Tasting - Atlas Cumbres Torrentes

Name: Atlas Cumbres Torrentes
Variety: 100% Torrentes
Region: Mendoza
Country: Argentina
Year: 2010
Price: $5.95

Winery Review: Yellow color with greenish nuances. Very intense aroma of fresh grapes, flower perfume and mature peaches. Fresh in the mouth. Light and easy to drink. Ideal with seafood, Thai and Chinese food.

My Review: This wine has a peach and honey aroma. Upon tasting, there was surprisingly less flavor than expected. It was mainly acidic and bland without much fruit flavor.


I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - El Sierro Tempranillo/Cab

Name: El Sierro Tempranillo/Cab
Variety: 80% Tempranillo, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
Region: Valencia
Country: Spain
Year: 2011
Price: $7.95

Winery Review: Dark ruby in color with rich aromas of red fruit and light spices. It is a real knock-out with delicious flavors of dark cherries, blackberries and vanilla all perfectly integrated. The Tempranillo provides wonderful spice and fruit, while the Cabernet Sauvignon gives structure and depth with the beautiful use of oak.

My Review: This wine had a very earthy aroma with some notes of cherries. Upon tasting, it was very tannic which took away from the fruit flavors. There were definitely flavors of oak and some fruit but it was overpowered by the tannins.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Urban Tinta del Pais Ribera del Duero

Name: Urban Ribera Tinta del Pais
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Ribera del Duero
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $14.95

Winery Review: The 2009 Urban Ribera from what looks to be a great vintage, was aged in French oak for 4 months. Deep purple in color with an inviting perfume of violets, Asian spices, black cherry, and blackberry on the palate it is layered, plush and intense. While likely to evolve for 1-2 years, this outstanding value can be enjoyed now and over the next 5-6 years.

My Review: This wine had a floral, forest aroma. Upon tasting, there were hints of blackberry and had a tannic finish. The wine also seemed thin for a red.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - McPherson La Herencia

Name: McPherson La Herencia
Variety: 75% Temparanillo, 9% Syrah, 6% Mourvedre, 5% Grenache & Carignan
Region: Lubbock, Texas
Country: United States
Year: 2012
Price: $16.95

Winery Review: Spanish-style red wine made to give a tip of the hat to both the Spanish explorers who first crossed the Texas High Plains, and to those who first envisioned a Texas wine industry> This delicious blend is packed full of juicy bramble fruit, tobacco leaf, and spice. The wine fermented in stainless steel and aged fourteen months in new and neutral French oak giving more weight than 2010 but still round tannins and a pleasantly savory finish. Enjoy this wine on its own or with your favorite Texas BBQ.

My Review: This wine had a smoky, oak aroma as well as some tobacco aromas. However, after tasting, the berry fruit flavors came through and it was nicely balanced. There was a light tannic finish that surprisingly had some acidity to it.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Luis Canas Rioja Crianza

Name: Luis Canas Rioja Crianza
Variety: 95% Tempranillo, 5% Grenache
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $18.95

Winery Review: Beautiful ruby color and a clean, intense nose of wild berries with just enough lactic and spicy notes. The palate shows sweet tannins and good balance, intense and fresh. This is a crowd-pleaser and great value. - 91

My Review: This wine had a very woody, oaky aroma. This wood smell unfortunately covered the berry smells. After tasting, the spice was definitely present and it had a tannic, warm finish. Again, this wine was too dry for me.

I did not have this wine with food.

Tasting - Montebuena Rioja

Name: Montebuena Rioja
Variety: 100% Tempranillo
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2010
Price: $8.95

Winery Review: "(100% Tempranillo, raised entirely in American oak): Vivid ruby. 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." - 90

My Review: This wine was lighter than the Cotes du Rhone but it had a very woody flavor. The tannins came through at the finish and was very dry. It was also still to bitter for my taste and I did not get that sweet finish that the winery review describes. 

I did not have this wine with food.