Winery: Masia de la Vinya
Product/Varietal: Tempranillo
Vintage: 2015
AVA on Bottle: Temecula Valley
Winemaker: Justin Knight
Rating: 89
Silver Medal at 2019 Los Angeles International Wine Competition
How They Describe It
Our 2015 Tempranillo is medium-bodied with aromas of leather along with cherries. The finish is mild, smooth and lingers with tannins on both sides of your mouth. Pairs well with roasted vegetables, cured meat, and dishes with tomato based sauces.
How I Describe It
Appearance
I was impressed with the deep ruby color of the 2015 Tempranillo. By year five in bottle, most Temecula wines show some garnet. Not this wine.
Nose
The nose on Masia de la Vinya’s 2015 Tempranillo is straightforward and bright. Ripe red fruit shows prominently, dominated by red cherries accompanying cranberry, raspberry, and jammy red currant. Further, the wine’s time in oak shows clearly, with unmistakable aromas of woody cedar and smoke, along with vanilla and clove. Despite the young-looking appearance, the time in bottle manifests notably with farmyard (brett), turned earth, and savory truffle.
Palate
The 2015 Tempranillo’s flavor profile largely matches the nose, with a few notable additions. Firstly, among red fruit, strawberry can be detected; in addition, from oak, nutmeg is distinct.
This is a dry, high alcohol (14.4% ABV) wine. Acidity is medium, with nicely integrated medium-plus tannins. Body and intensity are both medium-plus, with a medium finish.
Why is This Wine Special?
One thing which makes wine so interesting is how winemakers’ styles can affect the final product. For example, some wines are a swirl of delicate flavors and aromas, subtle and difficult to detect. Others feature bright, multi-layered transitions, almost telling a story with each sip. Masia de la Vinya’s winemaking style is straightforward and to-the-point. In other words, their wines seem to focus deliberately on a few key aromas or flavors, intending to display them in the best light possible. This makes the 2015 Tempranillo an enjoyable, unpretentious drink. It’s good wine, plain and simple.
Additionally, it’s worth noting the people at Masia de la Vinya’s helm are the same folks running the show at Danza del Sol. In both cases they should be proud.
When & How I Would Drink It
This is an outstanding table wine. It’s robust enough to accompany rich dishes without overpowering them. The red fruit flavors come out with fatty/oily and salty foods. Cured meats work perfectly, as do potato chips — perhaps as a beverage during the “Big Game“.
How to Get It
Order Online: https://www.masiadelavinya.com/prod-389404/2015-Tempranillo-Tv.html
Bottle Price: $37 ($29.60 for wine club members)
Cases Produced: ~500
Have you tried the Masia de la Vinya 2015 Tempranillo? How did the tasting notes compare with your experience? Leave a comment below.