THEWINEMONOLOGUES.COM: 2006 Alto Almanzora Este

2006 Alto Almanzora Este

The Este is a great wine! It is a blend of primarily Monastrell and to lesser degrees Garnacha, Tempranillo, Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah.

Monastrell (more commonly known as Mouvedre) is a Spanish red grape. It is also widely grown in the South of France. When fully ripened, the wines produced from these thick skinned grapes tend to be well structured. Monastrell can produce good quality, garnet colored wines with spicy and peppery characteristics. These wines can, however, be somewhat tannic and hard, so Monastrell tends to be blended with other grapes such as Grenache and Syrah to smooth out the tannins.

This Monastrell, the Este, is a beautiful red wine that exhibits lots of cherries and blackberries, well integrated with soft vanilla and toffee tones. It has good structure and is very well balanced and well rounded. It also exhibits a long smooth finish! This is definitely a more elegant wine, with lots more going on, than you expect.

Think about this red for anything off the grill, from hot dogs to burgers to chicken to sausages. Take a break from Pinot Noir and give this wine a shot. Especially at about $8-$9 a bottle!!