Gran Viu Seleccion

Viñedos y Bodegas Pablo
Gran Viu
Selección
Grenache, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan (or maybe Syrah?)
Cariñena DO
Almonacid de la Sierra, Zaragoza, Spain
2002
14.5%
$24.99 -- Spec's Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Obscure ruby
Nose: Stewed fruit, tar, mushrooms, cherry smoke
Body: Full
Front: Creamy roasted plum
Middle: Black pepper, black cherry
Back: Coffee grounds, rocks, dusty tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This wine has length, depth, and sweetness, plus all of the herby, leathery stuff for which ageable Spanish wines are known. This was phenomenal with a chicken-in-píperade purée and spinach and mushroom quiche. It might be hard to find this wine, but it's a well-priced example of what this region and producer can do, and much worth trying!

Pagos del Moncayo Garnacha

Pagos del Moncayo
Garnacha 
Grenache
Campo de Borja DO
Spain
2007
14.5%
$17.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Fishmarket, blueberry, firecracker, cream, cherry
Body: Medium to full
Front: Creamy cherry
Middle: Orange peel, plum, licorice
Back: Coffee grounds, rocks, dusty tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

The "Tinto Joven" made by this label gave me about the worst hangover I've had in a long time. Why, then, did I pick up a bottle of their Grenache?

Well, for one thing, I love Grenache; for another, the Tinto Joven was quite vibrant and fascinating. This one is not quite as multilayered as that one was. But it's big, yet excellently stocked with both fruit and secondary, herby flavors. While I suspect the alcohol level is actually higher than the label claims, it's better with food, as the end of it kind of waters out: I'm drinking it with an open jar of pickles, as it happens.

Lacrimus Rioja

Valsanzo (Bodegas Sendero Royal?)

Lacrimus

Crianza

Tempranillo, Graciano
Rioja DOCa
Rincon de Soto, La Rioja, Spain
2008
13.5%
$13.89 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark ruby

Nose: Cherry, blackberry bramble, orange grove

Body: Medium to full
Front: Cherry

Middle: Leather, spice, blackberry

Back: Licorice, gas

Burns clean?: Yes

Cap: Cork

A tasty Rioja, well worth the money. It'll age, I reckon, too. Good with food (pizza, in this case) and a bit brooding. It's a big wine, and I suppose one might say it's a "modern" style, but it's still plenty Spanish--the dark and herby aspects of it are to be reckoned. Hmm. Rosemaried lamb or potatoes would be awesome with this, come to think of it.

Ferrer Bobet Priorat

Ferrer Bobet
Priorat 
Carignane, Grenache
Falset, Tarragona, Spain
2006
15%
$33.99 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Dark ruby
Nose: Cherry, plum, orange
Body: Medium
Front: Steely blackberry
Middle: Licorice, smoke, peppery spice
Back: Soft tannins, char, coffee bean
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Priorat: it's trendy, overpriced, and sometimes fantastic. This is pretty good, but I still think overpriced. It may be that in ten years (which it can certainly handle) it'll be awesome. Or, given the unevenness of the delivery on the palate, it may be that in six months it'll be fabulous, terrible in two years, and awesome again in five.

I suppose the moral of the story is: If you decide to go for this, get more than one bottle, and try to find it on sale! And don't try it with fondue. Terrible combination; shame on me!

Ondarre Rioja Reserva

Bodegas Ondarre
Reserva
Rioja
Tempranillo
Viana, Spain
2004
13.5%
$14.98 -- Twin Liquors, Austin, TX

Color: Medium deep rose
Nose: Cherry, mesquite smoke, cream, truffle
Body: Medium
Front: Raspberry, dried cherry
Middle: Coffee, sage
Back: Firm tannins, leather, orange peel 
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Spanish to the core. As much a tactile as a taste experience; a little fruit, a little earth, a bit of herbal kick. This isn't a big wine; indeed, there's a bit of hollowness to the mid-palate that is disappointing. This can take more time in the bottle, and if you open it soon, give it plenty of air so that it chills out a bit and loses its tightness. It will be great with any kind of food, as it was for example with the pepperoni pizza I had with it tonight.

