2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga

Happy Saturday!  And since this is the first Saturday of a new month (and new year) it's Cellar Saturday!  Tonight, I've raided the cellar and opened a bottle that I just bought a week or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out.  The 2004 Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo Gran Viu Finca Santiaga is a red blend from the Aragon region of Spain containing Grenache (60%), Cariñena (20%) and Vidadillo (20%).  So, let's see how this wine has developed over the past two decades!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, much more reminiscent of a Merlot than a Grenache heavy blend.  A gentle swirl of the glass reveals aromas of leather, black currant and licorice with undertones of earthy graphite.  The first sip is remarkably fresh with a rush of blueberry, tart cherry and currant that ease into some notes of tar and dark chocolate.  The tannins are voluptuous, providing for an ideal base for the lingering dry finish that just leaves you reaching for another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, as it's the most impressive Grenache blend I've had the pleasure of drinking.  This wine would pair with a wide range of dishes beyond the traditional Spanish paella, anything from hearty steaks to pasta to roast leg of lamb.  Tonight, I am enjoying this wine with a pan seared prime center cut ribeye, with sautéed mushrooms and onions, steamed green beans and a big baked potato with sour cream and chives.  Cheers!

2017 Time Waits for No One Monastrell

Happy Sunday!  It was a rainy day today, so I didn't do a whole lot except for indoor chores like laundry.  As tiring as all that can be, it's now time for a nice bottle of wine with my Sunday dinner.  Tonight I've opened a bottle that was a recent Costco find, the 2017 Time Waits for No One oak aged Monastrell, a fine Spanish Varietal that should go nicely with my dinner.  And besides, with Halloween rapidly approaching, who could resist a label with a skull and crossbones?  So, let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass, with great clarity as you might expect from this varietal.  A gentle swirl in the glass releases aromas of rose petals, tawny dark fruit and a good bit of oak.  Take a sip and you're greeted with a tempest of flavors, with a rush of mulberry and cherry up front that transitions nicely to some vanilla caramel notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured to provide for a wonderfully long, smooth dry finish that lingers with a bit of oak.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a value (I think this was around $12) that is quite food friendly.  This wine would pair with a variety of Spanish dishes, grilled lamb, wild mushroom risotto or a hearty pasta.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a Zhatar seasoned New York Strip grilled rare on a bed of grilled leeks with grilled purple cauliflower and some oven roasted rose fingerling potatoes.  Cheers!

2012 Pulchrum Crespiello

Happy Friday!  I am ready for the weekend, though my tree guy came by today to review the branches that will need to be cut back this fall and he was nice enough to point out some patches of poison ivy that I'll now need to address this weekend...ugh.  But before that fiasco commences, I figure I have time for a nice bottle of wine with dinner, and tonight it's a new wine and a new varietal.  I got an e-mail from Wines Till Sold Out a month or so ago highlighting a wine made from a a nearly extinct varietal and they had me!  The 2012 Pulchrum Crespiello (aka Vidadillo) is a wine from Carinena in northwest Spain grown on vines planted in 1900 (so this is old vine for sure!).  This varietal was well known in the 12th century, but not always known for quality (comparisons to vinegar are common) thought winemaking techniques have advanced in the past 900 years.  Vidadillo is somewhat similar to Garnacha, but with larger darker berries with thicker skins, the wines from this varietal are often darker and more tannic than a typical Garnacha.  So let's see how this wine tastes!

The wine is certainly darker than a Garnacha, appearing more like a Cabernet or Merlot in the glass.  The nose is a pleasant combination of black currant, floral notes and a hint of balsamic (hello vinegar!) that doesn't give you brain much to go on for taste expectations.  The taste thought is quite an experience, with a brief rush of ripe blackberry and currant that transitions nicely to some wonderful caramel and spice notes midpalate before an edge of balsamic just before the finish.  The tannins are robust but well structured, providing for a long, smooth and very dry finish that lingers.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a really interesting wine from a varietal I've not tried before.  This is the sort of wine that would pair well with a variety of hard to pair dishes, like Indian or Moroccan food, but it would also pair well with pasta, roasts or game and of course, steak.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a grilled chuckeye steak along with some glazed baby carrots and potato puree.  Cheers!

