A very savoury medium-bodied Tempranillo-Monastrell-Garnacha blend that initially resembles a Chilean Carmenere with its dominant green pepper and herbal notes, but with a lot of oak as well, and some fleeting alcohol aromatics; the fruit emerges later, and slowly, rich and deep, with raspberry and then sour cherry, leading to more oak on the pleasant finish, with well-integrated tannins throughout; just seems to get better and better the longer it's in the glass; astounding value for such a complex and intriguing wine, showing just what this less-heralded Spanish appellation has to offer.

Another of my go-to wines...this full bodied, Spanish red has been my one of my value favourites since the 2005 Vintage. 2009 is just as good.

It's got a lot of flavour and is a bit heavier on the palate than some of the wines I like. There's a fair amount of oak (enough to be too much if you don't like an oaked wine), but also hints of berries and vanilla. There's not much of an alcohol burn for 14%./vol.

First attempt at a Tempranillo was a good one. Tasted September 2013.

Oak & Fruity.

Oak & Fruity.

I liked this aromatic, fruity, oaky, dry, lively, tight-tannin delight. Good with BBQ steak, good on its own. Great value.

The 2009 Castillo De Almansa Reserva is made of undisclosed proportions of Tempranillo, Monastrell and Garnacha that was aged in oak for 12 months. It has raspberry yogurt, toasted oak and vanilla notes. It is an extra-dry, medium bodied, fruity wine; although having a medium to long finish; it is quite unbalanced with tart acidity and noticeable tannins. Aging would help this wine, if it weren’t for the screw cap enclosure lessening its aging potential (first vintage in screw cap). Pair this wine with salty and meaty dishes. My impression: NOTHING SPECIAL, 85 pts – usually this wine outperforms others in its price bracket. Tasted April/13 at WineAlign Cru tasting.
See my wine recommendations readily available at the LCBO here:

http://grapeselections.com/grapeselections

or here @
http://www.winealign.com/wino/dantrcka/recommended-wines-you-can-still-buy