Acentor Garnacha 2011

[Ericandblueboy]

Acentor Garnacha 2011

★★

Calatayud, Spain, $12

Spicy

berry flavors are typical of good, inexpensive Spanish garnacha, and

this wine delivers them, along with smoky earthiness for added interest.

Not a particularly complex wine, just a really fun one. Another hit

from sommelier-turned-importer Aurelio Cabestrero.

Elite:

Available in the District at Bell Wine & Spirits, Calvert Woodley,

Connecticut Avenue Wine & Liquor, Cordial Fine Wine & Spirits,

Modern Liquors, Paul’s of Chevy Chase, Rodman’s, Wagshal’s Market; on

the list at Boqueria, Marcel’s, Rasika, Station 4, Taberna del

Alabardero, Ulah Bistro. Available in Maryland at Annebeth’s in

Annapolis, Chesapeake Wine Co. in Baltimore, Fairgrounds Discount

Beverages in Timonium, Mt. Airy Liquors. Available in Virginia at

Arrowine in Arlington, Beer Run in Charlottesville, Cheesetique

(Alexandria, Shirlington), Greenwood Gourmet Grocery in Crozet, Vino

Volo at Dulles International Airport, Wine Styles in Montclair.

I'm flying out of Dulles on Thursday and returning on Sunday. If I remember, I'll get a bottle at Vino Volo.

Acentor Garnacha 2011

Region: Calatayud D.O.

Winery: ISAAC FERNANDEZ SELECCION (Calatayud)

Grapes: 100% Garnacha Tinta (Red Grenache)

Vintage: 2011

Color: Red

This wine is produced from old vines, aged 50 years and older which are trained en vaso.The vineyards are located between 750 and 1000 meters above sea level and have iron-rich clay soils with many large stones.

Fruit for this wine was hand harvested in late September The grapes were destemmed and fermented in cement tanks. Malo-lactic fermentation was also completed in cement. Following fermentation the wine was aged for 4 months in a combination of 50% used French oak barrels and 50% used American oak barrels

[Ericandblueboy]

Acentor Garnacha, 2011, D.O. Catalayud, Spain

Named for the small birds that eat the ripe grapes off the vine, Acentor Garnacha is a full-bodied old vine Garnacha (Grenache) from the heart of Catalayud in central Spain’s Aragon region. Bursting with flavors of dark black and blue fruit (think the intense flavor of stewed blueberries), this wine is deliciously spicy and deep. Rounded out by soft tannins, and aged exclusively in stainless steel, Acentor is fresh and fruit-driven, but with a deceptive amount of complexity for a wine at this price! Of course, being November, we had to think about Thanksgiving and for those who want to drink red wine with their bird, this wine is a perfect choice! Acentor is also a great choice for dishes with pork, like clove-scented glazed hams, or other roasted or grilled poultry like quail or squab.

Wagshal’s November 2012 wine of the month.

This information is inconsistent with what I found above, regarding aging.

[lovehockey]

$13.99 at Arrowine.

The back of the bottle says that fermentation and aging were in stainless steel.

Here I am again to give the first tasting review. I like it. It is fruit-forward but with just enough spice to give it a bit of oomph. Had some dark chocolate with it and it didn't clash. Nose is mildly jammy. I find no need to pair it as I think it's a good sipping wine.

I got a second bottle in order to let the SO and his parents try it in the next few days, so I'll try to report back on their thoughts. It will likely be with dinner so I'll try to pick the right meal to pair it with.

[Tweaked]

hmmm, I found it too grape juicey (well maybe blueberry juicey per the description) for my taste.

But I do like the Post's "5 Wines to Try" articles in the food section.

[lperry]

I picked mine up at Cheesetique in Del Ray tonight for $16.99, so $5 or more than 40% over the price point listed in the paper. There was one more bottle in the rack.

[bettyjoan]

Just a thought - would it be smart/worthwhile to have a separate subforum for these virtual wine-tastings, just like the Virtual Beer Tasting (VBT)? That way, all of the wines we taste can be consolidated in one easier-to-find place and won't get mushed and moved around based on what else is happening in the Beer, Wine, and Cocktails forum?

Also, that way, folks will know that a particular wine was discussed as part of a virtual tasting and not just in general.

One gal's opinion...

