Convento San Francisco crafts excellent wines drawn from old-vine sites in the Ribera del Duero of north-central Spain. Their 2011 Roble shows a lovely bouquet of pure cherry fruit backed by hints of violets, blackberry and vanilla. Lively and bright on the palate, it has layers of ripe cherry and blackberry fruits underscored by vanilla, nutmeg and clove tones. It offers a wonderful balance of pure fruit and exotic spice elements. Serve it with your favorite red meat dish – grilled, sautéed, braised or grilled. Its pure and powerful flavors will make a fine match.
Convento San Francisco, Ribera del Duero (Castilla y León, Spain) 2011
By Wayne Belding