Mile High's Wine of the Week: February 5th
Bodega La Magdalena "Sueno" Tempranillo 2011
Regular Price: $19.99
Sale Price: $12.99
Sale End: 2/8/2015
Score: 91 Points Robert Parker
When a Spanish Tempranillo is great there sure aren’t many other wines that can match it in terms of value for the money. Well, you better believe that the 2011 Bodega La Magdalena “Sueno” Tempranillo is great! This showy red is deep and dark in the glass with impossibly intriguing scents of lavender, damp cedar, espresso, game, dried cherries, and toasty oak. It has the sort of nose that will stop you dead in your tracks. After you smell it you’ll come to a few minutes later as though you’d just been in a trance. Then you will go in for a sip and the promise of the nose will be instantly fulfilled by wonderfully sweet berry fruit, seamlessly integrated oak, and striking tertiary flavor. This thoroughly complete and engaging 91 Point Tempranillo is a steal at our special “Wine of the Week” price. But consider this as your warning, the supplier didn’t have a whole lot of it to sell us so the risk of it running out before Sunday is very high.On to the Tasting Notes:
Like many of you, I keep a little bit of wine in my basement. And it seems like, more often than not, when I go down there looking for something yummy to serve with dinner I find myself reaching for Spanish reds. This week we have a fantastic value in Tempranillo from a somewhat lesser known region in Spain called Ribera del Jucar. The 2011 Bodega La Magdalener “Sueno” is a fine specimen that offers so much character, style, and value that I would encourage you to buy it, not just because I’m in the business of selling you wine but because I am totally convinced that it offers a fantastic mix of quality and value.
I pulled the cork on my tasting bottle and then poured a generous glass in order to check the wine for flaws. Finding none I left it to breathe for about an hour before sitting down to write this review. The wine had the sort of nose that I think just about all winemakers strive to create in their most prized reds. It had such a fine mix of fruit, spice, and oak that I found myself wanting to go back to sniff it over and over again before going in for my first sip. It began with a mix of flowers and oak with hints of lavender and vanilla. Then it started to turn towards dried cherries, cigar box, and crushed strawberries. When I finally did go in for a sip I was so pleased with what I found. The mouthfeel was plush but not soft. Instead it had an excellent sense of composure that allowed juicy flavors of sweet raspberries and black cherries to mingle with darker notes of tobacco, tamarind, espresso, and slate. The finish was framed by elegant tannins and modest acidity. It had very good length though I guessed that it would probably broaden out even further after either some longer decanting or a couple of more years in the cellar.Food Pairing:
So I love to make this pan sauce after I sear off some meat in a hot skillet. Once the meat is done then remove it to rest and add coarsely chopped mushrooms and finely minced shallot to start picking up the leftover fond. After they saute a bit I like to add some homemade beef stock and a spoonful of fig spread as well as a bit of fresh pepper and some Worcestershire sauce. Over high heat I reduce that a little and then, once it’s at the right consistency I add a pat of butter off the heat and as soon as it’s incorporated I gently add it to the rested meat. This sauce is so good and so quick and so simple that I find myself using it all the time. It’s very nice with pork but it is equally good with beef, game, and even chicken (thought I’d suggest dark meat instead of white). Give it a shot this weekend if you’re looking for a fun pairing for the Sueno.
You MUST mention this special or print it out to receive the price on the above wine.
This price expires 2/8/2015 at 6pm and is limited to in-store quantities.
No rain checks given. Call (303) 936-0272 to reserve bottles with a credit card.