The UnCorker

2004 Finca Allende Rioja

March 3, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

finca-allende1 From time to time you’ll hear people compare Tempranillo to Pinot Noir, a comparison that almost never stands up to scrutiny- with the 2004 Finca Allende Rioja, the comparison stands up. 100% Tempranillo aged in new and used French oak, this doesn’t taste like Pinot, but like good Pinot, this wine is packed with dense fruit, dark rather then light, has a smoky, earthy aromatic complexity, leather and mint, and with all this denseness and complexity, it has a lightness that dances on the palate and keeps you reaching for the glass. This is modernist Rioja, very drinkable at this tender young age, french oak and no designation on the bottle telling us that its a crianza, which it is-Great to drink now with roast or grilled meat, definitly be cool to lay a few of these down and watch their evolvution. Available for $20-$25, a definite deal.

Montecillo Rioja Crianza 2006

February 18, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

montecillo 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.