Out of the whole raft of wine that the Eguren guys make, I think this is my favourite. What gets me with this wine is the aromatic nose that only seems to get better as the wine ages. If you are drinking these wines young, make sure you decant, or at the very least open the bottle a couple of hours before drinking. I tried a couple of wines made from Tempranillo Pluedo (hairy Tempranillo) while in Rioja, and they all had this very aromatic quality. There are only 4 wines that I know of made with this clone, so who knows if this is typical or not…
A seductive nose of roses and violets, dark cherry, musky dark cherry and blueberry, espresso, dark chocolate, earthy herbs and freshly cut wood. It is the floral notes that really attract me to this wine, it’s highly perfumed. The palate is not slacking off, plenty of chewy tannins and fresh acidity leave me with the impression of prefect balance. Intense and brooding at the moment, backwards if you will. An intensely flavoured palate, cheery, blueberry with layers of plum, light cinnamon, earth undergrowth, liquorice root, clove and espresso. Huge finish. An excellent wine that will live in the cellar for a very long time, leave it for 5 years to brood and then drink over the following 15. 95+ Pts.
Source: Toro Wines Price: $135 Closure: Conventional Cork
Web: www.eguren.com
Hey David, Tempranillo Puedo? tried a quick google and it doesn’t elaborate too much! can you?
Thanks
Sure. It should be peludo actually. It is a clone of tempranillo that has small ‘hairs’ under the leaf, hence the name.
However the important part is that it has very small berries. This provides greater concentration and lower yield, which for a quality producer is a big bonus.
There are only 4 bodegas working with Tempranillo Peludo as far as I’m aware, but it is becoming a popular option when replanting in Rioja.