Artadi Viñas de Gain Rioja

Artadi viñedas y vinos
Viñas de Gain
Rioja
Laguardia, Alava, Spain
2007
14%
$20.98 -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Medium deep rosy-purple
Nose: Blueberry, violets, chocolate, stewed fruit, smoke
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry pie
Middle: Orange,vanilla
Back: Soft tannins, graphite, cigar
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a smooth operator. Very easy to drink. Fruit, funk, flowers--what more could you want?

But: I'll wait a few years before I open another one of these. It was dang-o-licious with pork chops and mashed turnips and butter and salt and pepper and so forth, but it'll be way better with alla that stuff and more in about five to fifteen years. The tannins are there, but the character of the fruit and earth flavors is there too. Deeelightful!

Vega Escal Priorat

Viticultors del Priorat (for Reserva de la Tierra) Vega Escal
Priorat
Carignan, Grenache, Shiraz
Priorat, Spain
2005
14.5%
$15.10 -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Medium to deep red with purple tinge
Nose: Raspberry, orange rind, a little heat, chocolate pudding
Body: Medium
Front: Raspberry
Middle: Espresso, a hint of milk chocolate shavings
Back: Soft tannins, cardboard
Burns clean?:
Cap: Cork

There would appear to be some sort of cultish thing going on with Priorat wine, judging from the production history of this wine. It's okay; I'm not floored, but if you like Spanish reds you may find this wine very good. It doesn't go well with Stereolab's music, but it stood up to roast beef leftovers with cheesy potatoes and green bean casserole.

Segura Viudas Cava Brut Reserva

Segura Viudas
Cava
Brut Reserva
Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo 
Torrelavit, Spain
NV
11.5%
$9.99 -- Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Pale gold
Nose: Pineapple, apple
Body: Light to medium
Front: Lemon
Middle: Bread, caramel
Back: Lime, straw
Burns clean?: A little headache; go easy on it
Cap: Cork

A delightful acidity and just enough baked bread to make me happy. This is a great bargain and a good one for mixing with orange juice, cranberry juice, cassis, and so forth. It's a cold day, and a celebratory one, and this is a perfect match for it. For those planning New Years' celebrations, and wary of spending too much on Champagne, this is an excellent choice, I can say from experience.

San Román Toro

Bodegas y Viñedos Maurodos
San Román
Toro
Tempranillo
Valladolid, Spain
2005
14.5%
$39.98 [$65.00] -- Wine Library, Springfield, NJ

Color: Inky reddish purple
Nose: Mocha, pepper, vanilla
Body: Full and dirty
Front: Cherry and chocolate
Middle: Raspberry mocha pie, thyme, Slim JimTM
Back: Oak, espresso, soft tannins
Burns clean?: Mostly
Cap: Cork

To my taste, this is a stunningly beautiful, seductive wine. It's by no means for everyone, I can tell, even through my ecstasy of affection. It's tannic; it'll cellar for another 5-7 years easily. It's bossy.  With a spicy chorizo-chicken-artichoke dish, it never even flinched. I'm not sure whether to recommend Rage Against the Machine or Beethoven to drink it with; probably either will work perfectly. I'm'a gonna wait until it's on sale again, and hit 'em up for more.

Albada Garnacha Viñas Viejas

Albada
Garnacha Viñas Viejas
Grenache
Calatayud
Zaragoza, Spain
2005
14.5%
$13.98 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Deep garnet
Nose: Red currant, black pepper, Blue Angels exhaust
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cassis, raspberry jam
Middle: French bread, white pepper, cream
Back: Thyme, leather
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Plastic cork

This is an intense, complex wine.  It's dark, berry-driven, and fully present, in your face. Zin drinkers will love it. After being open for about two hours, it mellowed out a little bit and became more to my taste. Tonight it was paired with a chicken and leek and cream dish, an excellent combination. My sense is that this wine will be good in a crowd, though it won't have papparazzi. I'm drinking it while listening to "O Tannenbaum," which is a horrific combination, JSYK.

