Cillar de Silos Crianza 2006

Cillar de Silos is an old favourite, and this 2006 is showing very well. It was a challenging vintage, but the guys here seem to have to made all the right decicions and have producded something well worth drinking and cellaring over the medium term.

A beautiful nose of currants, blueberries and blackberry with  woodsmoke and gamey, herby undergrowth notes. Very smooth and supple in the mouth, plenty of fleshy tannins that lend texture and body. Its a touch flabby in the middle, but the acid cleans that up on the finish. Fresh juicy, fruit: blackcurrant and blackberry with a twist of vanilla and a lick of sarsaparilla. Blackberry and minerals on the long finish. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

Other vintages: 2004, 2005

Bodegas Beronia Tempranillo 2006

The designation on the bottle is Elaboracion Especial and it’s a tricked up straight Tempranillo from Rioja. Most of the wines made by Bodegas Beronia are fairly traditional, however this is modern in its approach. Its made using barrel fermentation, but using high toast American oak rather than the usual French.

Deep and intense on the nose, plenty of mocha, toasted bread and vanilla with earthy cherry and mulberry. Supple and rich in the mouth, textured by plenty of soft tannins and a cheeky bit of acid on the finish. Plenty of get up and go on the palate, fresh plum and cherry with some mocha and sage. The fruit stands up to the wood well. A highly likable wine that shows a different approach to modern Rioja. 90 Pts.

Bodegas Finca Vaqueros I’Corus ‘Vendimia Seleccionada’ 2003

I reviewed the two entry level wines from this bodega a month or two ago and this is the big daddy of the range.Older vines (80 years old) and some special oak treatment (16 months in a mix of French and American oak) give this more ompphh for long term aging. I think anyone would have a hard time picking this from any of the Mauro wines.

Wild and thrilling is a good summary for this wine. It starts of with a nose of brambly cherry, mulberry and plum, adding some vanilla bean and mocha with some barnyard undertones. Supple with fine edges, quite charming and rustic tannins that build to give impressive texture. Its juby and meaty in the mouth with more cherry and black jelly beans, a touch of blackberry and black currant as well as some earthy herbs. I really enjoy drinking these wines, highly enjoyable and drinkable. You could keep it for a while, but I’d have trouble keeping my hands off them. 92 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $50 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasfincavaqueros.com

Altozano Tempranillo 2006

If you read Gourmet Traveler Wine, you would have seen this wine receive big wraps and (94 Pts) in a blind line up of Spanish and Aussie Tempranillos. While, I’m not as enthusiastic its great at this price and now comes in screwcap.

Its a media-crianza that sees 4 months in a mix of American, Hungarian and French oak. The grapes are from Toledo, hence the VDlT Castilla label.

The nose is full of blueberry, dark cherry and blackcurrant, with a hit of mulberry in the middle. Plenty of warm climate tempranillo character here, rich and generous mouth feel and soft tannins. Earthy blackcurrant, plum and dark cherry fruit, with some sarsaparilla. Complexity isn’t the name of the game here, its all about the bold fruit. The wood is really well handled too. At this price you can’t go wrong. 87 Pts.

Don Aurelio Crianza 2004

There’s not much to say here really, this is a good wine from Valdapeñas made from Tempranillo and given a bit of time in wood. It’s correct, it’s savoury and it’s good QPR. Wine from Valdapeñas is often confused for Rioja when served up blind, so that will give you some idea of the style.

A cheery red colour in the glass, with a nose of earthy cherry pie, followed up by some wood and smoke in the background. Pretty much the same in the mouth, but add some blueberry, plum and liquorice. A good little unit, cheap but very enjoyable. 87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $21 Closure: Conventional Cork

Don Aurelio ‘Tierracalar’ Tempranillo 2006

Easy drinking, affordable wines are one of the main reasons exports of Spanish wine to places like the UK, Germany and US have been booming over the past 10 years. To be honest, we haven’t seen a lot of the sub $20, but good Spanish gear here in Australia but that is starting to change. Many importers are looking for quality, low cost wines and this is a good example of how to get it right.

