| Tempranillo Tasting Report |
For this month’s Tempranillo wine tasting, we decided to
venture a bit further out of our realm and let a real expert,
James McFadyen, lead us on a tour of Spain at The Wine
Market & More downtown off of Oak Lawn. In all, we tasted
eight Spanish Tempranillo wines. Two from the world
renowned Rioja region, two from the prestigious Ribera del
Deuro region, one from La Mancha, one from Toro, one from
Zamora and one from Utiel Requena. I’m still trying to figure
out where Utiel Requena is on a map! Given the fact everyone
that drinks Spanish wines are familiar with the Rioja region in
Spain, it’s safe to assume that the two wines from Rioja were
everyone’s favorite on the tasting panel, right? Wrong! They
got whipped by the competition!
This tasting had some interesting twists added to the mix.
Four of the wines, although from different regions, were
produced by Alejandro Fernandez, one of the most important
winemakers in Spain. How would the tasting panel rate his
wines versus the other four in the pack? I’d say judging from
the results, he could not have done any better! His wines
placed first, second, third, and tied for fourth. I guess it’s safe
to say we really thought highly of his wines, all of them first
class efforts! We had one wine that was a blend, made up of at
least 75% Tempranillo and thus qualified for our tasting. It
was our Tempranillo wine from Toro. We had one Gran
Reserva aged in oak for a minimum of two years and further
aged in the bottle for an additional three years as well as
another reserve wine from the 1996 vintage.
James went over the history of Tempranillo wines as we tasted
them blind and filled us in on all of the interesting tidbits one
will come to find when exploring the regions of Spain. He also
quizzed us on what we thought we were tasting in the wines,
helping to make our Tempranillo Tasting both educational as
well as fun. After our Tempranillo tasting, eager to continue
our thirst for knowledge of all things Spain, we headed down
to Café Madrid for some Spanish Tappas and to find out first
hand, what the Spanish locals eat while drinking their
Tempranillo wines.
Thanks again to James McFadyen and all of The Wine Market
and More staff for hosting our Staff Tasting and making it a
smashing success! Here’s how we rated the wines:
venture a bit further out of our realm and let a real expert,
James McFadyen, lead us on a tour of Spain at The Wine
Market & More downtown off of Oak Lawn. In all, we tasted
eight Spanish Tempranillo wines. Two from the world
renowned Rioja region, two from the prestigious Ribera del
Deuro region, one from La Mancha, one from Toro, one from
Zamora and one from Utiel Requena. I’m still trying to figure
out where Utiel Requena is on a map! Given the fact everyone
that drinks Spanish wines are familiar with the Rioja region in
Spain, it’s safe to assume that the two wines from Rioja were
everyone’s favorite on the tasting panel, right? Wrong! They
got whipped by the competition!
This tasting had some interesting twists added to the mix.
Four of the wines, although from different regions, were
produced by Alejandro Fernandez, one of the most important
winemakers in Spain. How would the tasting panel rate his
wines versus the other four in the pack? I’d say judging from
the results, he could not have done any better! His wines
placed first, second, third, and tied for fourth. I guess it’s safe
to say we really thought highly of his wines, all of them first
class efforts! We had one wine that was a blend, made up of at
least 75% Tempranillo and thus qualified for our tasting. It
was our Tempranillo wine from Toro. We had one Gran
Reserva aged in oak for a minimum of two years and further
aged in the bottle for an additional three years as well as
another reserve wine from the 1996 vintage.
James went over the history of Tempranillo wines as we tasted
them blind and filled us in on all of the interesting tidbits one
will come to find when exploring the regions of Spain. He also
quizzed us on what we thought we were tasting in the wines,
helping to make our Tempranillo Tasting both educational as
well as fun. After our Tempranillo tasting, eager to continue
our thirst for knowledge of all things Spain, we headed down
to Café Madrid for some Spanish Tappas and to find out first
hand, what the Spanish locals eat while drinking their
Tempranillo wines.
Thanks again to James McFadyen and all of The Wine Market
and More staff for hosting our Staff Tasting and making it a
smashing success! Here’s how we rated the wines:
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| El Vinculo 2001 – La Mancha, Spain |
Nose – Masculine innuendos of cigar box aromas
and heaps of dark fruits like blackberries.
Taste – Fantastic! Very powerful, rich and full-
bodied with a strong backbone of beefy tannins
that give age worthy prudence. Loads of pepper,
spice, and plush blackberries with a long and
distinguished finish.
Comments – This was the fifth wine out of the eight
we tasted and it really stood out to everyone. This
tannic monster would need to sit back a few years
before it became a great food wine. Right now, it
would pair well with red meats or heavy sauce
foods, but it would easily overwhelm anything
simple or subtle. One of the twelve tasters rated it
a score of 81, otherwise this wine would have had a
solid “A” score.
and heaps of dark fruits like blackberries.