Ramón Bilbao Rioja Gran Reserva

Ramón Bilbao
Rioja
Gran Reserva
Tempranillo (& Graciano, Mazuelo)
Spain
1998
12.5%
$12.50 -- Wine Pro, Paducah, KY

Color: Medium rosy red
Nose: Tootsie roll, a hint of horsey poo, dried cherries
Body: Medium
Front: Cherry cola
Middle: Tootsie roll, coffee, hint of mushroom
Back: Dusty tannins, oak, radish
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

A delicious, aromatic, not-too complex but food-friendly wine. When I say not too complex, I just mean that there's not a clear sequence on the delivery. I don't mean that there aren't lots of flavors in it, because there are more than I have written down above, ones I can sense imprecisely at the edges of recollection. The tastes linger on the palate, too, haunting the flavor. It makes you want to drink more.

This is a case where my food and music pairings are failing me. I really want some Wisantigo Stravecchio cheese, but I'm in the boonies of Kentucky and there ain't none. And I want to listen to J.J. Cale with this: to mellow out completely. But for some odd reason, there's no J.J. Cale here either!  Outrageous. I will have to sing little songs to myself in my head...

Chapillon Cuvee Harmonie

R.E. 3145-Z
Cuvee Harmonie
Petit Verdot, Tannat
Aragon, Spain
2006
14%
$8.00 -- Costco, Austin, TX

Color: Deep red with purple tinge
Nose: Sour fruit, compost, pool float
Body: Medium
Front: Cassis
Middle: Cilantro, chocolate covered raspberry
Back: A smidgen of orange peel, fine tannins
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Plastic cork

This is a mysterious wine. What house made it? Where exactly in Aragon does it come from? Why doesn't it have any official denominations? The link in above is to the blog of a person whom I think is the winemaker; his Frenchness makes some sense of the blend. But the rest is a mystery I hope my three, or perhaps four, readers will illuminate for me because I am lazy.

The wine is tasty. Despite the acrobatics of combining two grapes that Americans rarely drink, or want to know that they're drinking if they do, the terroir kind of takes the limelight anyway. It's a Spanish red: gritty, tangy fruity, leathery. I confess it's got a bit of Madiran goin' on, probably an effect of the Tannat; it occurs to me that if you like Zinfandel, you might enjoy this as an entry to European wines. There appears to be, by the way, a teeny bit of residual carbonation in it...look for little tiny bubbles at the edge...

Finca Resalso

Bodegas Emilio Moro
Finca Resalso
TempranilloRibera del Duero
Valladolid, Spain2007
14.5%
$9.99 -- COSTCO, Austin, TX

Color: Dark red
Nose: Ripe cherry flambee, graham cracker
Body: Medium to full
Front: Cherries
Middle: Cream, cilantro
Back: Animal crackers, soft tannins
Burns clean?:
Cap: Cork

This is another good deal from Spain. Interesting, multilayered, and bright. This will pair well with a range of foods, I think; it's got a solid body. No music tonight, and no food: it's labor day, which for me seems to have meant laboring all day. But as a midnight snack, with only the sound of the wind as accompaniment, it's delightful.

Luzon Jumilla

Bodegas Luzon
Jumilla
Monastrell, SyrahJumilla, Spain2007
14%
$6.89 -- COSTCO, Austin, TX

Color: Dark red with a slight purple tinge
Nose: Raspberry and tobacco
Body: Medium
Front: Pepper
Middle: Dark cherry
Back: Some sort of spice...thyme? Oregano?
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

This is a great bottle of wine for this price. Not sure how it'll age, as the tannins are very soft, but it's fruity yet earthy, powerful yet structured. It's good with the olives and the cold leftover steak on my plate this evening, but I think any sort of light food it'd be great for, and would be a super hot-weather red wine. It's not a powerhouse wine, but it's a delightful surprise!

Merum Monastrell

Bodegas Merum
Monastrell
Jumilla
Spain2006
14%
$14.00 -- Vino100, Lakeway, TX

Color: Deep purpledy-red
Nose: Cherries, spice, a little heat
Body: Medium
Front: Blackberries, tangy fruit
Middle: Cream, slate
Back: Pepper, leather
Burns clean?: Maybe
Cap: Cork

I opened this at the perfect time of year--a warm spring day, sun beaming down, a promise of more heat to come. Zinfandel fans will like this one plenty; it's not too complex, but layered and rich. It's fruity, but there's plenty of ol' Spanish earth in it, too--a little bite, then a little dirt. Tonight, like many nights, I'm eating pizza, and it's a fantastic combination with this wine.

