Altos Del Conde Garnacha 2004 > Reviews (1)

Altos Del Conde Garnacha 2004 - Spain.

Ultra-ripe Garnacha - brimming with sweet, peppery red fruit and an awesomely smooth 15% alcohol.

The grapes for this wine were all hand harvested from low-yielding, old bush vines, which ensures exceptional ripeness and concentration, while the relatively cool climate of this high altitude region result in a good balance of ripe fruit, tannins and acidity. The blend is largely Garnacha, (a strong grape variety), which provides dense brambly flavour and a velvety, mouthfilling texture, while a little temperanillo lifts the wine with some juicy strawberry character.

The vintage - Generally, Spain in 2004 was reported as a very good vintage.

Location - North East Spain

Climate - The vineyards lie at a high altitude which provides an excellent microclimate. It is technically Mediterranean with continental influence.

The soil - Brownish limestone, well drained and with poor organic matter.

Grape varieties - Garnacha Blanco, Macabeo, Carinene and Garnacha Tinto are the main grapes, with Tempranillo, Merlot and cabernet, Parellada and Moscatel.

To the eye the colour is a deep ruby red, the aroma is gently spiced and jammy and the taste is full of bright rasperry, cherry fruit.

Altos del Conde is a soft but weighty red, rounded enough to enjoy on its own. It's very tasty with cheeses, cold meats, pasta, roasted vegetables, Sunday roasts and many more favourite meals!

We enjoyed this wine with roasted chicken and roasted vegetables. It was absolutely divine!! The flavour of the wine complemented the meal perfectly and the wine was soft enough so as not to over-power your taste buds!! It was very easy to drink, so much so that we finished the bottle fairly quickly that night! One problem though is the high alcohol content. At 15% it is slightly higher than most wines and if you are like me and can't handle your drink it leaves you feeling rather tipsy!! However, relaxing and drinking this particualr wine is a favourite past time of mine and who cares if your a bit tipsy when your at home!!

We get this wine from the Sunday Times Wine Club. It is £64.99 for 12 bottles which works out at £5.42 each - great value for money for such an exceptional wine!! I have to confess I have never seem this wine in my local supermarket, however, being a member of the wine club, I very rarely go out to buy wine now!

If you are looking for a new wine to try I would definately recommend this to you..... The taste is to die for!