Los Zorros Roble 2004

*Bottle #5: Los Zorros Roble 2004 Bodegas Vinas Zamoranas

*Price: $12

*Running Tab: $66

The further I venture into old-world wine, the harder time I have understanding the people selling it to me. Enter Jens Strecker, German-American wine shop co-owner in Seattle, who was forced to repeat himself several times to me when finding a wine to my liking. I went with Option #3 he presented, half to save him the agony of translating and half because I had never tried a tempranillo.

Thank God Jens was there otherwise I would have no idea what the label said. American wines are generally the only wines that are labeled by varietal and I haven't really read Spanish since 9th grade. I know, I'm a typical American.  

A couple factors I found enticing about this Spanish wine before I actually opened the bottle were the description of the wine in Germish ("juicy"), the alcohol content (one whopping percent more than most American wines) and a label my boyfriend could probably pronounce (I think it's sexy when he plays with Spanish). 

This particular Spanish delicacy was aged in the barrel for 8 months and is 100% tempranillo. The varietal is a black grape typically used for full-bodied red wines, specifically Rioja. Looking at the wine in my glass, its scarlet hue was intimidating. I was afraid it would taste too much like grape juice, which would mean I'd be forced to pound in the bottle in sheer ecstasy. 

My taste-buds were watering as I put my nose into the glass - berries, vanilla and plum fragrances seduced me with what I think red wine should smell like. It was delicious.

The palate was the best I've had yet, as far as the first glass goes. The vanilla and sweet fruits truly taste of a black grape. Jens was right, the wine was very juicy, Welch's for grown-ups. However, I could still find the tannins but it was so well balanced that I almost had to go in search for them.

The only downfall of this wine is that it's so very rich, I could have no more than two glasses. It was too much of a good thing. Which, if you ask country icon Alan Jackson, is a good thing.

Score: 9.