'03 Castano Monastrell

[Innkeeper]

2003 Castano, Monastrell, Yecla ($7.50 Blue Hill Wine Shop). This is 100% Mourvedre, and the alcohol level is 14%. I know that Hotwine posted on the '02 Mourvedre/Cabernet Sauvignon blend at a slightly higher price, but this one is very well worth seeking out, if the price is similar in your area.

Gives a brilliant cherry red to the eye. Also gives black cherry, blackberry, and spice to the nose and upfront. More gobs of fruit and spicy complexity with minimum noticible acid or tannin in the middle, and an absolutely lovely finish. Here's the kicker: My lovely demanded half of it!!! She usually only wants a glass and a half.

Matched it with broiled fillet steak, roasted fingerly potatoes, and salad in blue cheese dressing. Fantastic!!!

Get your wines from Yecla before RP finds out.

[hotwine]

I agree IK. Great QPR.

[dananne]

He already did, I'm afraid -- gave the '01 Hecula a 91. Meanwhile, WE gave the '02 Yecla Monstrell an 87, and named it #19 on their Best Buys of the year.

All the numbers nonsense aside, a wonderful QPR wine, and I'll look for the '03. Thanks for the note!

[dananne]

Found it and recently opened it. Very nice, and our TN mirrors IK -- gobs of fruit and spices. Good QPR. Thanks for the heads up on the '03. We've already bought a few more, and the availability seems good.

[Innkeeper]

Popped and drank half of an '04 ($8.99 NH Liq Store) last night. Very similar to the '03 but more intense. Since it has ample acidity, I think it will improve (yikes! talking about a nine dollar wine here) over the next two or three years.

Matched it with a lamb and chicken couscous, and will probably finish it latter today with the other half of the stew.

[Innkeeper]

Lo and behold, we were in one of the better NH liquor stores in downtown Hookset on Sunday, and found one solitary '03 amongst a pile of '05s, all at the same price. We killed it and I really mean killed it with another pot of couscous. It hardly gets any better!