, it does taste slightly off. The murkiness of the wine may be a clue.  There is a stewed fruit component for sure alongside some really nice tannins.  Unfortunate.  The wine needs a re-taste, which will happen soon. 

Clear vs. murky

Bottle number 2 was definitely showing better in the glass.  That murkiness is not apparent, the color a much purer purple.  The nose has a perfumed scent, black berry and violets come to mind.  The palate is far better this time around.  Dark fruits, boysenberry and black olives.  The mid palate is fresh and lively with some nice acidity to go alongside the medium tannins.  More dark fruit emerges with tapenade and smoky flavors appearing.  The finish is quite dry, not astringent at all.  The blackberry fruits really shine with some cedar notes.  This is a tasty wine with depth and complexity.  It has had 10+ years in the cellar and is on pointe now.  92 points and 4 stars for this $45 Tempranillo.  Really tasty- it will pair great with Tapas, a Filet or even a toasted cheese sandwich!  Salut….