Advantages: Nice Red, easily drinkable, tasty palate Disadvantages: The next morning
I love spanish red wines. And when I tried the Vina Albani GranReserva, i bought more bottles.
Usually I stick to big full bodied Riojas, however, this was recommended by a friend and falls under the bracket of Tempranillo.
Vina Albani GranReserva-
Vintage- 1995 (If you can find 1991 its awesome)
Vineyard- Vina Albanis own family run vineyards in Valdepenas, a slighty less well known region- not as fashionable as the other growing regions but highly successful. The Cabernet Sauvignon grape also grows up here, and is in the Family Special Gran Reversa the next wine up from this.
I have found that Sainsbury's stock this wine quite regularly and it retails at around £5.99 a bottle. If you go to Majestic wine sellers, a crate is more economical.
The Wine
It is a mature and charming red with not the oommphh of a fiery ...
Advantages: A superb all round full flavoured easy drinking red Disadvantages: Slips down a treat; why have one bottle when you could make do with two?
of one year in oak.
Grand Reserva: Wine aged for five years with a minimum of two years in oak.
THE VINTNER
Bodegas Navajas is a family owned business based in Navarette, a village on the N120 in the Rioja Alta not far from the town of Logroňo.
THE LABEL
The wine is housed in a dark green bottle. It is closed with a cork and sealed with a black "lead" capsule. The main label is white with gold lettering. It is an illustration of its village of origin in grey tones. The label includes the words ?Denominacion de origin Calificada? (DOCa) which is Spain's most prestigious wine distinction. The rear label has a Rioja authenticity mark, a hologram and a reference number.
The vintage under scrutiny is 1999. It has an alcohol content of 13% by volume. I have also tasted samples from 1997 and 1998.
THE DRINK ...
Advantages: An uncompromising full bodied, full flavoured Spanish red wine. Right for drinking now; right for saving for later. Sheraton Hotels? choice for ?house red? Disadvantages: You might have to look carefully for it
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva: vintage 1998 750ml bottle
Internet order: Weavers of Nottingham £10.22
This is one of the wines featured in the ?Wines of the World? range promoted by the Sheraton chain of hotels. I have been served this wine at the Sheraton Pulitzer Hotel (where we were allowed to sample the wine before deciding to buy the bottle) and the Sheraton Park Lane Hotel, London (about £18 a bottle).
[POSTSCRIPT: ?Gran Coronas? ? Spanish for Great (or Grand) Crown ? is used as a description of Cuban Cigars as well as wine. Torres translates to Towers; hence the three towers on the crest] ...
