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.
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
Looks really interesting, and worth tracking down. I like appearance of the bottle, though I suspect that is largely because of the quality of the photo.
Certainly worth a look, I think this has really broad appeal.
Thanks for the comment on the photo. I need to get a few soft lights to perfect these kind of shots, I’m sick of seeing a reflection of a desk lamp in every shot!
This is a great wine that we at Anada have been having a lot of fun with. It has what I think of as a very old world style but very sweet fruit to balance all the secondary things going on with it. It wholesales at around $30.
I love these Spanish monastrells. So Scott - what’s the damage?
This should retail around the $50 mark from memory…