Tasting - Lobetia Tempranillo

Name: Lobetia Tempranillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $9.95
Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. It shows a nice cherry color with a violet shade because of its youth. Red berries and cherries on the nose. On the palate it is fresh, slightly astringent, and harmonious with a long finish.

My Review: I thought the aroma on this wine was very rich - a deep cherry smell with hints of something like chocolate. The taste had spice that finished smoothly, although I really couldn't pick any specific flavors out of the wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Lobetia Chardonnay

Name: Lobetia Chardonnay
Variety: Chardonnay
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $9.95
Review: Organically and naturally grown and made, this wine allows the varietal and the terroir to stand out cleanly. Clean, bright color with a greenish-yellow tone. On the nose, exotic fruits like pineapple. Full flavored, fresh, with good acidity in the mouth, it finishes with tropical fruits.

My Review: I thought this had a stronger fruit smell than the previous wine (the Trattoria) - maybe a mix like pear and peaches? I thought the wine was very smooth. I did detect the "tropical fruits", although I tasted more of a passion fruit blend, like a smoothie I had at Jamba Juice the other day. A pretty good wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Torre Castillo Alegre

Name: Torre Castillo Alegre
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Jumilla
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $9.95
Review: 4 months in new American oak barrels. Bright ruby-red. Dried cherry, pipe tobacco and rose aromas, with a hint of woodsmoke. Sweet and fleshy on the palate, with blackberry and cherry flavors complimented by licorice and a suggestion of dried herbs. The cherry and smoke notes repeat on the finish.

My Review: I detected plums and berries on the nose of this wine - I though it was a very nice aroma, actually. I at first tasted the oak (and only oak) but it quickly fades into a very smooth finish. Not bad.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Cresta Azul

Name: Cresta Azul
Variety: Moscatel, Macabeo, Parellada, Xarel-lo blend
Region: Emporda
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $5.95
Review: Peach, orange cream and vanilla flavors mingle in this softly bubbly white. Off-dry, but with crisp acidity and a clean finish.

My Review: This wine had a very strong, almost cloyingly sweet smell with overtones of spice to it. It had a tart bite to it that wasn't unpleasant along with a decidedly sweet flavor - I unfortunately couldn't place what exactly I thought it tasted like.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Veleta Tempranillo Rosado

Name: Veleta Tempranillo Rosado
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Granada
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $3.95
Review: Fresh in flavor and crisp in texture, this dry rosé offers berry, tart cherry and light herbal flavors, with firm acidity and a clean finish. Focused and juicy.

My Review: I detected berry aromas in this wine, specifically strawberries. I thought it was pretty dry on the mouth, but it didn't have a whole lot of flavor to it. It tasted more like a white wine than a red or rose wine to me.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosado

Name: Veleta Brut Vino Espumoso Rosado
Variety: Sparkling Blend
Region: Granada
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price:
Review: Rosé salmon with copper reflections. Slow rising fine bubble that forms “lace” and “rosary”. In the nose is complex and elegant with red fruit, citric, exotic, fresh flowers, and notes of dry fruits and dry flowers. Fresh, gentle, and alive. Perfectly integrated “perlage” with serious and subtle flavors of dry fruits, pomegranate and lemonade. Long lasting scent of flowers and herbs.

My Review: I thought this wine smelled very fruity - I detected a very specific peach scent to the wine. I thought the wine was very dry and tasted almost tomato-y or like some other acidic fruit. Perhaps I was tasting the lemonade flavors mentioned above. The aftertaste seemed almost like copper to me - I definitely did not like the flavor of this wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Garnacha

Name: Tres Ojos Garnacha
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $6.95
Review: The wine has a brick red color with a bouquet of red raspberries, spice and white pepper. The palate is incredibly concentrated and rich. The modern styles of Garnacha in Spain are continuously being perceived worldwide as wines of extraordinarily good quality. This wine is fruity, juicy and shows a great depth, ripe tannins, length but yet with wonderful elegance and lightness. Enjoy with sausages, roasted meats, aged cheeses etc.

