San Alejandro 'Las Rocas' Viñas Viejas - $16.95

Wine Details

Vintage: 2007
Price: $16.95
Producer: Bodegas San Alejandro
Region: Calatayud
Varietal: Grenache
Container Size: 750 ML
Flavors:
  • Red Wine
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Expert Ratings

Ratings   Vintage Source Flavors
Tanzer - 91 Details: ($17; 100% garnacha, from vines reportedly over 100 years of age) Glass-staining ruby. Powerfully aromatic, sexy bouquet of black raspberry, Asian spices and smoky minerals. Plaint red and dark berry flavors are energized by juicy acidity and framed by supple tannins. Spicy notes build with air and carry through the long, silky finish. This is showing extremely well today. As usual, an amazing value. (Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC) 2006 Tanzer berry, minerals, raspberry, smoky, spices, spicy notes
Tanzer - 90 Details: ($15) Dark ruby. Intensely aromatic nose offers vibrant raspberry and kirsch, complemented by suave mocha, licorice and spicy minerality. Sexy cherry-cola and dark berry flavors are impressive for their purity and impact, offering far more character than one usually finds at this price. The sweet red fruit finishing flavors show impressive lift and persistence. While writing this article, I drank a bottle of the 2001 and it was holding on nicely, showing suave flavors of dried red fruits, cassis and smoked meat and no fading of color. (Eric Solomon Selections, Charlotte, NC) 2005 Tanzer berry, cassis, kirsch, licorice, meat, mocha, raspberry, red fruits, spicy
Tanzer - 91 Details: ($15) Inky violet. Aromas of blueberry, boysenberry, iron and cracked pepper show excellent intensity and focus. Spicy, concentrated and deep, with fine, dusty tannins giving spine to, but not intruding on, the sweet dark fruit flavors. Finishes sweet, juicy and long, with a persistent blackberry quality. (European Cellars, Charlotte, NC) 2004 Tanzer blackberries, kirsch, minerals, oak
Tanzer - 89 Details: ($10) Bright medium ruby. Very ripe, nuanced nose combines black raspberry and sexy oak spices and cocoa powder. Dense, intensely flavored and mouthfilling, with notes of berries, licorice and pepper. This offers terrific concentration and structure for the gentle price. A serious wine that builds nicely on the finish. (European Cellars, Charlotte, NC) 2001 Tanzer berries, licorice, oak, pepper, raspberry, spices
WineAdvocate - 93 Details: Put your seat belts on because the 2001 Garnacha Vinas Viejas (an old vine 100% Grenache cuvee), is prodigious! There are 10,000 cases of this offering (15% alcohol) from the estate’s oldest, highest altitude vineyard (100-year old vines planted at 900 meters in 100% slate). It is aged 10% in new French oak and 90% in old barrels and demi-muids. My tasting notes simply read, “no one will believe how great this wine is.” It is similar in style to the 2002, but more complex and richer, with greater texture, and a finish that goes on for 40 seconds. The opaque purple color is followed by a phenomenally rich wine that is pure kirsch mixed with blackberries and minerals. Will we ever see another wine this extraordinary for this price? One cannot bestow enough kudos on importer Eric Solomon for unearthing these treasures. The 2001 old vine Garnacha will age well for a decade, although it will undoubtedly be at its finest during its first 5-6 years of life. P. S. I asked a wine loving friend to taste this on the third day it had been opened. He went ga-ga, and said “what does this cost - $50?” Importer: Eric Solomon, European Cellars, Charlotte, NC; tel. (704) 358-1565 2001 WineAdvocate

Food Pairings

Category Pairing
Cheese Sharp Cheddar, Goat Cheese, Soft Pungent Cheese
Red Meat Beef Stew, Ham, Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Wild Game - Elk, Caribou, Moose, Venison, Spicy Sausage
Poultry & Eggs Coq Au Vin, Roast Chicken with Herbs, Roast Turkey
Vegetables Artichokes, White Aspargus with Mustard Vinagrette, Beans, Green, Beans, White, Carrots
Fruits & Nuts Dates, Figs & Raisins
Vegetables Mushrooms
Fruits & Nuts Almonds, Hazelnuts
Vegetables Roasted Sweet Peppers, Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Swiss chard or Kale, Tomato, Gazpacho, Vegetable Gratin or Stew
Herbs & Spices Cilantro, Coriander, Cinnamon, Cumin, Saffron
Cheese Aged Cheddar

Wine Terms

Name Value
Grenache Originally from Spain, this grape comes in both red-wine and white-wine varieties and is often associated with France’s southern Rhone Valley. The Grenache grape does well in hot, dry regions, and its strong stalk makes it well suited for windy conditions. It ripens with very high sugar levels and can produce wines with high alcohol content. Grenache wines are sweet, fruity, and very low in tannins. They are usually lacking in color, except in growing areas where yields are low. In Spain Grenache is widely planted in Navarra as well as in many of the hotter areas of the country. In southern France Grenache is widely cultivated in the areas around Languedoc- RoussillonRousellon, Provence, and the southern Rhone. It is also extensively grown in Algeria, Australia, Corsica, Israel, Morocco, Sardinia and California's central valley. Red Grenache wines are usually blended with other varieties: trempranillo in Spain and cinsaut and carignan in France. It’s the primary grape in chateauneuf-du-pape as well as in several rose wines.
Spain This mountainous country possesses more vineyard land than any other country on earth, and ranks third in wine production after France and Italy. Spain is best known for its red Riojas and its Sherries, however other wines and regions are quickly gaining notoriety. Like France, Spain divides wine into categories; table wine at the bottom level and quality wine at the top, with a large emphasis on geographical origin. VdM (Vino de Mesa) is a basic table wine. VC (Vino Comarcal) wines are a level up. VdlT (Vino de la Tierra) refers to one of the country’s 25 distinct regions, and each wine possesses a local character. At the top level, only about fifty wines are considered DO (Denominacion de Origen). These wines come from the best-known regions and are the equivalent of France’s Appellation Contrôlée. DOC (Denominacion de Origen Calificada) is reserved for wines that adhere to the most stringent regulations. So far, Rioja is the only wine to gain the Calificada classification.

Tasting Notes

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