Vaca Sagrada! Este Vino Es Fantástico!

Vaca sagrada means holy cow, but you probably won’t ever hear that phrase if you visit a winery in Spain.  But I sure was saying “holy cow!” last night when I opened up this tasty little bottle of Spanish wine.

The 2005 Ercavio Tempranillo Roble is 100% Tempranillo, aged for 5 months in French and American oak.

I can’t say that I properly paired it as I was eating some Pad Thai noodles, which would have been much better served by a light Pinot Noir or a crisp white wine like a Sauvignon Blanc.  But I’ve been eyeing the bottle for a while, and was feeling rebellious.  I thought, “what the heck…  let’s break the rules”.

I could smell the fruit as the glass came up, and my mouth was filled with blue and blackberry fruit and well-structured layers of spice and a nice, long finish.  I was really surprised by how much was going on in this wine considering I paid $7.99! (I bought it from our buddy Gus at  Chronicle Wine Cellar in Pasadena, CA.  It scored a 90 in Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.

If you can find a bottle (or more) don’t hesitate in buying it (them).  I’m seeing lots of GREAT wine deals from Spain right now as well as Chile, so keep an eye out…