November is my birth month, so I choose a wine that falls into the “Stan palate” category. I search hard for a value wine that represents a lot of the qualities I personally look for. It was a good day when Max from Dickerson Distributing swung by the store with a red from Valencia, Spain.
The wine is made from 100% Bobal. Now, this is an obscure grape to many of us, but in Spain, it is the third most planted grape in the country, Tempranillo being number one. They drink a lot of Bobal in Spain and its main home is in Valencia and surrounding DOs, where a majority of it is grown and produced. The top-quality examples come from the DO Utiel-Requena just west of Valencia with a higher altitude. As you will deduce from my notes, Bobal is dense and chewy yet it has enough fruit to round it out. So, without further ado, here is my pick for November.
2019 Bodega Arraez Vividor Bobal (Utiel-Requena, Spain)… $12.
This baby smells like you can chew it. Notes of tobacco, boysenberries, black plums and earth. Dense, chewy tannins support intense notes of boysenberries that shine through with a hit of plum and underlying blueberry and tobacco notes. The fruit expands on the mid-palate into the finish where there is a solid kiss of minerals that linger. The tannins show a little attitude on the back-end. Solid acidity that is nicely integrated rounds the wine out nicely. Good balance with structure and complexity. A slamdunk for the money. It would really benefit from food, especially grilled meats. (B/B+)
Cheers!
Stan The Wine Man
