Now that I'm over my
"Merlot madness" I've sprained my brain on some of
Spain's numerous wine regions (More than 60), sampling a number of
Spanish Red wines and letting them transport the
New Hampshire Wine-man, to
Spain's heart, the region of
La Mancha.
La Mancha is the largest wine region in the world. Here
Volver ekes out of rock, sand, sky, air, and sparse rain, a labor of love to transmute time and space into a bottle of rich, aromatic, and gossamer wine memories.
Volver La Mancha 2007 Tempranillo, $11.04, 90 points, is gentle, yet spicy, polished, yet earthy, it is richly vibrant with furtive hints of espresso and tobacco.
This is a winner of a wine, from its value price, intriguing label, Geo-history, down to the fine flavorful finish.
The traveler from across the Atlantic was impressed!
East of
La Mancha is
Almansa with its
Atalaya 2007 Red Wine, $12.74, 90 points, a gulper of a Red wine, dark, aromatic, smoothly enjoyable and pair-able, not a pretender of distinction, not a feast in itself, but pleasure in a bottle: a "helpmeet" on the table, with generosity for friends and family in ambiance.
The New Hampshire Wine-man presumes to rate a great buy:
Heading straight North is the
Campo De Borja region from where
Borsa Crianza, a 60% Garnacha (Sweet "water" from sand and stone), 20% Tempranillo, and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, blends soft aromas and ruby colors into a balanced complexity having wonderful flavors of blackberries ending with a long finish of pleasant pepper.
Borsa Crianza 2006 Red Wine, $11.04, 90 points
I bought two of these for a steal, but wished I had bought a case.
Traveling East again, I stumbled upon The
Priorat region and the "best" wine of my
Spanish adventure. Though not all the
Spanish wines I've tried are 90 plus points, my amazement with the
QPR is great (Purposefully I left out lesser reviewed wines, [those reviews will come later] to show respect for those in
Spain who have made such treasures in bottles). However my first
Priorat wine, though my favorite
Spanish wine, is a bit pricey, at
$36.54 (Not an inexpensive wine), but well worth that price (If it were a more recent vintage, I would have gone back and bought more).
2005 Ferrer Bobet Priorat Red Wine, $36.54, 92 points, (53% Carignane 35% Garnacha, 7% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon) is beautifully aromatic and vibrant, with a royal purple color, medium bodied, enticingly gentle early palate, and with late palate pepper morphing into a finish of spicy effluence, the
2005 Ferrer Bobet Priorat, is not going to knock you over, but is restrained and mature, pure palate pleasure, stand alone or with almost any cuisine.
Rioja region is well know and appreciated by wine-lovers all around the world, and is our next stop.
Marqués de Cáceres Reserva 2004 Rioja, $18.74, 90 points, begins rich and finishes luscious, with a clear ruby color, sweet aroma, easily drinkable, and flavorful, this wine quickly became one of my favorites.
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