"El Sentido De La Vida: Girly WIne from Spain. The real anti-wrinkle therapy."
I shit you not. That is the real text from the real label of this all too real wine. The shelf talker told me it was a Petit Verdot, Tempranillo and Cab. Sav. blend. So I just had to see what was inside the bottle.
A brief search on the old Googles led me to the website of Viña Cerrón. Castilla la Manch? Jumilla? Both words instantly summon up the new wave of Spanish Wine making that quite frankly couldn't be any more up my street if it tried.
Pouring it out lead to even more of a sense of anticipation. The colour is deep, dense purple. Very little gradiation from core to rim. The kind of wine that convinces you it's going to steal your lunch money at break time. Heavy enough to stain the the sides of the glass with very broad legs.
Muted on the nose, this none the less had some nice, regal Petit Verdot character of dense bramble fruit and berry jam. Quickly, however, the punch of the oak treatment takes over your nostrils. Wood, tobacco and a sweetness suggesting at least some American or sawn oak barrels. This theme lasts throughout the wine.
Broad and swarthy in the mouth this wine hits you with a one two of instant berry attack and a woody mid-palate. It's a grippy wine. Not as smooth as I'd hoped.
Length wise, this disappoints. All you're left with after a few moments are slightly furry teeth and a feeling that the abyss has just stared back into you. After some time in the glass it even loses it's initial attack. Inside and outside the bottle this wine is charmless.
If you really want an effective anti wrinkle therapy I recommend avoiding this wine. It made me screw my face up.
With no real interest in wine to speak of, I still found this very entertaining. Although I've never read any other wine criticism, I'm
ReplyDeletepretty sure "a one two of instant berry attack" isn't part of the standard wine idiom. And as a rule, I don't put anything broad and swarthy in my mouth