Tasting - Ilurce Tempranillo 2008

Name: Ilurce Tempranillo 2008
Variety:  100% Tempranillo (Forty-year-old vineyards)
Region: Rioja
Country: Spain
Year: 2008
Price: $14 (Currently on sale at the Vintage Cellar for $5.95)

Winery Review: Dark purple. Zesty, youthfully medicinal aromas of dark berries, licorice and cracked pepper. Juicy and fresh, with smooth texture and sweet cherry and spice flavors framed by dusty tannins. Finishes with a suggestion of slightly roasted fruits and good clinging persistence. Delivers a lot of power and richness for the money.

My Review: This wine was a huge let down. Maybe I'm just not experienced enough to see why Stephen Tanzer rated this 88 points. The aromatics of the wine were overshadowed by the smell of rubbing alcohol. Only faint fruit smells were able to be detected. On the palate, this wine was fairly closed off, but showed clear levels of acidity, and a taste of roasted leaves. Other than that, it was very difficult for me to pull flavors out of this wine.