We've stocked this value-priced Spanish red for a number of years, and it's got its fans. Count me in as one of its biggest fans! I had a bottle of this recently, and all I can say is WOW, how can wine this good costs so little? Keep reading if I've caught your attention.
From one of the top estates in Jumilla, in Southeastern Spain, this blend of Monastrell, Grenache, and Syrah is rich, ripe, and silky smooth. When you get this home and into your glass, you're going to wonder how such a completely satisfying red wine can sell for less than $13. HIGHLY recommended by yours truly, and 20 cases up for grabs at deal pricing.
2020 Bodegas Olivares Jumilla Tinto
91 points Yours Truly, 90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
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This is one of those wines that sounds too good to be true, but I promise you it isn’t! Super rich, full, and smooth, this Monastrell-based cuvee comes from very old, un-grafted vines that have been organically farmed since the 1930’s! Aged for 3 months in large oak foudres, the resulting wine is all about ripe berries and easy drinking. I honestly can’t tell you why it’s so cheap, but I can guarantee you it’s delicious.
Monastrell, aka Mourvedre, is the key grape of Southeastern Spain, and it's also the key to this wine’s pleasure factor. For years, the grapes grown in Jumilla were used for bulk wine production. Overlooked as being an inferior grape variety until the 1990’s, the Selva family of Bodegas Olivares started estate-bottling their wines in 1998. The rest is history — the family and the rest of the world discovered that Monastrell was far from an inferior grape.
Since then, Bodegas Olivares has consistently produced one of the great red wine values in the world, and this is it. Deeply colored, richly fruited, and spicy, this lightly oaked red makes a terrific house wine. Ripe and fine-grained, this one offers up lovely notes of peppery blueberry, blackberry, and dark chocolate on the nose. The palate is equally delightful, with soft and supple tannins and mellow acidity.
If you need another opinion, Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate described this one quite well. "The juicy and young red 2020 Tinto was produced with a majority of Monastrell, with some Syrah and Garnacha from their Hoya de Santa Ana vineyard, produced in a honest, fruit-driven and fresh way. It has notes of berries and herbs (thyme and rosemary) and a juicy palate with glossy tannins and a long, dry finish with very fine tannins. Deliciously Mediterranean." Yes, there are value-priced wines that show terroir, or sense of place, and this is one of them.
Sounds good doesn't it? Trust me, it is scrumptious, and it's got to be a candidate for top red wine value in the world. Stock up on this one for casual sipping with friends or serve with classic comfort foods like burgers, meat loaf, or chili.
ORDER NOW in our online store.
Josh Spurling
Owner, Operator, Wine Monger
Table Wine Asheville