Montecillo Rioja Reserva 2010

My local Costco is now having their pre-Thanksgiving wine sale. There are three wines in this sale that interest me, including the Montecillo Rioja Reserva 2010, which is reduced two dollars to $8.99.

The Rioja region in northern Spain classifies wines as Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva in ascending order. Many wine drinkers find Reserva to be more complex than Crianza but far more affordable than Gran Reserva. A Reserva Rioja must be aged 3 years, with at least one year in oak casks.

Montecillo Rioja Reserva is 100% Tempranillo, with all grapes coming from La Rioja Alta. The wine is actually aged in oak casks for 24 months and at least 16 months in the bottle prior to its release.

I found flavors of black fruit, plum, licorice and minerals in the wine. The 13.4% alcohol is in good balance with the fruit and the finish is long lasting. This wine will nicely accompany barbeque or roasts. This is a nice wine, especially for $8.99.

SC Wine Joe rating = 89 points.

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