Tasting Notes (Jan. 24): The Dark (and Delicious) Side of Spain

If there's one word that can characterize my experience with Spanish red wines, from Priorat to Jumilla to Ribera del Duero, it's dark. Dark fruit, dark earth, dark licorice, dark coffee and chocolate--these flavors and aromas abound, certainly. But there's also a kind of teasing, a sense that while these wines may be letting you in on the full taste experience, they're nevertheless keeping something back, a secret, in the shadows behind the flavors and textures--something alluring and beguiling at the same time. Something dark. It's a delicious mystery, drinking Spanish reds.

Is it any wonder, then, that they are among my very favorite wines? Try some of the following, and they'll be among yours, too.

1. Torres Milmanda 2001 (Penedes; $36.99/bottle)
Even though my introductory notes are all about reds, this brawny white holds its own in terms of assertiveness and body. A nose of citrus, green apple, and toasted nuts foreshadows flavors of sweet and sour apples, walnuts, and medicinal herbs. The intriguingly oily mouthfeel is balanced by crisp acidity. Pair with strongly-flavored fish or anything with lots of herbs.

2. Las Rocas Garnacha (Grenache) 2005 (Catalayud; $11.99/bottle)
This wine hits you with a super-fruity nose that's a cross between a Beaujolais and a not-too-spicy Zin and then immediately moves on to aromas of minerals and even a bit of dust. The palate follows suit, with flavors of dark berries, black earth, dust, and a faint minerality. Long, spicy, licorice-laced finish reveals drying tannins. This wine is a steal at $11.99.

3. Juan Gil 2005 (Jumilla; $15.99/bottle)
With a nose of ripe black currants, blackberries, and toasty oak and flavors of black fruits, peppery spice, and bitter chocolate, this medium-full bodied red from Jumilla just begs for a really charred steak. The smooth mouthfeel roughens up on the finish with slightly coarse tannins.

4. Condado de Haza 2004 (Ribera del Duero; $24.99/bottle)
Inky-purple, this wine offers deep, rich aromas of black currant, blackberry, blueberry, and vanilla. Complex flavors of black and purple fruits, grilled herbs, scrub, and black licorice lead into a primordially dark, earthy finish. Very nice.

5. Artadi Vinas de Gain 2004 (Rioja; $27.99/bottle)
The nose of blackberries, plum, oak, and baking spices sets you up for flavors of blackberry, plum, salty leather, loam, and pepper, all supported by a medium-grained tannic structure. Even this wine, which, as a Rioja, one might expect to have a brownish flavor profile (with notes like mocha and chocolate), is less brown than black, less creamy than penetrating.

6. Trio Infernal 1/3 2004 (Priorat; $49.99/bottle)
A tantalizing nose of plum, red currant, oak, stewed meat, and violets starts things off. After that come flavors of red and black currants, oak, black pepper, spice, and blood sausage. This tannic, full-bodied wine is still somewhat closed and could greatly benefit from cellaring. In 10 years it should be smooth, expressive, and balanced.

7. El Nido 2003 (Jumilla; $129.99/bottle)
This wine has a big, luscious nose of blueberry compote, lavender, scrub, vanilla, and cream. On the palate it's pure blueberry pie, with some sweet pipe tobacco on the mid-palate and a super-plush mouthfeel leading to a long, creamy, blueberry-doused finish. Firm but integrated tannins will keep things interesting for another decade or more.