Skip to main content

Besllum 2008

This is a wine that evokes a lot of controversy.  On one hand, it is a Spanish wine that is a 2008 vintage and has 14.5% A.C.  It is loved by the wine advocate which rates it at a lofty 93points.  The Costco Wine Blog says it is one of the top 10 Costco wines for 2013.  You may pay as much as $32 a bottle in some places but it is $12.99 at Costco.

On the other hand, some critics say it is over rated. 

This wine is from the Montsant area of Spain.  It is composed of 45% Carinea, 45% Granacha, and 10% Syrah.  It has been aged for 16 months in new french oak.  It has a deep color and an alluring aroma.  I find it to be a lighter wine-between a pinot noir and a merlot.  I have discussed in previous posts about the value that can be found in Spanish wines.

I think that one's opinion of this wine is somewhat dependent on the style of wine that most appeals to you.  I like this wine a lot.  I have been buying it regularly for about a year.  However, in most circumstances, I prefer a Malbec, Zinfandel or Cabernet Sauvignon, so I would not rate it as high as the the ratings cited above.  I think it is great value at $12.99, but I probably would not pay a lot more. 

SC Wine Joe rating=90 points.  I plan to review this wine again at a later date and reserve the right to modify my rating.  I would like to hear what others think about this wine.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Parcelica Grande 2018

 It has been a little over 3 months since I last posted on this blog.  I have taken that time to enjoy old favorites as well as wines bought directly from wineries.   I needed a break from trying a lot of unfamiliar wines so that I might have something new to write about.   However, now I am planning a live video post for the OlliLife newsletter at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University about value wines from lesser known wine regions and this will require Wine Jane and I to do a lot of research.  Well, someone has to do it! There are few places that have as much affordable quality wine as Spain.  The best known wines from Spain come from areas like Rioja in the northern part of Spain.  However, even greater values can be found further south in the areas bordering the Mediterranean Sea.  One such area is Yecla, about 50 miles inland from the sea.  In the past seven years, I have posted about four wines from Yeccla.  All have been blends of the traditional Spanish  g

Dragon Vine, a novel by Steven Laine

It has been a year since I have posted to the South Carolina Wine Blog.  However, I was provided with an advance copy of the latest novel by Steven Laine entitled Dragon Vine   for my review.  Mr. Laine writes novels with a wine focused theme and I reviewed Mr. Laine's previous novel Root Cause  in 2019, which I greatly enjoyed. The synopsis of Dragon Vine is as follows: When his father dies in a wildfire, Carmine Cooper takes over the family winery in the middle of harvest, putting his dreams of becoming an architect on hold. He soon finds himself fighting with a vengeful neighbor, blackmailed by a local gang, harassed by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities, and the target of an ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives) investigation. Carmine’s only hope to solve his problems and finish his first solo vintage successfully rests in identifying an unknown grape variety his father grew and made into wine for a quarter century with links to an a

Furman University OlliLife March 2021

Today, March 18, 2021, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Furman University will interact with its members by Zoom in a live version of the OlliLife newsletter.  For the past few years, we have posted a short wine blog in the newsletter and during the past year we have participated in the live zoom versions.  Today, Wine Jane and I will discuss some world regions with excellent values in wine.  Todays presentation will also be available for viewing next week on the Olli @Furman YouTube channel. The three recommended wines mentioned on todays "OlliLife Live" are: Parcelica Grande 2018  Yecla Spain 70% Monastrell,  15% Granacha,  15% Merlot $11.99 Total Wine Phebus Torrontes 2020 Mendozza Argentina  $10.99  Total Wine Famiglia Castellani Chianti Classico Reserva 2015 Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy Red Blend $13.99 Costco