OK, it wasn't so much a bash as it was Pris and I celebrating my birthday last night, and if your birthday isn't a good enough reason to break out a great bottle of wine, I don't know what is. It would've been great to have a fantastic meal to go with the wine, but due to a program going on downstairs we had to settle for a NY strip from Texas Roadhouse. Even though the meal was okay, the wine was exceptional. Pris picked out a bottle of Alto Moncayo 2008 Granacha, and it was fantastic.Pris actually opened the bottle about four hours before we ate so the bottle had plenty of time to decant. This was done based on Mike Jones' recommendation when he sold us the wine. The Alto Moncayo was so many things, big and bold, smooth and rich, and excellent.
Alto Moncayo had an indulgent and complex nose that was a mix of ripe berry and earthiness. When this wine hit the palate it was all pleasurable layered flavor. Rich dark ripe berry melded with spicy and fruity notes that all develop and intensify as the wine progresses. The finish is paradoxically soft as the wines flavor intensifies to a fruity intensity that borders on sweetness. Despite the sweetness, this is not a sweet wine. It is a phenomenal wine, and hopefully another special occasion will come along that warrants getting another bottle.
The granacha is heavy enough to pair well with the steak, and this wine worked well with dinner. The Alto Moncayo was smooth enough to drink all on its own after dinner as well. However, where this wine really shone was when it was paired with herbed goat cheese, manchego cheese, and fontina cheese. Pris said the wine contrasted well with the spicy buffalo chicken strips I cooked up for her too.
We picked this bottle of Alto Moncayo 2008 Granacha at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville
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