Warming up with Cepa 21

Last Sunday was rainy and dreary, much like today, and I figured it was a great day for beef stew.  To go with the proposed beef stew Pris pulled out one of our more recent acquisitions: Cepa 21, a Spanish Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero region.  This robust wine was a great choice, both for the meal and for warming up on a brisk and dismal evening.

The garnet hued Cepa 21 is bold and flavorful Tempranillo.  Its full of rich dark berries with a slightly oaky undercurrent.  On the palate this wine is robust with loads of blackberry and cassis.  Subtle oak adds good support, nuance, and complexity to the Tempranillo.  Bold tannins provide a rich, full, and very dry finish.  The finish is actually more reminiscent of a number of Cabs or Malbecs.  This is a strong Tempranillo that will hold its own against almost any big red wine.

Even though a burgundy was recommended, we paired the Tempranillo with a rich beef stew that was very similar to beef bourguignon.  The Cepa 21 was more than capable of holding its own with the vegetable beefy goodness.  The beef chuck simply melted in the mouth, and the mix of wine and herbs was a perfect complement.  If you're having beef, or rich and heavy main dish, this is a great wine if you're looking for something other than the usual Cabernet or Malbec.

I picked up the Cepa 21 at Jones Liquor when I did my pre-Thanksgiving wine buy.  Its $30 a bottle, so the price is a little high for an everyday wine, but worth every penny.  For more information on Cepa 21 you can visit: http://www.cepa21.com/