March 20, 2006

A Titillating Tempranillo

We decided to ditch the California wine for a bit and tried a Spanish Tempranillo Saturday night. Specifically, we went for a 2003 Finca Antigua from central Spain (La Mancha, which is South of Madrid). Tempranillo is Spain's noble grape and the country's answer to our Cabernet Sauvignon. I had no idea. Anyhow, the PIT (Partner in Tasting) and I both liked this dry, big wine. What first struck me is how beautiful this Tempranillo is in the glass. It is a vivid, dark purplish color. It smells of vanilla and dark berries and tastes of big blackberry once it opens up. This wine also has high-octane tannins. The winemaker recommends pairing with chicken, pork or rich pasta. I drank it with goat cheese and olive pizza and it was dandy. Food & Wine magazine called this wine a great value and Wine Enthusiast gave it 87 points, calling it a best buy that offers juicy, fresh blackberry fruit.

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