Burgans Albarino

Name: Burgans Albarino
Color: White
Varietal: Albarino
Vintage: 2010
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas
Price: $15
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

We had this wine last week with scallops, and it was delicious.  We've had several Spanish Albarinos before and have really enjoyed them all.  This one from Burgans was no exception.  It featured peach, lemon, and citrus flavors and was round, ripe, and coated the mouth.  We really can't go wrong with an Albarino from Spain. 

Las Brisas Rueda

Name: Las Brisas
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Verdejo/Viura/Sauvignon Blanc)
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

This was our second wine from Rueda in the past month and we really enjoyed it, much like the last one (Naia). This wine is another terrific summer wine option. It's very crisp, fresh, and refreshing with good acidity and balance. It features delicious peach and apricot flavors and was very to easy to drink...We polished off this bottle very quickly.

Naia Verdejo

Name: Naia Verdejo
Color: White
Varietal: Verdejo
Vintage: 2009
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rueda
Price: $13
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had this wonderful Verdejo from Spain last night and really enjoyed it. This wine was packing a wallop of grapefruit, kiwi, and citrus. It had a medium body with a really nice mouthfeel. The finish was long and the wine was terrific. I would definitely recommend this wine and will look for more Verdejos to try soon.

Bodegas Castano Monastrell

Name: Bodegas Castano Monastrell
Color: Red
Varietal: Monastrell
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Yecla
Price: $10
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We had this Spanish red last night with tacos, and it was OK. The nose left a little to be desired, at least for my taste. I picked up on some dark berries, but got a strong whiff of licorice and mint. The wine tasted primarily of dark fruits, but was a little hot -- the alcohol came through rather aggressively.

I finished the bottle the next night, and I liked it much more than I did on the first night. Maybe it just needed some time to mellow out, but it was much better the second night. Generally, we love Spanish wines (red and white), but this one was not one of our favorites.

Vina Borgia

Name: Vina Borgia
Color: Red
Varietal: Grenache
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Campo de Borja
Price: $6
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We enjoyed this insanely low priced 100% Grenache from the Bodegas Borsao last night with dinner (pasta) and finished the bottle after the kids were bed, while we watched the Amazing Race! Bodegas Borsao is the same producer in Spain that makes the Borsao red blend we enjoyed last May.

Just like the wine we had last year, this wine was a deliciously great value, with big, dark fruits dominating the nose and taste. It was smoky, too, but the blackberry and black cherry flavors really shined through. The finish was fairly long and I picked up on a little bit of spice on the back end. Spanish reds continue to be among our favorites.

Rene Barbier Mediterranean White

Name: Rene Barbier Mediterranean White
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Xarello/Macabeo/Parellada)
Vintage: NV
Country/State: Spain
Region: Various
Price: $5
Stars: 3 (out of 5)

Many people rave about this wine as being an amazing value. It's true that the price is great - just $5...but the wine left something to be desired. It wasn't terrible, but to me it tasted like a really cheap Chardonnay. Krista wasn't as kind, saying it reminded her of White Zinfandel. We drank it pretty well chilled, so there wasn't much going on in the nose. The taste was primarily green apple, melon, and citrus. It was very easy drinking, but didn't really bring much to the table to get excited about.

Overall, it just didn't live up to the great reviews.

Bodegas Atteca Old Vines

Name: Bodegas Atteca Old Vines
Color: Red
Varietal: Garnacha
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Calatayud
Price: $16
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We had the Atteca Old Vines Garnacha tonight with dinner (steaks on the grill, with mushrooms and onions). It was very good. I had this wine previously at a restaurant in St. Augustine, and I was anxious to try it again.

The wine features big red and black berry aromas and flavors. It's juicy and round and was excellent with the steaks and on its own. It had a bit of a smoky quality, too, which I really liked. I am a big fan of Garnacha from Spain, and this wine does not disappoint. It's terrific, although at $16, probably not a great value. There are several Spanish reds, either Garnacha or Garnacha/Tempranillo blends, that are excellent but a few dollars cheaper.

Martin Codax Albarino

Name: Martin Codax
Color: White
Varietal: Albarino
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas
Price: $12
Stars: 4 (out of 5)

I had a couple of glasses of the Martin Codax Albarino last night with dinner (Greek food)...We also mixed some in the Sangria we made, and it really turned out nicely

On its own, this wine is very good -- I thought is was better than the 2007. On the nose, I got honey, peaches, and pears. The taste was similar to the nose, with some melon as well. I love the weighty feel of this Albarino and the crisp acidity. Definitely one of my favorite Spanish white wines.

Sangre de Toro Red Wine

Name: Sangre de Toro
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Garnacha/Carinena)
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Spain
Region: Catalunya
Price: $9
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

I had a glass of the Sangre de Toro last night, although we used most of the bottle to make Sangria, which we enjoyed with dinner (Greek food)...This wine is a great base for Sangria. We added a bit of the Martin Codax Albarino to the mix, and the red and white wines worked well together in the Sangria.

