…good cheap wines: Solaz Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon

Jul 02

It is one of my goals in life to taste as many wines as possible. I love the experience of corking and sipping a new bottle from a brand that I have never tried before. Of course, the experience is not always a pleasant one, especially since the wines I try tend to be on the cheap end of the aisle. But hidden amongst the bargain bottles are some gems. In this series of reviews, I will share my experiences with wine, all coming from bottles that will never cost more than fifteen smackers.

I’m not a professional wine taster so I’ll do my best to avoid as much as the jargon as possible. The rating is not intended to reference to a standard wine scale, but rather my perception of the value offered by the taste in relation to its cost.

Wine: Solaz
Producer: Bodegas Osborne
Region: Castilla, Spain
Grape: Tempranillo (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%)
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13.5%
What I paid: $12.99

I was not initially drawn to the bottle due to its rather drab label. But the signature Spanish bull stopped me, and the idea of a blend of Tempranillo (my favorite grape) and Cebernet seemed interesting.

The wine poured smoothly and with a nice medium ruby color. The first smell revealed the oak from the barrels very clearly. The first taste presented the oak once again, a flavor which detracted somewhat from the grape blend. But the bitterness of the wood diminished after swallowing, leaving the flavor to linger for long time. This is where the strength of the wine is.

With the second drink I held the wine in my mouth for a bit longer, and the sweetness of the cabernet broke through a little more. The dryness of the tempranillo was tempered very well by the cabernet. The wine was rather crisp, and despite it’s four years of aging, still tasted rather youthful. In addition to the presence of oak, the fruitiness of the grapes stood out, similar to plum.

The wine was easy to drink, despite its initial flavor clashes. The wine offered a very nice lingering taste, and I found it much more enjoyable if I let the wine rest in my mouth for a bit of time. Perhaps a little more aging would even out its properties. As it stands, however, this bottle was a little too pricey for what it offers.