My Review: I thought this wine had a very fruity aroma, although I didn't detect anything specific. It tasted pretty spicy to me, but it had an overall smooth finish and seemed very well balanced. Definitely a drinkable red wine, much better than the previous wine tasted (the Montebuena).

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Montebuena

Name: Montebuena
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95
Review: Ripe cherry and blackcurrant on the nose and in the mouth. Pliant and seamless in texture, with good heft and back-end energy. Finishes smooth and sweet, with fine-grained tannins providing shape and grip. Still on the young side but this wine drinks very well with an hour or so of decanting; it’s an excellent value for Rioja.

My Review: I caught hints of spices and cherries or blackberries in the nose of this wine. When I tasted it, I was overwhelmed by the tannins in the wine and I couldn't really taste anything else in the wine. Perhaps it needed to breathe more, but as I had it, the tannins were too powerful.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Tinto Figaro

Name: Tinto Figaro
Variety: Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $6.95
Review: Figaro is 100% Garnacha, made from a selection of the best grapes grown in the oldest vineyards. While not truly an "oaked wine", a short stay in oak barrels provides a nice spicy flavor boost. Bright violet. Dark berry and cherry aromas show a jammy aspect. Supple and gently sweet, with good lift to its black raspberry and boysenberry flavors. Smooth and broad on the finish, leaving behind a hint of spiciness. Extremely easy to drink and an excellent value.

My Review: I thought this wine had a very deep cherry or raspberry aroma. On the tongue I felt a lot of tannins, with a slight bit of spice. The wine lingered with a not unpleasant raspberry aftertaste. I would definitely agree with the above review in tasting this wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Bitch

Name: Bitch
Variety: Grenache
Region: Aragon
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $9.95
Review: Opaque Ruby.... Broad and fleshy on the palate, offering syrupy blueberry and plum flavors and a touch of bitter licorice. ... This jammy wine would be a great one to crack open after everybody was too hammered to notice its confectionary character, or to friends whose booze preferences run towards Frozen Mudslides and double B-52s. Rumor has it that some people are into this style. - 87 Stephen Tanzer

My Review: When I opened the bottle I swore I smelled fresh bread dough. In the glass it smelled more fruity, like cherries - it was a very deep, dark red wine, the "opaque ruby" is an apt description. I thought it had a little sweet fruit taste that was very smooth. I did find it to be a little thin or hollow-tasting. I bought it primarily because of the label and I wasn't too disappointed with the wine inside.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Jaume Serra Cristalino

Name: Jaume Serra Cristalino
Variety: Sparkling Blend
Region: Cava
Country: Spain
Year: 2012
Price: $10
Review: For fresh, basic Cava with a juicy profile and clarity, you can’t go wrong with this. Apple and lime aromas are straightforward and clean, while the palate is tight and tastes of spiced apple, lime and orange. It’s crisp, focused and easy to enjoy. — (12/31/2012) — 87 (From Wine Enthusiast).

My Review: I thought this wine smelled very fruity, almost like a pear, although I suppose apple flavors are close to that. It was definitely very fizzy and sparkling but I thought it was a little tart at the end. Definitely not quite as drinkable as other wines I've had.

Food? I did not taste this with food.

Tasting - Monte Aman

Name: Monte Aman
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: Arlanza
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $5.95
Review: Fermentation of selected grapes in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Aging in American oak casks for 5 months followed by 3 months in the bottle before being released in the market. Inky ruby. Ripe cherry and plum on the nose. Smooth and fleshy, with deep dark fruit flavors complicated by bitter chocolate and anise. A spicy quality adds lift and focus to the weighty fruit. Offers an appealing mix of power and energy and drinks very well right now.

