Bodegas Los Llanos
Tempranillo
Pata Negra - Roble (Black Paw - Oak)
Valdepeñas, Spain
2005
13.0%
$10.75 -- Weaver Street Market, Chapel Hill, NC
Color: Deep strawberry
Nose: Oaky raspberries, a little heat
Body: Medium
Front: Cassis and sawdust
Middle: Spice and smoke
Back: Creamy raspberries
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork
This is an interesting one. The nose is a lot like a zinfandel, but the profile is much more Spanish than Californian, especially the refusal to let fruit take over, ever. I think at this price it's a good choice, though I often like Valdepeñas reds. Pairing it with food is tricky; not super with tonight's Manchego cheese (though it does make for some groovy rum-and-coke-and-cinnamon-like synergy) or pot roast (that's my bad for choosing unwisely), but it could be fantastic with fish.
