Friday, August 2, 2013

Bodega Pirineos 2010 Pico de Aneto, Somontano, Spain

This Spanish wine is a blend of 75% old vine Tempranillo and 25% Parraleta, an old grape variety being preserved through the care of wineries such as  Bodega Pirineos.
Bodega Pirineos is located on the slopes of the Pyrenees Mountains in the heart of Spain’s Somontano wine region. The winery was formed in 1993 to produce and sell wines from the local grape growing cooperative.
I bought this wine not from a cooperative but our tasting team member Dr. J, who had received a large shipment of wine. I’m interested in Spanish wines and Tempranillo is becoming a favorite.
We found this to be a great wine. Not “climb to the top of the bell tower and ring” great, but an easy drinking red with no funkiness, an interesting story and great finish.
The Aneto has loose tannins over smooth red berry flavors. There is a bit of spiciness and, surprisingly, a pleasant touch of sweetness. It’s hard to say what Parraleta is contributing to the mix because I’ve never tasted it separately.
Parraleta seems to be only produced in Somontano. In the 1970s more than 20 percent of the vineyards were planted with Parraleta, but at the beginning of the new century, it had dropped to 0.2%. The wine is low-yielding and fell out of favor with growers.
I paid $10 for this and received at least twice as much value in enjoyment. Raise a glass and help preserve Parraleta!
Rating: 2.5 of 5  Value: 3.5 of 5
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