The 2010 Spanish Demon Rioja Tempranillo is 100% Tempranillo sourced from the family owned Estate vineyards of Bodegas Vallobera Winery in the Alavesa region of Rioja, Spain. Alavesa is the leading grape growing region of Rioja. The wine is called Spanish Demon and not some formal typical Rioja wine name, because they were looking to appeal to Millennial’s and people who are prone to buy wine with an artsy horned creature on the label (me). This is classified a young wine, meaning no oak barrel aging, very much a “drink it now,” not something you would stick in the cellar for a couple of years. This is the type of wine that the locals in Rioja drink when they go out at night. The alcohol content is 13%.
The color is cherry red with a little brown tint. The nose is not all that pleasant, coffee beans, licorice, stewed prunes and tanning leather. Luckily, it tastes better than it smells, it starts off with extracted blackberry, bitter chocolate, plums and a touch of port wine. The mid palate adds a salty taste along with black cherry and a late slap of Altoids spice. There is a slight bite from the tannins in the back of your mouth, nothing too overbearing and the acidity is balanced. Often “young” wines are fruity and fairly simple, but not the Spanish Demon, this is a wine with some weight and depth. The finish is the black cherry and spice and it fades a little too quickly.
I don’t know if the wine matches the label, this is more of a “have a cigar and pour a glass” kind of wine, than something for 20 somethings on a night out. An interesting bottle of wine, after the first pour I wasn’t so sure that I wanted a 2nd pour. Now that I have poured the 2nd glass, I think we just might go ahead and finish the bottle.
