2006 Laurona Montsant

Happy Sunday!  Time for a homemade Sunday dinner of comfort food, but always a question on what wine to serve with it.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2006 Laurona Montsant red blend from Spain.  This is a new wine for me, as Montsant is a region in Catalonia that produces red blends with many of the traditional Spanish varietals.  This particular wine is primarily Garnacha and Carinena with a bit of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon to balance things out.

The wine is a lovely bright ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose presents lovely aromas of black currant, anise and black cherry along with some Asian spice notes.  The taste is very fruit forward, with a rush of black cherry, currant and some blackberry that transitions nicely to some lovely notes of vanilla and cinnamon midpalate.  The finish is very nice, much bigger than your typical Spanish wine based on Garnacha or Tempranillo, as the tannins are robust, offering a lingering dry finish that evolves as the wine opens up.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely, well structures wine and a solid value (I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $19).  It's ideal for rustic dishes from the Mediterranean (think paella) or some classic American comfort food.  Tonight I'm enjoying this wine with my Sunday dinner of stuffed cabbage!  The fruit and spice notes really pair well with the richness of the meat stuffing and spice of the tomato reduction.  Cheers!