Tempranillo from Rioja, Spain

Tempranillo 90%, Garnacha, Mazuelo, and Graciano 10%

Purchase Price: $15.99

James Suckling 93, Robert Parker 91, Vinous 91, ElsBob 88.

ABV 13.5%

A deep garnet medium-bodied wine. Aromas of plums and spice with red fruits and pushy tannins on the palette. A very long somewhat biting finish.

A very good table wine at an elevated price. Current prices range from $15-18. Probably shouldn’t pay more than $10-12 dollars for this wine.

Trivia: Vina Real’s vineyards sit on the Cerro de la Mesa above the historic Spanish Camino Real that threaded Rioja Alavesa, a medieval, early modern route that linked Logrono– Laguardia—Haro—Burgos—the Mesta. It was a royal arterial road of Old Castile that was used for trade and state travel.