Appalachian: Rioja, Spain
100% Tempranillo
Haydn gives it: 91pts

Ahh, the little Tempranillo. It seems to be overshadowed by most of the other grapes. So much so that I have dubbed the grape “Cabernets younger sister” (or brother, whichever you prefer). It matures in about 3-4 years, shows a deep berry flavor and can contain some smokey aspects depending upon the winemaker.

It is one of my favorite wines to drink simply due to the fact that it is 1) generally moderately priced and 2) I don’t have to keep it in the cellar for a decade to appreciate it. In all honesty, do we ever really keep wine to its full maturity? At least I don’t all the time (though I do have some 2000s that are getting near uncorking time).

So naturally when I saw this Tempranillo, my initial reaction was to wait. However, I knew the winery made one of my favorite abariños and curiosity killed the wine bottle (what did you think I was going to say?). Plus, I had a great friend over for dinner and I wanted to expand her palate a bit, so I went for the Martin Codax.

The wine was goregous. It showed boysenberry, blackberry, and a hint of wood on the nose. This wine seemed to be more complex than half of the Napa Cabs out there.

The mid-palate showed the same characteristics, with a more intense strength of a bit of smoke and blackberry. Yet, the tannins were mild, even without the aid of a decanter (which I probably would have used had I had access to one). I did do some intense swirling to get the aromas flowing. Multiple layers of fruit were there, with the blackberry aided by a little boysenberry and even a little bit of raspberry.

And the true measure of a well-made wine was the finish. A subtle dissapearance of taste at the end, as if the curtain kept slowly closing on the wine every time you took a drink. A great indication of this is in the fact that the wine was drank fairly slowly in order to savor such a delicious finish.

I don’t know the price, as it did come in my wine club shipment, but I’d venture to say $15-$20. If you are new to Spanish wines, Sabor of Spain does a magnificent job of providing an educational oppurtunity to learn and taste Spanish wines and Spanish varietals. They are located in San Rafael on 4th and C, and you can pick up the wine there. Otherwise, I’d recommend you talk with your local wine merchant. If they don’t have it, they probably can order it.

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Haydn Adams is the author of the book, Wineries Beyond Napa Valley: Dry Creek and Alexander Valley, an insider’s tasting guide to the hidden gems region. He also contributes to the Beyond Napa Valley Wine Blog, writes for vinvillage.com, and can be found roaming the hills of Sonoma County looking for the next hidden gems. You can contact him at haydn@beyondnapavalley.com

I consider the Tempranillo to be the Cabernet Savignon’s little sister or younger cousin. Not in terms of literal grape origins, but more in relationship to the overall taste of the wine. Tempranillo’s, in general, mature faster, a little feistier, yet share similar characteristics to the Cab’s palate. Case in point with this wine, the 2005 Barnwood Tempranillo.

The nose on this wine showed hints of raspberries and blackberries mixed with a dark chocolate cocoa powder, the kinda you’d almost use in baking rather than candy-bar style. There also seems to be a little firewood coming out as well. However, this wine is very fruit forward. The firewood is in the back lurking in the shadows. 

Drinking it, the wine displays a fairly full mouth feel. Looking at the wine makers notes, I can’t get a good read on what the “untamed” part of the wine is referring too, but I’ve got to wonder if it is unfiltered, or if the oak was primarily American. It can be easily felt on all parts of my tongue and along the sides of my mouth as well. The raspberries continue to dominate this wine with the firewood and cocoa becoming a bit more pronounced. 

The more interesting part of this wine is it’s finish. As I went to take an extra gulp of air after I spit it out, I noticed a bit more firewood and a dusting of smoke at the end. The berry component was completely there as well, however I was a bit taken aback that the earthier finish to the wine. 

According to Laetita Winery (where I received the wine from), they state that this wine is, “…virtually bulletproof, drinks well now but will continue to improve with age over the next 15 years.” I’d be curious to see how this wine ages, there were tannins here, but they worked quite well with the medium-bodied style of the wine.

This has been one of the first Tempranillo I’ve seen in a while that can challenge a Spanish originated Tempranillo on price and stucture. For $15, this American Tempranillo is a great deal and a good one to pick up to see what a Tempranillo tastes like.