Its been a hot, humid week in Melbourne. Not really red wine weather. But I've been busting to try this wine for a couple of weeks now, so I cranked up the air con and put this in a decanter.
There are couple of things that make this wine unique. Firstly, its made from Tempranillo peludo or hairy Tempranillo, so called because there are little 'hairs' on the leaves. Secondly, it is a single vineyard wine. While not unheard of in Rioja, single vineyard wines are rarely labeled or marketed as such.
We don't really to the 'date' thing here in Australia, but I imagine that this is the wine to serve on a date. Sure you could have gone the obvious Burg, but take this if you want to stand out from the crowd. San Vicente is made by Marcos Eguren, part of the team who brings you Sierra Cantabria. Marcos uses mostly French Oak (80% with the rest old American oak) for San Vincente, the wine and wood cohabitate for 20 months.
The wine is dark with ruby glint at the edges. The nose is inviting with heady scents of dark cherry and mulberry, Rioja undergrowth, spice box, espresso, cedar wood and earth. In the mouth its very smooth, layered, rich and intense, everything you want your date to think of you. If they fall for that, they will also think you need a couple of years to mature before you're ready. Mulberry, dark cherry and slight blackcurrant with chocolate, cinnamon and the suggestion of minerals. A long, generous finish completes the package. You'll have to shell out a few clams to impress your date, but the wine at least is well worth it. 94 Pts.
Source: Toro/Woods Wines Price: Around $120 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.eguren.com
I have been drinking Spanish wines for some years now, very cheap ones, very expensive ones, from all D.Os up to el Bierzo, wines with names and wines without names.
This for me personally is definitively the best one I have ever had. It is modern and fruity and very intense but at the same time a Rioja-Wine of incredible smoothness and elegance with some very pleasant Bordeaux-traces.
You guys out there, if you have the money (here in Europe it is considerably cheaper) and time - TRY THIS WINE.
Regards from Berlin
Christopher
Hi Christopher, well said. This is certinally in my top 5 for the year so far.
We have some huge import taxes on wine here in Aus, so most of the prices on the site are about double what you can buy them for in Europe. How much do you pay for this?
well, between 30 and 30 euros … sorry guys. therefore we do have to pay some nasty taxes four your wines, which are becoming increasingly impressing …
30 Euros is about $50 here!
The taxes are only for imported wines, Australian wine exports don’t have a lot of tax put on. For of the big producers you would be able to buy it cheaper in Berlin than we would here in Melbourne…crazy but true.
Come to New Jersey! You can get a bottle of Spanish tempranillo(Tierra Salavaje) for $2.99 + 7% tax for a total of $3.20. It’s great!
80% tax on all wine imported into Hong Kong where I am a real killer! Though on a recent visit wine prices in Japan looked very responible! Using the standard brand champagnes as benchmarks, Japan seemed cheaper then anywhere else I’ve been previously.
well I can be thankful that its not quite that bad here…
I have not had San Vicente since the 1994 and 1995 vintages - which were and are still excellent wines and when released were about $20/bottle. Now for the money (I’d use the term “bang for the buck” but, some may not find it appropriate when referring to a date wine) I would rather have Eguren’s Numanthia from Toro consistently outstanding since the first vintage in 1998.
Well, as for best buy for your money, the numanthia indeed is an astonishing wine.
The point is: Numanthia is a completely different wine and not what most people are looking for when buying San Vicente … Riojawine lovers and long term alcoholics (as me :-)) will definitively be more impressed by San Vicente. Numanthia is great, but Numanthia is a poser and a Toro wine. As Dave said: If you have a date, bring San Vicente.
I may add: If you have to go to your date’s father: bring Numanthia.
I’d look at this from another angle, if my date brought a wine like Numanthia I’d be very happy
Wines from Toro are very masculine, but the best ones have that restrained power that make them very attractive.
In fact, my wife bought a bottle of Pintia out to dinner one night and I was a very happy man
A good tip from Christoper tho…
Numanthia, as with San Vicente, has only just become available here. I’ll grab a bottle and write it up.