Origin: Rioja, Spain
Grape: 85% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo, 5% Garnacha (Grenache)
Year: 2014
Alcohol: 14%
Price point: $25
Year Reviewed: 2018
Tasted this wine twice, and my opinion is that this wine needs to be opened a few hours prior to serving to let it fully open up. Also, don’t let the Mazuelo grape scare you off as to wondering what that is. Mazuelo is the Carignan grape you have heard of from France, but in Rioja, it is usually referred to as Mazuelo. (There is a large amount of history in Rioga on the Mazuelo grape.) Dominant fruit flavors and aromas come from Mazuelo.
A clear medium ruby wine that has clean aromas of cherry, red currant jelly, pepper and a bit of medicinal smells. On the palate, you experience some spicy cherry, red liquorice flavors with abundant.
earthiness. This dry, medium acidity, flavorful tannic wine has some interplay of the fruit flavors with the Tempranillo. Finish is medium and quality is very good. I paired it with Chicken Parmesan and angel hair pasta, but this would hold up to fuller, heavier dishes… as there is much weight to the wine.