2014 Honoro Vera Garnacha

Well, today I've decided to open a bottle that's been sitting in my kitchen for a while, I can't recall where I got it but I put it on my counter behind the coffee and it's sat there ever since, the 2014 Honoro Vera Garnacha from the Catalayud region of Spain, which is well known for its Grenache.  And of course another advantage of Spanish wines is that like this wine they are usually good values for the price.  So let's see how this one tastes!

The wine is a deep garnet color in the glass, a bit darker than some Grenache wines from France.  The nose presents aromas of ripe cherry, plum and currant amid spicy notes of white pepper and earthy green grass.  The taste is classic Spanish Garnacha, with a rush of ripe, lush fruit, blackberry, cherry and currant that transition effortlessly to some notes of fresh herbs and white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are well integrated, providing a wonderfully velvety, long and very dry finish that beckons you to have another sip.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a classic Grenache from this region of Spain.  This is also a very food friendly wine, perfect for summer as it would complement a broad range of patio dinners, from burgers and steaks to barbecued ribs and fresh caprese salad.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a classic dinner of chorizo and bean tacos with all the trimmings, the wonderful fruit in the wine really plays well against the spice of the chorizo.  Cheers!

2010 Genium Celler Priorat

You know, it's been a while since I've enjoyed a nice Spanish wine, so tonight I've opened a bottle I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2010 Genium Celler Priorat, a blend of Garnacha (45%), Syrah (20%), Merlot (20%), Carinena (10%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (5%).  I've often viewed Priorat and similar wines from Spain as the poor cousins of Chateauneuf du Pape and the classic GSM blends of France, but in reality, these wines are in a style and class of their own.  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep purple in the glass, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose is a blend of earthy aromas, leather, oak and spice box intermingled with some soft fruit notes and hints of floral undertones.  The taste is a rush of black fruit, cherry, blackberry and plum that transition to some notes of anise and peppery spice midpalate.  The chalky tannins can be somewhat of a challenge, but in this wine they work, providing nice balance to the rich fruit and setting up the long, very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's pleasant to drink, but also somewhat versatile when it comes to food pairings.  I rely on Spanish reds for more challenging dishes to pair, like my dinner tonight, an Indian spiced oven roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.  The rich fruit and balanced spice on the finish make a nice pairing with the herb spice of the chicken, a protein that can be a challenge with red wine.  Cheers!

2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia

Happy Saturday!  Of course, this being the first Saturday of August, it's also Cellar Saturday, that one day per month where I raid the cellar for a bottle that's attained an appropriate level of maturity.  Tonight I've decided to open a bottle of 2005 Bodegas Estefania Tilenus Mencia that I recently bought from Wines Till Sold Out.  The wine is made from 100% Mencia grapes, which have experienced a bit of a revival with winemakers utilizing grapes from higher elevations and older vines, yielding much more age worthy wines.  This bottle was somewhat disappointing as the cork disintegrated when I tried to open it, so I decanted and then had to run the wine through some filter paper to get rid of the cork fragments (not sure what impact that will have on the wine).  So after a rough start, let's see what this wine has to offer.

The wine is a deep, inky black at the center, with bright ruby along the edges.  The nose presents pleasant aromas of blackberry, cherry, anise, green grass and tar, that suggests this will be a serious wine.  The taste is surprising as there is a rush of ripe fruit up front, blackberry, cherry and ripe plum that just overwhelm your senses.  The rich fruit transitions to some lovely mineral notes midpalate, with dusty limestone and granite that persist into the finish.  The tannins are nicely structured for a velvety mouthfeel and a long, supple dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 9, it's a very pleasant drinking wine that is just starting to reach its prime.  I would recommend decanting for at least an hour and letting the wine breathe as well, as this one definitely opens up to reveal even more complexity among the fruit.  This wine would pair well with a nice grilled steak, paella of some more robust Mediterranean dishes, but tonight I am going a bit off script and enjoying this one with a grilled swordfish steak along with some oven roasted fingerling potatoes and some grilled organic rainbow carrots.  The fruit in the wine really offers a nice contrast for the flavor of the swordfish.  Cheers!

2011 Muga Rioja Riserva

So I'm at Boston' Logan airport and the last words you ever want to hear when you arrive are, "your flight's wicked delayed!"  So here I am at Legal Seafoods for dinner (I have 4 hours to kill) so why not enjoy some wine?  Now keep in mind I'm doing this on my phone so please forgive the typos!  I just got a half bottle of 2011 Muga Rioja Riserva so let's see what this one has to offer!