Taste – Fantastic! Very powerful, rich and full-
bodied with a strong backbone of beefy tannins
that give age worthy prudence. Loads of pepper,
spice, and plush blackberries with a long and
distinguished finish.
Comments – This was the fifth wine out of the eight
we tasted and it really stood out to everyone. This
tannic monster would need to sit back a few years
before it became a great food wine. Right now, it
would pair well with red meats or heavy sauce
foods, but it would easily overwhelm anything
simple or subtle. One of the twelve tasters rated it
a score of 81, otherwise this wine would have had a
solid “A” score.
| Score B+ |
| Pesquera 2001 – Ribero del Duero, Spain |
Nose – Off-putting at first, like a young Bordeaux
wine, until it has a short time to blow off and then
comes into juicy tobacco, earthy mushrooms and
an underlining of blackberries.
Taste – Very complex and exotic with an earthy
presence. Full of quince, black currants and other
dark fruits followed up by a touch of licorice on the
long, lingering finish.
Comments – Again, a very well made wine that
needs a few more years to mellow out and allow for
some of the assertive tannins to fade a bit. This
was the last wine we tasted and it left quite a good
impression on everyone. Serve with your darker
meat and heavier sauce dishes.
wine, until it has a short time to blow off and then
comes into juicy tobacco, earthy mushrooms and
an underlining of blackberries.
Taste – Very complex and exotic with an earthy
presence. Full of quince, black currants and other
dark fruits followed up by a touch of licorice on the
long, lingering finish.
Comments – Again, a very well made wine that
needs a few more years to mellow out and allow for
some of the assertive tannins to fade a bit. This
was the last wine we tasted and it left quite a good
impression on everyone. Serve with your darker
meat and heavier sauce dishes.
| Around $25.00 |
| Dehesa La Granja 2000 – Zamora, Spain |
Nose – A strong presence of plums, blackberries,
tar, tobacco and spices.
Taste – A very thick and jammy Tempranillo, inky
purple complexion, and plenty of youthful doses of
blackberries and plums. Made in the same vein as
the first two wines, but with a slightly different
flavor profile.
Comments – Perhaps this wine was a real steal for
the price at under $20.00. It was able to stand up a
deliver against the higher priced wines of the
tasting. Again, this wine at four years old is still a
spring chicken with plenty of tannins to shed. You’
ll do well with some roast and heavy potatoes for
dinner.
tar, tobacco and spices.
Taste – A very thick and jammy Tempranillo, inky
purple complexion, and plenty of youthful doses of
blackberries and plums. Made in the same vein as
the first two wines, but with a slightly different
flavor profile.
Comments – Perhaps this wine was a real steal for
the price at under $20.00. It was able to stand up a
deliver against the higher priced wines of the
tasting. Again, this wine at four years old is still a
spring chicken with plenty of tannins to shed. You’
ll do well with some roast and heavy potatoes for
dinner.
| Score B+ |
| Condado de Haza 2001 – Ribero del Duero, Spain |
Nose – A rush of plum aromas upfront followed by
masculine notes of coffee, tobacco and leather.
Taste – Plenty of jammy fruits like plums and
blackberries that are a touch sweeter than the
previous wines tasted. The tannins in this wine are
a bit more approachable despite the wine’s
apparent youth.
Comments – Not as pronounced a wine as the first
three, this is where the wines we tasted seem to a
drop down to the next level. However, having said
that, I still thought that this was a very good wine
with plenty to offer. This wine would allow for
more risk taking at the supper table. Perhaps
some game, duck or rabbit stew. I wouldn’t shy
away from serving it with some red bell peppers or
an Italian marinara dish either.
masculine notes of coffee, tobacco and leather.
Taste – Plenty of jammy fruits like plums and
blackberries that are a touch sweeter than the
previous wines tasted. The tannins in this wine are
a bit more approachable despite the wine’s
apparent youth.
Comments – Not as pronounced a wine as the first
three, this is where the wines we tasted seem to a
drop down to the next level. However, having said
that, I still thought that this was a very good wine
with plenty to offer. This wine would allow for
more risk taking at the supper table. Perhaps
some game, duck or rabbit stew. I wouldn’t shy
away from serving it with some red bell peppers or
an Italian marinara dish either.
| Score B |
| About $20.00 |
| Piedra Roble 2000 – Toro, Spain |
Nose – Rich candied fruits like strawberries and
plums.
Taste – Light and refreshing with small traces of
tannins on the finish. Tasty fruit flavors persist
from beginning to end.
Comments – Definitely a departure from the
previous four wines. Compared to them, it is much
less masculine and a real fruit bomb to boot. This
was also the only wine in the tasting that was not
100% Tempranillo. Light and fruity, this would be
the best food wine in our tasting, as it would pair
extremely well with most of the food items on our
Food Pairing Page.
plums.
