Don’t worry, we’re not that serious, but we do love us some Spanish wine! From north to south and from east to west, Spain has experienced a wine renaissance over the past 15 to 20 years. The country’s wine producers have embraced new technologies in the vineyard and in the cellar, and the wines have never been better. For this Friday’s tasting, we’ll be pouring the perfect “quartet” of red wines, including a great value, an “Amerispagne” red blend (yes, we created a new word), a mid priced overachiever and a big, highly rated “flavor bomb”. Get your week end of to a great start and join us for an adventurous taste of Spain. Here’s what we’ll be tasting:
1. 2012 Coto de Hayas Garnacha/Syrah (Campo de Borja, Spain)
The Campo de Borja region is located in north-central Spain, just south of Rioja, and it is home to some of Spain’s top Garnacha-based values. This one includes a little splash of Syrah and the resulting wine is medium bodied, super juicy and lightly spicy. It is a perfectly casual little wine that tastes good with or without food.
2. 2008 Guigiere Family Matchbook Tinto Rey (Dunnigan Hills, California)
So how does Tempranillo fare outside of Spain? Taste this and you tell us what you think. We think it’s pretty darn delicious! A blend of 54% Tempranillo, 34% Syrah, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Graciano, this round and generous red wine is packed with red and black currants, licorice and spice notes.
3. 2010 Venus la Universal Mas Sorrer (Montsant, Spain)
Goodness gracious is this good! Made by Sara Perez and Rene Barbier, Jr., who are inspired by the terroir of Montsant the same way that their parents were of Priorat 20 years ago. The wine blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah with 60% aged in barrel for 10 months. This wine manages to meld the Old World with the New World under one cork……….earth, game and spice notes (Old World) mingle with ripe, warm cherry and blackberry fruit (New World) to create a wine that shouldn’t be forgotten.
4. 2009 Bodegas Casa Castillo Las Gravas (Jumilla, Spain)
Can a wine that runs $27 be considered a great value? In the case of this wine, a resounding heck yeah! From a single vineyard with gravelly soil (thus, the Las Gravas name), this is 80% Monastrell, 10% Syrah and 10% Garnacha and it packs some serious punch. It’s dark and rich with an engaging nose of creme de cassis, kirsch and blueberry leading into a fruit and spice packed palate of savory dark fruits. This is a really decadent wine……….serve it to your friends…………….they’ll be blown away and think that you spent $50+!
All tasting wines are 10% off by the bottle or 15% off if you mix any six of them.