Reverse Wine Snob

Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good

  • About
  • Aldi® Picks
  • Costco® Picks
  • Trader Joe’s® Picks
  • FREE GUIDE
  • Insider Deals
menu icon
go to homepage
Get Our Free Guide!
search icon
Homepage link
  • FREE GUIDE!
  • Insider Deals
  • Best Of Lists
    • - Costco
    • - Trader Joe's
    • - Aldi
  • About
  • The Rating System
  • More Helpful Links
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Palarea Merlot Vino de la Tierra de Castilla - A Magnificently Delicious Merlot From Spain

    By: Jon Thorsen Published: April 20, 2011 Last Updated: February 27, 2021

    IMG_3896

    Sampled submitted for review.

    From the bottle:

    Congratulations! You have picked up a stunning Merlot.

    Our Palarea Merlot is a full bodied and rich wine which can be enjoyed now or sit down for years to come. We recommend letting this wine breathe at least 30 minutes before serving.

    Terroir Wine Cellars is proud to bring you undiscovered gems from across the globe that are made with passion. To discover our offerings visit us on www.terroirwinecellars.com.
    -Paul Clear, CEO and Founder

    Match with chicken parmesan, roast beef or steak, dark chocolate.

    14% alcohol

    I've really enjoyed the wines I've had from Spain lately, and the 2006 Palarea Merlot is no exception. This is the second of three wines from Terroir Wine Cellars, a company born when founder Paul Clear hopped a plane to Spain:

    Clear recounts how the company got it’s start. “I was tired of working for other people quite frankly. So I hopped on a plane to Madrid, rented a car and started knocking on winery doors. I explained how I wanted to start making my own high quality brand that the American wine consumer would appreciate. It took 3 trips, countless tastings and visits with over 125 wineries before I finally found a spot I deemed worthy of my brand. Once the place was decided, we started working on Palarea! We started small,” says Clear, “just one wine. Next thing you know, it blew up and we were adding wines and states.”

    The 2006 Palarea Merlot exhibits a very nice aroma of ripe fruit, blackberries, a little bit of vanilla and maybe even some coffee. It has a nice fruity taste and is very smooth with some wonderful tannins and a bit of spice coming in on the finish that complements the smoothness wonderfully. Overall a very good structure and a wine I can easily recommend. In addition, my wife is generally not a fan of Merlot but she wholeheartedly gives her endorsement to this one! A wine that should find a spot on the next update of The Reverse Wine Snob Top 10 list.

    See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.


    Taste Rating: 8              Cost Rating: 5
    Overall Rating: 7.3

    Recommended Buy


    Filed Under: Merlot, Spain

    << Trader Joe's Growers Reserve Organic Zinfandel Paso Robles 2009 - Forgettable
    Lariviere Yturbe Malbec Partida Limitada - One Of The Best Malbecs You've Never Heard Of >>

    About Jon Thorsen

    Author and independent wine consumer helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. Sign up for my FREE GUIDE to learn how! Read more about me...

    Reverse Wine Snob Insider Deals Header Square
    Limited Time offers with amazing discounts just for our readers.

    Don't Miss Out!

    About Reverse Wine Snob

    Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good! Jon Thorsen is an independent wine consumer who has been helping millions of people find great wines without breaking the bank since 2011. If you're new to Reverse Wine Snob® sign up for my free guide and don't miss our exclusive Insider Deals! Read more about Reverse Wine Snob in the news and about me.

    Reverse Wine Snob Logo

    Join over 450,000 followers on social media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Get Our Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Free Guide! How To Drink Great Wine Without Breaking The BankReady to start drinking the best wine of your life, and save money doing it? Sign up for our 5 Day Free Guide!

    Learn More

    Helpful Links

    • - Ask The Expert Series
    • - Browse by Variety, Region, etc.
    • - Buy My Book on Amazon
    • - Get Our Free Guide
    • - How To Choose A Good Bottle of Wine
    • - Insider Deals
    • - Insider Deal FAQ
    • - Printable Lists of Recommended Wines
    • - Ten Tenets of Reverse Wine Snobbery
    • - The Rating System
    • - Wine Tasting Basics

    • - Advertise
    • - Contact Info
    • - Submit Samples for review

    How To Drink Great Wine...Without Breaking The Bank

    Tired of wasting money on bad wine? Sign up for our Free Guide!

    No commitments, no spam. Unsubscribe at any time.

    Best Of Lists!

      • - Aldi Wine
      • - Best Pizza Wines
      • - Best Red Wines of 2022
      • - Box Wines
      • - Cabernet Sauvignon
      • - Chardonnay
      • - Chianti
      • - Costco Wine
      • - French Wines
      • - Italian Wines
      • - Malbec
      • - Merlot
      • - Oregon Wines
      • - Organic Wines
      • - Pinot Noir
      • - Red Blends
      • - Rosé
      • - Riesling
      • - Sauvignon Blanc
      • - Spanish Wines
      • - Sparkling Wine
      • - Syrah
      • - Thanksgiving Wines
      • - Trader Joe's Wine
      • - Vegan Wines
      • - Zinfandel
      • And Many More Best of Lists

    Reverse Wine Snob®: Wine doesn't have to be expensive to be good.

    Copyright © 2011–2023 · Reverse Wine Snob, LLC. | Privacy, Editorial & Advertising Policy