Search This Blog

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Oferente Monastrell 2009 (About $10)

About the Wine:  Monastrell is grown primarily in Spain.  Iberian wines are known for their light bodies and ease of drinking.  Spanish Tempranillo was the first red wine I ever really liked.  Milder and more accessible than the Merlots and Cabernets I would later come to love, Spanish wines were very accessible to my undeveloped palate.  Now that I am a bit more sophisticated I am better able to appreciate the subtleties of these gentler varietals.
About THIS Wine:  The nose is wonderfully smoky and earthy with undertones of velvety red fruit.  I suspect that if I had spent more time smelling it, I would have picked up other things as well.  The layers of smell were lovely.  The palate is smooth but not bland.  Cherry is prominent with very subtle hints of pepper.  The finish is light and does not linger.
Drinking This Wine: This Monastrell is the perfect compliment to beef and rice dishes.  It is also a good sipping wine and is good for occasions when seasoned drinkers mingle with neophytes.  The seasoned drinker will appreciate the nose while the palate will not overwhelm the neophyte.
Overall Impression:  If Oferente were Mondavi or any other well known vineyard then this would be a twenty dollar bottle.  It is an absolute steal.

No comments:

Post a Comment