Every Thursday I feature a wine I particularly enjoy, whether it’s something new and different, is a great value, or from a producer worth checking out.  For this week, my Wine Of The Week is the 2010 Teso La Monja “Romanico”

Winery

Bodega Teso La Monja was founded in 2009 by the Eguren family, who sold their very successful Numanthia-Termes winery to luxury-goods giant Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) in 2008.  The Eguren family, which hails from Rioja where it own three other wineries, were instrumental in putting Spain’s Toro region on the world wine map with its high-end cuvées Termanthia and Numanthia.   The winery is located in the  Denominación de Origen (DO)Toro, not too far from its more well-known neighbor, DO Ribero del Duero.

According to Spanishwine.com…

DO Toro – near Ribera del Duero, similar landscape, similar grapes, but Toro claims its own clone of Tempranillo, the Tinta de Toro variety.  Toro reds are chewy, inky reds, massive with oak, or unoaked, with a signature spicy Toro note. Home of very old vines, some of the oldest in Spain.

The key to Toro’s quality is its altitude, at 2,000 to 2,500ft above sea level the region’s growers can depend on cool nights to “set” color and flavor in the grapes ripened in the torrid summers.

Wine

This is the entry-level wine from Teso La Monja.  The wine is made from 100% Tinta de Toro (the local clone Tempranillo) aged in 100% new French oak for six months. The fruit for this wine come from vineyard between 15-20 years old.

It’s definitely a “New-World” style – less rustic, and a more fruit-forward higher alcohol style.

My tasting notes follow:

Nearly opaque purple color with black and red fruit, dried tobacco, and anise aromas. On the palate, it’s full-bodied focused, and vibrant with blackberry, cassis, bittersweet chocolate and spice flavors. Medium-Long finish. Great QPR at $15!

Rating: A-

Pair with: Tapas (olives, jambon, chorizo, sardines, marinated mushrooms, Spanish cheeses), Paella Mixta, Mexican fare (tacos, nachos, and chile relleno), and grilled meats.