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!

2006 E. Guigal Gigondas

What a lovely Sunday afternoon, I finally had some time to relax and take a nap, then I went to the gym for a bit and now I'm ready to ease into Sunday dinner.  And to go with that dinner, I've opened a bottle of 2006 E. Guigal Gigondas, a nice little Rhone blend (Grenache 60%, Mourvedre 30% and Syrah 10%) that I find to be food friendly, and more importantly, a pleasant drinking wine for nice spring afternoons like I'm enjoying today.

The wine is a deep violet color in the glass, edging toward some nice ruby color.  This wine can be a bit tightly wound, so you might find it more approachable letting it decant or pouring it through an aerator.  I did the latter and still let it breathe a bit in the glass before drinking it.  The nose presents some lovely dark fruit aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis, along with some lovely earthy notes of cedar, anise and forest floor.  The taste has some nice fruit at the outset, that effortlessly transitions to some lovely black pepper and spice notes midpalate.  The tannins are well structured throughout, leading to a smooth, dry finish that is ideal for sipping on the patio on a spring afternoon.

Overall I would rate this wine a solid 8, and it was a pretty good value that I bought from wineshopper.com for $25.  Tonight I am enjoying this wine with some steak and black bean tacos, something a little off the beaten path for a typical Rhone blend, but what the heck?  The wine pairs well with beef, and it really compliments the spice of the marinade and rustic flavors of the black beans, illustrating how versatile these wines of the southern Rhone and Languedoc can be.  Cheers!

2003 Scala Dei Priorat

Another fine "Cellar Saturday" and today I've opened a 2003 Scala Dei Priorat, a lovely decade old blend from Spain, made from Grenache (69%), Cabernet Sauvignon (24%) and Syrah (11%), and a blend that I've chosen specifically for the lovely dinner I have planned for this evening!

The wine is absolutely lovely in the glass, with deep purple colors, and a nose that just exudes dark fruit, with ample aromas of ripe plum, blackberry and cassis overlaying a hint of leather and cedar.  The taste is wonderfully complex, with a burst of fruit up front, lovely ripe plum, black cherry, and sweet blackberry that transition to some wonderful herb notes, along with some earthy notes of limestone and forest floor.  The finish is just wonderful, as the refined tannins support a long, lush and dry finish (I know those seem like contradictory terms, but really they aren't!).

Overall, I would rate this wine a solid 8, as it's just a great example of this Spanish blend, and one which really supports a variety of dishes. Tonight I have prepared a dinner which I believe perfectly compliments the beauty of this wine, some lovely grilled lamb chops marinated in chipotle olive oil, some linguine in pesto sauce and a wonderful spinach salad with bleu cheese, cranberries and white balsamic vinaigrette, so delicious!  Cheers!