...a bottle of wine and thou

Ramon Bilbao Roija Tempranillo

Price: $12 bottle retail - $6.50/glass restaurant
Type: Tempranillo
Cork: unknown
Rating: 9

First, if you live anywhere near Louisville, KY, you absolutely must visit Havana Rumba. Every single thing I've tried there, from appetizers to lunch sandwiches to entrees to dessert, has been absolutely fabulous. You won't find anything like it in a chain restaurant.

Tonight, I decided to try a glass of their recommended Spanish Tempranillo with my Ropa Vieja. Oh, my! This was some very tasty wine. In fact, this is the first wine I've tried in a restaurant which I want to seek out in my local liquor stores.

It starts off with a rich aroma - strong enough not to be drowned out by the wonderful mingled scents of well spiced foods on the tables around us. The nose hinted of berries, with a strong followthrough of cherry when the wine hit the tongue.

This Tempranillo was very smooth, with a rich mouthfeel. The flavor was sweet without being cloying. The strong aftertaste balanced the sweetness with a slight hint of bitterness. Have I mentioned tasty yet? I really like this wine.

I gave this a 9 on it's own. I would be very content sipping this without food. That said, it gets even better when paired with beef. I suspect it'd perform just as well alongside any other spicy foods appropriate to a red wine. As part of a good meal, I'll up the rating to a 10. I love a wine that pairs well with spicy foods - one of the many reasons I'll be seeking this one out again in the future.

posted by Chris Rachael Oseland at 10:00 PM