Sunday, May 6, 2012

Altos de luzon Red

2007
Bodegas Luzon
Jumilla
Spain

It never ceases to amaze me how often someone gives me a bottle of wine. Friends and co-workers are amazing. They know I enjoy wine. They find one they like and the next time they see me they give me a bottle to try and ask what I think. It is really so much fun. Many thanks to my friend Cheryl for this one. If you read this blog from time to time you probably know I love blends. This one is 50% Monastrell (Mourvedre - my favorite word!), 25% Cab and 25% Tempranillo.

This initially began with a slight smoky dark berry flavor and ended with a vanilla-wood meets earth finish. I really enjoyed it. As I had many women friends for dinner, and we had quite an array of foods and wines, I never really expected this to go with anything. However, it went with a sun-dried tomato, chicken, garlic and basil dish. This surprised me because of the basil. Although I do think of basil as being a Mediterranean herb, I would have never thought a red would accompany a basil dish so well due to the strong flavor. I think the sun-dried tomatoes and chicken and garlic flavors were probably stronger and brought out the smokiness in the wine. Regardless, they tasted great together.

I am not a Country Music fan, but I am a Keith Urban fan. I would say the reasoning is because I am very much a lyrics person and his more heartfelt songs usually have some serious lyrics. Oh, all right - and maybe I have a crush on him. There is a fantastic quote on his BE HERE album: "Life is a Balance of Holding On and Letting Go".

YOU REMEMBER WHISKEY ON YOUR DADDY'S BREATH
SO YOU ALWAYS STICK TO WINE
AND YOU SCARED YOUR LITTLE BROTHER HALF TO DEATH
YOU JUST KEPT IT ALL INSIDE
YOU CAN HEAR YOUR MAMA CRYIN'
ONLY NOW SHE CRIES FOR YOU
AND DON'T YOU KNOW
NOBODY DRINKS ALONE
EVERY DEMON
EVERY GHOST
FROM YOUR PAST
AND EVERY MEMORY YOU'VE HELD BACK
FOLLOWS YOU HOME

-NOBODY DRINKS ALONE / written by Matraca Berg & Jim Collins on BE HERE by Keith Urban


8.25 out of 10
14.5% alc. by vol.
$19 / 750 ml. bottle