Price: $13

Producer: Bodegas Piqueras

Origin: Almansa, Spain (Southeast)

Type of wine: Dry red wine made from Tempranillo and Mouvérde grapes

Try it with: Tapas, tapas and more tapas: spicy sausages, Portobello mushrooms & cheese, bacon-wrapped dates

Date Reviewed: Dec. 2003

I was astonished that this wine is from the ’98 vintage. It doesn’t seem to have aged much. This ruby-colored wine offers scents of cherry, vanilla and herbs. On the palette, the wine pretends to be quite young with tart red cherry flavors that last until the finish. The bright flavor is well balanced with moderate crispness and subtle tannins. I would not have guessed this wine was from Spain – it is made in a very bold, new world style. I think the price might be just a bit high. A solid, food-friendly wine.