The UnCorker

Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2006

We love a bargain, but when big, aged Riojas wind up in the bargain bin – something  is probably wrong.  This wine is a Crianza, which means this wine was aged at least two years, with six months of that on oak, yet it costs about $10 in US wine shops.  It starts promising, with a concentrated, berried aroma and obvious fortitude.  A  slightly barnyard quality on the nose blows off after a minute or two.  It’s the taste where this wine really breaks down.  Slightly musty, astringent and bark-like, even after 24 hours.   We don’t see the craftmanship here, at least in their entry level Crianza.  And even at this price point, this is not an enjoyable bottle of wine.  This is a big, corporate winery (part of Grupo Osborne) – who also has a controlled image on the web – so be wary of reviews that read like press releases and trust us on this one.