Spain

• Alicante
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• Campo de Borja
• Castilla y Leon
  • Bierzo
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• Priorat
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• Rioja
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• Yecla

Brought back from Spain by a neighbor after meeting with the owners.  This is drinking well now and traditional.  Ruby in color.  The nose is dusty with cherries and slight dried dill.  On the palate, this seems to be just slightly past prime but still drinking well.  Dried and fresh cherries with no tannins.  Easy drinking.  Food friendly.  A very good value although drinking in the first couple of years from vintage is a good idea.  

Deep ruby in color.  The nose is slightly dusty with black cherries.  On the palate, this has ripe black cherries.  This seemed different than earlier vintages.  LVMH bought this winery in 2008 so perhaps a bit different in philosophy.   Not as concentrated and wild.  It is a very good wine that will work with a wide variety of foods.  

An excellent bottle but not one of the better vintages of Numanthia.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has clay, dust and plenty of black cherries.  A bit thinner in body than other vintages.  Nice black cherry fruit on the palate.  Drinking fine right now.  Very food friendly for a wide range of foods.  

Of course, 2003 was an extremely hot vintage all across Spain.  Some wines were over ripe while in other cases, the vines simply shut down causing under ripe wines.  No worries here.  This wine was excellent.  Deep ruby in color if a bit flat.  The nose is interesting.  Dusty with cherries and black cherries and a hint of mint.  On the palate, this has lush black cherries.  Some initial heat but it smoothed out with a bit of air.  It is a bit riper than most vintages but not too much.  Drinking well now and for the next five to ten years.  

Dull purple in color.  The nose is nice.  Fresh and earthy with some cherries.  On the palate, this has bright cherries.  A bit lighter than other vintages.  It faded quickly in the glass.  Still quite good but this probably needs to be consumed in the next few years if this bottle was representative.  More red cherries than black cherries.  

Easily the star in a vertical of older vintages of Numanthia.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has slight coconut with ripe black cherries and some spice.  On the palate, this is lush, deep and still youthful.  Black cherry fruit.  Firm medium tannins.  Long finish.  Just a delicious wine that will doubtless last another decade and probably two as it matures.  This will need bigger food to stand up to it.  

This wine is showing its age and was a unanimous choice for last place in our vertical.  That said, it is still worth drinking if you own a bottle, just lower expectations.  Purple in color.  The nose is a bit dusty with just a bit of diluted cherry fruit left.  On the palate, this lacks fruit.  There is a bit of a root beer note that is interesting.  Slightly bitter on the finish.  It has some depth.  Of course, at age 19, bottles will vary.  

This is drinking quite well and youthfully at age 20.  Purple in color, no signs of bricking.  On the nose there is spice, cherries and funk/barnyard.  Still has reasonably firm tannins on the palate.  This is deep and complex with slightly jammy black cherry fruit. It is a bit drying on the finish.  Overall, this is delicious and seems more like a five to seven year old wine.  Should have no problem lasting another decade.  It is a big wine and will need bigger food to pair with it.  

This is made from the Albillo grape just a bit east of Madrid in Manchuela.  Light white gold in color.  The nose is interesting.  Waxy with chamomile tea and slight lemony notes.  On the palate, this is a fuller bodied white.  Slightly oily texture but lacking a lot of acidity.  Nice apple notes with some minerality.  Also a cinnamon quality on the finish which is interesting.  Long finish.  A very enjoyable wine and a nice change of pace.  This will work well with a wide variety of foods.  No idea on how well this grape ages.  

Sherries are some of the best value in the wine world but they are a specific tasted.  I love them.  This wine sells for under $20 and is excellent if treated right.  Light golden in color.  The nose has some volatile acidity (think paint thinner) but also a nice nuttiness to it.  It is fortified although this style has less oxidation than many sherries.  On the palate, this is dry as a bone.  drinking on its own is not a fun experience.  But, add some salty foods and the pairing is transformative.  A nuttiness with a dry acidity that is refreshing.  It is best with oilves, nuts and cracker