Pleno Tempranillo 2006

Artazuri Garnacha Rosado 2006

Rose style wines aren't just for summer when its 40 degrees and your sitting under a tree eating a dodgy ham and cheese roll from a picnic hamper.  I like to drink rose all year round and it is a perfect match for so many foods.  One of the key things with rose for me is to use it as a food wine, that is its real place in life.  So, you don't want huge flavours but you do want a good wack of acid for freshness, balance and length.  A bit of texture is nice.  Dry or with a bit of sweetness depends on the food, an off dry rose works very well with a salad with bitter leaves and blue cheese.  But of course, you don't make friends with salad.

Anyway, Artazuri is a project from the good people at Artadi, the famed Rioja producer.  100% Garnacha with a little skin contact for that lovely colour.

Looks like petrol in the glass, the old unleaded stuff.  A subtle nose of strawberry, mountain herbs, a little bit of earthiness and raspberry.  Crisp and fresh in the mouth with a pleasing level of acid, good weight and texture.  The palate mimics the nose for the most part, subtle and dry with a mid-length finish.  Excellent with food.89 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Gran Feudo Rosado 2005

A lot of people will disagree with me, but I think that rose (or rosado in Spanish) is possibly the most versatile food wine.  In spring and summer it goes with just about anything, especially seafood and spicy dishes.  And it is almost always under $20.

Gran Feudo is an old favorite, its dirt cheap and you can buy it in the supermarket.  Perfect with antipasto or cheese to start off a BBQ or with a paella or salmon.  It looks kind of flash in its tall clear bottle that shows off the colour, I didn't get to take a photo of this bottle before it was all gone! 

Its made from garnarcha and fermented on skins for a day or so until the colour is a deep pink.  

Deep, but bright pink in colour.  The nose is filled with strawberries, with some other red berries for backup.  In the mouth its tart light cherry with some darker fruit in the background and shake of white pepper on the finish.  And don't worry, theres no sugar.  Nice and dry with enough acid to freshen up your mouth as your shovel in some more paella.  87 Pts.

Source: Retail Cost: $13 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.chivite.com

Gran Feudo Reserva 2000

A blend of the indginous Tempranillo (80%) and the French Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (the remaining 20%) . I find these blends a bit hit and miss at times, the Cabernet seems to dominate and can add some green/herbal characters that seem out of place in such a wine. Not so with this one, it hits the mark and its priced well to boot.

The Chivite vineyards are located in the Navarra region of northern Spain, in between La Rioja and Catalonia. The grapes come from a number of areas around Navarra, Marcilla and Aberin specifically. The wine sees 18 months in French and American Oak and another 18 months in bottle to meet the requirements of the Reserva label.

Plums and raspberries make up the nose, with a bit of french oak showing through. Medium bodied with dark cherry, blackberry/blackcurrant, oak and a bit a vanilla. I found the tannins a bit rough at first, the finish is rather short. It could sound quite boring, but it’s a solid, rustic wine that would go very well with a beef stew or lamb chops on a cold Tuesday night. 87 Pts.  

Source: Retail RRP: $20 Closure: Cork

Web: www.chivte.com