Basa
Borsao
Burgans
Campo de Borja
Castaño
Castell del Remei
Emilio Moro
Mas Donis
Onix
Pazo De Señorans
Solanera
Tres Picos
Viña Alarba
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Pazo De Señorans Albariño 2001 Rias Baixs
What a delightful white!
The nose is very rich and tropical.
The palate is tangy with key lime zest, pear, and apricots.
Albariños have been described as being "Viognier-like" and this Albariño fits that bill.
Not only does it have rich and delicate fruit flavors, but it has ample acid and a touch of mineral.
There is no oak used in the production of this wine, yet because of extended contact with the lees,
the wine has a complimentary creaminess.
This is an exceptional bottle of white wine.
Retail price $20. Tasted September 25, 2003.
Elegance, luscious fruit, and crisp acidity earn this white two out of three  .
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Mas Donis 2000 "Barrica" Tarragona
Spice on the nose that follows through to the palate.
These "Old Vine" grapes come from 70-80 year old grenache vines and
20-30 year old syrah vines.
The blend is spicy, with toasted honey and toasted vanilla flavors.
The fruit follows through on the mid-palate as ripe cherries and plums.
The acidity and tannins balance the ripe, roasted flavors giving this red blend a
synergy of seamless texture.
Retail price $11. Tasted September 25, 2003.
Very fruit-driven, yet interesting and balanced, quality and price earn this bottle two out of three
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Castell del Remei 2000 "Gotim Bru"
This is a great bottle of inexpensive red from the Spanish DO of Costers del Segre,
inside the Catalonia DO.
A blend of 60% tempranillo, 25% merlot, and 15% cabernet sauvignon, Castell del Remei
is spicy with toasted vanilla notes, rich tobacco on the mid-palate, and ripe blackberries.
The balance of this wine is impressive.
The acidity and tannins are smooth and the flavors offer interesting roasted flavors.
Retail price $12. Tasted September 25, 2003.
Quality and price earn this blend two out of three .
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Castaño Solanera 2000 Monastrell
comes to us from the Yecla DO in Spain.
The monastrell, or mordevre as the French call it, is inky, spicy, and so interesting.
In the glass the color is very violet.
Forget the big fruit bombs from Australia, this wine is big and it has lots of structure.
The fruit is incredibly ripe with plum, cassis, and boysenberries.
There are hints of mint, dried fruit, and coffee on the mid-palate.
The finish is sexy, with smooth tannins.
The acidity allows this wine to be paired with food that can hold up to a big red.
Retail price $10. Tasted September 10, 2003. Dazzling and inky earning two .
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Viña Alarba 2002 Old Vine Grenache
There is something about an old vine bottle of wine that is nearly guaranteed to be sultry.
When you find 50 year old vines for under $10, it seems too good to be true.
Viña Alarba is dense and smooth.
It has a mysteriousness about it that can only be from the extracted, jammy, old vine juice.
The sultry flavor of minerals peak through on the mid-palate.
Let'um shop the cheap California rack, that means there will be more Viña Alarba for us.
We've got 50 year old vines at the price of a
mass produced white zin; being "in-the-know" couldn't be any better.
Retail price $8. Tasted April 3, 2003. Old vines, quality, and price earn it three  .
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2001 Basa Rueda is mostly Verdelo with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc blended in. This wine is very zesty and
refreshing with cool hints of apple and a crisp citrus finish. This is one of my favorite summer wines. It is
very approachable and works well with food because of its balanced acidity.
Retail price $10. Rated April 28, 2003. This wine earns one  .
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2001 Burgans Albarino has a floral nose, rich mouth feel, and elegant white flowers, pear, apricot,
and honeysuckle on the palate. The acidity is a little light, but the rich flavors of this wine more than
make up for the slight acidity, which could still compliment a delicate fish or chicken meal.
Retail price $12. Rated April 28, 2003. This wine earns one .
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Campo de Borja Tres Picos 2001 Tempranillo
is very ruby-red in color and has a wild cherries on the nose.
It has deep-rooted, "old vine," extracted flavors.
The cherry flavors are very intense and there is a touch of minerality.
The finish has a very balanced spiciness and mouth-feel.
Retail price $12. Tasted April 28, 2003. This is a great bottle with two .
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Borsao 2002 Primizia
"Two Buck Who?" Lets be frank.
If you want the best inexpensive of red wine around you've gotta be talking about Borsao.
(I had to show you the corporate artwork for this little beauty.)
It's 75% garnacha and 25% tempranillo.
The garnacha is smooth, non-tannic, fruity, and the tempranillo is spicy, giving the fruitiness some
interesting attributes.
It's not just well made, it is extremely inexpensive.
I imagine there are a few others out there like it, but this is the one that stands out the most in my mind.
All in all, Borsao is an all-purose, everyday,
wine, for when you want to enjoy what you're drinking, but have a budget.
Retail price $7. Tasted April 28, 2003. Its a suprising little wine, two .
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Emilio Moro1998 Ribera Del Duro
The nose has extreme essence of black cherries and vanilla.
On the front end this wine has subtle cassis, raspberries, and black cherry flavors
and then it explodes in your mouth with tar, black pepper, and licorice.
The finish is textured with lingering flavors of pepper, vanilla, and licorice.
The tannins are balanced against the fruit and acidity.
This would be a $40 bottle of wine if it were produced in Napa Valley.
Retail price $22. Tasted April 28, 2003. This wine deserves three .
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Ónix 2001 Priorat
comes to us from the very up-and-coming area in Spain, southwest of Barcelona.
There is a new mind set in Priorat in which quality wines with complexity and value are
being produced at all price levels.
This great little bottle of red wine is an interesting blend of equal parts grenache and cariñena.
The grenache is fruity and smooth, adding depth to the wine with flavors of wild cherries, plums, and licorice.
The cariñena adds spice and flavors of rosehips.
The tannins are soft and the finish is a little zesty from the acidity.
Retail price $9. Tasted April 28, 2003. A reliable choice at one .
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Abadia Retuerta 2001 Rivola
Such a buy for the price!
The color of this 60-40 blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon is deep and violet.
The nose has vanilla, raspberries, and a bit of lavender.
On the palate, the fruit is extracted and deeply layered.
Cassis, clove, licorice, vanilla, and hints of smoke are followed by a spice finish of
savory cherries and a turn of black pepper.
At this price, you can lay a few down without a second thought about the price,
the problem will be not drinking them right away.
Retail price $14. Tasted April 28, 2003. Earning three .
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