The first Jumilla wine I ever drank was back in 1987, during a summer stay in Madrid. We were given a bottle by our generous hosts in Valdeiglesias, left over from a delicious outdoor lunch after visiting a recently-restored ancient monastery. We opened it a few days later back at our challenging quarters at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, and it was damn good. I've had a soft spot for Jumillas ever since.

Pazo Serantellos Albariño

Pazo Serantellos
Albariño
Rias Baixas
Galicia, Spain
2007
12.5%
$8.99 at Whole Foods, Austin, TX

Color: Light gold
Nose: Honey, banana
Body: Medium
Front: Peach
Middle: Dill, honeysuckle butter
Back: Lime, a tiny bit of steel-belted radial
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Damn fine for a nine-dollar wine. It's a chewy one, though; a substantial body for such light and fruity flavors. This contributed also to a delightful leek-and-chicken concoction from the old standard 1080 Spanish cookbook.

I've lately fallen in love with the new record from a little-known trio called Swamp Rat. It might be because I can pair a different wine with almost every song. That, I suppose, would deductively make Swamp Rat's genre "eclectic." In the case of this wine, its perfect sonic accompaniment is the tune "Stella I."

Vinos Sin Ley Grenache

Vinos Sin Ley
G-5 Garnacha
GrenacheVinos de Madrid, Puerta Bonita, Spain
2004
14.5%
$9.99 -- Durham, NC

Color: Deep red
Nose: Raspberry and pepper
Body: Medium
Front: Raspberry KA-POW!
Middle: Raspberry AGAIN!
Back: Graphite
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Plastic cork

It's a fruit bomb. Like, the Dr. Strangelove of raspberry-based palate devastation. It's an easy-drinking wine, if you are a raspberry drinker. No, really, it's an interesting wine, but not if you like subtlety, lots of layers, or anything much more than fruit and a little tannic spice. Still, why trust me: check out the high ratings at this site.

Barahonda Monastrell

Barahonda
Monastrell
YeclaMurcia, Spain
2004
14.5%
$9.99 -- Chapel Hill, NC

Color: Deep red with brown
Nose: Violety peat
Body: Medium
Front: Dates
Middle: Tannins, vanilla (how)?
Back: Leathery pepper
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Cork

Historians will notice that it's been awhile since I posted. First, I got sick. Then, I got infected. Then, I went on two rounds of antibiotics and at some point lost the ability to taste almost anything. I went a month without drinking any wine. While it's nice to know I'm not an alcoholic, I'm distressed that my taste buds basically need to be rebooted--and, of course, it's now allergy season!

But enough whining... crappy taste buds and all, I seem to be able to tell whether a wine more or less sucks or not. Tonight while paying my bills I noticed that the glue on the payment envelopes for American Express tastes like cheap Pinot Noir. So I'm back in the saddle.

This wine certainly does not suck. Apparently it was super a couple of years ago, too, which doesn't surprise me. The tinge of brown might mean it's maturing, which is good to know. It costs next to nothing, and newer vintages, though praised by certain famous tastemakers, might not break the bank either. It's chewy, spicy, and just plain old tasty.

Pata Negra Tempranillo

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.

D. Pedro de Soutomaior Albariño

Adegas Galegas
D. Pedro de Soutomaior
Albariño
Rias Baixas
Galicia, Spain
2006
13%
$16.99 -- Wine Authorities, Durham, NC

Color: Pale gold
Nose: Peary with a hint of ammonia
Body: Medium
Front: Melon
Middle: Pear, smoky caramel (I know! Whateverrr!)
Back: Pineapple and margarine
Burns clean?: Yes
Cap: Plastic cork (and it's, like, green!)

Again, please pardon my Valley Girl parentheticals. It's really too early in the morning to be drinking wine. But vacation is vacation. I had this wine-tasting dinner last night but it snowed, so only a few die-hards came. Menos burros, my abuelo would say, mas elotes. At any rate, everyone was surprised by the complexity and length of this wine; in a group of die-hard red drinkers, it garnered much praise. Since we tasted this one first, I feel it's a reasonably reliable assessment.