The color is a nice deep ruby. The nose presents aromas of plum, currant, limestone and a bit of Bordeaux style funk. The taste is quite nice with a rush of black fruit up front followed by some smooth mineral notes of dusty likestone and basalt. The tannins are nicely structured lending to the long, smooth dry finish. 

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a nice Rioja from a producer I like. It would be great with a variety of Mediterranean dishes, but tonight I'm at Legal Seafoods enjoying this with some blackened tuna sashimi and a Bostob baked scrod for dinner. Cheers!

2007 Bodegas Arrayan Syrah

Happy Sunday!  The end of the weekend but the beginning of the week, how does that work anyway?  Tonight I've decided to open a recent purchase from Wines Till Sold Out, the 2007 Bodegas Arrayan Syrah, a 100% Syrah from Mentrida, Spain.  So let's see what this one has to offer!

The wine is a deep ruby color in the glass.  The nose presents aromas of tart cherry, violets and wild game with mint.  The taste is surprising it its complexity, with a rush of ripe fruit up front, cherry, blueberry and cassis that transitions to some lovely floral and spice notes midpalate.  The peppery spice subsides to reveal some wonderfully structured tannins supporting the velvety, smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8.5, as it's a lovely Syrah that's in it's prime for drinking and it was a terrific bargain at just $17.  Tonight I am paring this with my own twist on Indian food, a chicken Tikka Masala with a broad array of vegetables served over basmati rice.  The black fruit and spice are perfect with Indian food, cheers!

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!

2010 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja

It's Sunday, time for the best dinner of the week, since you have all afternoon to contemplate and prepare your meal.  Tonight I've decided on something that will warm me up since it's bitter cold out today, the temperature started this morning in the teens and now it's only 7!  So with the warmth of my Sunday dinner, I've decided to open a bottle of 2010 Hacienda Lopez de Haro Rioja, which I bought about a month ago at Costco.

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose exhibits some lovely fruit and floral notes with some lovely white pepper spice.  The taste is quite nice, with some subdued fruit up front, ripe plum and cassis, that transitions nicely to some dried herb and spice notes midpalate.  The finish is pleasant though a bit short, with a reprise of jammy fruit amid the smooth dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it's nothing spectacular, even though it was a phenomenal bargain at just $5!  I regret only buying a single bottle, I should have bough a case!  And to warm up this evening, I am pairing this with some ghost pepper curry with chicken and vegetables served over steamed basmati rice.  It's so hard to pair a red wine with ghost peppers, but this one does well, with some subdued earthy flavors that actually complement the spice.  Here's to warming up with hearty winter food!

2012 Protocolo Tinto Tempranillo

TGIF!!!  We are now on summer hours so we get to leave an hour early on Friday and I got a lot accomplished.  I went to the gym and worked out, then came home and mowed the yard before it starts raining again and now I've finally settled down for a nice glass of wine.  Tonight I've opened a bottle of our June office wine club selection, the 2012 Protocolo Tinto tempranillo from Spain.

The wine is a nice bright ruby color in the glass with nice clarity.  The nose is classic tempranillo, with aromas of ripe berries, plum and leather and just a hint of mint.  The taste is not as laden with jammy fruit as the nose would suggest, instead the fruit was subdued and quickly transitioned to some notes of iron and toasted oak midpalate.  The finish was rather brief, with some hints of vanilla on the back end, still an easy drinking wine.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's a pleasant, easy drinking wine that was a great value at less than $7!  I picked this one up at G.B. Russo's in Grand Rapids and could be a nice mid-week wine.  Tonight I am enjoying this with some fresh proscuitto perline pasta from Trader Joe's along with some rosa prima vera, a nice easy Friday night meal.  Cheers!

2008 Audius Rioja

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  Yeah, I know I should be falling down drunk on green beer, but I really haven't been much of a beer drinker since college, though I can open a nice bottle of wine to celebrate!  Tonight it's the 2008 Audius Rioja, a lovely tempranillo from Spain that I think has a good chance of pairing well with a traditional Irish dinner.

The wine is lovely garnet color in the glass, with an inky purple near the center.  The nose is a fantastic smoky aroma of bright red fruit, cherry, raspberry and red plum over the faintest hints of leather and vanilla.  The taste is wonderfully fruit forward with flavors of cherry cola, blackberry and cassis, that easily transition to some spice notes of white pepper midpalate.  The tannins are softly structured but they still give nice backbone to the long, smooth and very dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, it's a very nice Rioja at a terrific price as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $13.  Tonight I am enjoying this with, what else?  Corned beef and stinky cabbage, along with red potatoes and carrots that have been simmering in the slow cooker since this morning!  If you choose not to have beer, I can think of few better wines to go with this Irish fare than a lighter, dry and very fruit forward wine like this.  Erin go bragh!

