The motive behind my pick for the month, is to find the absolute best value that has been passed by me and put it out there for you to try. Although it is Washington Wine Month, I cannot ignore the great values that come out of Spain. If you take a look back, you will find that a lot of my choices come from this great wine-producing country. It always blows my mind what they can put out there that is so good at such stupid prices. This month is no exception as I found a Garnacha (Grenache) that over-delivers for the money.
2015 Campos De Luz Old Vine Garnach
2015 Campos De Luz Old Vine Garanacha (Carinena, Spain)… $10.
This winery in Northeastern Spain produces Garnacha from 40 to 80-year-old vines harvesting only roughly 1 ton per acre. The vines are like little shrubs and they don’t put out a lot of fruit because of their age. What you do get is fruit with a ton of character and that shows in this screaming deal for ten bucks.
Aromas of red plums, blackberries, violets and tobacco. Sweet tannins support notes of blackberries and plums with a splash of tobacco and leather. The fruit expands on the mid-palate and then freshens up on the finish with just a little hint of citrus coming through as it lingers. Nice balance of fruit and acidity with that crunchy element lurking in the shadows. This is a “9” in the delicious category and can be drunk all by itself or with pork, fowl or a light beef dish. Hell, I would even crack one open for a pizza, burger or steak. It has structure and flavor and you can’t beat that for ten bones. (B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
