Posts Tagged ‘spain’
Tuesday, January 27th, 2009
92 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 14 Oct 2008
Dark purple core with a bright fuchsia rim. Dark aromas of candied black licorice surround rich black cherry and cola leading to hints of vanilla and lingering soft cool slate and blueberry. Very big on the palate entry - this is a huge wine. Tons of dark rich fruit surround nutmeg and cinnamon. Giant ripe tannins support the core of the wine, and are balanced well by clean, crisp acid. Dark licorice gives way to a long lingering spicy dark fruit finish accented by a punch of roasted oak.
Wines from Priorat tend to be very expensive, and many of them are not worth it. If you’re in the market for an $85 bottle of wine, this is fantastic and well worth the price tag.
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Tags: 2005, black, blueberry, candy, celler, cherry, cinnamon, cola, fuchsia, licorice, llach, nutmeg, oak, priorat, purple, red wine, roast, slate, spain, vall, vanilla
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Jan 2009
Dark, intense purple color. Black cherry and plum aromas backed by smoke, candied licorice and a hint of earth. Dark entry on the palate. Plum, cherry and light earth are surrounded by roasted oak and a smack of mocha on the back. Great acid supporting the fruit. Easy to approach, and deceptively smooth; great now, but has the tannic backbone to hold for another 4 - 5 years easily.
The label says 100% Tinto Fino. This is the same grape as Tempranillo, but it is commonly called Tinto Fino in Castilla Leon. Simply put this is a delicious wine. Spanish wines tend to pair well with lots of foods, so try this one with just about any meat on the grill from hamburgers to leg of lamb. Since it is ready to drink now but will continue to get better for a few years in the bottle, grab some now so you have it on hand when you need to impress somebody or just celebrate a good day.
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Tags: 2005, black, Bodega, Bodegas, candy, castilla, cherry, del, Duero, earth, emilio, fino, fruit, leon, licorice, mocha, moro, oak, plum, purple, red, red wine, Ribera, somke, spain, Tempranillo, Tinto, wine
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 03 Oct 2008
Black and purple core with a raspberry red rim. Smoky on the nose with some bright rustic qualities. Salty and briny like the beginning of a waning tide, leading to a touch of sulfur, baby powder, roses and black cherry underneath. Dark plum and cherry on the front palate with a metallic nickel and earthy note. Fairly high acidity and medium to full bodied. The briny aromas disappear completely on the palate, leaving the baby powder and thick jammy fruit.
While very inexpensive, it has a little bit of funk to it that prevents me from scoring it higher. It is an easy drinker though before or during dinner. A blend of Monastrell (Spanish for Mourvedre), Grenache and Syrah.
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Tags: 2006, acid, baby, black, Blend, bright, briny, cherry, earth, fruit, jammy, Jumilla, medium, metallic, nickel, Panarroz, plum, powder, purple, raspberry, red wine, roses, rustic, salty, smoky, spain, sulfur, table
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Monday, January 26th, 2009
88 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 17 Mar 2008
Dark black and ruby in the core with a thinner pink rim. Plum, black cherries, sweet tobacco, mushroom and heavy black licorice on the nose. Smooth, with a lush entry and mouth feel. Sweet dark plum and blueberry are supported by a nice touch of wet earth. There is a nice build of tannins and acid on the finish that would make this wine stand up very well to hearty, meaty dishes. 14% Alcohol By Volume
Alejandro Fernandez typically only works with Tempranillo. There is some good spice to this wine, but he has more impressive offerings.
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Tags: 2002, acid, Alejandro, black, blueberry, Bodegas, cherry, Crianza, dark, dry, earth, Fernandez, hearty, La, licorice, lush, Mancha, meat, mushroom, pink, plum, red, red wine, ruby, smooth, spain, sweet, table, tannins, Tempranillo, tobacco, Vinculo
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
93 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Aug 2008
Dark, almost black, core surrounded by a thick glass-coating fuchsia rim. New oak aromas (coconut, fried banana chips and vanilla) over rich aromas of cocoa, plum, black cherry, cassis and blackberry with a lingering hint of nutmeg and wet slate. Very dense and thick in the mouth with a ton of tannic grip. Black cherry and plum fruits are underscored by a streak of minerality. A touch of coffee, vanilla, coconut and baker’s chocolate linger on the finish.
A blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano, 3% Garnacha and 2% other. The vines range in age from 34 - 97 years old, which means that each vine produces less fruit, but the flavors are darker and more concentrated than those from young vines.
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Tags: 2004, balckberry, banana, Blend, Bodegas, cassis, cherry, chocolate, cocoa, coconut, coffee, Fernando, Ganuza, Garnacha, Graciano, mineral, nutmeg, oak, plum, Ramirez, red, red wine, Rioja, slate, spain, Tempranillo, vanilla
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
89 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 27 Aug 2008
Inky purple/black core with a violet rim. Cocoa, blackberry and dark cherry aromas with cooler hints of slate and violets. Silky entry on the palate. White pepper spice surrounds black cherry and blackberry. Medium+ body with a long, chewy spicy finish.
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Tags: 2005, blackberry, castilla, cherry, Christina, cocoa, Cyclo, Duero, Finca, leon, pepper, red, red wine, Ribera, slate, spain, spice, tempranilla, Torremilanos, violet
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
80 / C+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 27 Aug 2008
Dark purple core with a pink rim. Cranberry, tea and blackberry aromas with a hint of sulfur and some toasty oak. Thin on the palate (in flavor) with rather big tannins. Burnt licorice and black fruit flavors. Finishes gummy.
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Tags: 2006, blackberry, Bodegas, cranberry, Gil, gummy, Hijos, Juan, Jumilla, licorice, monastrell, oak, red, red wine, spain, sulfur, tea, toast
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
89 / B
Tasted by Mike Supple - 12 Sep 2008
Dark black core with a vibrant fuchsia rim. Vanilla and violets float over dark fruit aromas of blackberry and cherry, accented by fresh ground white pepper, all surrounded by subtle crushed rose petals. Big entry onto the palate, and the power is well matched by balanced acidity. Full bodied from front to back with dark blackberry and black cherry fruits, baker’s chocolate, white pepper and a hint of crushed stems leading to a long lingering note of scorched black licorice.
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Tags: 2006, blackberry, Bodegas, castilla, cherry, chocolate, Duero, fuchsia, JC, leon, licorice, pepper, Ramos, red, red wine, Ribera, rose, spain, Tempranillo, vanilla, violet, Vizcarra
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
92 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 05 Aug 2008
Medium purple core with a bright ruby rim. Delicate cassis and black cherry aromas are surrounded by rich clay, dark chocolate, vanilla and spicy nutmeg. Smooth as silk entering the mouth. Complex baking spices jump around rich velvety chocolate, cassis and black cherries with a touch of earth and a long spicy cinnamon finish. Full bodied and well balanced, this is showing beautifully now and should age well for another 7 - 10 years.
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Tags: 2005, Bodegas, cassis, castilla, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, clay, Condado, Duero, earth, Haza, leon, nutmeg, red, red wine, Ribera, spain, spice, tempranilla, Tinto, vanilla
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Wednesday, January 21st, 2009
89 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 30 Jul 2008
Dark purple in the core with a bright ruby rim. Coffee dominates the aromas, twisting around black olives, black cherries and spicy plums. The wine is medium to full bodied with the coffee again playing a big role in the flavors. There is a unique old-world earth and mineral style to it, with a lot of bold, juicy black cherry and raspberry fruits.
The label on this wine flies in the face of stodgy convention: an artist’s rendition of a crazy wine party/orgy (you be the judge). The Mencia (pronounced men-THEE-uh) grape is native to the Bierzo region of Spain, and the main characteristic of the grape is the great mineral flavors it brings to the wine. The grapes for this particular bottle come from three different vineyards to blend the perfect characteristics of earth, minerals and ripe fruit. This is a fun, unique wine to bring to a party or pop open with a group at home. While ripe fruits and rich mouthfeel make it perfect for just sitting around and drinking, it also goes great with lamb, pork and beef dishes. Even a rich eggplant Parmesan should do the trick!
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Tags: 2005, baltos, bierzo, black, castilla, cherry, coffee, dominio, earth, juice, leon, mencia, mineral, olive, plum, purple, raspberry, red, red wine, spain, spice, tares
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