On its own, the Sangre de Toro was pretty good with a nice, medium body. It was dominated by dark red fruits, but was also a bit earthy, which I really like. A decent wine for the price, although there are several Spanish reds in the $10 range that I like more.

Castillo de Clavijo Crianza

Name: Castillo de Clavijo Crianza
Color: Red
Varietal: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2004
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rioja
Price: $8
Stars: 3 (out of 5)



This wine didn't really do it for us, which surprised me because we both generally enjoy Tempranillo wines (this Castillo de Clavijo was 90% Tempranillo, with 10% Garnacha). We drank it last night with homemade tacos and corn. I didn't really pick up much on the nose at first. Later that night, after dinner and after the kids were in bed, it finally began to open up a little...For an inexpensive bottle of wine, I just don't have the patience to wait 3 hours for it to be ready to drink. Once it did open up, I picked up on some light strawberry and cherry aromas and taste, as well as a little oak and spice.

Overall, the wine was just too light-bodied for our tastes. Krista went so far as to call it "watery". I'd probably pass on this wine in the future, but on the whole, we've had really good luck with Spanish wines, red and white.

Cristalino Brut Cava

Name: Cristalino Brut Cava
Color: White (Sparkling Cava)
Varietal: Blend (Macabeo/Parellada/Xarello)
Vintage: NV
Country/State: Spain
Region: Cataluna
Price: $8
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)


This Spanish sparkling wine has been widely hailed as a great budget sparkler and a terrific value for the money. I don't have too much experience with sparkling wines, so I don't have much of a base to compare to. For me, this was a good wine, but nothing to get too excited about. It was nice and dry and tasted primarily of toast, apples, pears, and a little bit of lemon. The finish was probably the most note-worthy aspect of the Cristalino Cava for me. It was very long, as the taste lingered well after each sip.

Nostrada Garnacha

Name: Nostrada
Color: Red
Varietal: Garnacha
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Campo de Borja
Price: $7
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We drank this wine last night with dinner (lasagna) and finished it after the kids were in bed. We had a busy day -- the boys and I spent the day at my parents house lowering my old basketball hoop to 8 feet so that they could shoot some hoops. Jackson really had a blast, making several shots. Owen's still working on his form, but for a 4 year old, he did great! It's probably too early to count on getting a scholarship from Kentucky, but they are both on their way to great things. I think I'll wait a couple of years before trying to teach them the intricacies of the Dribble Drive Motion Offense....Speaking of the DDMO, Coach Cal and the Cats got their first win of the year on Friday night, holding off a better-than-you-think Morehead St. team. Eric Bledsoe went nuts and dropped 24 on Morehead, including a couple of amazing drives in the lane. I can't wait until John Wall joins the mix on Monday. On top of all the basketball excitement, UK's football team beat Vandy to become bowl-eligible for the 4th straight year.

The Nostrada Garnacha was a nice, easy drinking wine that went well with the lasagna and was great on its own. It was very smooth and mellow, a really versatile wine that most people would enjoy. The nose was kind of smoky, with juicy red fruits. The taste was primarily cherry, raspberry, maybe a little blueberry.

Spanish wines continue to really outperform their price points. This one is an excellent value that we would definitely recommend.

Red Guitar

Name: Red Guitar
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Tempranillo/Garnacha)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Navarra
Price: $10
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


We've had this wine a few times and always enjoy it. This was our first bottle of the 2007 vintage, and while it was very good, I remember liking the 2006 a little bit more. The '07 Red Guitar is a blend of 55% Tempranillo and 45% Garnacha.

I had a couple of glasses tonight, one with pizza and one later on its own. The flavors are primarily cherry and raspberry, with a medium bodied feel in the mouth. It's a very smooth wine that may be able to be aged for 2-3 years. I might try to pick up a bottle and put it aside for a couple of years to find out how well it ages.

Nostrada Tempranillo

Name: Nostrada
Color: Red
Varietal: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2008
Country/State: Spain
Region: Tarragona
Price: $7
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

The Nostrada Tempranillo is a really nice value for the money. I thought it was very fruity, smooth, and easy to drink. I had a glass on Sunday night with our paella, although I mostly stuck with the Tres Ojos. I had another glass of the Nostrada last night. For my taste, I prefer the bigger, earthier tastes of the Tres Ojos Garnacha, but I would definitely drink the Nostrada Tempranillo again. The nose and taste were primarily red fruits, cherry, and plum. The finish wasn't particularly long, but for the price, it's tough to complain.

