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Thursday, February 11, 2016

Conde de Pircardo Tempranillo 2013 (about $11)



About the Wine:  Tempranillo is a signature varietal of Spain and a few of its clones are also very successful in Portugal.  The varietal is grown elsewhere, but never with much commercial success.  The bottle carries the Rioja designation but not a label that distinguishes how long it was aged in oak, such as Crianza or Reserva.  It is a risk, but I have a real affinity to the wine of the region.  Also, this price point speaks to me at a profound level.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is ruby red in the glass with a pink rim.  Cranberry is prominent on the nose, which unusual for a Rioja.  They typically have distinctive notes of cooking fat, which I did not get at all from this wine.  The palate is dry with good fruit and a firm tannin in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Something like steak or sausage would make a good pairing here.

Overall Impression: There is no reason this wine could not go for twice the price and as such it is a steal.  My one caveat is that it does not present like one would expect from a Rioja.  For someone who wants a great value dry red, though, this is where it's at.



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