Bacchus
Michael is right- Spanish wines= value… more bang for your buck. One of my favorite go-to Spanish wines is the 2007 Juan Gil Monastrell from the Jumilla region of Spain. Monastrell is the Spanish version of Mourvedre, which is a principle blending grape in Rhone blends (and I LOOOOOOOVE me some Rhone blends.) Until trying this wine I had never had Mourvedre on its own, but I must say it’s made me a huge fan! The color is a beautiful deep ruby with a nose of white pepper, black cherry, raspberry, and a little hint of oak (it’s aged for 12 months in French Oak Barrels.) The palate had a nice balance of fruit and alcohol with hints of juicy plum, black cherry, and a tiny bit of that oak followed by a kick of pepper and spice. This wine is well-structured with nice tannins, a long finish, and an almost effervescent quality to it as it opens up. It received a 91 from Wine Advocate and can be found for as little as $12. WHAT? I know.
P.S. Make sure to let it breathe- it’s a wine that keeps getting better as it opens up.
