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

This is a good bottle to have in the fridge for those times when you need something sweet, but not heavy and sticky. There isn’t much in the way of details on this one appart from that its made from Muscat of Alexradria and Roman Moscatel, but I’m assuming that its made by allowing a partial fermentation of the latest year’s harvest that’s stopped by the addition of some grape spirit.This is very well priced too.

Nice goldern colour with a bit of viscosity. Aromas of lemon peel, seville orange marmalade, a bit of ginger and, well, muscatel grapes. Light, bright and fresh in the mouth, with a good dose of sugar but some acid to keep the finish fairly clean. The palate mirrors the nose for the most part, but shows some old oak character. The kind of thing you hope for when you find a nice lump of cheese at the back of the fridge at 11:30pm. 88 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $20 Closure: Cork Stopper

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

I've saved the best of these Toscar wines as the last post in the set. Before I tasted these 4, I wondered if the wine that the region is best known for, Monastrell, would come out on top. And it did. There is a bit more character with this wine, and if there is one thing I like in a wine, its personality and character. Many of the cheaper monastrells around can be a bit odd, but this is a good, honest wine that shows that a Monastrell that drinks well doesn't have to cost over $20.

As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the earthy, dark cherry and plum and this built further in the glass show the classic wild animal and a touch of honey. Rustic and friendly, but quiet mouthfilling with bold flavours. Lush, chunky fruit tannin and a touch of acid adds real interest while the palate shows savoury plums, hot cinnamon, and some pen ink. A wine with true personality and rustic charm that is pleasure to drink with good Mediterranean style food. At $20 this would be a bargain, at $14 you'd fell like you've stolen it. 88 Pts.

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

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

 Ok, this is the 3rd of the 4 Toscar wines.  This one is a wood aged tempranillo, and its a good drink. It shows plenty of rustic, warmer climate tempranillo character and some nice wood treatment that is virtually unheard at this price point in Australia. While I have a stylistic preference for the cooler climate gear, you'd have to pay at least 10 to 15 bucks more than this to get something barrel aged from Rioja, Ribera del Duero or Toro. And for that all important midweek drink, price matters.

Opens up with a slight earthy undergrowth character and adds some plums vanilla, dried herbs and spices. A bit rustic in character, but as with all these Toscar wines, its easy drinking: rounded, fairly smooth and balanced. The palate shows some rocky plums, white pepper, and a touch of smashed up coffee beans. The finish is a bit drying with some sandy tannins. Overall, it a wine with plenty of interest and personality at a price you can't possibly complain about. 86 Pts.

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

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Alicante is well known for its Monastrell based wines, but there have also been large scale plantings of other Spanish and French varieties. The region is quite hot and dry, but also quite high in places so this allows for a good growing season without many dramas as long as it rains every now and then. The soils are mostly limestone, with very low nutrients and not a lot else but the vines and woody, weedy herbs growing in this harsh environment.

Aromas of blackcurrant and dark cherry liquor, pepper, chocolate and pepper. Smooth, well rounded with a longish finish and fine tannins. Medium bodied and savoury. In the mouth it shows bright fresh fruit that mirror the nose.  Another good wine from Toscar that is perfect with food and casual drinking. 87 Pts

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

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

I've got 4 wines here from Alicate, so I sat down today and went through the lot.  Quite impressive for the asking price of $14, all of the wines are well balanced, show well ripened fruit character, are mostly medium boddied and easy to drink. Its the kind of stuff that is a great midweek drink or for the BBQ on the weekend. Well any time really. First up is this Syrah.

Aromas of plums and dark cherry, a touch of pepper, dried herbs and earth. In the mouth its smooth and balanced, medium bodied with light tannins and a touch of acid. Rustic with a bit of polish and well made from obviously good fruit. The palate mirrors the nose for the most part, but adds a bit of prune and more black pepper. Nice light, no hassle drinking that is well worth grabbing if you want something a bit different with your pasta or grilled meat. 87 Pts.

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

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com 

Anyway, this is clearly the benchmark Monastrell.  A big call as we only have a dozen or so wines available in Australia, but there you go.  High altitude, old vines, careful oak treatment and smart winemaking all add up to a top end wine.  I'd like to try this against some the top end French mourvedre based wines, I think the quality here would shine though.

A nice cherry red at the edge of the glass, a bit darker towards the centre.  An expressive and rich nose of cherry, mulberry, anise/clove,  pepper, a bit of toasty wood and musk that is really enticing.  The approach is very burgundian, elegant, smooth and supple with attention to detail in all the right places.  Foggy, smooth tannins, great balance and just the right level of acid.  Tart cherry, mulberry and plum with sage and minerals.  Very long finish.  Excellent stuff. 95 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $65 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2003

Anyway, here is a very interesting Monatrell from Alicante.  This one is from a magnum, which is about the right size for this wine, it's highly drinkable and evolves constantly over a couple of hours.  The vines are up very high at 2300 ft and are over 50 years old.  The wine sees 14 months in 500 litre French oak barrels.  For the Brett nazi's, there is a bit of barnyard on the nose, but I don't think its brett related.  I decanted half of this into a 750ml bottle and will have another look tonight.

Dark reddish purple with cherry red towards the edge of the glass.  A lot of changes in the glass over the couple of hours I drank this, started off with pink musk sticks and cherry on the nose that built into blackberry, smoke, sage and rosemary, a bit of anise and barnyard and minerally earth.  It hovers in between medium and full bodied. Not rustic at all, rather elegant and refined. It does need a good decant to really show it stuff, but the evolution in the decanter is very interesting to watch.  Soft, chalky tannins build a velvety texture, with the acid to keep you mouth fresh.  On the palate there is tart blackberry and boysenberry with earth, herbs and some minerals.  Good length on the finish.  Well worth tracking down, probably the best monastrell I've had to date.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 (1.5 Ltr) $65 (750mls)

 Closure: Conventional Cork

Each release of this wine has seen great improvement, this is definitely the best so far.  I can't tell if its good vintage conditions in 05, changes in wine making or something else completely. Alicante is in the province of Alicante, a bit closer to the coast than Jumilla and Yecla.  Not a lot of wine seems to make out of the D.O., but I notice that they grow Pinot Noir…

The 05 is a really smooth wine, with very good balance.  A purple/red colour in the glass, dark fruit, rose notes, earth and a few specks of pepper.  The alcohol is in balance with the fruit, the tannins are quite lush.  Medium bodied, but full of flavour. Very well priced too.  This will be great in autumn with a good stew.  87 Pts