~$50US, 100% Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero, Spain

This is the 2nd wine of the cult-garagiste-super-hyped Dominio de Pingus, in Ribera del Duero. Peter Sisseck brings a Bordelais heritage and strict selection with obnoxiously low yields to the Tempranillo grape. I just saw the 05’s come out, so I was temped to try this bottle. I popped and decanted about an hour before tasting.

It just smelled big - an overscaled bowl of cherries and strawberries like a massively rich California Pinot Noir. There was something primal about the nose - not earthy, but of-the-earth. Given the power of the aroma, I was expecting the palate to be jammy-jam extracted, but it shocked me with a very acidic and bright punch to the mouth. Young and vibrant. It didn’t give much in the midpalate and the tannins were grip-tight, but the finish just wouldn’t quit. One of the most lingering wines I’ve had in awhile, ripe with red cherries and dusty leather.

This is obviously a wine built for the long haul - 5 hours in the decanter, and still tight. A new-world nose, with an old world palate - fascinating, but just not in a pleasurable place right now. Like getting a masterful massage when you have a really bad sunburn - sometimes it’s best to wait a little longer.

Update: I left about 1 glass worth in a half-bottle overnight. Softer overall and more even-keeled. Chewey (almost chunky - depositing strange residue specs on the glass) with leather dominating along with coffee flavors. Acidity still coming through most prominently. Not quite there…but much more interesting than day 1.

~$20-40 US 40% Touriga Nacional, 40% Tinta Roriz, 20% Touriga Franca, Douro Portugal

I’m just getting into the dry wines of Portugal, and the last few I’ve tried have really overdelivered on their $10-15 price point. I’m curious to see what the next pricing tier had to offer - so when I saw this Douro wine with a slashed price, it was a no brainer.

Day 1- Deep garnet. Red and black cherry with subtle garrigue/herbal notes. Very tight - but serious “delicious potential” - needs more time.

Day 2-Slightly more open - now showing white pepper and a very refined and elegant palate. Still very tight - I wouldn’t be afraid to put this away until 2012+ - but there is no harm in enjoying it now (with food to help balance the mild tannic astringency on the back-end.) Medium bodied and stylishly balanced acidity, herbal complexity and fruit. Leather and cherries. Again, the finish speaks to me about the ’schisty’ Douro hills - and the overall impression reminds me of the more elegant Priorats like Lo Givot.

Terrific value at its sale price - it’s simply rare get this level of quality and age-ability for this price. This Douro strikes well beyond it’s weight class.

~US$13, 52% Touriga Nacional, 16.5% Touriga Franca, 14% Tinta Barroca, 13.5% Tinta Roriz, 4% other, Douro, Portugal

Medium Ruby color. Ripe black fruits on the nose - plums, black cherries and blackberries along with a mild dried herbaceousness. Darker, portlike flavors make their presence known, but the wine is never heavy or cloying. The medium-bodied palate revealed vibrant acidity and surprisingly refined tannins. Black fruit gave way to a nice white pepper component reminiscent of southern Rhone varieties. Short and dry mineral-driven finish.

My overall impression was this tasted like the lovechild of a Priorat and a rustic Cotes-du-Rhone, but with a  lighter body. Very interesting and a fantastic value - probably my favorite sub$15 red wine in the past 4 weeks. Try the sweet-and-savory combo foods like Hawaiian pizza or Peking duck.

~$12US, 100% Tempranillo, Granada Spain

Deep ruby with a purplish cast. Rich, ripe plums and blackberries on the nose…big fruit that smells of sunshine, with secondary leather and spicebox aromas emerging with time. Medium-full bodied on the palate and structurally well-constructed for this price. Just the right acidic lift to balance the fruit, taught but clean tannins (this has at least another 4-5 years of upswing), and very disciplined use of oak all add up to a wine you’d expect to be in the US$25-30 range. It’s tight but enjoyable at this point - but I detect some (nice) vegetal and spice complexities that need a little time to unwind. The finish revealed a soft decrescendo of fruit and a touch of rocky schiste-iness I usually attribute to Priorat and wines from Southwestern France. Welcome and versatile at the table - I imagine it standing up to strong sauces (garlicky/peppery) or with earthier vegetarian dishes.

A screaming value not only for what you get for $12, but what pitfalls it avoids among its price-peers (over-oaking, flabby tannins, funky brettyness, over-extraction, oxidation, etc). Easy to drink - the bottle just disappeared… I’d love to stock up on this and try it over the next few years to watch its evolution…and surprise friends when it upstages their latest California ‘cult’ wine for a fraction of the price. Seek out.

Calera Mt. Harlan Chardonnay 2004, Napa ~$24US

nose: Caramel apples, alcohol
palate: round but fresh, white peach, green apple.
finish: soft, buttered popcorn, glycerine

A solid California Chardonnay - Oaked, but not over-the-top. Well made, but not outstanding. There are similar wines cheaper, and better wines at this price.

Siete 7, Vinos de Terrunos 2005, Navarra Spain ~$8US - 80% Grenache, 20% Tempranillo

nose: Red cherries, petrol, blacktop, some dirty, wet leaves
palate: Serious. Cherries; appealing acidity, juiciness and smooth tannins. Some balsamic notes = brett maybe?
finish: Spree, long.

Similar to the ‘Les Ruffes”, except this one is from Spain and has Tempranillo. Also a great value, probably more interesting in its earthiness. And sweet label.