2012 La Chosa Joven Rioja

Ahhh...hump day of a holiday-shortened week, what could be better?  How about a bottle of Rioja?  You know how I love the tempranillo, so tonight I've opened a bottle of 2012 La Chosa Joven Rioja, a wine I got a month or so ago from Wines Till Sold Out, so I figure what the heck, I'll give it a try.

The wine is a lighter ruby color in the glass, with nice clarity.  The nose is quite aromatic, with aromas of red fruit, cherry, strawberry and currant overlaid with some floral and spice notes, black pepper, hints of anise, as well as some earthy notes of grass and cedar.  The taste is very fruit forward, with a blast of cherry and strawberry that quickly transitions to some mineral notes of iron and graphite midpalate.  The finish is quite warm, with some spice notes intermingled with the subdued tannins providing a bit of structure for the moderately dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it was a nice example of the varietal at a terrific bargain price of just $10!  Tonight I am pairing this wine with some chicken, baked potato and some grilled vegetables, but it would also pair nicely with a variety of soft cheeses and olives for a pleasant appetizer, as the fruit and spice notes practically cry out for something smooth and creamy to pair with.  Cheers!

2008 Marques de Caceres Crianza Rioja

What a momentous day!  Well, it wasn't that impressive, but I did get a lot of work done in the yard and I managed to change out all 6 florescent lights in the garage so now I have a well lit work space rather than a dim flickering one!  So to celebrate little victories, I've decided to open up a bottle of Rioja, specifically a 2008 Marques de Caceres Crianza that I bought a couple weeks ago.

The wine is light in the glass with great clarity, almost reminiscent of a pinot noir, but not quite.  The nose is pure Rioja, with bright fruit notes blasting forth, cherry, plum and cassis overlaid with a but of tart apple.  The taste is somewhat different than I was expecting, it was fruit forward, but bursting with tart cherry rather than jammy berries.  The initial fruit transitions effortlessly to some herb notes and earthy notes of dusty limestone midpalate.  The tannins are still quite pronounced lending structure to the long, smooth dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as you know my penchant for Spanish reds, plus I found this one in the bargain bin (literally a shopping cart at my local market full of discontinued wines!) for only $12!  Tonight I am pairing this one with a classic summer cookout of grilled brats with sauteed onions and peppers on a pretzel roll along with some broccoli slaw and grilled corn on the cob.  The fruit of the wine is such a great pairing with the spice of the brats, so yummy!

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!

2011 Sueno Tempranillo

Do you know what day it is? Oh yeah!  It's hump day!  Time to open up a new bottle of wine and celebrate getting through to the downward slope of the work week (even though the next two days are going to be crazy busy for me).  So tonight I've opened up a bottle of our Office Wine Club's June selection, the 2011 Sueno Tempranillo!  You know how much I appreciate the quality and value of Spanish wines for everyday drinking, so hopefully this one will be true to form as it's 100% Tempranillo from the Ribera del Jucar.

The wine is a little darker than I might have expected, with a deep ruby color throughout that brightens along the edges.  The nose is classic Tempranillo with lots of dark ripe fruit, blackberry, plum and cassis intermingled with some dark chocolate and dried flower notes, that transitions to just a hint of black pepper and spice.  Despite the dark fruit nose, the taste is very light, with some lovely berry notes on the outset that transitions to some rustic flavors of anise, dusty limestone and barnyard.  The tannins are somewhat soft but very well integrated giving a nice structure to the wine and supporting a smooth, dry finish.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7.5 as it does what most Spanish wines do, pair well with a variety of dishes at a value price - I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for just $11!  And tonight I am enjoying it with a classic mid-week dinner of pizza, a perfect pairing as the rustic flavors just mesh so nicely with the spicy sauce and pepperoni.  Cheers!

