Remember the ad campaign for the Snickers candy bar in the 80's? It went
something like, "Packed with peanuts, Snickers really
satisfies."
This wine is my
Snickers. It's PACKED with fruit and really satisfies. And
you'll never guess who would probably agree with me on this. Besides
the great press this wine has received, Christopher Columbus loved
this style of wine too. In 1492, he needed a wine to bring with him
that had the body and structure to withstand the long trip. He chose
wine from Toro, Spain as his weeknight wine out at sea.
What's the deal with Toro?
- Toro
is located in Northwest Spain, about 3 hours from Madrid
- The
main red grape grown here is the indigenous Tinta de Toro grape.
- The
Tinta de Toro grape is actually a clone of the Tempranillo grape that
we see in wine from Rioja and Ribera Del Duero. However, the wines from
Toro tend to be more robust and full-bodied then
from places like Rioja .
- Read more about the soil and climate in Toro here.
Why is this wine WELL worth your $11?
- If you like wine from
Rioja, and you like Cabernet from California I guarantee you'll love
this wine. It has the best of both worlds; the fruit, the weight and
the strength of a Napa Cab but also the subtlety and refreshing
aspects of a well-made wine from Rioja.
- This wine is in a GREAT
drinking window right now, is unique and shows terroir. The wine has
that Iberian flavor, but it doesn't taste like any other wine from
Spain. Toro's climate and soil, combined with an indigenous grape
variety (whose vines never suffered from Phylloxera) give this
wine a real sense of place. There's no mistaking it for something
else. In-fact because of the soil and climate in Toro, their wine can
naturally get to 17% alcohol. (This one is 14%).
- It's a killer value and it's absolutely delicious....it's like eating a Snickers! The prices of these wines will increase someday so get'em while the gettin's good. Look at the reviews on cellartracker.com to see other consumer reviews.
2005 Sabor Real Crianza - Vinas Centenarias
Regular Price $14.99
On Sale now @ $10.99 (over 25% off)
91 Points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate -see review below:
"The 2005 Vinas Centenarias, as the name implies, comes from vines over 100 years of age. Purple-colored, it offers up a complex perfume of pain grille, violets, mineral, spice box, black cherry and blackberry. Bigger, richer, and more sweetly-fruited than its younger colleague, it would benefit from 2-3 years of additional cellaring. Balanced, lengthy, and altogether hedonistic, it should drink well through 2015. It is a stupendous value." And the Wine Advocate lists the going release price as $16.
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