Toscar Rosado 2008

It is that time of year when a good rose is in order. Well, it is normally. We’ve been getting good rain here in Melbourne, which is odd for this time of year but more than welcome. This puppy is 100% monastrell from Alicante, and it confirms my thoughts that the best two grapes for rose from Spain are Monastrell and Garnarcha. Although a rosado made from Mencia that I tasted a couple of weeks ago was excellent as well…mor on that soon.

Laudum Monastrell ‘Barrica Especial’ 2006

I’ve done a couple of blind tastings this year with monastrell and blends of monatrell with things like cabernet, merlot, tempranillo, syrah, even some viura. But I come to the same conclusion each and every time:  I’m a much bigger fan of these straight Monastrell wines than the blended wines. I think that says more [...]

Toscar Monastrell 2007

Toscar Monastrell 2007

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.

Bodegas Castano Hecula 2004

This is a vineyard selection of monastrell from Yecla that gets 50% french oak treatment. It’s been given big gongs form the the chaps at the wine advocate as ‘one of the world best wine values’ and a whopping 91 points. I can see why they like it so much…

La Purisima Estio Tinto 2007

Estio is the entry level range from La Purisima, who also make Trapio. There is a red, a white and a rose in the line up, all under $20 at retail. I think you really get your money’s worth with these wines, I quite like this tinto, but I think the pick of the bunch is the rosado.

Bodegas La Purisma Trapio Monastrell 2006

I seem to have missed the 2005 somewhere along the way, but I am sure I have tasted it. Oh well. This 2006 is a great example of what can be done withMonastrell in the right hands. This wine is a bit of a favourite year in and year out, for consistency and value you can’t go far wrong here.

Toscar Monastrell 2006

The QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) winner from earlier this year is back with the 2006 edition. And if anything it’s more convincing. We didn’t do much on cup day, I had a heap of work to do, but I cracked this open with some albóndigas con tomates about 6 o’clock.

Estio Rosado 2007

Just a quick note on this one, it’s the second last rosado in the pile. Rose wine is a great drink, but really tasting it and writing up notes kind of misses the point. It’s for drinking, not thinking in my book.
Estio made from 70% Monastrell with a bit Tempranillo and Syrah.
Bright red/pink in colour, it’s quite a [...]

Dominio Espinal Rosado 2007

I ventured out to the Forum last night to see Supergrass. I’ve been a fan for a long time, in fact I Should Coco would be in my all time, top 5 albums. The lads are in top form (apart from’s Gaz’ amp playing up) and the new tracks are excellent live. I think they played half of I shoud coco, so I came home a very happy man. We had a glass of this before heading off to the gig.

Primitivo Quiles Raspay Reserva 2002

This is a classic case of ‘you should never judge a wine by it’s label’. I was introduced to this little number at a Spanish Acquisition tasting and I initially had my doubts about the packaging, but after tasting the wine and having a good fondle of the bottle, I love it. The Spanish flag ribbon over the top of the bottle and the old school label set the context, and the contents of the bottle are reel you in. I’m told the winemaker here calls this the Barolo of Spain, and he’s not too far wrong.