LUNA BEBERIDE MENCIA - 2004

I'm watching Morrison choke back tears. Poor Zags. When will Gonzaga make it past the Sweet 16? Luckily, I had UCLA in my bracket so I'm still alive. If UCLA can find a way to lose in the next round, I think I might win it all. What will I toast my victory with? I'm getting ahead of myself...Go Memphis!

So what kind of wine goes well with the Sweet 16? I thought about opening up a California Cabernet, but that kind of power is better suited for the Elite 8. Classified Bordeaux? Nah, that pairs well with the elegance of the Final Four. And of course Champagne made from Pinot Noir is the only choice for the Finals. So I turned to another bottle of Spanish value wine. Yanking off the foil (all my foil cutters seem to be broken now so I'm relying on brute force) I popped open the 2004 Mencia, a red wine made from an unusual grape native to Spain. After all, it is a Thursday night so there's no reason to open up an expensive bottle. I poured myself a full glass and slowly sipped it, drinking in March Madness.

TASTING NOTES:

This wine was a bit flinty. I swear I could taste something like Shiitake mushrooms mixed with berries. The fruit was overwhelmed by the alcohol muting all the flavors of the wine. It was a very dry red with lots of tannin and the finish was short and blunt. Perhaps the wine will improve with a year or two in the cellar, but there's not too much to rave about here other than its pretty dark ruby color.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS
Not bad, but unless you are really intrigued and want to experience the Mencia grape, I'd pass on this bottle. For $11, it is hard to complain, but believe it or not there are actually many superior Spanish wines for this price or less. Move on.