To be honest, this wine almost didn’t get reviewed. I picked
this 2012 tempranillo up at Central Market in Houston on one of my trips. It
was recommended, and I tend to really like Texas Tempranillo so it seemed like
a perfect match. Unfortunately, the first glass did not live up to its
potential and I pretty much wrote it off. However, I was raised not to be
wasteful, so once a wine is open it is going to be finished off. When I opened the
vacuum sealed bottle, I was greatly surprised by the change in the wine.
This little tempranillo went from being a discordant mix of
fruit, spice, and tannin to a smooth symphony of flavor. Cherry and plum greet
the palate up front, but a much subtler earthiness follows at the end of the
draw. Mild spice undertones work throughout the sip and add the right bit of
punch--subtle and not overpowering. It is amazing what can happen when you let
a wine breathe.
I paired the wine with a pasta salad made from organic whole
wheat pasta, grilled chicken, olives, sweet peppers, feta, and herbed olive
oil. The sufficiently opened wine was a perfect counterpoint to the light fare.
The grilled chicken paired especially well with the wine, and I would like to
try it with more grilled meats once I pick up another bottle.
No comments:
Post a Comment