I am going to be lazy here, this wine is fairly much exactly the same as the 2008, so I’ve just reused the notes here. I must say however, cool fresh, understated white wine at 11% is a refreshing change on a 40 degree day…

The nose shows plenty of herbal and grassy notes, with some fennel bulb and cucumber over the top of lemony fruit. Tight and driving in the mouth, it’s fresh and light and easy to drink. More of that lemon and herb fruit on the palate, the acidity keeps things humming along. More of a food style for my money, but definitely a fun, budget alternative to either NZ or French Sauv Blanc. 86 Pts.

The important things are all there: warm, ripe plums, dark cherry, vanilla and wood shavings, a bit of chocolate. Round and supple, slightly raspy tannins on the finish, length and a bit of acid to drive things along. 87 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Other Vintages: 2003, 2007

The nose opens up with figs, bloody meat and earth, it only gathers interest from there. Pencil shavings, some wild thyme and olives. Lovely. Easy to drink in the mouth, balance is good and the acid drives things along nicely. More of those figs and meaty notes on the palate, this would go well with some lamb shoulder. Tangy and long its a joy to drink now…plenty to like here, and as usual the price is excellent. 90 Pts.

The nose is almost meaty, with plum and strawberry notes. A bit of toffee and earth round this out nicely. There is a slight texture there in the mouth, balanced out with some good acid. The palate has a tangy red apple note to it, with some light plum juice and earthiness. Savoury and very drinkable, with or without food this is a winner for $14. It’s under screwcap too. How can you go wrong? 88 Pts.

Open and ready to drink, the nose offers up plums and cherries, with some earthy herbs and a rustic mustiness. Open weave on the palate with a bit of edge to keep it interesting. Light tannins and good acid. It drinks like a champ, round and fruity, but not overly sunny and obvious. My neighbour is cooking lamb chops on the BBQ (and they smell fantastic), I might have to go and see if I can pinch one…87 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $11 Closure: Screwcap

This is straight monastrell from older vines (whatever that means) that has a swim in new french and american oak for 6 months. The 6 months in oak thing actually works here.  I find that more often than not, such a short time in new oak makes a very oaky beast.

Nuts, figs, flint and sage are the main impressions from the nose. A bit of vanilla and smoke after a while in the glass. Warm and inviting, and a bit flabby around the middle. Its easy to drink but there is just enough structure to keep my interest. A big lick of fig and minerals on the palate, some Black Forest cake and a little funky animal. Convincing. 89 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

The nose is quite manly, if a bit broad and wandering. Figs and plums, coffee and vanilla, spice and earth. Kinda chunky in the mouth, big fluffy tannins that lend a luxurious texture, but it comes over a bit blocky as it builds in the glass. A bit rustic but very tasty with a beef and guinness pie. 88 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $24 Closure: Conventional Cork

I’m amazed that this wine is still $14, given all the movements in currency etc that have gone on over the past year. With exchange rates getting back towards the levels they were at 18 months ago (sitting around .57-.58 Aussie to a Euro), things are looking up and hopefully keeping any large price increases at bay.  Anyway, I had a bit of a revelation with the classic description for Monastrell about a year ago. While eating a plate of ripe figs, I thought:  ‘Hey this tastes like Monastrell’. I think fig and wild gamey notes are the primary flavours in monastrell from these southern regions of Spain.

On the nose, those earthy fig and plum notes dominate as the wine opens up, then some gamey, wild animal notes leading on to some cherry, some herbs  and a wiff of honey. As is usual, its medium bodied with light tannins and a long finish. More of that fig and plum on the palate, some minerals and earthy herbs as well. One of the great things about this wine is the consistency, each year looks very similar and getting a textbook quality wine at this price is rare. 89 Pts.

The nose opens up with plenty of warm climate Tempranillo notes: earthy plums, a touch of dark cherry, light vanilla and cedar notes and a little chocolate. Medium bodied, with ripe, dusty tannins, it’s rounded and goes down easy. More of the same on the palate and reasonable length on the finish. While it’s not the most complex wine around, there is plenty to like and you can’t argue with the price. 87 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Other Vintages: 2003

The nose shows plenty of herbal and grassy notes, with some fennel bulb and cucumber over the top of lemony fruit. Tight and driving in the mouth, it’s fresh and light and easy to drink. More of that lemon and herb fruit on the palate, the acidity keeps things humming along. More of a food style for my money, but definitely a fun, budget alternative to either NZ or French Sauv Blanc. 86 Pts.

A very classic Monastrell nose of earthy, animally plum and cherry, with a touch of honey and spice. In the mouth there is a rustic feel to it, the tannins and well defined and soft with a longish finish. Well balanced and fresh, with plenty of fruit, the palate shows more plum and cherry, herby undergrowth and black pepper, ink and gamey highlights. Maybe it was the food, but this looks more complete than the 2005. Still a hands down bargain. 89 Pts.

Raspay Reserva is 100% monastrell from old, low yielding vines that spends a lot of time in old oak. The methods used are very traditional and this leaves the wine with a distinct old world character. I like to think of this wine as an old bloke who was always a snappy dresser and he’s still got it going on well into his 60s.

Updates will be a little slow for the next week or so, my home machine had it’s hardrive crash last week so it will take me a few days to get everything back in order. I’ve lost a few things, like price lists, so a few minor details will be missing for a bit. I’ll try to post a few things at work in between my regular game of schedule chicken (aka death by meeting)…

A really enticing nose of squashed ants, violets and roses, cherry and plum with a rustic earthy quality. Fine and soft tannins with very good balance and length. The palate shows pen ink, blackberry and plum, herby undergrowth and a little tar. Reliable and friendly, stylish but rustic. This isn’t just for the traditionalists, it’s a very reliable wine that just about everyone will get into. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: ???  Closure: Cork

Web: www.primitivoquiles.com

Intense aromas of molasses, old coffee, wooden furniture, dried fruit, walnuts and spice cake on the nose. There is a little thickness in the mouth, but the overwhelming sense is that of smoothness. There is a little sweetness, but you could never call this a dessert wine. In the mouth, it fairly much mirrors the nose with a slightly bitter, nutty finish. This just keeps going, I could taste it minutes after taking my last sip. It’s hard to give something like this a score, but its at least 95+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: ???  Closure: Cork

Web: www.primitivoquiles.com

It’s a traditional style from Alicante made from Monastrell in a solera style environment. In this case the solera is one big barrel. The history of this style goes way back, it was well known back in the 1600s all around Europe and was the drink of choice for the nobility. I read somewhere that there are only 3 producers left making this style of wine, I’m not sure it’s that low but it is hardly a commercial production.

This one is the ‘baby’ in the family, the solera was started in 1948. The colour is of deep mahogany with an orange tint towards the edge. Intense and character filled nose with sweet raisins, a kind of peaty note, old wood all reinforced by a spirity alcohol note. Not that sweet in the mouth actually, it’s clean and bright with nuts, raisins, a little honey and fine tannins. Its kind of like madeira more than sherry, an intriguing wine that would be a hit in many of the fine dining restaurants around town. 92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: ???  Closure: Cork

The nose is quality monastrell: juicy plum, blue berry and honey with the trademark animal notes, a little dark cherry and nutmeg. Soft and rounded, but a few firm edges give interest as do the dusty tannins that are light and fluffy. It starts off all blueberry and violets on the palate, with some blackberry and plum with a touch of raisin. A bit of chewing tobacco too. Highly enjoyable, this one classy monastrell. Good value too. 91 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com