April's Wine of the Month - Finca Ayles 'Valderba' Tempranillo
Tempranillo, the great Spanish grape of Rioja and Ribera del Duero, has never been more popular. Spanish vintners know this as well, so we see Tempranillo plantings in traditional (Toro) and non-traditional (La Mancha and everywhere else in Spain) growing regions for the grape, such as the locale for our April Wine of the Month, Zaragoza. Located about three-and-a-half hours west of Barcelona by car, this northeastern Spanish region south of Rioja doesn't really have any internationally famous wines grown there; most of the wine produced there is consumed locally. Then along came the Valderba Tempranillo, and folks in the U.S. have suddenly taken notice.
Valderba is a family-owned winery for the past 35 years, with second-generation winemaker Immaculada Ramón now in charge, although grapes have been grown in this place since the middle ages. Valderba's vineyards have a total of 148 acres, with 98 dedicated to Tempranillo. The vineyards sit 2,132 feet above sea level and are in an extreme continental microclimate. The grapes were picked at night, and the wine spent 8 months aging in stainless steel.
April's Wine of the Month, Finca Ayles 'Valderba' Tempranillo - $13.99, is a youthful Tempranillo made in a fruit-driven style. Sporting an intense ruby color, the wine preserves all the fruit flavors without wood influence. While the wine has some of the traditional dark fruit notes Tempranillo is known for—rich notes of black cherries and blueberries—there is also a brightness with notes of blood orange and cola spices that bring a unique quality, making it a wonderful transitional winter to spring red. Elegant and easy to drink, with fresh red and black fruit aromas falling onto a medium-bodied texture and an expressive minerally finish. At 14% alcohol, it reflects the sunny climate the grapes were grown in. The use of stainless steel really lets the Tempranillo grape shine, and since there is no use of oak, new or old, those citrus and spice notes aren't covered up. This brings a refreshing side of Tempranillo that we don't often see!
Just 1200 cases produced.
