I’m Feeling Kinda Spanish…

Thats right; save for the holiday break which was obviously a weekend of turkey and pinot, my latest wine phase has involved me cruising the Spanish aisle at K&L…

By now it must be apparent that I frequent the K&L in Hollywood as it’s conveniently located along my commute route. And it’s also probably apparently that I keep my eye open for good deals on wine, and right now, with the economy in a bit of a pause, I’m particularly all about wine deals.

With that in mind, there are definitely some values to be found on the Spanish aisle. To quote our friends on the GOOD WINE UNDER $20 blog “If you’re looking for value wines these days, I have one question for you are you looking in the Spanish section?”

Some noteworthy recent finds:

2005 Celler de Capcanes “Mas Donis” Barrica- 11 bucks and Parker gave it a 91… and I gotta tell you, it’s delicious; a grenache/syrah blend. An enticing, dark, fruity nose, lovely black cherry on the palate with a long, vanilla-laden finish. A nice drinker all by itself.

1999 Navarro Lopez Old Vines Gran Reserva- 100% Tempranillo, 24 months in oak, and that oak gives it a nice touch of tobacco which dances with the spicy berry flavors in my mouth. A tasty find for under 15 bucks!

A consistently tasty white is the Basa Rueda Blanca, which I can always count on to tastel like a cool, tall glass of grapefruit goodness, and a perfect balance of underlying acidity. Made from a blend of Verdejo, Viura and Sauvignon Blanc, I’ve always found it for $9-$13 (you can order it online from The Wine Concierge, linked above).

So there you have it. Try some Spanish wine… Comment here and tell us about your favorites…