Tapas Night with Pagos de Eguren

Normally if someone comes up to me and tries to get me to buy something because they're working through the last of their stock on it, I'm a little skeptical.  Of course if that person is Mike Jones then I simply buy what he's selling because he hasn't steered Pris and I wrong on a wine yet.  Several weeks ago I was in Jones Liquor to pick up a bottle of a Spanish wine Pris had seen advertised on Facebook (link to review).  While there I chatted with Mr. Jones who directed me to the 2007 Pagos de Eguren Tempranillo from Spain.  He had some leftover from an event and was moving through the remainder and recommended I try some before it was sold out.  Once again, it was a good call.

The Pagos de Eguren Tempranillo was a solid and versatile red that I thoroughly enjoyed.  It had good nose that was loaded up with ripe red berry and blueberry.  This Tempranillo was light on the palate with solid and well-balanced fruit.  Red berries were dominant, but a subtle hint of mineral and spice kept the wine from becoming overly fruity.  The Pagos had a silky smooth finish that was aided by its lack of tannins.  This was a incredibly easy to drink wine that went down very smoothly.

 We paired the Pagos de Eguren Tempranillo with an assortment of meats and cheeses from H.E.B. Central Market last week.  As expected from a Spanish Tempranillo, this wine excelled with the soft Spanish cheeses and cured meats.  The ripe red fruit cut through the savory and salty meats perfectly.  The following night we paired it up with a bit of flank steak and leftover cheese.  Again, the wine went exceedingly well with the grilled meat.  Thankfully, the Tempranillo is an incredibly versatile grape that is one of our favorites because you can pair it with almost anything.

I purchased the 2007 Pagos de Eguren Tempranillo at Jones Liquor here in Brownsville, and it was selling for between $12 and $14.  When I was in a couple weeks ago they still had some left, but it appeared to be moving.  If they're out, I did see it advertised at a number of sites online.  You can find out more about Bodegas Pagos de Eguren at: http://egurenugarteimports.com/