My Review: Definitely smelled the plum aroma. Upon tasting I thought the wine was very bitter, and I did get hints of a bitter chocolate flavor as described above. However, I just didn't like the taste of the wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Morada Sangria

Name: Morada Sangria
Variety: Sangria blend
Region: Unknown
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $4.95
Review: Morada Sangria is a traditional Spanish drink made with red wine and citrus extracts. Garnet color and fresh on the palate. Pasteurization preserves the color, aromas and flavors. 7% Alc. It is a very refreshing Sangria with around 85 grams of sugar. Sangria is now one of the hottest items in the beverage industry and it's growing exponentially year to year. Serve well chilled, on its own or with lemonade and slices of fruit like peach, banana or apple.

My Review: I thought it smelled very citrus-y, although the exact fruit eluded me (it reminded me vaguely of a hand lotion I had years ago, a fact which helps no one). I thought it tasted like Kool-Aid - like orange juice but without the acidic bite of orange juice. I'd drink it again, but not necessarily when I'm in the mood for wine.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Tres Ojos Rose

Name: Tres Ojos Rose
Variety: 50% Tempranillo 50% Garnacha
Region: Calatayud
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $3.95
Review: This medium rose-colored rosado boasts a spicy red cherry/plum nose with a soft lush attack of red berry fruit flavors and a crisp dry finish. Simple and refreshing and a natural for tapas.

My Review: I thought the wine had a very fruity nose. Upon tasting I thought it had a bite to it, and an odd quality that I could only describe as "bleh".

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Dibon Cava

Name: Dibon Cava
Variety: Xarel-lo, Parellada and Macabeo blend
Region: Penedes
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $9.95
Review: The nose offers regal yeast and richness, while the palate has complexity to prop up apple, citrus and grapefruit flavors. Solid from front to back, with health and freshness.

My Review: A very bubbly sparkling wine that gave off a floral taste. I did not detect any obvious fragrances. I did think it was rather bitter and I did not like it very much.

**Update 2/28/13** For some reason they tasted this wine again at the Vintage Cellar this week. This time around I thought it was refreshing and fairly sweet and overall very nice. Which review should you believe? I don't know.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Opera Prima Pink Moscato

Name: Opera Prima Pink Moscato
Variety: Moscato
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: NV
Price: $5.95
Review: This fine sparkling presents and intense aroma of fresh berries and tropical fruits with hints of white flavor petals. Delicate bubbles caress the palate offering a silky and pleasant sweetness well balanced by a crisp, refreshing finish. Ideal on it own, as an aperitif or with all types of sweets and desserts.

My Review: I thought this tasted like a very tart Fresca. I generally like Fresca but the grapefruit-like taste was not really something I appreciated in my wine. It was also very fizzy which lent to the soda aspect, and I thought it smelled like sugary syrup. Not a wine to live up to the previous Moscato I tasted (the Bartenura Moscato).

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Finca del Castillo Tempranillo

Name: Finca del Castillo Tempranillo
Variety: Tempranillo
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $4.95
Review: Rooty, spicy and baked on the nose, with aromas that lean towards raisin. The palate is more gritty and acidic, with raisin, cola, and spic flavors. Darkens up on the finish, which is long and peppery, with adequate juiciness and a final note of tomato.

My Review: The wine's smell reminded me of other deep reds that I've had before. I thought it was richer and more pleasant than the previous red wine I tasted (the Beaujolais Nouveau). I thought it was very smooth and a wine that would probably be worth drinking.

Food? I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Opera Prima Sweet Red

Name: Opera Prima Sweet Red
Variety: Blended Wine
Region: La Mancha
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $4.95
Review: Doesn’t try to hide its warm-climate terroir, with a soft texture framing jammy-sweet black raspberry, cherry, red currant, root beer and sweet tea. Drink now.

My Review: Extremely sweet. I definitely detected a fruity taste - I tasted strawberries but I can see the raspberry and cherry mix described above. Probably not an easily drinkable wine due to the overwhelming sweetness.

Food? I did not taste this with food.