This tasting is of the 2005 Flavium Crianza by Vinos de Arganza. It comes from the Bierzo DO in Spain and is made out of 100% of the Mencia grape varietal. I found it for under $10 and am eager to try it. Have you ever had a Mencia?
Crianza is a term used in Spain to refer to the length of time the wine has been aged in oak. Crianza has spent one year in oak, Reserva is aged for two years with one year in oak, and Gran Reserva is aged two years in oak and three years in the bottle.
Color
This wine has a very nice color. It is a dark garnet red.
Aroma
The nose on this wine is one dimensional and tight. It basically comes across as oak with some blueberries.
Flavor
The attack is nice with some sweet dark berries (blackberry, blueberry, black cherry), but the mid-palate is little plain. There is some sour cherry and then the finish shows some spice and a nice dark chocolate bitterness (tannic). This is a medium-bodied wine and would pair well with pasta or pizza.
Rating
For my palate, this wine is not very exciting. There is nothing offensive about it, but nothing stands out either. I rate it 86 points.
