La Atalaya del Camino Almansa 2010

Rich dark reds of Spain may be nothing new but when it hails from Almansa’s dry climate you can always rely on deep extraction and full ripe fruit. In the case of La Atalaya this is 85% Garnacha Tintorera (perhaps you enjoy it as Alicante Bouchet –the red fleshed grape aka teinturier that imparts color, fragrance and power) and 15% Monastell (the indigenous Spanish variety that the Rhone celebrates as its own Mourvèdre; floral, earthen, and penetrating). Tobacco, cola spices and deep red berries on the nose transform onto the palate and round out into deeply spiced black cherries, sandy tannins, waxy vanilla bean and a rich fragrance that lifts on through the finish in all its shades and hues reading much like the spectrum of aromas, presence and flavors as we look forward to finding on great Port but without the heady fortified strength –a truly moving wine unique to Almansa.
Wine review by Nicholas Livingston, April 2013

Food Pairings

Very versatile. The better cuts of lamb. Most any meat braised or stewed. Game birds and poultry, especially duck.