2007 Dominio de Eguren Tempranillo Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

On February 3, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Tempranillo by Eguren from Spain. This Tempranillo based wine was purchased for under $8.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple, but very thin.

Aroma

On the nose there is black currant and oak. There is also a licorice component and damp leaf litter from the forest floor. Not uncommon for this varietal.

Flavor

On the attack it is simple. With nothing much more that a sweet raspberry note. The mid-palate then explodes with sour cherries which hang around through the finish and are combined with smoky flavor that lingers. This is a light-bodied wine and doesn’t have many 2nd or 3rd tier flavors that bigger wines bring, but the sour cherry is very strong. It will pair well with pork and herbed chicken.

Rating

I find this wine very easy to drink and could see it working well as a food pairing during the week. I rate it 84 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2005 Bodegas Castejon Nobul Tempranillo Vinos de Madrid

On January 14, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2005 Nobul Red Tempranilloicon by Bodegas Castejon from the Vinos de Madrid region of Spain. This 100% Tempranillo wine was purchased for under $9.

Color

This wine looks dark ruby red, but has some interesting shades of brown that make it look much older.

Aroma

This wine has a stunning nose. It is intense. There are good strawberry and plum notes combined with mint and cedar. Very interesting and explosive. This is an exciting start.

Flavor

The attack has cherry and strawberry which transitions to the mid-palate with more sour cherry. The finish has mild tannins and a little heat. To me this wine offers a really basic profile which is being covered up by a lot of oak. I like the fact that it is not too sweet. It will pair with a hamburger or pizza.

Rating

For my palate this was definitely not a match. I rate it 76 points.
Anybody else tried it yet?

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2008 Bodegas Borsao Campo de Borja Red Wine

On January 12, 2010, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Borsao Red Wine by Bodegas Borsao from Campo de Borja, Spain. This wine is made from 75% Garnacha (Grenache) and 25% Tempranillo grapes. It was purchased for under $7 and will be interesting to compare with the 2007 Bodegas Borsao Red Wine.

Color

In the glass this wine is a dark purple in color with garnet around the edges.

Aroma

The fruit jumps right out the glass on the nose of this wine. It has intense black currant and raspberry aromas. There is also a hint of mint and juniper which is refreshing. It is a young wine and smells like a fresh one.

Flavor

On the attack there is a sweet (too much maybe) strawberry component. Then, in the mid-palate it becomes a medium dry wine with great fruit. Strawberry and cherry give way to some good spice on the finish. I like the fruit throughout and believe that is will be very food friendly. It is medium bodied and a bit hot on the finish due to the 14% alcohol. It will pair well with beef tenderloin and smoky meats.

Rating

For the price, I think this wine is compelling. It is a bit too sweet and would be better if it was more of a dry wine. I rate it 87 points.

I think this vintage is slightly better than the previous year. It continues the trend of improving on the finish, but there is less oak and better fruit. Have you tried it? What did you like or dislike about it?

Tagged with: • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2007 Symington Douro Altano Tinta Roriz-Touriga Franca

On December 22, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2007 Altano Douro Tinta Roriz – Touriga Franca by Symington from the Douro region of Portugal. This blend of 70% Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo) and 30% Touriga Franca (Touriga Francesa) was available for under $10. Symington Family Estates produces some of the world’s top Ports, so it will be interesting to try this unfortified wine from their Altano brand. From their website it appears that this is not aged in oak.

Color

In the glass it is a deep purple.

Aroma

There is good blackberry and strawberry on the nose. In addition a bit of mint is coming through. Overall it seems like a big fruity nose with a small vegetable component.

Flavor

The attack combines strawberry and cherry. Then the sour cherries take over in the mid-palate till the finish. Mild tannins are showing on the finish with a little lingering chalk. The level of bitter sour flavor from the fruit is quite high. And I don’t think it is the tannins. It finishes dry. This is a medium bodied wine and will pair well with a lot of food. It will do better with food than alone.

Rating

Although decent, this reminds me of a lot of other Tempranillo based wines from Portugal and Spain. As such I think there are slightly better values out there. I rate it 84 points.

If you are someone who adores sour cherries then I’d love to hear your thoughts on this wine. Have you tried it?

Tagged with: • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2008 Nostrada Tempranillo

On December 12, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today we are tasting the 2008 Nostrada Tempranillo by Artiga Fustel from the Tarragona region of Spain. This wine made of 100% Tempranillo varietal was purchased for under $7.

Color

In the glass this wine is a nice dark red with a little brown at the edges.

Aroma

It is very aromatic in the glass and is full of dark fruit. We detect blackberry and black currant. There is also some cedar.

Flavor

The blackberry and black currant continue on the attack. There is a lot of ripe fruit in this wine. It is definitely quite new world in style. Black cherry is present on the mid-palate and it finishes with very dry, chalky tannins. There is a little black pepper at the end as well. Although it isn’t full bodied, this wine pairs very nicely with steak seasoned with pepper. The fruits are toned down by the meat. We found this wine better with food than on its own.

