ON THE NOSE:
Very nice right upon popping, but also obviously old-world style, which is no problem at all for Darcey and I as we are "ambipalatous." Some nice vegetable aromas are coming through here, as well as some herbs. Brussels sprout, green beans, potatoes, cooked cabbage, and some oregano, white pepper, and thyme. A nice garbage smell is here; NICE, garbage smell! Some dust, or dusty, sandy earth is also present, as it often is in these Spanish wines, as if you are smelling the dry, crumbly earth in which these grapes are grown and tended. This is actually a nice nose: very different, definitely old-world, and also very hard to describe. The nose contains more than what we’ve listed here, but it’s just so hard to nail down these flavor profiles.
Clearly this wine will continue to bring different scents to the table, so we’ll add notes as we continue to drink.
As this wine breathes it offers more fruit to balance the quality vegetal aspect that dominated earlier; the dark cherry is breaking through nicely now, with some gorgeous black currants. An ocean smell is here too, like the smell in a shell after its inhabitant has, one way or the other, been evicted. Too, here is a smell of an old favored ugly redneck red plaid shirt, with those big pockets to carry the Marlboro reds; that memory is strong here, something to do with those late, cold New Hampshire winter nights.
Now some of the classic profiles of the Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Merlot, and even hints of the Garnacha – especially that pepper essence – are popping their heads out for all to behold, not wanting to be dominated, wishing to be present and accounted for, and indeed they are. A sweetness is now obvious, which is a welcomed addition. Body powder is here too, like what your Mother used to put on, and you’d smell it in her room while browsing through the things on her dresser.
ON THE PALATE:
The fruit is not the dominant taste, but there is some nice sour cherry here. What dominates is this vegetal aspect which, again, we find refreshingly different.
This is only a medium-bodied wine, which surprises us for this particular blend. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, and the structure is not bold, nor faultless, but there is a good balance between acidity and tannin, and a mid-palate that remains interesting before a pleasantly long and mysterious finish.
Later, as this Spanish red opens more and more, the fruit is much further along, as it is on the nose after thorough breathing. The cherry is bold and ripe now, deep and dark, and there are currants here that were not there earlier. This wine has seriously evolved. Yes, this is an interesting wine to drink and experience as it develops. Darcey and I are both surprised that this bottle was $10, and we’ll see how we feel about it by the last drop of the evening, but this may well be a quaffer to stock up on.
After imbibing this wine to the last drop I find I am ambivalent. Yes, it has much to offer, especially at this price-point, and yes, it is different and enticing. It also has some lesser aspects which can’t be denied, including the thin mouthfeel and the lack of a greater tannic structure. All in all I would say that this wine still over-delivers for its price, and is one I am happy to have purchased and tried. For $10 you can find better, but you'd be hard-pressed, and mostly you will find much, much worse.
(Click here for an explanation of our ratings ...)
Our Rating: 88
Would we drink it again? 
Yes, and looking forward to another go of this interesting sleeper.
Would we buy it again?
Yes, I do believe I will add a bottle, or even two, to my next case order.
