Review from Rioja | Vina Zaco Tempranillo Rioja 2007 | 90 Point Rating

The Gift of Vino from the Rioja Wine Region of Spain

I love Spanish wines. There are some very drinkable, less-expensive wines coming from the Spanish Wine Regions and they are a delight for all who drink them!

My Favorite Spanish Wine varietals are those from Rioja Wine Regions of Spain

Tempranillo is the primary red wine grape for much of Spain, but especially Spanish wines from the Ribera del Duero and the Rioja Alta. A real gem of a Spanish Wine that illustrates all the goodness of a Rioja wine is  Vina Zaco from Bodegas Bilbainas. I recently had the 2007. While Vina Zaco is labeled Tempranillo, I can’t help but to suspect there might be some Grenache, in there. No matter what, the Tempranillo really shines.

As we can expect from a Tempranillo  from Rioja

The wine is bright and the color, deep purple, has a clearness on the edge. The color of this Spanish grape varietal is very inviting.   

While the 2007 seemed a little closed, it did not make sense with the 90 point wine rating, so I concluded I had picked up the wrong wine glass. The black cherries were there, although understated.

A Balance Rioja from Vina Zaco

My first impression on trying Vina Zaco’s Tempranillo was that this Rioja wine was very accessible. It was balanced. Not lush, but a wine with firm tannins as expected form tall that thick blue black grape skin that Rioja’s Tempranillo is known for. While the wine label said it was 14% alcohol content that didn’t come through in the wine except to firm the tannins.

Sometimes Spanish Tempranillo can be a little harsh

Not this one. The Vina Zaco had a very pleasant finish to it. Not exceptionally long, but one that was characteristic of the wine itself. The wine was balanced and complete from the color to the nose, to the taste and the finish.

Vina Zaco Tempranillo Rioja 2007 is a complete wine where the whole is better than the sum of the parts and priced at $15.00 a bottle, well worth it!

Now I just needed a pizza to accompany it. Drinkable through 2012, I guess I have the time to find a pizza to match this great wine from the Rioja wine region of Spain.

 

 

 

Tags: Bodegas Bilbainas, rioja, rioja spain, rioja wine, tempranillo, tempranillo wine, Vina Zaco

This entry was posted on Monday, July 6th, 2009 at 5:06 pm and is filed under Rioja, Spanish Wines, Wine Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.  Email This Post