Ribera Del Duero

This is a Tempranillo wine.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries,black cherries and baking spice.  Also some dustiness.  On the palate, this has a nice texture.  It is warm and dusty with black cherry fruit.  Some complexity.  Nice finish.  This will still get better but it is drinking well right now.  Another few years and it should be close to peak.  It will go well with roasts and grilled meats.  

This was quite popular at our Intowine.com tasting.  It is a young wine from Spain made from Tempranillo.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has black cherries, sea air and just a bit of woodiness.  On the palate, this has a nice balance.  Light with silky tannins.  The wine flutters on the palate.  Soft with black cherries and just a bit of anise. It is very tasty with some depth and complexity.  It won't get better than this and should be consumed in the next few years.  

This is a Spanish wine made from Tinto Fino which is the local name from Tempranillo.  It was good to try another bottle as the first was badly corked.  This was very nice if a bit young.  Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, black cherries, dust and cedar.  On the palate, this has medium tannins.  Bold cherry flavor with underlying char.  Good balance.  Nice finish.  It should continue to evolve for the next five years or so and be good for at least a decade after that.  It will go well with foods on the grill.  

Moro is one of the top producers in Ribera del Duero.  This is their entry level red and is made from Tinto de Toro (a clone of Tempranillo).  It spends four months in oak before being bottled.  Purple/ruby in color.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, dust and slight dill notes.  On the palate, this is very ripe fruit.  Very light tannins.  Mostly cherries, some sour cherries with some black licorice notes and spice especially on the finish.  This is made for immediate drinking and it is fine for that.  It will works with stews and foods without strong flavors.  

I bought this on the recommendation of Wes at the local wine store.  Good call.  It was my tasting group's WOTN (#2 for me).  And for $25, a pretty good value.  Closer to $18 for those in other states with less restrictive laws.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  The nose is initially tight but opens with air.  Cherries and some dark cherries with a nice dusty quality.  On the palate, this has a juicy and lush texture.  Medium tannins.  Plenty of black cherry fruit.  Good finish.  A bit more modern in style but not full blown.  This works on its own and will work well at the table too.  

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.  

From one of my personal favorite wineries of Ribera del Duero.  Inky purple in color.  The nose has cherries and a slight bell pepper note.  Also some spice.  On the palate, nice black cherry fruit.  Very tannic and youthful.  Good balance.  It needs time and air.  More modern in style.  Needs bigger foods.  Should last a decade more with ease.  At one time, these bottlings cost over $100, so shop around.  A quick perusal sees pricing from $38 to $70.  In this particular blind tasting of Tempranillo's, this was my WOTN.  

Purple in color, magenta at the rim.  The nose has nice cherry fruit along with some dill.  Also dusty.  It did take some time to open.  On the palate, this has bright cherry fruit.  Not a ton of depth at this point.  Lighter tannins.  Good balance and acidity.  This will work well at most dinner tables if the price is within one's budget for an "everyday" type of wine.  Very classic and old-school in style.  

Sadly, this was horribly corked (TCA).  The note is included to see if this is a random episode or something others should be aware of.  

Kirkland is the Costco store brand name.  For many, they are dismissive over the wine, but my experiences with Kirkland wines has been positive.  Not amazing wines, but very good wines for very reasonable pricing.  This one is a Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero.  It was my WOTN in a tasting of value wines.  Ruby in color though a bit flat.  The nose has dusty red cherries with a bit of baking spice.  On the palate, this has a soft texture, but the tannins are firm and build with air.  Really nice cherry fruit.  It is a bit warm on the finish.  Very food friendly for most foods.  And all fo