WINE OF THE WEEK - 2018 Bodegas Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo

I totally love going on vacation, don’t you? I can hear you sigh as you say “yes, I do too….”

But then, your mind undoubtedly asks - why are you asking me about vacation? What does that have to do with wine?

In this case, everything. And that is because I first tried the wine that I’ve picked this week whilst on an idyllic vacation in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. Located about two hours outside of Montreal is a heavenly place called Manoir Hovey. And here, they have an exquisite restaurant called Le Hatley and this is where I tried this wine. I’ll never forget it - I plucked it off of a very extensive listing, thinking it might just be average (I was solving for price and not necessarily name recognition) but guess what - it ended up being very, very good.

So, I’m thrilled that it is presently available in our market here in the province of Ontario and I’m singing its praises! For the avoidance of doubt, I bought it again, tried it again and confirmed that I had to share it. And here we are.

So with that, let’s get into this week’s Wine pick!

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2018 Bodegas Volver Single Vineyard Tempranillo

This week’s wine comes from the central highlands in Spain, from a sun-drenched and arid part of the country that is a big producer of big, bold and fruity wines. This is a wine that can stand the test of time and also the test of a big-deal meal. Read on to learn all that you need to know about this wine.

What does this wine cost?

$23.95. This is a bargain basement price for this level of quality in my view.

Where does this wine come from?

This wine hails from the La Mancha wine region in Spain. La Mancha, which is located not too far from Madrid, is the largest demarcated wine region in Spain. There are almost 200,000 hectares of vineyards here!

La Mancha is also one of Spain’s oldest wine regions, with a history that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. It is located in the high central plateau of the country, where the climate is very continental, meaning it can be very dry and arid in the summer, and with the high elevation, there is also plenty of long sunny days that help to ripen the fruit that is grown here. I would definitely say that wines from La Mancha can represent extremely good value when made by the right producer.

Why is this wine unique?

This wine is made from Tempranillo (known as Cecibel in La Mancha), which is a varietal that Spain is undoubtedly known for. However, most people immediately think of La Rioja when they think of Spanish Tempranillo wines and here we have an example from a much less well-known region. This is what makes it interesting (if not entirely unique, per se!) in my view.

Who makes this wine?

This wine is made by Bodegas Volver, which is a very large producer of wines from lesser known regions in Spain. This is the project of an eonologist and viticulturalist who has a family history of working in the trade and is passionate about bringing lesser known Spanish wines to the global stage as quality players. Bodegas Volver produces wines under a few labels including “Tarima Hill”.

Click here to learn more about Bodegas Volver.

A few Wine Geek “essential facts” about the wine (feel free to skip this if you don’t care about detailed wine-making information!):

Variety - 100% Tempranillo

Vinification - grapes are harvested by hand; wine is vinified in new french oak barrels; aged for 15 months and bottled without filtering

ABV - 15%

Residual Sugar - 3 g/L

My tasting notes:

This wine is explosive, rich and deep! A very rich purple in colour, it has a super aromatic bouquet that hints at blueberries, blackberries, some prunes, purple flowers and vanilla. On the palate, this wine is complex and layered. First, it presents dark plum, black cherry and blueberry notes accompanied by dark earth and tobacco. However, as you keep swirling and drinking it, you can pick up more complexities such as olives, a hint of red bell pepper, a waft of cinnamon….it’s quite delicious. The finish on this wine is long and the tannins are well integrated, making for a smooth and satisfying drinking experience.

Aging potential:

5+ years.

Recommendations to Wineitupanotch:

Enjoy this wine with robust meat dishes such as lamb, beef, meat and potato stews or beef sausages accompanied by root vegetables and mashed garlicky potatoes.

Wineitupanotch Wine Score: 93 points

This is indeed a very complex, full bodied beautiful wine that will satisfy many picky wine lovers, at a fraction of the price of many other wines of a similar profile and level of quality.

If you’re located in Ontario, you can find this wine at the LCBO under Product #142752.

FINAL VERDICT:

If you like rich and flavourful wines, you’ve got to try this one! It’s really good.

If you’ve tried this wine already, or decide to pick it up and try it after reading this post, I’d love to hear from you and hear what you think of it! Please do drop me a line.

Until next time, wishing you love, light and of course - good wine! :)

Cheers!

XOXO

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