Now that the weather heats up, I will have to come up with some lighter reds and maybe some whites and rosé wines.
In the meantime I do have to recommend this Montebuena, Rioja (2004) straight from Labastida.
It is a medium red. Various reviews find traces of everything from coffee and vanilla to berries.
Ripe berries and/or jammy might be amongst the most overused ‘wine tags’ akin to truffle oil in cooking fads.
I don’t need to add to the flood of adjectives.
Good fruit and balance, soft tannins, Tempranillo of course.
A steal at $12.
As you can see from this photo of Lunch at the winery (borrowed from their importer), they are down to earth people.
Reminds me of breakfasts of soup, sausage and other peasant foods when I worked in Armagnac at harvest time for a couple of weeks eons ago.
Related: My Castle for a Wine: Castillo Labastida, Rioja Reserva 2001