Tuesday, December 23, 2008

2005 Bodegas Castaño Yecla Solanera Viñas Viejas

Type- Red
Producer- Bodegas Castaño
Variety- Monastrell (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%) and Tintorera (15%)
Designation- Solanera Viñas Viejas
Country- Spain
Region- Murcia
Appellation- Yecla
Price $9.99



The Little Wooden Guy is quite enamored of this good wine at a great price.


Night One

The nose on Night One starts with bright red fruit, cherries mostly, with a slight watermelon background. There is also a secondary smell of burnt rubber.

There is greater complexity on the palate. The fruit is still red, but cherries are joined by tart cranberries and wild strawberries. Dusty leather tannins and some smokey meat join the attack. There are several flavors dancing around here, including coffee, cocoa, violets and licorice. Almond skins and cherry pits add a touch of bitterness on the finish. This is a very interesting wine, and an amazing QPR. I can hardly wait to see what happens over night and what it has to offer on Night Two.

Night Two

On Night Two, minerality leaps out of the glass with the first sniff. After than, cherries and a very clear strong smell of fresh-ground nutmeg follow the stones.

The palate is mostly red fruit, tiny translucent wild cherries and strawberries, some cranberries and yes, some watermelon still lurking in the background. There is some minerality and the charred well-done end of a nice prime rib. Tannins are still fine and dusty. The mid-palate again adds a few fleeting flavors, cocoa, flowers and fennel. The finish is sweet and a touch bitter, like fruit, maple and cherry pits all together.

This is good wine, amazingly deep and complex for under $10.

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