Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Taste of Spain: #3 of 5

The Wine: Bodega Felix Sanz Ciranza 2001
Country: Spain
Region Ribera Del Duero
Category: Monte Negro
Price: $20.99
Decanted or Not: Yes - 60 minutes


Tasting Notes:

Color: Deep ruby/purple

The Nose: Very big nose. Dark fruits and smoked wood. Cherries, currants and herbs.

The Taste: Flavors as big as the nose. Very powerful and dense fruit up front, without being over the top. Dark wood, earth and spices. Very nice, long finish with moderate tannins. Finish pushes those dark fruit flavors throught he back of your throat. Very, very good, but not for the faint at heart.
If you typically drink fruity Shiraz, this one may take you for a loop... it packs a nice punch! Highly recommend dacanting for at least an hour.

The Verdict: 8 corks

2 comments:

The Vine Guy said...

Yes Sarge,

Decanting does more than separate the wine from the sediment. It allows the wine to come in contact with oxygen, and bring all the flavors and complexities to life. However, it is important to note that not all wines taste better after breathing, as was the case with one of the wines Grape Nut and I had last Saturday. In that case, the wine actually declined in flavor, and became almost stail and bitter...and that was with only 20 or so minutes of breathing time.

Anyway, as a general rule, you should really give your red wines time to breath. You don't necessarily have to pour the wine into a decanter, but at least pop the cork and give it 15-30 minutes of air time before consuming. You'll be able to taste and smell more as the wine "opens up".

Grape Nut said...

Good article link Sarge. Very interesting.