Spain and Portugal Tasting

Wine: Famega Vinho Branco, Vinho Verde, 2006
Color: Greenish and spritzy
Aroma: Sea shells, lemons, flowers, asian pears, like a new spring day
Taste: Crisp, light, macoun apples
Finish: Fades away
Notes: Screamed for shellfish. A good everyday wine.
Rating: 87
$8

Wine: Bodegas Castano Monastrell, Yecla, 2005
Color: Ruby
Aroma: Vanilla, oak right off the bat and overwhelmingly, dried herbs, pomegranate, milk, hints of blueberry and oranges
Taste: Cheap chocolate powder, sour cherries, well integrated tannins, cedar/sauna, sweat and hints of bacon
Finish: Graphite, black pepper and dill
Rating: 82
$9
Notes: We tried this with some Manchego cheese and it brought out a lovely garlic and dried sulphered apricot, but still didn't make the wine anything more than ok.

Wine: Venta Mazzaron Tempranillo 2004
Color: Inky blood color
Aroma: Smokey, Chorizo, paprika, venison/blood, tar, mint, violets, dried mission figs, hints of leather, cherries, raisins, cigar box, salted fish
Taste: Dirt, mint, smoked meat, bacon, cassis, pipe tobacco, chewy tannins, stewed raspberry
Finish: Cabbage, dirt, dried rosemary
Notes: This opened up wonderfully and paired nicely with some soft ripened sheep's cheese. This is an old world wine, terroir driven and certainly not for everyone, it would be wonderful with grill gamy meats.
Rating: 88
$20