This is a smooth Spanish Mediterranean blend. It's a real serious wine with a low price tag. It reminds me of high quality Gigondas from the Rhone. Beautiful integrated tannins provide a lushious mouth feel. Nose and flavours include dates, herbs, spices, green leaf tobacco, black pepper and smoke.

Another good value from Yecla, this lush Monastrell-Syrah blend is rich and flavourful if not exactly profound. There isn't much structure, it doesn't hold together for long, and with a thick mouthfeel it comes across like a red-purple fruit smoothie, but the aromas and flavours of dark cherry, raspberry, blueberry, and spice, along with a certain earthiness and meatiness in the background, are certainly enticing. Comparisons to Australian Shiraz are apt, though this lacks elegance and sophistication even if it mirrors the fruit-forwardness.

Tasted September 2015