Albero 2012 Monastrell

Readers of this blog know that Spanish wines are favorites of mine and that they are also great bargains for American wine drinkers. I also have found that the best values at Trader Joe's are the wines from Spain and Italy. Recently, at Trader Joe's, I found the Albero 2012 Monastrell. It was not on a big display, just one of the wines on the shelf. On the first day of drinking this wine, I was not sure if I liked it. I liked the initial flavor, but the finish was unexpectedly dry and oaky. When I finished the bottle on the next day, I really liked it and was perplexed about what I should say about this wine. The only solution was to buy another bottle and try again. I will now say that I like this wine a lot.

Albero is from the town of Jumilla in southeast Spain. This area is inland from the Mediterranean sea and is known for growing Monastrell grapes.

The initial aroma from the wine is a little spicy. The taste is a great blend of medium berry with some minerality. The finish has oak and tannins but is long lasting. I think you can enjoy this wine with meat or pasta. The wine is only $6.99 at Trader Joe's. A great price!!

The wine is said to be made from 100% organic grapes. The alc. content is 14%.

SC Wine Joe rating = 88

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