2005 Recoletas Reserva Ribera del Duero

Well, it's the first of August and it's Saturday, so that could only mean one thing, it's Cellar Saturday!  That wonderful time I raid the cellar to find something interesting to drink.  Tonight, after a hard day of yard work I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Recoletas Reserva Ribera del Duero, a lovely Spanish Tempranillo I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  Now keep in mind for this wine, I did not decant it, but it does open up nicely within an our or two of the first pour.

The wine is a beautiful deep garnet in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is a lovely combination of blackberry jam, leather, dark chocolate and dried flowers.  The taste is a dramatic departure from your expectations on the nose, rather than a jammy fruit bomb, you are treated with some lovely cherry cola and dark chocolate notes at the outset that transition effortlessly to some coarse mineral notes midpalate.  The tannins are perfectly balanced on the finish, which reprises some of those fruit expectation with hints of strawberry jam on the long, lush and  very dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's drinking quite nicely and was an exceptional value at just $16!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with a classic bone-in Angus ribeye topped with grilled leeks, baked potato and some steamed green beans.  The balance of fruit and acidity in this wine make it ideal paired with a bold red meat dish, but it would also be nice with small plates and cheeses.  Cheers!

2013 Avaniel Ribera del Duero Rosado

What a day!  If anyone ever tells you that owning a home is an "investment" in an "appreciating asset" just smack them and inform them they are either an idiot or a shill for the real estate industry.  Homes are the largest depreciating assets most of us will ever own, unlike wine, they do not get better with age, they simply depreciate faster!  Today on my home I had a problem with the plumbing, so I called a plumber he couldn't fix it as apparently there are tree roots or something blocking the sewer pipe between my house and the main sewer line!  All this on the day I was planning my first cookout, so that's now postponed (sorry friends, but believe me, you'll enjoy the party a lot better with indoor plumbing!) and I'm waiting for the contractor to show up Monday!  Investment my butt!

But at least I have wine, and tonight I've opened a bottle of 2013 Avaniel Ribera del Duero Rosado, a wine I was supposed to enjoy with the Snooth.com virtual tasting last Wednesday, but since I was on the road I decided to hold this one until the weekend so I know it would be chilled and delicious.  The wine is 100% tempranillo, which I truly enjoy, and as a rosado I find this a lovely summer wine!  The nose on this wine is delightful, lovely floral notes over some citrus and melon notes and just a hint of strawberry.  The taste is a real treat, wonderful fresh citrus flavors of grapefruit and strawberry, crisp and refreshing with a very long finish for a chilled rose.  This is perhaps the perfect summer wine!

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's crisp, light and refreshing and a terrific value at under $10!  This would pair well with a variety of summer dishes as the heat index rises, but tonight I am enjoying this with some lovely cedar planked wild Copper River Sockeye salmon over a bed of crisp baby kale, some grilled corn and sweet potato fries, so wonderful!  This wine is a perfect compliment to hearty, flavorful fish like salmon, or just sipping on the deck on a warm summer evening, cheers!

2010 Semele Ribera del Duero

Yesterday was time for another Snooth.com virtual tasting, how I love those and have missed them as it seems like it's been six months or so since the last one I participated in.  The subject of the tasting was the wines of the Ribera del Duero region of Spain, which is perfect since I really am a big fan of the nice wines coming out of Spain at very reasonable prices.  Tonight's wine is just such an example, made with a blend of Tempranillo (90%) and Merlot (10%) aged in French and American oak over a little more than a year before bottling.

The wine is a nice ruby color in the glass, bright and clear.  The nose is very earthy, with a burst of green grass, fresh herbs and oak overlaid with a hint of tar.  The taste is really nice and easy drinking, making it a great wine to pair with a variety of dishes.  The taste is not as fruit forward as many other examples I've seen, just a hint of blueberry and blackberry at the outset quickly gives way to floral and herb notes.  The tannins are somewhat green, but still providing a great foundation for a long, smooth dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's drinking well now, but I think it will improve with a little time in the cellar, and it was a terrific bargain for only $15!  At the virtual tasting I enjoyed this wine with some hummus, olives and a bit of feta cheese, but it would be great with a variety of dishes, particularly some nicely spiced Mediterranean dishes, or simple tapas as I had.  Cheers and a big thank you to Snooth for providing another great and informative virtual tasting!

2012 Finca Torremilanos Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado

Well, I think that might be the longest title of a wine I've had on my blog!  Two Wednesdays ago there was a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy, but unfortunately I was traveling and couldn't taste all four wines on the menu.  The tasting was focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and included four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now tonight I am tasting the last wine of the group, the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.

Now you know that I really prefer red wines, but in the intense heat of last summer I've grown to really appreciate the rose wines, or rosado as the case may be, as they really present a refreshing departure on those hot, humid days of summer that just beg for something chilled and refreshing!  Such is the wine tonight. The nose of this wine has a distinct set of floral overtones, mixed with a bit of fresh citrus, green grass and a bit of oak.  The taste is really quite nice, with flavors of green apple, and a hint of citrus up front, which gives way to some lovely green herbs and oak midpalate.  The finish on this wine is super dry, with nicely structured tannins supporting a crisp, refreshingly dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's really a refreshing departure from many roses that can be more on the sweet and fruity side, this one is much more crisp and green.  And at $12 it's a very good value for an everyday summer wine!  Tonight I am pairing it with some alder planked salmon fish tacos topped with a bit of homemade salse verde and fresh cilanto and avacado.  The crispness of this wine and the rich floral characteristics really matched well with the richness of the salmon, but it also stood up well to the spice of the salsa.  Salut!

