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Bodegas Balbas Ardal Reserva Seleccion Especial Ribera del Duero 2010

I have not been drinking heavy red wine lately since we have been eating lighter meals during the hot South Carolina summer.  Two days ago, we decided to grill a rib steak which gave me a great opportunity to open the bottle of Ardal Reserva Ribera del Duero that has been waiting in my wine cooler.

 The first thing I noticed on the bottle when I spotted it at Costco was a sticker that said Wine Spectator rated the wine at 94 points.  The second thing I noticed was that this was a 2010 vintage.  The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged 24 months in French oak.  Costco priced the wine at $19.99 which seemed to be very reasonable considering the vintage and the rating.

 I sipped a little wine when I opened the bottle and decided that the wine needed to aerate awhile.  I drank some at 30 minutes, but it was much better after 60 minutes.  There is a pleasant aroma of dark cherry.  The initial flavor is dark cherry which leads into blackberry, plum and a little vanilla.  There are ample tannins on the finish.  This is a great, full bodied wine which we thoroughly enjoyed with our steak.

 SC Wine Joe rating = 92 points

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