Update - Bodegas Atalaya "Laya" 2012

Because I've had so many hits on my write up of the 2010 version of this wonderful everyday red, I thought it fitting that I take a taste of the current 2012 vintage as well. If I wanted to keep it brief, I'd just say, "buy it", you can't do any better for $7.99. But we'll delve a little deeper anyway. And deeper might refer to the color of this wine as well as everything else. The 2010 was listed on the Orowines website (Orowines and the Juan Gil Estates are partners in this and several other Spanish wine projects) as being being 70% Garnacha Tintorera which is also known as Alicante Bouschet. The 2012 however is listed as being 70% Garnacha (Grenache). These are 2 different varietals with the former being a cross of Grenache and Petit Bouschet. There's a big difference between the two and I'd be surprised if there was that big a change in the blend between 2010 and 2012. An email to Orowines and the Gil Estates regarding the blend cleared up the Mystery. The blend is in fact 70% Garnacha Tintorera and 30% Monastrell - except for the Swedish market where for some reason they reverse it to 70% Monastrell and 30% Garnacha Tintorera. Go figure.

Peter Wellington, whose Chardonnay I wrote up in my last post, gave me some great information on Alicante Bouschet when my wife and I visited the winery last year. Wellington has some very old Alicante Bouschet vines on his property dating back to early last century. He told us that it was favored by many California winemakers for not only the big color it gave wine, but for it's very tough skin. He said that you could literally drop an Alicante Bouschet grape on the floor and it would bounce. This made it a very easy grape to transport all over the valley without damaging the fruit.

Anyhow, the 2012 Laya is still one of the best entry level values on the market. Deep, dark and dense purple in color (which is typical of Alicante Bouschet), this great little wine delivers what many wines in the category can't. Beautiful aromas of ripe plum, blueberry, cola, roast coffee and a touch of damp earth lead to large scaled flavors. There's a slight jammy quality to the blueberry and blackberry fruit, though not enough to turn me off. It's not over ripe. It finishes long and lightly tannic with nice balancing acidity. Don't miss it. If you haven't tried the many other everyday Spanish wines the Bodegas Juan Gil produces, you should definitely search them out. Cheers!

More Spain, More Great Value - Honoro Vera Monastrell 2010

It's been awhile since I last checked in. Work, the flu - it can all get in the way of what I really like to do, and that's drink and talk about the world's greatest beverage of course. Yes beer is up there also and some will put that quaff number 1. But for me, the beer just warms up my palate for the wine.

Anyway, while perusing my local joint I came upon another fine Spanish bargain from the Bodegas Juan Gil. This producer seems to make everything well, but when you can put out juice like this for a mere $7.99 then the consumer is the real winner. Honoro Vera is a 100% Monastrell Cuvee from the very warm Jumilla region of Southern Spain. Monastrell, which is called Mourvedre in southern France, has been found in both regions since the 1500s. It's a late ripening grape with thick skins that needs plenty of warmth and hang time to ripen fully. There is an organic version of this bottling as well, though I did not get to try it. The vines for this wine are situated at approximately 2000 ft. in altitude. This brings wide temperature swings from day to night, thus slowing the ripening process and allowing the juice and the skins to ripen in harmony.

This great little weeknight wine presents bold dark berry and plummy aromas with coffee and spice notes that gained in intensity as it aired. In the mouth it's not as concentrated as I thought it might be, but still brings a very nice medium-bodied texture to the glass. The blackberry and blueberry flavors are soft and round but not flabby, with no astringent tannins. It finishes smooth as well with the spice notes and a touch of smoke on the finish. Imported by Opici Imports. Cheers!

Body and Soul - Altos de Luzon 2007

Crowd pleasing Spanish red wines continue to deliver the goods when it comes to concentration and bold fruit flavors - and at prices one can only consider exceptional values. Bodegas Luzon, a large operation located in Jumilla in southeastern Spain has been churning out fantastic everyday reds for a long time. Their entry level $7.99 wines are incredible values. One is the Luzon Cosechca, a hearty blend of 70% Monastrell (Mourvedre) and 30% Syrah. The other is Luzon Verde, a 100% Monastrell cuvee that is organic to boot. I've had and enjoyed both bottlings many times.

