EAST COAST PALATE

  • HOME
  • contact
  • Blogs
  • About
 
2005 Hécula Monastrell by Bodegas Castaño 02/08/2010
0 Comments
 
Picture
So I was eeny-meeny-ing through the bottles at home, and decided to open a bottle of Bodegas Castaño Hécula.  This is a wine comprised 100% of Monastrell, a.k.a. Mourvèdre grapes.  The region that it comes from -Yecla - is in Murcia, in the southeast of Spain, with two stellar winemaking D.O.s as its neighbors: Jumilla and Almansa.  These vines dig deep through limestone and gravel, and their efforts produce very concentrated flavors in the grapes at harvest time.  The 2005 vintage in this area wasn't exceptional but this wine is excellent.  
Its color is a deep reddish purple.  The raisin, dark cherry, and blackberry aromas on the nose yield to deeper layers of cedar, resin, and stone.  The mere act of smelling this wine brought up memories of putting resin on a violin bow as a kid, of walking into a woodshop, of eating fruit rollups. 
Even though this wine doesn't have much of a finish, it has substance and elegance.  The tannins are soft, yet pronounced.  There is a hint of spice.  The stony soil in which the vines grow even imparts a cool mineral feel to the taste and body of this wine.
This is a great bottle of wine...90-91 points and only $12 to $14.
The more I try the wines from Murcia, the more I feel compelled to go visit.  If you could visit one winemaking region in the world, where would you go...and why?

 


Comments


Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply

    Author

    With a little traveling, a bit of time, and an infinite amount of curiosity, I will explore the countless flavors life has to offer.

    Archives

    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    July 2011
    February 2011
    June 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009

    Categories

    All
    Alsace
    Argentina
    Australian
    Austrian
    Bandol
    Bars
    Beer
    Blend
    Blends
    Books
    Cabernet
    Cabernet Sauvignon
    California
    Cava
    Chardonnay
    Chateauneuf Du Pape
    Cocktails
    D.C. Nightlife
    Dessert Wine
    Dolcetto
    Events
    Food
    France
    French
    German
    Grenache
    Italian
    Jumilla
    Lirac
    Malbec
    Maryland
    Merlot
    Monastrell
    Mourvedre
    Napa
    Nero D\\
    New Zealand
    Oregon
    Petite Sirah
    Pinot Blanc
    Pinot Grigio
    Pinot Noir
    Port
    Portugal
    Primitivo
    Priorat
    Restaurants
    Rhone
    Riesling
    Rioja
    Sangiovese
    Sauvignon Blanc
    Sauvignon Blancc
    Shiraz
    South Africa
    Spain
    Sparkling
    Syrah
    Tempranillo
    Torrontes
    Under 10
    Under 15
    Vinho Verde
    Wall Street Journal
    Washington
    Wine
    Yecla

    RSS Feed


Create a free website with Weebly