2015 Apostura Campo de Borja Review

Price: $20/bottle (Lot18.com)

Alcohol: 13.5%

Body: Medium-Full

Sweetness: Dry

Varietals: 50% Granacha, 50% Tempranillo

Tasting Notes: Open ~ 1 hour in bottle

In the glass, this ravishing Grenache blend displays an intense crimson color with wonderful amber undertones. On the nose, abundant fruit forward aromas of plum, red berries, and slight red currant coat themselves in a delicious tobacco smoke. I am instantly reminded of late night philosophy sessions on the porch, losing myself in repeating rounds of cherry wood pipe tobacco, $3 wine, and the occasional spliff. The front-palate stays true to its nose with delicious raspberry, cranberry, and pomegranate being extremely prominent. On the transition, this beautiful blend makes use of both varietals wonderfully with obvious citrus; orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit all make themselves evident, balanced by an acidity that left me smacking my lips, and a lingering smoke. Like, the stunning French girl you met at the bar once and never saw again, you're left yearning for one more kiss. While this wine does an immaculate job in almost all aspects, perfection is often unobtainable. Although delicious, the extremely fruity character of this wine is slightly overpowering, especially on the finish as this wine lacks an intriguing tannin structure. I felt myself losing the flavor of this wine quickly, and while the smoke battles to provide interesting counter-characteristics, the lack of tannin is too much to overlook completely. Absolutely delicious wine, but leaves you wanting just a little more.

Rating: **** (4 stars)

Try/Buy/Pass: TRY