SIERRA CANTABRIA CUVEE ESPECIAL RIOJA - 2001

Tempranillo from the 30 year old Rioja Alavesa Vineyard. A modern Spanish red wine that is aged in 60% American and 40% French oak and then bottled unfiltered. It sports a nice 13.5% alcohol.

TASTING NOTES:

The nose is rather closed giving off aromas of light fruit and minerals. Smooth and plush with a bit of oak. The single predominant flavor is candied cherries.

SCORE & RECOMMENDATION:

85 PTS
Everyone seems to rave about this wine but I just don't get it. It tastes rather flat and ordinary. Its best characteristic is its soft mouthfeel. However, it lacks the complexity needed to make this an impressive wine. Even after letting the wine breathe for awhile it was still a disappointment. After finishing the first glass I wondered how I was going to get through the rest of the bottle. It's not that it is a bad wine, it is just a subtle and lackluster one. Retails for around $15 a bottle which should be enough money to convince you to purchase something else.