Tempranillo. It’s a varietal I’m growing increasingly fond
of. Since moving to AZ I’ve sampled Tempranillo from the Sonoita wine
trail and have been delightfully impressed – more on that later. This week
however, for our Wine Wednesday feature, we go to the native land of
Tempranillo – Spain! The 2011 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza is from the
Rioja region. Crianza on the label is an
indication of how long the wine has been aged. Spanish wines can be labeled Crianza, Reserva and Grand Reserva, Crianza
being the youngest of them in terms of aging. Crianza red wines must be aged
for a minimum of two years with at least one year in Oak and one year in the bottle.
This wine is a blend of predominantly Tempranillo (85%)
along with 10% Garnacha Tinta (Grenache) and 5% Graciano. On the nose - notes of raspberry, strawberry and licorice and
after a few sips - on your palate (roof of the mouth) – hints of chocolate and
subtle coffee. I found it to be a full
bodied sturdy wine with ample fruit and acidity with moderate tannins - great for
food pairing. We enjoyed it one night with a grilled ribeye and even more the
next night with pizza. Even better,
priced as a “weekday wine”, it took the doctored up frozen pizza to another
level. It seemed to love the tomato sauce on the pizza. Try also with my New Orleans style “red”
Jambalaya or my Homemade Marinara. Be sure to open the wine 30 minutes prior to serving for the best
experience. Click the links below to print or save the recipes.
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