Taste – Light and refreshing with small traces of
tannins on the finish. Tasty fruit flavors persist
from beginning to end.
Comments – Definitely a departure from the
previous four wines. Compared to them, it is much
less masculine and a real fruit bomb to boot. This
was also the only wine in the tasting that was not
100% Tempranillo. Light and fruity, this would be
the best food wine in our tasting, as it would pair
extremely well with most of the food items on our
Food Pairing Page.
| Score B |
| About $27.00 |
| Bodegas Montecillo Gran Reserva 1995 – Rioja, Spain |
Nose – Carmel flavors with raisins and red
berries. Very port and sherry-like in aroma and
style.
Taste – More developed oxidation flavors of
toasty almonds and other nutty flavors with ringing
rich vanilla notes and feint traces of strawberries
on the hot (alcohol) finish.
Comments – With the orangish-red hue colored
rim, right from the start we all knew this was the
most mature wine of the tasting. Where I was
taken a little back was how much it reminded me of
a Spanish sherry. This would be the definite
cheese wine of the tasting. I picture it going well
with even the strongest of cheeses. Not sure you
would want to serve this with the hearty red meat
dishes like the other wines though.
berries. Very port and sherry-like in aroma and
style.
Taste – More developed oxidation flavors of
toasty almonds and other nutty flavors with ringing
rich vanilla notes and feint traces of strawberries
on the hot (alcohol) finish.
Comments – With the orangish-red hue colored
rim, right from the start we all knew this was the
most mature wine of the tasting. Where I was
taken a little back was how much it reminded me of
a Spanish sherry. This would be the definite
cheese wine of the tasting. I picture it going well
with even the strongest of cheeses. Not sure you
would want to serve this with the hearty red meat
dishes like the other wines though.
| Score B |
| Around $25.00 |
| Torre Oria Reserve 1996 – Utiel Requena, Spain |
Nose – Big earthy aromas of mushrooms, musty
leather and vegetables.
Taste – Follows through on the promise that the
nose delivers with earthy leather, mushroom and
spice flavors and rounded off by some stewed
plums on the finish.
Comments – This wine’s brick red color gave us a
clue to its age and it had a taste that was quite
unique from the rest of the bunch. It was earthy
and weird compared to the others, but I think it
would make a very interesting food wine. Use the
earthiness in this wine to your advantage and by all
means, add some mushrooms to your dish when
you serve it with this wine.
leather and vegetables.
Taste – Follows through on the promise that the
nose delivers with earthy leather, mushroom and
spice flavors and rounded off by some stewed
plums on the finish.
Comments – This wine’s brick red color gave us a
clue to its age and it had a taste that was quite
unique from the rest of the bunch. It was earthy
and weird compared to the others, but I think it
would make a very interesting food wine. Use the
earthiness in this wine to your advantage and by all
means, add some mushrooms to your dish when
you serve it with this wine.
| Around $15.00 |
| Score B |
| Marque’s de Caceres Vendinia Selecionada 2000 – Rioja, Spain |
Nose – Refreshing floral accents and fresh
strawberries with a splash of wet tobacco leaves.
Taste – Starts off with an enormous amount of
fresh strawberries and red fruit flavors with its
medium-bodied build. Turns a bit towards some
vegetative flavors mid-palate before the tannins
kick in to bring it home on the finish.
Comments – Despite the fact that this was the
cheapest wine in the tasting, I was still a bit
surprised that it came in last. This is one of the
best selling Rioja’s in the States. Fresh tasting
and vibrant, it would make an excellent food wine
especially with some grilled swordfish or salmon,
cold cut meats, etc… I would have liked to have
seen how the Gran Reserva wine from Marque’s
de Caceres would have faired against the other
wines in our tasting. Still, even though it came in
last, we did give it a “B” score, which is very
respectable.
strawberries with a splash of wet tobacco leaves.
Taste – Starts off with an enormous amount of
fresh strawberries and red fruit flavors with its
medium-bodied build. Turns a bit towards some
vegetative flavors mid-palate before the tannins
kick in to bring it home on the finish.
Comments – Despite the fact that this was the
cheapest wine in the tasting, I was still a bit
surprised that it came in last. This is one of the
best selling Rioja’s in the States. Fresh tasting
and vibrant, it would make an excellent food wine
especially with some grilled swordfish or salmon,
cold cut meats, etc… I would have liked to have
seen how the Gran Reserva wine from Marque’s
de Caceres would have faired against the other
wines in our tasting. Still, even though it came in
last, we did give it a “B” score, which is very
respectable.
| Score B |
| Around $12.00 |
| Wines in Tasting Order |
| James McFadyen |
| Alejandro Fernandez |
| Around $22.00 |
| Score B+ |
| About $19.00 |
