Bargain Reds 1st Edition

For the 1st installment I have a few random reds I’ve had in the last while that have impressed me with their quality and value.

The first two are great examples from Spain. There are some amazingly priced tempranillo based wines from Spain to be found if you care to look.

1997 “Los Molinos” Gran Reserva – Felix Solis
Cherry, cedar, and leather with a spicy plum finish and a nice minty accent. There are some vanilla hints left from the oak. All in all quite pleasant and it has held up nicely under aging, but not for much longer, drink it right away. It’s rare you get such a well matured wine for this price. 90 in The Toronto Star. $13.95. VG-E

2001 ‘Crianza’ Tempranillo – Vina Izadi
The ‘crianza’ refers to the aging, at least 2 years by DO regulations. Red fruit (cherry, raspberry, cranberry) against a lightly toasted oak background. There is a distinct rosewood accent that reminds me of my grandparent’s cloths chest! Smoked ham and mint develop in the glass. The finish is pleasantly astringent. This is a good example of why I like Rioja tempranillo so much. $17.95. VG-E

This is a wine to look out for if you like bold wines:

2005 “The Stump Jump” Grenache/Shiraz/Mourvèdre (GSM) – D’Arenberg
The aromas of all three varietals are pleasantly mingled: spicy raspberry with a clean limestone undertone. The palate is spicy and robustly fruity; a wallop of plum skin and raspberry with some mineral and mint towards the end. A nice long finish. Not a subtle wine by any means, but amazing concentration of flavour for the $13.95. VG-E

If you are in to odd ball varietals:

2004 Reserve Carmenère – Cremaschi Furlotti
Once common in Bordeaux you rarely see this varietal unblended, except sometimes in Chile where this wine is from. I’ve heard this grape produces crappy wines by itself but this wine was quite interesting, it had a little of everything. I noted coca, sour cherry, sandalwood, prune, and fig. There is ample French oak which seems lightly toasted. It is bright and ripe with some residual sugar, but enough acid to compensate. Strange but good. Maybe just a touch too ripe for some people. $12.95. VG

There may be a bit of a break before my next posting, but I will post as soon as I can.