Tres Ojos Old Vine Garnacha Tinto

Name: Tres Ojos Old Vine Garnacha Tinto
Color: Red
Varietal: Garnacha
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Calatayud
Price: $10
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)


I really loved this wine. For the price, you can't do much better than a good Spanish wine. Spain is full of great values and this was one of my favorites. The Tres Ojos Garnacha (Grenache) is a ruby colored, medium/full-bodied wine. The nose was nice, but a bit lighter than the taste. It had blackberry, dark cherry, and plum flavors, with some earthiness. It was very smooth and well-balanced.

We drank this bottle last night with a big bowl of paella. It went really well with the meal and was easily finished later that night. I would highly recommend the Tres Ojos Garnacha and will look forward to drinking more in the future.

El Prado

Name: El Prado
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon)
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Valencia
Price: $6.5
Stars: 2.5 (out of 5)

This wine was OK. It fit the bill as something cheap and drinkable, but for just $2-3 more there are so many better options, especially among Spanish wines. In the $7 range, I would highly prefer the red from La Vieille Ferme.

I drank a couple of glasses of the El Prado last night after dinner, and Krista and I finished it off tonight with spaghetti. The aroma and taste were mostly raspberry and blackberry and it had a reddish purple color. The description on the label is misleading. It's described as a full-bodied wine, when really it's on the light side of medium-bodied. It's even a little watery at first, but then settles in to a more medium body style.

It was worth a shot for the price, but I probably won't be buying this wine again anytime soon.

Legado de Barros Tempranillo

Name: Legado de Barros
Color: Red
Varietal: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Spain
Region: NA
Price: $8
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

This was our first 100% Tempranillo. We have had several Spanish blends that use Tempranillo and have enjoyed them very much. We drank this wine last night with beef tacos and corn on the cob. It was enjoyable, but not particulary memorable. The nose and taste were dark berries, with an earthy/leathery/herbal quality. It was a dry, medium bodied wine, which was fortunately not overpowered by oak.

I picked up the Legado de Barros at Ed's Fine Wines on the advice of the sales guy who recommended it as a good value. That's all I really had to go on, since I couldn't find much information about this wine online at all. I probably wouldn't buy this particular wine again as there are just so many Spanish wines I like and others I want to try, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.

Borsao

Name: Borsao
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Tempranillo/Garnacha)
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Spain
Region: Borja
Price: $8
Stars: 4 (out of 5)


Wow! I liked this wine a lot...For less than $10, this was another great value from Spain. We drank this wine last night with a pork roast and some pasta. The color was a very deep red/purple in the glass, with an aroma of red berries and black cherry. I really expected this wine to be similar to the Red Guitar, also from Spain and also a Tempranillo/Garnacha blend...Instead, it really tasted more like an Australian Shiraz. It was very juicy and jammy, but soft and velvety in the mouth. I'll definitely be buying more of this in the future!!

Martin Codax Albarino

Name: Martin Codax
Color: White
Varietal: Albarino
Vintage: 2007
Country/State: Spain
Region: Rias Baixas
Price: $12
Stars: 3.5 (out of 5)

We had the 2006 vintage of this wine back in March and thought it was excellent, so I was really excited about trying the 2007...We drank a couple of glasses last night with a dinner of tilapia stuffed with crab meat. The wine paired well with the fish, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I remembered liking the '06. Maybe the '07 is just too young?? I don't know. It was still very citrusy and refreshing. It just seemed a little more watery to me. I remember the '06 as having a really nice full mouthfeel, but the '07 just seemed a little, well, flat by comparison.

I finished the last couple of glasses tonight without food, and it was much better than last night...However, it still seemed to be lacking the fullness that I really enjoyed that last time we had this wine. I want to try other Albarinos in the future, especially the Nora and the Burgans, both of which I've heard good things about.

Red Guitar and Mark Davidson White

Name: Red Guitar
Color: Red
Varietal: Blend (Tempranillo/Garnacha)
Vintage: 2006
Country/State: Spain
Region: Navarra
Price: $10
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)






Name: Mark Davidson
Color: White
Varietal: Blend (Chardonnay/Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc)
Vintage: NV
Country/State: Australia
Region: SE Australia
Price: $10
Stars: 4.5 (out of 5)

We enjoyed both of these wines at a dinner party at our house last night with a few friends. We've had each of these wines within the past few months and really liked them, so we were anxious to share them. They both went over very well, especially the Red Guitar. It paired excellently with the lasagna that we served. The Red Guitar is a Spanish blend of Tempranillo and Garnacha (Grenache). It's incredibly smooth and highly drinkable; fruity without being too sweet.

The Mark Davidson was just as I remembered it when I last had it in March. Here are the notes I made at that time --- http://blueandwine.blogspot.com/2009/03/mark-davidson-white-blend.html

These wines are quickly becoming two of our favorites. We continue to have great success with blended wines. They just seem to be tastier than most of the standard varietals we've had.