Some people can never get enough Tempranillo, and I am one of them, and am delighted to see convincing examples of the breed being grown and made in the USA. This gets off to a very good start with aromas of toast, spices and ripe fruit, with flavors recalling black cherries delivering on the promise of the wine’s bouquet. Oak is notable but not distracting, and the finish shows some tannic grip but never turns harsh. A Platinum Award winner at the 2018 San Diego International Wine & Spirits Challenge.
Scribner Bend Vineyards, Clarksburg (California) Tempranillo 2014
By Michael Franz