Wine: Inexpensive Spanish reds don't skimp on quality

For the past five years Spanish red wines have been popular in the United States because of the quality you get for the price.

One way to determine quality is using the label. Spanish reds are sometimes labeled crianza, reserva or gran reserva. Crianza means the wine is two years old, with at least six months in an oak cask.

A reserva is three years old with at least one year in the cask. A grand reserva is five years old, aged two years in the cask and three in the bottle. Aging is not a guarantee of quality but it is a good start. But you can still find affordable, value wines without one of these labels.
 
I asked my wine-tasting group to compare Spanish reds costing less than $12.

2006 Maximo Castilla Tempranillo, $9.99.

The scents suggested blue fruit - blueberries - and pomegranate with a dusty hint of chocolate. On the tongue, we tasted blueberries, tea, milk chocolate, oranges and vanilla beans. What a nice $10 bottle of wine, for drinking alone or with food. It ranked first in our tasting.

2005 Langa Calatayud Garnacha, $10.99.

The Langa, made from the grenache grape, had a charred-smelling nose of black cherries, cocoa, menthol, coconut, dates and vanilla. We were greeted by nice black cherry flavors with a hint of menthol of the finish. The wine had firm tannins (substances in grape and wood that give wine structure over time but, when young, can make your mouth pucker). The wine's great balance helped earn it second place in our tasting.

2008 Celler el Masroig Sola Fred Montsant, $11.99. The complex nose showed tart cherries, baked plums, cheese rind, leather, graham crackers, fresh ham and cedar. We tasted the tart cherries along with a hint of pipe tobacco and charcoal on the finish. This wine tasted high in alcohol which dominated the balance.

2007 Torres Sangre de Toro Catalunya Tempranillo, $11.99.

We first smelled scents resembling Angostura Bitters plus black cherries. On the palate, we discovered dusty, dark fruit, including blackberries and blueberries, plus cinnamon and tree bark. The nose and the palate gave the impression of a green wine with unripe fruit.

?2005 Mosen Cleto Crianza Campo de Borja, $9.99.

The bouquet included scents of Grand Marnier, cherries and almonds. The fruit was not as pronounced as the other wines, and it was the driest - extremely dry. This, the oldest vintage in the group, looked and tasted mature.

SURFING THE WINE SHELVES:

2006 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon, $28.

The bouquet included black currants and ripe blackberries, with a hint of spice and herbs. The palate mirrored the nose in a medium-bodied yet vibrant and well-textured wine.

2007 Simi Sonoma Chardonnay, $18.

Aromas and flavors of green apples and peaches, with hints of vanilla cream and spice. A bit of lemon on the finish.

2005 Magnificat Napa Valley, $50.

Interesting aromas of black cherries, plums, black currants, semi-sweet chocolate and herbs. Made from 73 percent cabernet sauvignon blended with 23 percent merlot and a touch of petit verdot and cabernet franc, this Bordeaux-style wine was rich and full of finesse from the first sip until the finish.

2005 Franciscan Napa Valley Merlot, $22.

Multi-layered aromas included plums, black cherries, black currants, pepper and oak. This wine was rich and full-bodied on the tongue with a silky texture.

2007 Rancho Arroyo Grande Dry Farmed San Luis Obispo Zinfandel, $45.

Ripe blackberries and blueberries, dark chocolate, vanilla extract and toasty oak emerged in the aroma and on the palate. Even though it was almost 16 percent alcohol, it was easy to drink.

2008 Graham Beck Chardonnay/Viognier, $9.99.

Aromas of lemon, peach and tropical fruits with a hint of melba toast led to a mouthful of pear, passion fruit, citrus and almond flavors in this South African wine.