Rating

For the price this is a good match for big flavorful meals. We rate it 87 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

Castillo D Clavijo Rioja

On November 9, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the non-vintage Castillo D Clavijo Rioja by Criadores De Rioja from Spain. I acquired this 100% Tempranillo varietal for under $9.

Color

The color in the glass is a pretty ruby red. It is thin.

Aroma

This wine has an interesting herbal aspect to the nose. There is some blueberry to go with oregano and thyme. I also get some cedar.

Flavor

The attack has sweet dark fruits such as blackberry and plum. The mid-palate is a little hollow; although, there is some black cherry flavors. The wine finishes up quickly with some smokey aspects. Not a great flavor profile overall. This is a medium to light-bodied wine. It could pair well with cheddar cheese.

Rating

I am not too fond of this wine. Perhaps the Crianzas are better. I rate this wine 83 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2008 Natura Carmenere

On November 8, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Natura Carmenere by Emiliana Vineyards from Chile. The Natura line is their organic line and I found this bottle for under $10. So if it rates well, it will come on strong as a great value for an organic wine. This wine is a blend of 87% Carmenere, 4% Syrah, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Tempranillo, and 1% Malbec. I’ve previously discussed this maker and tried their 2007 Walnut Crest Chardonnay, 2007 Walnut Crest Cabernet Sauvignon, and 2007 Walnut Crest Merlot.

Color

The color in the glass is very dark with a slight purple edge.

Aroma

This wine took over the room from the moment I poured it. It has a great aroma with strong blackberry and green pepper components. There is also a hint of oak.

Flavor

Great fruit on the attack. Blackberries, black cherries, and black currant are dominate. The mid-palate features some sour red cherries and vanilla. The oak shows up a little on the finish, but it isn’t over powering. This is a smooth wine which shows some good complexity. I think it would pair well with strong flavored meats and other foods.

Rating

This is a good Carmenere and I recommend it. The fact that it is organic is even better. I rate it 89 points.

Have you tried any of the other Natura wines? If so, what is your opinion?

Tagged with: • • • • •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2005 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza

On November 5, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the widely available 2005 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianzaicon (affiliate link) from Rioja, Spain. This Tempranillo based wine was available for under $10 and comes with a real cork (watch out!). Being a crianza it is aged in oak barrels for more than one year and then kept another year in the bottle before release. Let’s see how it shows.

Color

In the glass it is a medium ruby red.

Aroma

Very old world on the nose which is nice. Black pepper, leather, cherry and a bit of oak. Quite complex.

Flavor

On the attack there is cherry which carries onto the mid-palate. The tannins show up fast and this gets quite dry too. Lots of oak on the finish along with a little vanilla. The finish is quite long. I also think this will age well due to the tannic structure. It will pair well with paella and even blackened fish.

Rating

For my palate this is showing too much oak on the finish. I’d prefer more of the fruit and earthiness of Rioja to show through. I rate it 85 points.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response

2006 Castroviejo Rioja Tempranillo

On November 4, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2006 Castroviejo Tempranillo from Bodegas Pastor Diaz in Rioja, Spain. I am not sure I’ve gotten the name right since it is so confusing on the bottle. In fact Pastor Diaz is only present on the foil. Not the best of branding. I found this wine for under $9. I believe this wine is aged in Oak for 6 months.

Color

The color is typical of tempranillo and is deep red.

Aroma

The first thing that I noticed is the oak. It is a bit strong. There is also blackberry and plum. Not a bad nose, just a little muted.

Flavor

Again there is strong oak present. But the fruit is good. On the attack, I get mainly dark fruit such as blueberry and blackberry. The mid-palate continues with the same fruit plus some sour cherry. This wine finishes very strong with a bit of a coffee flavor. I really like the finish. This is a pretty bold flavored wine and I’d try it with some intense cheese like parmigiano.

Rating

I think this wine has potential, but wish it has less oak so the real flavors would dominate more. I rate it 87 points.

Tagged with: •
 
2 Comments
Leave A Response

2008 Campos Reales Tempranillo

On October 29, 2009, In Red, By dcpatton

Today I am tasting the 2008 Bodegas Campos Reales Tempranillo from La Manch, Spain. This Jorge Ordonez selection was available for under $7 and has a plastic cork (screw top next? fingers crossed). I assume it is 100% Tempranillo. Anyone know?

Color

This is really dark in the glass with a nice deep purple.

Aroma

Great dark fruit on the nose with blackberries and blackcurrant. There is also some green bell pepper and banana. I don’t often get banana but this wine definitely has a hint. No oak either.

Flavor

The attack has some black currant and black cherry. It is not overly sweet. The black cherry is strong on the mid-palate and there are tannins giving it some dryness. The finish is really dry and has some heat. This is a very young wine so over time it will get smoother. What it lacks though is having strong fruit or vegetable flavors. Overall it is a bit plain. It will pair well with grilled meat.

Rating

I think this wine has some things going for it, such as no oak and a nice nose. It also has some issues with the fruit. At this stage I rate it 85 points. If you like dry red wines, then it is a decent offering.

Tagged with: •
 
0 Comments
Leave A Response
« Previous Entries
Go To Top »