Nose of cherry liqueur, coco, a little raisin and day leaf. Rich and textured, with enough acid to keep everything moving along nicely. In the mouth it’s fairly straight forward, musky dark cherry and plum fruit with good balance and a long, spicy finish. Plenty to like here, especially the price. 87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $18 Closure: Conventional Cork

Auroch Toro 2006

I’ve got a couple of inexpensive wines in this week, I’ve been drinking a bit too well of late (not that I’m complaining). Not too many details here, all you need to know is that its an unoaked joven wine made from 100% tempranillo that’s juicy and fresh. It’s made by Ana Martin.

And yes the label does look like a pair of boobs….I’m assuming its supposed to be a pair of bull horns.

Earth, spice, herby undergrowth, lavender, cherry liqueur and Irish pipe tobacco. Juicy, gamy fruit in the mouth followed by a healthy finish. On the palate there is roast meat juice, savoury cherry, cola and sage. The end of the bottle comes all to fast, excellent with some stewed ox tail too. 88 Pts.

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

Mundo de Yuntero Organic Tempranillo 2007

I’m told by people much smarter than I am, that some regions of Spain have a great future as producers of organic wine. Apparently its all about the climate and lack of rainfall, which keeps a lot of the nasties away and hence you don’t need to spray etc. With some regions getting less than 300mm in some years, it has a ring of truth to it.

I’m not sure if organic wine means much in the Aussie market at the moment. Certainly restaurants and supermarkets/shops that bill themselves as organic need something to sell, but is the organic factor crossed out by the food miles for imported wine?

It opens up a bit reductive, but cleans itself up with a bit of air to show musky plum and cherry, a bit of earth, hot cinnamon and bay leaf. Plenty of pepper and spice in the mouth, over the top of some sappy, red cherry fruit. Balanced with some tangy acid and a good finish. A good little wine for the BBQ or cheap quaffing. 86 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.yuntero.com

Bodegas Campillo Crianza 2000

I’ve got a bit of a cold this week, so there won’t much in the way of tasting notes this week. However, I tasted this one last week, this is the image of traditional Rioja as you would expect from Grupo Faustino. Its 100% Tempranillo that is aged in American oak for a whopping 22 months. These guy do have a very scenic and impressive Bodega, check out their website for a look see.

Mid strength red in the glass. A typical old Rioja nose with vanilla, strawberry, subtle cherry, an old leather pencil case full of shavings and a good whack of barnyard/chicken shed. Very smooth and medium boddied in the mouth with loads of wood tannins that soften towards the finish (fruit tannins?). The palate shows earthy cherry and plum, with some cinnamon and minerals. Not a lot here to get me excited, a bit too much oak and ‘terroir’ for my liking. If you’re a hardcore traditional Rioja nut, you’ll probably up this 1-2 points. 86 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegascampillo.es

Telmo Rodriguez Pago la Jara 2005

This is the top wine from Toro for Telmo Rodriguez and it must be hardest bottle in the world to take a photo of, its a good thing that the wine is bloody good. Toro generally grows big and bold fruit that can handle plenty of oak, so there is always a temptation to bung the wine in loads of new, high toast oak. As a result there are some oak milkshake type wines that come out of Toro, however this wine fruit shows through with great pruity and plenty of earthy, gamey character. There is some expertly handled oak in there too, but it’s aiming for best supporting actor, not the big gong.

Very dark in the glass, with a purple rim. The nose is off and going from the start: gamey dark cherry, blackberry, sarsaparilla, a shake of black pepper with some rose and violet high notes. In the mouth the tannins slowly build into big, soft things followed up by some minerally acid. A bit tight in the mouth, but showing show meaty, juby dark cherry with some sars, espresso coffee, and sage. A good long finish with a herbal note wraps it all up. It has all the stuffing to go well in the cellar for 3-4 years then drink well over the following 10. 94+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $130 Closure: Conventional Cork