We picked up this Rioja because it was fairly inexpensive and we wanted a table wine to go well with a simple dinner of pork cutlets and beans. My wife and I just had gotten a few days past our winter colds. So, the thought of drinking anything more complicated than a table wine for this tasting slot didn't appeal to us. The wine was simple and good. We spent about $12 for a bottle. You may say that is pricey for a table wine, however, it seems that Westchester wine stores boycott drinkable wines that cost less than that.
The best part about the wine is its aroma of cherries. Its bouquet is extremely pleasant. As all Tempranillos, it is rich on tannins. The wine is overall balanced --not too much acid, not too dry, not too alcoholic tasting. The only slight imbalance is a bit of excess bitterness from the grapes' skins, not an uncommon trait but also not totally necessary, I think.
The fact that it is not too much of anything but also does not have any noteworthy strong characteristics are the reasons why I'd put this wine in the table wine category.
The wine is 75% Tempranillo and 25% percent Grenache. I think the wine would be better if the mix were around 80-20% but we should leave that to the producer's discretion.
My wife is generally a fan of Tempranillo-based wines and tends to give them her highest scores. So it is not surprising that she rated this wine higher than last month's Pinot Noir, giving it a score of 65%. Coming from her that is not a high score for a Rioja, as she has given them consistently high scores over the last few years. Many of her Rioja scores fall in her 80-90% rating band.
If you spend 50% more, you will likely get a better Rioja---there are many very good Riojas priced at about $20---but why spend any more if you are only looking for a wine to complement your meal? This bottle is perfectly well-suited to accompany a hearty winter dish.
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