Variety: Grenache, Tempranillo, Monastrell, Carignan
Region: Spain
Cost: $19
Winemaker’s Notes: The wine presents a dark, polished amethyst with aromatic notes of white pepper, tobacco, and black currant emerging from the glass. A silky mouthfeel with a palate of dark plums, black raspberry, and hints of French vanilla closes with subtle tart black cherry and a lengthy, structural finish.
My Review: The last of my Locations wines. All in all I’ve enjoyed these wines, finding them to be fairly representative of the countries where the grapes come while still having some unique character that sets them apart. In short – they’re worth the price of admission. So, what were my thoughts on the final of my bottles?
In the glass the wine showed dark reddish-purple hues, and on the nose I picked up white pepper and tobacco. In the mouth the wine showed a hint of tartness that quickly gave way to a smooth mouthfeel and showed flavors of French vanilla and a hint of cedar.
My wife and I opened this bottle up on a Sunday afternoon, sipping  on it with our own charcuterie – cheese, crackers, and pickled okra. The wine paired well with the food, and I imagine that sipping on it with some tapas would be apropos.
Even sitting on our patio enjoying a nice day the wine was great by itself. While it’s by no means the greatest Spanish wine I’ve ever had, it’s far from the worst, and at sub-$20 it’s good enough value that you shouldn’t feel ripped off, though to be fair, you can find equitable quality for less money if you have a well-stocked wine shop.
As with the other Locations wines, I’m not a fan of the size of the bottle; it’s big, heavy, and features thick glass and a deep punt. I’d like to see them streamline the packaging a bit, which in turn would probably save them on shipping costs.
If we’re being really honest, I’d love to see all three Locations wines be offered in a bag in a box format. I think that would be the perfect way to enjoy these wines that walk the line between table wine and above average sipper. Maybe future releases will fix the packaging, but so long as they continue on with the quality, they’re still going to be worth picking up.
Editor’s Note: I received this wine as a free sample for review.
