EAST COAST PALATE

This medium bodied  Garnacha brings a lot of inviting aromas, a lush and leathery flavor, and a bit of a zing from that 14.5% alcohol (and most labels downplay the actual ethanol content of the wine).  The 2007 Las Rocas Garnacha can be found for $10-$12, and for me is a bottle that I'll definitely be revisiting in the future.
I'm winding down after a 2 hour drive back from a teetotaling Thanksgiving dinner in the Shennendoah Valley, and this wine seemed like a good pairing with post-paintball aches, and a stuffed bellyfull of turkey.
There is an allure to the nose of this wine that is almost sythetic, like a strawberry Jolly Rancher, but it's mixed well with a smokey, leathery component that immediately lets you know there's more to this wine that just fruit.  In the mouth it is a burst of berry flavors that yields to some tartness and the solid grip of some moderate tannins.  The alcohol comes through clearly, kind of like when you bite into a chocolate that is filled with a cherry AND some Cognac; with this wine you get the trio: fresh sweet fruit, dark bitter chocolate, and a slap in the face (a kind of playful slap, though) from that 14.5%. 
But the key to making that combo work is balance, and this Garnacha has that.  It isn't some elegant, super-complex Chateauneuf de Pape, but it is smooth and well structured.  I like it.  It gets a solid B/B+, with 88 points.  It's great value wine for its price.