Vaza Tempranillo – A Winning Bottle

Highly recommended Tempranillo from Rioja for around $10!

100% Tempranillo from Rioja Alavesa, Rioja, Spain. Fermented in stainless steel, this wine does not spend any time ageing in oak.

This review is brought to you by Ferrer Family Wines. Sample submitted for review. The wine has an SRP of $12 and is available for as low as $10. Imported by Freixenet USA.

From the bottle:

The inspiration for the name Vaza comes from the Spanish word ‘Baza’ – a trump card, a new way of doing something or a bright idea. Vaza is a new way of winemaking from Bodegas Solar Viejo, a modern winery in the long established region of Rioja, deep in the heart of Spain. A round, soft wine with flavors of raspberries and cherries. The ripe fruit flavors create a delicious wine with a smooth well balanced finish.

Enjoy as an ideal accompaniment to rice and vegetable dishes, red meat, game and cheese.

13.5% Alcohol

As we discussed on Monday, Rioja is one of our favorite regions for great Tempranillo. And while a lot of great wine from Rioja spends a significant amount of time in oak barrels, Tempranillo can also be quite good without all that oak influence. Today’s wine is Exhibit A.

The 2013 Vaza Tempranillo Cosecha begins with a very satisfying aroma of blackberry and plum plus some nice red fruit notes, red licorice and a little spice. Taking a sip reveals a smooth, medium-bodied and quite tasty wine full of delicious, fresh, tart fruit. At only 1.6g/L of residual sugar this is definitely a dry wine, but that’s doesn’t mean it’s lacking in fruit flavor. The red licorice notes from the nose also carry-over when tasting. It ends with lingering hints of baking spice and even some mineral notes on the long, grippy finish. A fantastic wine that really lets the Tempranillo grape shine sans oak.

Stay tuned for our review of the 2011 Vaza Crianza next week!

See a listing of local retailers selling this wine here.

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