This is a lighter, but traditional, Rioja. Garnet in color, clear and bright. The nose is a bit earthy with fresh cherries and a whiff of tobacco. Light to medium bodied. Light tannins. Good acidity. On the palate, flavors of cherries with a bit of char. Anise on the finish. This drinks easily and should for the next five to seven years. Nice on its own, this would be a great mid week meatloaf or pizza wine.
My first time trying this wine and it was quite enjoyable. Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, spice and slight chocolate notes. Medium bodied. Light tannins. Good balance. On the palate, this drinks easy but there is also some depth. Cherries, with a slight char and the chocolate note comes thru as well. Nice finish. This drinks nicely on its own but should be very food friendly at the table. A nice match would be grilled sausages. Drink over the next seven to ten years. A very nice value.
This is a Rosé from Spain that is a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. It is Salmon pink/copper in color, clear and bright. The nose is interesting with a slight orange/citrus note along with cherries, strawberries and a very slight vanilla note. (As an aside, both this and the Blanco had a vanilla note, but it does not appear the wines so oak, so where does it come from?). Medium bodied with a slightly oily texture. On the palate, lots of fresh cherries, some cranberries and slight red currants. A bitter almond note on the finish. This is refreshing and a lovely wine to serv
It had been a long time since I tried this ubiquitous Rioja wine. It is still very good and an excellent value at around $15. Purple/garnet in color. The nose is nice with spice, cherries and slight black cherries. With air some vanilla comes out. On the palate, this is soft and accessible. Light tannins. Cherries and slight dill. Good finish. This will work with almost any food.
This is a very modern take on Rioja. Purple in color, ruby at the rim. The nose is tight. With air it shows black cherries and black raspberries. Also some spice. On the palate, this is deep and delicious. Firm tannins. Bright black cherry fruit. Blind, I would have probably guessed California Grenache. Still, it is delicious and inexpensive (under $20). It would make a great party wine. Not sure how well this will age. It might be fun to lay a bottle or two down.
This is 100% Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain. It is very traditional in style. It opened quickly before shutting down and was just starting to reopen when my glass was empty. Purple in color with ruby swirls, mostly clear and bright. The nose has cherries, spice, slight vanilla and slighter anise. Medium bodied. Medium tannins. The cherries and anise come thru to the palate with a slight balsamic note. Good balance. Nice finish. Nice on its own but better with some food. A nice match for meatloaf with a tomato based sauce. Drink over the next five to eight years.
