I have long been a fan of Spain. My favorite Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown episodes are in Spain. Whenever I watch the Tour of Spain, I always see places that I think would be interesting to visit. Their history is fascinating and I love the idea of tapas culture. Their wines are great too and for the quality, a great bargain.
As I wrote in my Christmas blog, cava is my sparkling wine choice for everyday and in the summer, I love Albariño. However, whenever I am having a dish with a little spice, Tempranillo is my go to.
Tempranillo is grown in the Rioja region of Spain and is the dominate red grape. The grape ripens early, which is advantageous, as the vines for this wine are grown on the high plateau of La Mesa de Ocaña, Toledo. The thing that I find interesting about this wine is that it is aged for 3 months in amphorae, before being aged in French oak barrels.
It has the aromas and flavors of dark fruit-blackberries, black cherries, plum and blueberry. From the French oak you get the aromas of vanilla and cedar. There is also espresso, licorice and baking spices. The tannins are silky and not overpowering and the acid and alcohol (14.5% abv) are nicely integrated and balanced.
This is a wine that will go with almost anything. It will go with lamb, beef, chicken, and even salads. I had it with a enchilada bake and it was delightful. The spice from the enchilada sauce brought the fruit more forward and dropped the other components to the back. This was nice because it balances out the spice from the sauce, making it a little more mellow.
So, if you’re looking for one wine to go with whatever you are eating, this is the bottle for you. The quality is excellent and I would recommend buying a case. You can drink it now or age it but either way, you would always have a bottle available to impress your friends.