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I’m hard on Spain. I’ve tasted and sold enough Rioja to kill a legion of horses. I need something more than just the “bright cherries and toasty oak” that I see in the majority of Spanish reds that get grand acclaim here in New York City. In the last ten years, Spanish wine has been putting me to sleep.

Last night though, Pesquera’s 2005 Ribera del Duero Crianza woke me up again! Yes, there cherries and oak are there (in fact, these guys use American, French, and Spanish oak barrels). The cherries and oak are built around one of the largest and most bodies I’ve had in a wine this year.

How serious was this wine? We kept the wine uncorked for a total of eight hours before giving our final opinions on the bottle. Green and black olives, toasted peach pits, and a hint of a smoky, aged cheddar dominated the nose. The palate ran into a wall of Bing cherry jam. The finish reminded us that this wine came from dirt; coffee and baked topsoil were strewn throughout the finish.

What does it need to be paired with? Something that will give you a heart attack; Baked brie smothered in caramelized onions and mushrooms, peppery soy-soaked steak, or salty wild boar sausage.

Spain, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Tempranillo | No Comments

If the store your visiting only carries $10 bottles of wine (or more pointedly, if you’re only willing to spend $10 on a bottle of wine), then a good axiom to use is “good Spanish wine is cheap.” I learned this in the early 2000s while living in the middle of nowhere Suburban New York (i.e., maybe we should call this the “Astoria has liquor stores, not wine shops” post).

The secret to finding these good cheap wines is a bit trickier because you have to learn that Spain loves oak, and you have to learn the three classifications of oak treatments they use. If you like phrases like “vanilla toast” or “unlit cigar” to describe your red wines, then, please read this next part closely… and realize that I’m very much generalizing here.

American Oak barrels make wine taste like vanilla & cream… French oak barrels make wine taste like toast & smoke… if you like those flavors, then you might need to delve into three of the major Spanish wine classifications: Crianza, Reserva, & Gran Reserva.

• Crianza means a decent oak treatment.
• Reserva means a very generous oak treatment
• Gran Reserva means a uber-serious oak treatment (but usually very tastefully done)

If you like oak and fruit, then you can use the Criana, Reserva, & Gran Reserva labels interchangeably with “Good, Better, & Best.” You can buy the cheapest of each category (many winemakers are going to kill me for saying this BUT it’s *kinda true*), and get most of the same dominant flavors as the more expensive wines.

If you can find any $10 Crianzas or $15 Reservas, give them a shot… they’ll taste a lot like their $20 bottle brothers and sisters.

Rioja, Spain | No Comments

Here comes a two night special:

Night one: Cigar smoke (toasty French oak) on the nose with a very sharp blackberry palate. Good wine, but not mind blowing. Medium-bodied (one day you’ll find out that most wine is medium-bodied, and that it’s not a bad thing), and a good food wine.

Night two: Sweet black currants on the nose coupled with just a bit of unlit cigarette. Totally soft with with a ripe basil and thyme scent on the end of the palate. A great crowd pleaser, and a serious wine.

Old World, Spain, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews | No Comments

This is a Spanish red that presents a huge problem for many wine buyers. “Spanish red” in most people’s minds means “big, soft, oaky, toasted red fruits.” That’s usually true, too. Spain uses oak very well which makes a very soft wine even when it is extremely flavorful.

The Vina Gormaz didn’t see any oak though! It has this very sharp, acidic, and juicy mouthfeel with very tart red fruits to it that does great with food (I’m currently rocking it with a hangar steak, green salsa, and softened kale, and it is knocking it out of the park!). When you’re expecting the opposite though, the Vina Gormaz can throw you for a loop.

There are many mashed strawberry and raspberry flavors on the mid-palate and a great black cherry finish here, but watch out if you’re looking for boring Spanish red because the Vina Gormaz is not it.

7.1/10

Old World, Spain, T.B. Ackerson Wines, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews | No Comments

Soft vanilla cherry oak nose. Medium palate that is delicate enough to accompany even whole roasted white fishes (especially nice with Branzino and fresh rosemary).

Consider it the best “close your eyes and grab a Rioja under $20″ bottle you’ve ever purchased. I’ve had to discontinue a few friendships upon hearing people disparage this bottle (I’m sorry Dave, but having lime disease doesn’t make your tastes buds any more sensitive than before!).

$10.99 at T.B. Ackerson 8.4/10

Cheap Drinks, Rioja, Spain, Tempranillo, Wine Reviews | No Comments