2016 Borsao Cabriola

The 2016 Borsao Cabriola is a new wine from one of Spain’s great value producers. It’s a blend of Garnacha, Syrah, and Mazuelo, and it drinks a lot like a red from Southern France. In fact, if I tasted this one blind, I might think it was a Cotes du Rhone or a creation of Jean-Marc Lafage.

Packed with ripe and heady aromas and flavors, the Borsao Cabriola exemplifies why Spain’s Campo de Borja is home to some of the great red wine values in the world. Rated 91 points by Wine Spectator and Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate, this is ripe and ready to drink.

2016 Borsao Cabriola

91 points Wine Spectator, 91 points Wine Advocate

To order, stop by the store or click here to order in our online store.

Many of you loved the Borsao Berola we featured recently. I promise you’ll love this one too! It’s another pleasure-bent offering from this veteran, value-minded producer. The Garnacha component is leading the charge here, contributing luscious red fruit flavors and silky tannin. The Syrah chimes in with darker fruit tones and peppery notes. And the little splash of Mazuelo (aka Carignan) adds just the right amount of acidity for freshness.

All in all, the blend works incredibly well, and this is a wine that tastes much more expensive. Sourced from 30-40 year old vineyards high up in the Campo de Borja, the blend here is 55% Garnacha, 39% Syrah, and 6% Mazuelo. Fermented in stainless steel, the wine is then aged in a combination of French and American oak for 12 months. It seems like Borsao borrowed a page from the Domaine Lafage “playbook” in making this wine. Translated, if you like Lafage, you’ll definitely like this.

And the critics gushed with praise for this one. Wine Spectator described it as “full-bodied, yet fresh and lively” with “bold flavors of cherry compote, dried fig, cocoa, toast and licorice.” And the Wine Advocate loved it too. “It comes in a heavy Burgundy bottle, closed with a quality cork, and it all feels like a more expensive wine. It has a modern profile, but the oak is neatly integrated and folded into the fruit that is ripe and juicy. The tannins are fine and the flavors focused.” Sounds good doesn’t it? I promise it is.

Wines like this are hard not to like, and even better, this one is great with or without food. If you care to pair this one, think burgers, barbecue, or slow cooked pork in a mole sauce. Cheers to happy drinking and eating in Asheville!