2009 Peique Ramon Valle Bierzo

Yes I know, it's been a while since my last post and since I've been so busy with work lately that shouldn't be surprising.  So I'll make up for it this afternoon, after completing all my yard work I finally have time to open a new bottle and enjoy a glass of wine, and today it's the 2009 Peique Ramon Valle Bierzo, a wine that is made from the mencia grape of Spain, and one that I've not had the opportunity to try before.  Mencia has developed somewhat of a negative reputation, since some newer vines were planted and many producers focused on mass market wines meant to be consumed soon after bottling.  Fortunately this wine is from 55-60 year old vines, so it might be more of an age worthy sort of wine. So here's to trying new wines!

The color on this wine is a deep ruby, somewhat darker than I expected.  At first blush, the wine had a distinct nose of "Frankenberry" but as I let it open up a bit, the fruit subsided and a lovely combination of leather, spice, tobacco and espresso made themselves known.  The taste was rather surprising, as I was expecting a rush of fruit at the outset that never really appeared.  There were some hints of berries with a good bit of spice at the outset, black pepper and anise that quickly transitioned to some lovely mineral notes midpalate.  The finish was quite striking, with some balsamic over the stark minerality of dusted limestone and granite that made for a long, dry finish.

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 7.5, it was very interesting as a new varietal that I've note tried before, and it was a nice value, as I bought this one from Wines Till Sold Out for about $11!  Although this wine hails from the northeastern part of Spain, tonight I'm pairing it with a starkly Mediterranean sort of dish, of fresh mussels sauteed in garlic and olive oil and then simmered in some San Marzano tomatoes and spicy red peppers and tossed with linguine with a touch of fresh basil and shaved parmesan to finish it off, my classic version of mussels fra diavalo!  The fruit and minerality of this wine are an ideal compliment to the hearty spice of the sauce and mussels.  Andiamo a mangiare!

2011 Marques de la Musa Garnacha

So tonight I've decided to open a bottle of our next office wine club selection, I guess that's the privilege of being in charge of the wine club! And the selection is the 2011 Marques de la Musa Garnacha, a lovely Grenache from Spain that I think would be a lovely accompaniment to the upcoming holiday dinners!

The wine is a somewhat darker color than you might often expect from a typical Grenache.  The nose presents a very pleasant aromas of strawberry, raspberry cut grass, forest floor and herbs.  The taste is very pleasant, with flavors of ripe, sweet berries, tar and black pepper that transition to some wonderful Asian spice and plum sauce midpalate.  The tannins are well structured, leading to a velvety mouthfeel and long, dry finish, a very pleasant and easy drinking wine.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 7, it's nothing spectacular but a pleasant everyday wine and a terrific value that I found at G.B. Russo's for $6 plus tax!  Tonight I am enjoying this with some meatball sliders and a nice salad, but it would be great with some turkey, cranberries and all the trimmings.  In other words, an ideal holiday wine for Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Cheers!

2012 2 Copas Spanish Red Blend

So a week or two ago I was at my favorite local wine shop, G. B. Russo's and as they usually do on Saturdays they had a small tasting of three or four wines, and of course how could I resist?  And one of the wines they were tasting was a 2 Copas, a label I've tried before and it was always a pretty descent value wine.  But this one was different, as it was a wine from Spain, so why not try it?  I'm glad I did, because I wasn't disappointed and it was as good or better value than I remembered!

The wine is a nice deep ruby color in the glass, suggesting it might be full of ripe fruit, and it is!  The nose is chock full of rich ripe fruit, blackberries, cherries, plum and cassis overlayed with just a hint of leather and cedar (enough to make you think about it!).  Despite the distinct jammy character of the nose, the taste takes a different direction.  There is great ripe fruit up front, with some lovely notes of plum, cherry and anise, but the fruit transitions effortlessly to some green grass and minerality midpalate.  The finish is surprisingly nice, with some tight tannins and mild acidity that accents the wonderfully dry finish.  It's really a best of both worlds sort of wine, very fruity up front yet still with a nice dry finish that you don't even notice unless you're thinking about it.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's not so much a spectacular Spanish red as it is a good Spanish red at a spectacular value!  I bought this wine for just under $6 including tax!  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with a last gasp of summer meal, a rare grilled Angus T-bone (though to be fair, looking at the filet this is really a porterhouse), baked heirloom potato and some grilled baby carrots (that I grew myself) and some grilled brussels sprouts that I picked up at a farm stand yesterday in South Haven.  Those grilled veggies really married the Autumn with the steak of Summer, which is a great testament to this wine.  It would be great with a summer dinner, but it could be fabulous with turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberries and all the trimmings of the holidays which are fast approaching!  Cheers!