Spain

• Alicante
• Andalusia
• Campo de Borja
• Castilla y Leon
  • Bierzo
• Catalonia
• Jerez
• Jumilla
• Madrid
• La Mancha
• Manchuela
• Méntrida
• Montsant
• Navarra
• Pais Vasco (Basque)
• Priorat
• Rias Baixas
• Ribera Del Duero
• Ribera del Guadiana
• Rioja
• Rueda
• Terra Alta
• Toro
• Valdeorras
• Valdepeñas
• Valencia
• Yecla

This is a very modern, big take on Spanish wine.  A blend of 70% Monastrell and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is also delicious.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, plums, cassis, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, the red fruits come thru with a base of charred wood.  Long finish.  This is still young and likely to continue to improve for another five to ten years.  It should drink for twelve to fifteen more after that.  Right now it will over power most foods and drinks better on its own.  With some bottle age it will work well with

This is an inexpensive 100% Tempranillo grape from Spain.  It is a modern take on this wine.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and candied cherries with a slight herbal note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries.  Simple and one dimensional but enjoyable.  Moderate finish.  Drink over the next year or two.  Better with food, pizza is a nice choice.  

This is an excellent value in a mostly traditional Spanish wine from Rioja.  It is a blend of 70% Tempranillo and and 30% a combination of balance Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano.  Deep ruby in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, blueberries, slight tobacco, cloves and slight dill.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has an "old world" feel to it, but with plenty of ripe fruit too.  The blueberries and black cherries come thru over a bed of dusty dry leaves with a slight bit of savory spices.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but really worked well with

Boy, did I enjoy this wine.  It is very unique although I am told this style of wine used to be more prevalent.  It is an aged Fino style Sherry that was aged for 15 years from a Solera started in 1961.  Just gorgeous but it is different.  It is a deep golden color with just a hint of amber.  Clear and bright.  The nose is big with a lot of alcohol and some volatile acidity (the later blows off slightly with air).  Also an almond/ nuttiness and salinity to the nose.  Full bodied.  Complex, contemplative and deep.  Bone dry on the palate.  The nutty salinity come thru along with a petrol not

This is 100% Carignane from one hundred year old vines.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose shows black cherries, graphite while having a clean earthiness.  On the palate, lots of black raspberry fruit with some black cherries.  Nice texture.  Drinks well right now and should continue to do so for ten to fifteen more years.  It may still improve a bit as it matures.  This drinks very well on its own and will work with grilled or roasted meats and fowl.  

 This is 60% Cariñena, and 40% Garnacha.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  It has a really great nose with black cherries, cherries, slate/minerals and char.  On the palate, a nice backbone of acidity.  Black cherry fruit.  This wine is showing a nice complexity with underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This should drink well for the next ten years.  It will work well with grilled meats and pork.  

This is a great value in Priorat and that is something that is not often said about any wine.  This is a blend of Garnacha and Carinjena with a small addition of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has that slate/mineral quality along with black licorice and a ton of black cherries.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this is deep with loads of black cherry fruit over a mineral base.  Great texture.  This should drink great for the next ten to twelve years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with grilled meats.  

Another wine from Alavaro Palacios, one of the wineries credited (rightly so) with the rejuvenation of Priorat.  This is a blend of 55% Garnacha, 44% Cariñena (Carignan), with a "pinch" (1%) White Grapes.  Purple in color with ruby swirls, opaque and bright.  The nose has nice black cherry fruit with dust and spices.  The black cherry fruit comes thru to the palate with an underlying char and slate/minerals.  Nice texture.  Good finish.  This wine is young and may improve a bit but either way should drink well for another ten to twelve years.  This will work with a wide range of foods from

Rottlan Torra is one of the oldest producers in Priorat dating from the early 1980's before the area's rebirth.  A blend of 25% Garnacha, 25% Carignan, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Syrah, and 10% Merlot, this wine is drinking wonderfully right now.  2005 was a great vintage.  Purple in color, shimmering bright with no signs of age.  The nose has black cherries, salinity, black licorice and slate/minerals.  On the palate, lots of fruit; black cherries and black raspberries with an underlying minerality.  A nice complexity.  Long finish.  This should continue to drink well for another seven to

From a Garage winery that utilizes small plots of individual vineyards with older vines around Priorat.  The Torroja vineyard has vines that are 50 to 75 years old and are biodynamically farmed.  A blend of Garnacha and Carinena.   This seemed to be a love it or hate it wine in a recent tasting.  Interestingly, the label lists 13.5% abv which is pretty low for Priorat and probably why it might have difficulty in a comparative tasting with a lot of wines.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has lots of spice along with black cherries and anise.  With air some minerals come out.  O