PalateMatch

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.

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.