Today I am tasting the 2007 Arturo Garcia Beirzo Hacienda Sael from Spain. This bottle of 100% Mencia grape based wine was purchased for under $8. It will be interesting to taste the Sael Estate’s tintobeirzo.
Color
In the glass it is a dark ruby red in color.
Aroma
On the nose there is a earthy, barnyard component at first. It is one of the strongest aromas I’ve come across in a while and could turn off some. Even for me it is a bit challenging. It is followed by fresh mint component and cherry notes.
Flavor
On the attack there are some good black cherry and strawberry flavors. The mid-palate has nice sour cherry notes and the brief finish shows mild tannins. This is a light to medium bodied wine which pairs well with garlic chicken dishes.
Rating
This is an interesting wine and will definitely do better with food. Even so it has astonishing aromas and will not match every palate. I strongly recommend decanting it to see if the aroma changes for the better. I rate it 80 points.
I’d love to hear your tasting notes as this wine is definitely different than a lot of Spanish fruit bombs.