[cheezepowder]

Re: bettyjoan's suggestion -- putting this in a subforum sounds good to me.

I bought this wine at Cheesetique in Shirlington. Here's a picture of the label for reference (the label is very pale blue, but it looks white in the picture.)

One of the descriptions above is that the wine is fruit-forward -- I agree with that. I got grape juice in the first sip, plus a bit of cherries in the next sip. I like fruity, but this wine is a bit too fruity for me. It makes me think primarily of juice+tannins (or, whatever it is that dries my mouth.)

I definitely like it better than the Domaine LaFage. I like it enough to drink the rest of the bottle, but I don't think I'd buy it again.

[lovehockey]

$13.99 at Arrowine.

The back of the bottle says that fermentation and aging were in stainless steel.

Here I am again to give the first tasting review. I like it. It is fruit-forward but with just enough spice to give it a bit of oomph. Had some dark chocolate with it and it didn't clash. Nose is mildly jammy. I find no need to pair it as I think it's a good sipping wine.

I got a second bottle in order to let the SO and his parents try it in the next few days, so I'll try to report back on their thoughts. It will likely be with dinner so I'll try to pick the right meal to pair it with.

Tonight was the night that the SO and his parents sampled it.

To introduce the cast: The SO will drink pretty much anything, but prefers Malbecs and Rosés. The mom's go-to wine is Chardonnay, although she's willing to try new grapes and has enjoyed other whites and white blends I've bought. She also drinks Merlots that are not fruit bombs and is open to other reds that are the same. We've recently introduced her to Malbec. The dad's go-to wine is Pinot Grigio. I've also introduced him to other whites and blends with success. He rarely drinks reds that are not in Sangria form so I was surprised when he liked two from Montefalco that I purchased at Arrowine.

The bottle says that roast chicken pairs well with the wine, so I opened it for tonight's Thanksgiving in May, that featured chicken, stuffing, beans, potatoes, and cranberries.

While I was just going for general impressions I did ask about whether they tasted grape juice and the answer was a collective no. That being said:

SO: Liked it. If I bought it again he'd certainly have no problem drinking it.

Mom: Ditto.

Dad: Proclaimed it the best red wine he's ever had. Said it was very smooth and fruity. Superlatives galore. Because of this I must credit lperry and Ericandblueboy for making me look good.

To Arrowine I go again...

[MMM]

I really don't know what I think about this wine. It just tastes sort of dusty to me, and viscous. Not my favorite, but I really like the label.

[lperry]

I really don't know what I think about this wine. It just tastes sort of dusty to me, and viscous. Not my favorite, but I really like the label.

"Dusty" may indicate a problem. Do you think the wine was corked?

I still need to try this one, but I'm struggling with pollen allergies right now and don't trust my taste. Hoping for rain this afternoon.

[MMM]

I really don't know what I think about this wine. It just tastes sort of dusty to me, and viscous. Not my favorite, but I really like the label.

From the original description above: "Spicy berry flavors are typical of good, inexpensive Spanish garnacha, and this wine delivers them, along with smoky earthiness for added interest." Maybe it's the "smoky earthiness" I'm tasting?

[Ericandblueboy]

Just took a couple of sips. I had the bottle in the fridge for about an hour because it was sitting in the car in a garage all afternoon. Definitely fruity. Very mild and not much aftertaste. So not very complex but I like just sipping it as I do some work.

[lperry]

All I get from this one on the nose and in the mouth is berries, berries, berries, and something spicy in the background. Black pepper, maybe? There is a richness and depth there, but no harshness that I can detect, and it's pleasantly balanced. Really drinkable. I lean to the middle with reds, not caring for those that require a fork, and I can see this one working with the food I cook. It also did nicely with a Chuao Firecracker bar.

[Ericandblueboy]

Anyone still thinking about tasting this?

[MMM]

Just noticed that Acentor is on sale for $9.99 for the next week and a half at Rodman's - in case anyone wants more or hasn't picked it up yet.

[lperry]

A big thanks to participants in the VWT - it's already influencing my buying habits in a very good way.  I loved this red wine, and recently saw a grenache in an internet sale.  I did a little web search to find any reviews, ordered the wine, and am very happy with the purchase.  I can't say I would have done that in the past, simply because I had no idea what to think of this grape.  Similar things are occurring with cavas and rosés.  Life is good.  Happy wine drinking!