Tempranillo grown in Southern Oregon, in this case Umpqua Valley, shows great promise, as Abacela has demonstrated time and again through their bottlings of this earthy, Spanish queen. The 2009 Reserve Tempranillo is resplendent in an earthy mantle of dried blood, brick dust, roasted black cherries, and plums. The balance on the palate is spot on—lots of acid lift propping up this wine’s otherwise serious countenance. Chewy tannins, sundried tomatoes, char, graphite, and black pepper hem in substantive energy.
9.3 Points