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Spanish/Portugese Reds
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"The 2007 Crianza spent 12 months in French oak. Aromas of wood smoke, pencil lead, Asian spices, violets, and blackberry are followed by a full-bodied wine with gobs of succulent fruit, a suave personality, and excellent balance. Give it 2-3 years of additional cellaring and drink it through 2019" 90/100 Parker
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The Callejo family owns 60 hectares of low yielding Tempranillo vines (Tinto Fino as it is known in Ribera del Duero) ranging in age from 25-70 years. All of the wines are 100% Tempranillo from estate vineyards and are fermented with native yeasts. They are meticulous in every facet of winemaking- down to playing opera to the wine while it sits in the barrel room maturing! "Callejo’s 2008 Cuatro Meses en Barrica is 100% estate-grown Tempranillo aged for 4 months in French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it proffers an alluring nose of lavender, spice box, mineral, and black cherry. Sweetly-fruited, smooth-textured, and savory, this nicely balanced, layered effort will deliver pleasure over the next 6 years." 89/100 Parker
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Old vine mourvedre from a hillside vineyard in Jumila at 700m above sea level where the temperature variation goes from 15c during the winter days and -2 at night to summer days of 35c and 10-15c at night ( the perfect variations for grape cultivation ). The vineyards has a foot deep of chalky stones over a substrata of sandy soil. This is a steal at $20.
"More righto than wrongo, it may have a silly name but this 100% mourvedre made from 45 yr old vines is a serious bargain with its rich and velvety but fresh blackberry fruit, earthy and leathery notes and lick of spice and liquorice. A brilliant barbeque wine." NZ Herald.
" Inky ruby. Smoky blackberry and cherry aromas are complemented by notes of cracked pepper and dried flowers; smells like a syrah. Firm, focused dark fruit flavors gain sweetness with air and pick up slightly bitter tannins. The finish repeats the blackberry note, leaving a zesty, peppery quality behind. Lots of bang for the buck here." S.Tanzer
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This was a huge hit at the European Wine Experience because of its standout 'bang for your buck' value. The winery Vinos Pinol is located in the town of Bateawhich is 45 miles south of Barcelona in the high mountains of Tarragona- 1300 ft above the Mediterranean sea. The Terra Alta region is located next to Priorat, enjoying the same climate conditions and altitude as the Priorat wine region. The vineyards of Vinos Pinol are composed of slate with small particles of clay in the topsoil and small particles of limestone in its subsoil. This wine is from low yielding older vines, in organically grown vineyards. It is a blend of grenache, syrah, cabernet and merlot aged for 4 months. Rich, bold and smooth- all the ingredients of modern Spanish winemaking but with that European twist of earthiness and mineral aromas.
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"The 2006 Reserva was sourced from vines over 50 years of age raised in French oak for 20 months. Purple-colored, it sports a brooding bouquet of sandalwood, Asian spices, mineral, black cherry, and blackberry. Layered, already complex, and elegantly styled, it will continue blossoming for several more years and offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2026."91/100 Parker
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Sensationally priced Spanish red from vines over 40yrs old!. "The Paso a Paso Tinto ( this used to be called Mano a Mano ) is 100% Tempranillo sourced from vineyards averaging 40 years of age. Opaque violet. Musky cherry-cola and plum aromas are complemented by notes of cured tobacco and cracked pepper. Tangy minerality adds verve to chewy dark fruit flavors, with a brighter raspberry note emerging with aeration. Finishes with solid grip and an echo of pepper. Serve this with a piece of grilled lamb" Tanzer
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These vineyards in Alicante are owned by the rioja producer Artadi- who is a meticulous winemaker. It is a blend of old vine Mouvedre, Syah and Cabernet. No reviews for the 2008 yet but heres the 2007 review. "Bright ruby. Seductive blackberry and blueberry aromas are brightened by smoky minerals and rose. Fleshy dark fruit flavors stain the palate and are firmed by fine-grained tannins. A supple, fresh wine that finishes with very good cut and persistence, betraying no hard edges." S. Tanzer. A superb product.
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From Rioja which is further north in Spain and hence a cooler climate than the tempranillo grown further south in Riera del Duoro. "The 2006 Vinas de Gain is old-vine Tempranillo aged in 40% new French oak for 12-14 months. Deep crimson-colored, it offers an alluring perfume of truffle, pencil lead, vanilla, blackberry, and black cherry jam. Full bodied, the wine is opulent yet elegant. It has enough stuffing to evolve for 4-5 years and should drink well from 2012 to 2025." 92/100 R.Parker.
"100% tempranillo, like all of these Artadi wines. Inky ruby. Intensely perfumed, sexy bouquet of dark berries, fresh flowers and smoky minerals. Tactile and deep, offering powerful blackberry and mulberry flavors, chewy tannins and very good back-end minerality. Picks up sweet mocha, bitter cherry skin and candied licorice on the long, sappy finish. This wine is showing a more serious personality than I've ever seen at this stage." 91+/100 Tanzer
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Normally $25. Beautiful minerally dry white from Rueda in the North of Spain. A classical match with seafood thats so common in that area. A blend of Verdejo and Viura. Basa's winemaker is Telmo Rodriguez, considered by many wine experts to be Spain?s up-and-coming enologist. A few things make him special, notably his dedication to preserving the terroir in wines and believing that winemaking begins in the vineyard. As a result, he chooses indigenous grapes from old vines that produce extremely low yields. He?s also a proponent of biodynamic methods. "Granny smith apple and zesty lime/citrus mark the flavour of this wine, which has a gush of tart acidity and a crystal clean finish. Alcohol is mild, hardly noticeable, yet the wine has surprising body for a light white. If your after that minerally European dry white style this is it. Superb value
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One of Rioja’s finest estates, Bodegas Fernando Remirez de Ganuza makes a “second” label with a relationship to the top wine not unlike Les Forts de Latour to Latour.
The 2004 Fincas de Ganuza Reserva is composed of 90% Tempranillo and10% Graciano both from old vines. It is aged for 25 months in 50% new French and American oak before bottling without fining or filtration. A glass-coating opaque purple, the aromatic array includes earth notes, mineral, incense, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a mouth-filling, intensely flavored wine with good grip, excellent depth, and enough structure to evolve for several more years. This lengthy effort will deliver prime drinking from 2011 to 2019. 91/100 r.Parker
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