Tarima Hill Monastrell 2011

I have been reading some glowing online reviews of the Tarima Hill wine for the past year. I have been looking for some bottles to try, but it never showed up at my Greenville Costco. Finally, earlier this week, there was a large pallet of the wine. I grabbed a couple of bottles and opened the first one that night.

Most of the Spanish wines that I have been buying are lighter, fruit forward wines. The Tarima Hill is different from that. This is a full bodied, complex 100% Monastrell from old vines in Alacante, Spain. It has aged 20 months in French oak and has an alcohol content of 15%. The wine is a deep violet color with flavors of dark red cherries and blackberries as well as smokey oak and spice. Some reviewers have noted soft tannins on the finish but I would describe the finish as having medium tannins.

This is a special wine that can be purchased at Costco for $12.69. You can keep this wine for several years or have it with your next steak dinner.

SC Wine Joe rating = 91

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