Vina Jaraba Crianza 2003 DO

Variety: 80% Tempranillo x 10% Cabernet Sauvignon x 10% Merlot
Country of origin: Spain
Wine appellation: La Mancha
Vintage: 2003
Alcohol content: 13.5%
Color: dark garnet
Bouquet: intense, black cherries, vanilla, chocolate, black currant jam, very nice combination of fruit and oak
Taste: medium bodied, very smooth, rounded, black cherries, plums, chocolate, vanilla
Recommended food pairing: fuet, spanish jamon, dry salami
Overall score: 85
Price: CZK 180
Stopper: cork
We had Rioja reserva wine tasting and as some of the participants did not have their own riojas prepared so I volunteer to go to one distributor for some reservas. Obviously I did end up buying more bottles than I expected. I noticed that there was Vina Jaraba Crianza 2004 (new vintage) because last I remember tasting was 2003 vintage. The distributor after some chatting kindly opened the bottle of 2004 vintage for sample tasting. I could not help myself but there was a bit of cork, but the guy claimed not. I just remembered that i still have a case of this lovely 2003, which I really liked. In our blind tastings of Crianzas about 2 years ago 2003 vintage won the first place. So I searched the cellar and found it :). I was a bit afraid after this 2004 bottle, but worries were unfounded :). This is amazing value wine, comparing to reservas it still has fruit in it and it it has very nice vanilla ad chocolate flavor in it as well. Also it still holds very nicely and it tastes the same as i remember it 2 years ago.
P.S. later in the evening of tasting of Rioja Reservas I got SMS from the distributor admitting the cork in this 2004 vintage, that we sampled :)