Trialta Tempranillo 2006, $8.99

OK. I heart tempranillo. I heart it. It’s not only delicious (as a general rule, of course), but it also tends to be price-friendly. And from Spain. How lucky can a girl get? That’s like hitting the holy trinity.

The back of this bottle is especially enticing. I love the fact that this bottle pretty much spells out everything you should be seeing, smelling, tasting. For example, it says, “AROMA: Revealing ripe fruit and toasty notes of the wood, balsamic hints with memories of tobacco and licorice.” Then, right underneath, it says, “TASTE: Elegant and full-bodied with moderate acidity and velvety tannins that make it easy to drink.” Way to spell it all out. But I suppose I should say that my favorite part is where is says it’s got a 13.5% alcohol content. That’s pretty nice, coming from a wine under ten bucks.

In the glass, it actually looks like this wine might be spoiled. There’s a musty brown component in the red color that makes it look like it’s been uncorked and sitting out for more than a couple of days. Chubby little legs for down the side of the glass after ten seconds, showing the heft to the body of this wine. On the nose, I smell cedar wood & tobacco on the tail end, tightly wound in with the scent of the alcohol. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by the complex nose of this tempranillo.

The first thing I think after taking a sip of this wine is, “This could use a decanter.”

This wine, more than anything, tastes very young on my palate. The tannins are a little harsh, but they are velvety. There’s a little underripe strawberry component on the mid-palate, sprinkled with a touch - just a touch - of white pepper. And, in my mouth, this wine is thin & smooth, totally masking its heavy body.

I have to say, this wine taste like it costs way more than $8.99. In fact, I think it would hold its own if it were stacked up against other wines in the $10 - $15 range. I would totally recommend buying a couple of bottles for a party or for a birthday/holiday gift. Keep it in the back of your minds.

Cheers!
Kate