Also Recommended
Picture
Product Name
Vintage
Price
Varietal
Country
Region
Appellation
Size
Additional Discount
Original Item
2011
$77.93
Tempranillo
Spain
La Rioja
Rioja
750ml
6B / $76.37
Better Score, Similar Price
2012
$80.62
Tempranillo
Spain
La Rioja
Rioja
750ml
Closest Match
2010
$78.62
Tempranillo
Spain
La Rioja
Rioja
750ml
Best QPR in Price range
2015
$54.95
Tempranillo
Spain
La Rioja
Rioja
750ml
More wines available from Benjamin Romeo
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2014
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$292.15
‘You can’t spit this,’ Benjamín Romeo told me when I tasted it from barrel. It wasn’t the finished blend,...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2017
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$328.45
This is showy, expressive, open and aromatic and seems to jump right out of the glass with decayed flowers, ripe wild...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2018
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$257.37
I like the austerity and seriousness of the 2018 Contador, which has very similar parameters as the 2019 but comes...
Pre-Arrival
Benjamin Romeo Contador 2020
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle:
$349.00
The 2020 Contador feels a little more civilized than the 2021 I tasted next to it. The profile is similar—ripe dark...
More Details
Winery
Benjamin Romeo
Vintage: 2011
The year 2011 was an interesting year for many northern and central European countries, as the weather was more than unpredictable in the spring and summer. However, in most countries, the climatic conditions thankfully settled down in the late summer and fall. The result of this slightly difficult year of weather in France was a set of surprisingly small yields, but overall, these yields were of a higher quality than those harvested in certain previous years. A fantastic set of wines was also made in Italy and Spain, and the Rioja wines - when released - are set to be very good indeed. Austria also had superb year in 2011, with almost fifty percent more grapes being grown and used for their distinctive Gruner Veltliner wines than in the year before. Possibly the European country which had the finest 2011, though, was Portugal, with wineries in the Douro region claiming this year to be one of the best in decades for the production of Port wine, and the bright, young Vinho Verdes wines.
In the New World, the Pacific Northwest saw some of the best weather of 2011, and Washington State and Oregon reportedly had a highly successful year, especially for the cultivation of high quality red wine grapes. Chile and Argentina had a relatively cool year, which certainly helped retain the character of many of their key grape varietals, and should make for some exciting drinking. South Africa had especially good weather for their white wine grape varietals, particularly Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, and many South African wineries are reporting 2011 as one of their best years in recent memory.
Varietal: Tempranillo
The Tempranillo grape varietal is often referred to as Spain's 'noble grape', and has over the past century been planted in several countries around the world. Tempranillo grapes produce beautiful ruby red wines, packed full of fascinating flavors which range from intensely fruity, to deep, dark and spicy, holding notes of vanilla, tobacco and leather. Their black skins hold plenty of tannins, and as such, they are often blended with other more rounded or brighter wines, to balance out the character and produce some truly exceptional examples. Tempranillo grapes often fall to a wide range of diseases, and are greatly effected by climatic conditions. They tend to grow best, however, in areas with a mixture of heat and bright sunshine, and brisk breezes which can cool the vines.
Region: La Rioja
La Rioja is undoubtedly the jewel in the crown of Spain's wine regions, and the deliciously drinkable, complex and fascinating single red wines and blended wines of this special region have gone down in history as some of the finest on earth. La Rioja is located in the north of Spain, close to the Atlantic coast, but shielded from the cold and wet weather by the expansive Cantabrian mountains. As such, the climatic conditions in La Rioja are ideal for ripening the Tempranillo and Garnacha grapes used in the production of the fine red wines the region is famous for. Wineries in La Rioja take great pride in their heritage and traditions, and the winemakers of the region employ a range of time honored techniques alongside more modern methods to make the most of their superb crops each year.
Country: Spain
From the deep and intense Rioja wines, or the dry and refreshing Ruedas, from Tempranillos to Verdejos, the range and quality of Spanish wines is always going to impress and fascinate. With several thousand years of traditions and expertise leading the way, Spanish wineries are currently producing some of the most flavorful and interesting wines to come out of Europe, striving to overcome the reputation problems the country suffered in the mid to late twentieth century. Despite being one of the largest producers of wine in the world, with billions of bottles being filled each year, Spanish wine producers are more interested in quality over quantity than ever before. The results of this are some truly world class wines rivaling even the finest produce of France in regards to balance, character and flavor, gaining new fans and enthusiasts every day.