Grandes Vinos y Viñedos / El Circo, Carinena (Aragon, Spain) Tempranillo 2016

 If this impressive red wine cost twice the price it would still be a bargain.  Medium bodied, with lively red fruit flavors and surprising complexity, it is indeed as graceful as an acrobat (which is what “Volatinero” translates to in English).  The El Circo brand includes a range of circus-themed wines such as Ballerina (Merlot) and Contortionist (Cabernet Sauvignon).  It comes from a modern and forward thinking co-op in Cariñena in the province of Zaragoza (Aragon).  Created in 1932, this is one of the oldest protected growing areas in Europe (it is said to be where the Carignan grape originated).