Vina Gormaz, Ribera del Duero, Tempranillo, 2006
We drank this bottle along with a Tempranillo from Oregon (see the Abacela review), so it was really interesting to directly compare the old and new world styles.
This wine -- unlike its Oregon counterpart, had no strong vanilla smell at all. Instead of vanilla, it was sour, rotting and stem aromas. A bit later on, after it was open for a hour or so, I also got vegetable smells -- squash! Additionally, there was a ply-wood smell and a bit of cinnamon.
This wine is fairly light in body -- much lighter than the Oregon one. The taste has bit of that pepper-bite -- along with plum and cherry. The finish is cherry, and then that stem taste (stems plus cherry). At the very end, the finish is a bit tart at -- something like currant (or maybe just tart cherry). This wine is much less fruity than the Oregon counterpart. So while I'm describing these fruit tastes and such, they are much more muted than that of the Oregon bottle.
Cost:
Rating:
5.0