2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza

Last Wednesday there was a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy, but unfortunately I was traveling and couldn't taste all four wines on the menu.  The tasting was focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and included four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now tonight I am tasting the third wine of the group, the 2008 Matarromera Ribera del Duero Crianza, the last of the reds we tried.

This wine has a lovely deep ruby color in the glass.  I've let this one breathe a bit, it's now been opened for a few hours, and the nose presents some lovely aromas of leather, oak, ripe berries and some licorice and vanilla notes.  The taste is quite nice, with some wonderful ripe fruit up front, blackberries, plum, and some nice toasted oak and coffee flavors midpalate.  The finish is quote nice, with some smoky, earthy notes with a good bit of minerality, almost a limestone quality.  The tannins are well polished making for a long, smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, and it's probably my second favorite of the group we tasted and it's a pretty good value in the mid-$20 range.  Tonight I am pairing this with a big steak, specifically a thick Angus ribeye that I've grilled rare and topped with a bit of bernaise, as I find the structure of this wine really matches well with the richness of the sauce, and some mashed potatoes and steamed purple asparagus.  Such a delicious meal!

2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero

Tonight is a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy.  For tonight's tasting, we are focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and I am set to taste four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Crianza Ribera del Duero and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now considering that I am traveling right now, I won't be able to taste all four wines during the virtual tasting, so instead I will focus on the first two wines tonight, and then taste the last two this weekend.  So stay tuned for the rest of my tasting notes!

 

For the 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, the wine is 100% Tempranillo that is a nice deep purple color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat fruity, with notes of blackberry and plum, with some notes of green grass, some toasted oak and a hint of minerality.  The taste has some lovely tart cherry up front that quickly transitions to some lovely leather notes and flavors of green grass, as the wonderfully structured tannins lead to a long, smooth and delicious finish.  This wine is just incredibly well structured, it makes me want to drink this wine all night long!

 Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, even though it's not a stellar bargain at about $50, but I remain convinced that it's well worth the price.  This wine would pair well with a big grilled steak, but it would also be perfect with a nice spicy dish, like a smoked chorizo with some rice and grilled veggies.  Again, just a fabulous wine and a great example of the best of Spain and the Ribera del Duero.  Cheers!

2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero

Tonight is a fun virtual tasting at Snooth.com which is something that I always enjoy.  For tonight's tasting, we are focused on the Ribera del Duero wines of Spain and I am set to taste four different wines: 2009 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, 2011 Ferratus A0 Ribera del Duero, 2008 Matarromera Crianza Ribera del Duero and the 2012 Monte Castrillo Ribera del Duero Rosado.  Now considering that I am traveling right now, I won't be able to taste all four wines during the virtual tasting, so instead I will focus on the first two wines tonight, and then taste the last two this weekend.  So stay tuned for the rest of my tasting notes!

 

For the 2011 Malleolus Ribera del Duero, the wine is 100% Tempranillo that is a nice deep purple color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat fruity, with notes of blackberry and plum, balanced with some mint notes, and rich vanilla and tobacco aromas. The taste is really nice, with some bright fruit notes up front that transition to some wonderful green herbs, that transition to some vanilla and mint notes on the finish.  The tannins are well developed, leading to a very nice, long dry finish that make this a very nice food wine.

Overall, I would rate this one a solid 8, it's a very nice food wine, and a pretty decent value at around $20.  To me, this wine would be the absolute perfect wine to pair with a variety of lamb dishes, as the mint and herb notes would go well with the rustic flavors of lamb!  A nice food wine with a lot of great structure, cheers!

2008 Hito Ribera del Duero

Questions that linger throughout the ages, things like the meaning of life, what came first, the chicken or the egg, and what wine to pair with pork!?!  Well, tonight I am doing my best to try to answer at least that last question, and for me when it comes to pork, a good option is usually something Spanish, perhaps a Tempranillo, or in my case tonight, a lovely Ribera del Duero.

This wine is a lovely example of the Tinto Fino from Spain, and presents a lovely rich, ruby color in the glass.  The nose is somewhat fruity, yet also quite rich in a number of lovely sweet aromas, from some lovely leather and cedar aromas, to baking spice and some rich red fruit.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with rich berries and tart cherry up front, giving way to some lovely earthy spice notes midpalate.  The finish is just perfect, with well structured tannins supporting the long, dry finish that seems to last much longer than most Spanish reds.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's just a great example of some of the more drinkable, yet complex wines coming from Spain today.  I think I bought this in a bargain variety pack of wines from Wineshopper.com, so although I don't have an official price, it couldn't have been too expensive (just the way I like it eh?).  And of course, back to my question, I am pairing this one with a lovely maple and bourbon glazed pork tenderloin served with a bit of pasta and some fresh steamed asparagus, a wonderful dinner for a February evening.  And this wine just accents the pork so well, with the earthy spice notes offering the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the pork, delicious!