*tasting note at the bottom

**Part of the ‘Spanish Value Experiment

As these wines were chosen almost completely at random, there are more than a few bottles where I look at them and think “what on earth is this?”. The bottle in question this time hails from Ribera del Queiles and is produced by Winery Arts, which it turns out is an off-shoot of the Vintae Group; a large collection of wineries across Spain, generally making affordable, commercially viable products with good marketing. If you’ve ever tried the Matsu from Toro, Hacienda Lopez de Haro from Rioja, Epica from Ribera del Duero and many more; they’re Vintae products.

I’ve tried all the above wines without knowing they were all owned and produced by a single group, and they were all perfectly reasonable wines; the Matsu wines in particular are good, representative Toro wines. I know very little about wines that are declassified to V.T Ribera del Queiles, other than they’re from a small region around Zaragoza, Aragon and seem to be based around international varieties as much as the more traditional Garnacha and Tempranillo.

Tasting Note

Garnacha, Merlot and Tempranillo in unspecified quantities, from vineyards on the border with Navarra. Aged in French and American oak for 14 months. 14% ABV.

Much paler than expected and quite restrained on the nose. Stewed red fruits, white pepper, toast and caramel combine with a leafy character that’s out of place with the overly-ripe fruit profile and sweet oak. Soft and light on the palate, with very few tannins and somehow this manages to be both tart and bitter at the same time, with the alcohol peeking through on the finish. There’s no real flavour intensity here and the entire thing is quite entirely out of balance. I don’t know if this bottle is representative of the production but it’s the one I have to go by and there are no discernible faults. Certainly not recommended. 80Pts.

Purchased from Vinissimus for €7.55