Tempranillo Blend
Viña Albali 2002 Gran Reserva Red (Valdepeñas)
- Online Exclusive
- $15
Opens with dried red fruit and cinnamon aromas, but after that the mouth is creamy and grabby, with bland fruit and then a wave of vanilla cream and milk chocolate on the finish. A sticky wine that doesn’t fully pass the balance test.
— M.S.
(10/1/2009)
Bodegas Olarra 2008 Otoñal Red (Rioja)
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- $10
Transparent red in color, with dilute light berry aromas. Basic but angular pie cherry flavors are tart even if they’re accented by buttery light oak, and the finish is dry but fresh. Simple, tangy and thin.
— M.S.
(12/15/2009)
Bodegas Olarra 2006 Añares Crianza Red (Rioja)
- Online Exclusive
- $13
Pleasant but very basic, with a nose of dry cherry and a palate that’s crisp, lean and features flavors of tart plum and cherry. A decidedly crisp and lean style of Rioja, with no richness to speak of save for a hint of butter on the finish. Imported by Classic Wines, Inc.
— M.S.
(10/1/2009)
Bodegas San Martín 2004 Señorío de Unx Crianza Red (Navarra)
- Online Exclusive
- $11
Baked berry and raisin aromas raise questions about the wine’s overall balance, while the plate is sharp and acidic yet tastes of raisin, prune and dried apricots. Rather grabby on the finish. Think slam dancing when approaching this Tempranillo-Garnacha blend.
— M.S.
(8/1/2009)
Bodega del Romero 2000 Señor de Cascante Gran Reserva Red (Navarra)
- Online Exclusive
Fairly green, a bit oxidized and old smelling. The palate is short and choppy, with hard leftover tannins and dry, herbal fruit flavors that push up against vegetal. Sweetness re-enters the picture on the finish, but overall this is too dried up and strained to rate higher.
— M.S.
(6/1/2010)
Ochoa 2001 Reserva Red (Navarra)
- Online Exclusive
- $25
Leafy, dry and mature, with baked fruit and aromas of dried oregano and basil flakes. The palate has grating tannins, while the flavors are greenish and herbal, with hints of stewed berries and burnt grass. Grabby and stalky; not sure why this old three-grape blend is still on the market.
— M.S.
(6/1/2010)
Heras Cordon 2004 Reserva Red (Rioja)
- $46
Stemmy and rough out of the blocks, with aromas of rubber and strawberry. Seems grabby in the mouth due to rather rough tannins and high acidity, and overall the wine seems forced but lacking in the essentials. Quite expensive given the result. Imported by Frontier Wine Imports.
— M.S.
(10/1/2009)
Torrederos 2005 Crianza Red (Ribera del Duero)
- Online Exclusive
- $24
Tomato, bramble and a mild burnt stemminess don’t do much for the bouquet, while the plate is rubbery and young, with plum and basic berry flavors. Standard at best, with scratchy tannins and a dry, bitter finish of mocha and wood.
— M.S.
(12/15/2009)
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2010 Pence Ranch Westslope
This is sourced from the winery's steepest and most wind-exposed blocks…
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