They’ve been doing this for a while (130+ years)
On the palate, bright aromas of red and black fruit follow up with delightful notes of spice and thyme. Great structure, velvety tannins and balanced acidity with a lingering finish. This 100% Tempranillo is truly authentic of the terroir.
I’m going to look for their whites next visit to the Goddess.
VINO DE LA TIERRA – BODEGAS MANZANOS EL TOREAU
$11.99 regularly $14.99
13% alcohol
UPC: 08421950959668
Garnacha (60%), Tempranillo (30%) and Cariñena (10%) sourced from 40 to 50 year-old bush vines. The grapes were handpicked in the morning, then cold-soaked prior to fermentation for 96 hours at 43º F to extract color, fruit and flavor. Fermentation took 8 days in stainless steel tanks at 82º F; the wine stayed on the lees up to 20 days. Tempranillo and Cariñena aged for 24 months in French oak barrels; Garnacha aged for 24 months in American oak barrels of 225-liters. After blending, the wine spends an additional 36 months in bottle.
Lightly salty flavours (plumb and current). A lean finish.
Gently spiced plum and currant aromas come with a sprinkle of dusty earth. This blend of Garnacha, Tempranillo and Carignan feels tight and juicy, with acidity driving the palate. Lightly salty flavors of red plum and currant are fiery and come with an accent of oregano prior to a lean long finish.
Expect full-bodied and intense flavours.
It has slightly (1%) more alcohol content that the version we had two years ago.
CARINENA GRAN RESERVA – MONASTERIO DE LAS VINAS 2013
$18.99 regularly $20.99
14.0%
UPC: 00814095060425
The grapes for Faustino Organic comes from three ecologically cultivated vineyards. And the vines are 30 years old.
It’s intense … but subtle. Cherry red colour. Red fruit aromas. VERY pleasant with round tannins and a fruity aftertaste.
Serve it cool (7 – 10 C) to get the most out of it.
It goes with the flow of conversation, but will softly interrupt to say “I’m here and part of this get together”, and then go quiet again until it reminds you again that it’s there.
Most enjoyable with soups, scallops, or homemade pizza. It goes on the second list of great finds.
RIOJA – FAUSTINO ORGANIC WINE
$15.99 regularly $19.99
14% alcohol
UPC: 08410441112002
Don Quixote battled windmills, and that currently compose the most typical image of La Mancha in history books. Los Molinos Tempranillo uses a selection of grapes to create a light and harmonious wine full of red fruit flavours.
Valdepeñas is Val-de-peñas – Valley of Rocks. Located in the South of Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain. The area is almost entirely encircled by both La Mancha Denominación de Origen on the North border and Andalusia on its Southern limits.
It experiences extreme weather conditions, with temperatures reaching up to over 40 ºC in the summer and dropping to as low as -10 ºC in the winter.
Tempranillo is a grape variety that enjoys the ability to age well as crianza, reserva and gran reserva.The result is a light, balanced wine that is packed with flavour. The sensation of volume and sweetness of the tannins is achieved through malolactic fermentation. Ripe summer fruit flavours. This is an elegant, soft and fruity wine with a well balanced finish.
And the lovely surprise? It’s very inexpensive!
Los Molinos Tempranillo
12.5% Alcohol
$10.99
Ripe Tempranillo berries are picked, crushed and cold fermented before being bottled.
The nose comes alive with berry aromas. Crispy and juicy on the palate. Acidity is well controlled.
And then you think about the price and wonder how they did it.
That means you can go big on what you spend to go with it. Kick your carnivore choices up a couple of notches, splurge on the grade of prawns or shrimp. It will even work very well with spicy pasta.
CASTILLA TEMPRANILLO – BELO
$9.99
12.5% Alcohol
UPC: 08421735000912
Calatayud is a DO wine region in the southwest of the Aragon, northern Spain – located about 90 km from the provincial capital, Zaragoza. This arid area of rolling hills is almost entirely encircled by the Sistema Ibérico, a vast system of ranges which separate it from all those areas of Spain sitting to the south and west of the mountains and massifs. Calatayud borders the Carinena DO to the east.
The flavours of this 93 pointer are rich and intense. We like the 35% Tempranillo 65% Granache balance.
Dinner of slow baked short ribs didn’t quite come up to the usual standards of recipes from the Best of Bridge cookbooks. Good, but not quite company worthy. Just a little lacklustre. Next time for this red, I think I’d do our House home made pizza.
Hint to the Goddess: What about some of the whites from this region?
CALATYUD GARNACHA TEMPRANILLO – SAN GREGORIO LOMA GORDA 2018
$16.99 regularly $19.99
15% Alcohol
UPC: 00626990326700
The Phoenecians brought the first vines, then the Monks brought a few ideas on how to work them. For 700 years the Moors imposed their ideas. Then the Monks came back.
Even the Americans showed up, late, with some oak to store the wine for 24 months.
Being even later to the party, we decided to add pita and tzatziki from the other end of the Mediterranean, butspice the kefta Moroccan Style.
This is Most worthy. surprisingly silky. 60% Garnacha, 30% Tempranillo, 10% Cariñena. All from 40 to 50 year old bush vines. The grapes were handpicked in the morning, then cold-soaked prior to fermentation for 96 hours at 43º F to extract color, fruit and flavor. Fermentation took 8 days in stainless steel tanks at 82º F; the wine stayed on the lees up to 20 days. Tempranillo and Cariñena aged for 24 months in French oak barrels; Garnacha aged for 24 months in American oak barrels of 225-liters. After blending, the wine spends an additional 36 months in bottle.
Buy two, and put one away for a later date.
CARINENA GRAN RESERVA – MONASTERIO DE LAS VINAS 2011
Regularly $19.99, The Goddess had it on sale for $16.99
13% Alcohol
UPC: 00814095060425
Most righteous Chilli with an apple crisp for dessert.
Also thinking it would also be great with kale/feta/turkey kefta.
The Wine is from the Almansa Region in LaMancha. It’s Not the Impossible Dream.
We really enjoyed how well balanced it is with a nice long finish. It would be really nice to just sit and sip with friends.
A blend of 25% Tempranillo, 25% Monastrell and 25% Garnacha Tintorea and 25% Syrah. The Tempranillo grapes are harvested in the second week of September, Garnacha Tintorera and Syrah grapes at the end of September and Monastrell in the third week of October.
Cold Winters (-6 C), hot summers (38 C).
65-90-year-old dry-farmed pre-Phylloxera Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera and Tempranillo bush vines from their oldest vineyard plots and trellised Syrah vines.
Oorganic farming methods, nutrient-poor and limestone-rich soil, scarce rainfall.
ALMANSA RESERVA – PIQUERAS CASTILLO DE ALMANSA 2016
2019 Concours Mondial Bruxelles Gold Medal Winner
$15.99
14% Alcohol
SKU: 08414837010118
MONTSANT – CELLER DE CAPCANES MAS DONIS NEGRE
Montsant, Spain
UPC: 08427154011935
13.5% alcohol
$17.99
Full and Robust combination of Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet and Syrah.
The grapes come from old vines between 30 and 60 years old, planted on clay and granite soils located on terraces.
This could very easily become one of our favourite red blends yet, because it’s pleasing from beginning to end. Lovely bouquet and a strong finish. It will go with just about anything the cook prepares.
