Monasterio de Santa Cruz (2008)

June 28, 2009 — Tom & Melody

This is a Spanish wine that recently arrived at our house as part of a wine club shipment. This wine is made in the region of Tarragona on the Mediterranean, near Barcelona.

I chose this wine for our summer Sunday night dinner. This is a deep red, delectable and elaborate big red. The texture is smooth and the finish is woody.

I didn’t know what to expect from this wine because the label did not reveal any grapes or varietal for which I was familiar. Well, is is sumptuous. This is a complex wine with layers of fruit and oak.

I didn’t feel like grocery shopping today so I took  two steaks out of the freezer. We grilled those and I made steamed brown rice and sauteed mushrooms (in Malbec wine) and a salad from my garden (with my homemade viniagrette [olive oil, red wine vinegar, balsamic vinegar, horseradish mustard, basil, oregano, rosemary, savory & thyme]). Dinner was delicious and the wine was a perfect match for a steak.

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Luzon Jumilla Spain (2007)

January 22, 2009 — Tom & Melody

luzon-jumilla-2007I stopped at the Plum Market in Ann Arbor on my way home from work tonight. I bought one large bag of groceries, mostly produce. But, of course, I slithered by the wine aisles to see what looked interesting. I bought two bottles, one of which we are tasting tonight.

This Spanish beauty Luzon Jumilla 2007 is 65% Monastrell and 35% Syrah. The color is inky with a violet rim. The aroma is spice and cherries with a bit of freshly ground peppercorns. The taste is refreshing and crisp, bursting with cranberries, plums, and mild spice. The tannins are subtle  but balanced. The finish is a curious combination of spice, tobacco, and thyme.This is quite a find! It was on sale at the Plum Market for $6.97. (I also purchased a $40 bottle on sale for $19; can’t wait to try it!)

For dinner tonight, I made a dinner from the groceries I picked up at the market: a steak stir fry with steak, asparagus, and cherry tomatoes (marinated in olive oil, cracked salt, and pepper), served over penne pasta and fresh beets, which I steamed for one hour (during cocktail hour, natch). It was delicious! Now, I am waiting for our son Tommy to come and eat the leftovers! He usually does a pretty thorough job! :)

Posted in Blends, Blogs, Monastrell, Spanish wines, Syrah, Under $10. Tags: , , , , . 2 Comments »

Castaño Monastrell (2005)

October 3, 2007 — Tom & Melody

Castano Monastrell 2005Tom purchased this Castaño Monastrell 2005 from Spain at Busch’s grocery store for about $9. We are having it tonight at 9:00 p.m. A bit late for cocktail hour, but we have to do what we must do — which is wait for me to come home from work!! I have soup on the stove and I know we should be eating by now but I am determined to relax with this wine and eat later. Tom is being very patient.

This Castaño Monastrell 2005 is delightful. The nose is almost nothing; honestly, this wine has very little nose to it. There is just a whiff of dark berries. But the palate is delicious; it is dry and delicious, but not complex. It has a predominance of blueberries and other dark fruits. The finish is bitter and tannic. Perfect! This is a great value and I would definitely purchase more of this wine.

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