Montebuena Rioja, 2009

It strikes me funny that we are already drinking a Rioja from the 2009 vintage…. wow, these grapes were picked just 10 months ago! The 2009 Montebuena is 100% Tempranillo that sees no oak. In the glass it has a dark ruby/purple color and is nearly opaque. This young wine shows a appealing bouquet of blackberry, fig, leather and baking spice. On the palate it is packed with ripe blackberry, concord grape and black pepper. This is a medium bodied wine with a rich mouth-feel, good concentration, and a nice balance of spice, acidity and gentle tannins. This is the first wine we have tasted from the 2009 vintage in Rioja, and we are excited to enjoy more like this in the near future. We bought this lovely value wine from northern Spain at Pete's Wine Shop, in Bellevue, for about $13.