Wineguider wine reviews

Hello!  Today we check out a 2010 rioja which is 14% alcohol and sells for $9-11.

This bright ruby-red 100% tempranillo from Spain is easy to drink, with a lot of acidity and snap for your ten bucks.  It’s earthy, spicy and dry.  Yet it also has some real fruit in there, again bright and red.  Think cranberries, together with a bit of rhubarb.

I drank the Montebuena back-and-forth with a nice $30 Bordeaux, and the Montebuena was not embarrassed.  This is remarkable.  It makes sense that it was awarded 89 points by Wine Advocate, and the previous vintage received 90 points.  Will it please everyone?  No, because it’s a rioja, which means it’s not as friendly (read: warm and sweet) as a lot of $10 California reds.  But it has a lot more character.  If you don’t have a sweet tooth when it comes to wine, Montebuena rioja is definitely:

Recommended.