Today however I want to tell you about the step up bottling called Altos de Luzon which will set you back a bit more at $12.99, but may be an even better value given the breadth and scope of the product. This awesome wine is a blend consisting of 50% Monastrell and 25% each Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. It's very inky purple color leads to brooding aromas of blackberry and cherry jam fruit with notes of cocoa, vanilla and spices - the latter two of which are a result of the 12 months in French and American oak this wine sees prior to bottling. The flavors are also large scaled, with dark berry and plum flavors supported by somewhat high toned acids and smoke and spice notes on the lingering finish. This food friendly wine is a pretty big one for the price and should please just about anyone, especially the "size matters" crowd, and there's nothing wrong with that. An import of Fine Estates From Spain, try this beauty with a hearty beef or lamb stew, or a simple grilled steak. Cheers.

Olivares "Altos de la Hoya" 2009

   This really tasty everyday red is almost always a good bet, regardless of vintage. Yes, it's a hot climate red that's always very ripe, but there's always a bit more than fruit going on here. This wine is from the Jumilla DO in Southeastern Spain and it's produced mainly from very old vines Monastrell, which in France is called Mourvedre. These vines predate the late 19th century Phylloxera epidemic that devastated vines throughout Europe and led to grafting and replanting on American root stock, which proved resistant to the vine louse. In addition, these vines live at an altitude of 2700 ft., an altitude that helps offset the extreme summer heat in this part of Spain.

 You still get large-scaled aromas of chocolatey cherry and blueberry, with notes of roasted coffee and iron. With 2009 being such a good vintage, the mouth filling plum and dark berry flavors are balanced by good acidity. It finishes lightly tannic and long with spice and floral notes. Imported by The Rare Wine Company, this beauty sells for a mere $9.99. Drink it up!

Bodegas El Angosto "La Tribu" 2010

   Here's a very nice 3 grape blend from the Valencia region of Spain, where they have been making wine for more than a few centuries. Called "La Tribu", this blend consists of equal parts Monastrell (Mourvedre), Garnacha (Grenache) and Syrah. It's got attractive yet somewhat reticent aromas of blueberry, blackberry and a touch of smoke - probably from the 4 months of oak barrel aging this wine gets. In the mouth it's medium-bodied and very up front fruity with very nice balance and grace. It's never heavy handed and there's no alcoholic heat on the back end. It's not the most complex quaffer I've had but fans of the fruitier styles will find a lot to like here. It went perfectly with the artisanal  pizza from our hometown favorite, Nomad Pizza, and it set me back a mere $12.99. It's imported by one of my faves, Vintage Imports. Cheers.

....and while I have Nomad Pizza on the brain, those of you in the Philadelphia area should watch for the opening of the Philly restaurant on Feb. 10th. I can't rave enough about these individual pies, made in a very traditional Italian manner with mostly local and/or organic ingredients in a wood-fired oven that they had shipped here from Italy. They have a great draft beer list;
1. Allagash White
2. Anchor Liberty Ale
3. Brooklyn Lager
4. Dogfish Head 60 min IPA
5. Dominion Oak Barrel Stout
6. Long Trail Ale
7. Ommengang Hennepin
8. Rogue Dead Guy Ale
9. Stone IPA
10. Victory Prima Pils
11. Yards Philadelphia Pale Ale
12. Seasonal Tap
and a wine list put together by yours truly, featuring many of the values touted on this blog. Pictured here is the margherita pie with shitake mushrooms. Yum.

Another Great Spanish Value - Panarroz '09

   Here is another $7.99 Spanish bargain that I have to rave about - Panarroz. A three grape blend of Monastrell, Grenache and Syrah grown in the Jumilla DO, this great little wine serves up aromas of cherry, blueberry and a distinct earthy note. It's aromas are quite large and complex for a wine at this price point. In the mouth, it delivers bold berryish fruit, medium-bodied textures and a finishing note of pepper. A private label product of the fine importer Hand Picked Selections, this great value can be found almost everywhere. Year after year, Panarroz is one of the finest values on the market.

....and while I'm here, I have to give some props to our local artisanal pizza place since one of their pies is what I enjoyed the Panarroz with. Nomad Pizza in Hopewell, NJ is without a doubt the best pizza I have had in a long time - maybe ever. Owners Thomas Grim and Stalin Bedon had their wood-fired oven built in and then imported from Italy. Below is a pic of their Margherita with shitake mushrooms. They use as much local and organic ingredients as possible and their thin crust pies remind me of the individual pizzas you get in Rome. The salads are also great and it's a BYO but beware... they do not take reservations so if you are going on a warm summer night on the weekend, there will probably be a wait. I suggest going early, late or during the week. No matter when you go though, this place is definitely worth the trip!!