Mad Dogs & Englishmen 2003
Spain, Jumilla ($10)
The stress of pronouncing a french wine. The intimidation factor of purchasing an italian wine at one of those expensive boutiques. The utter confusion when trying to decipher what the hell the germans are writing on their labels. All of these tend to suck the fun right out of buying a bottle. Lately when I think of fun wine buying, I have to include Spanish wine. I think it's a combination of the trendy labels, the great value, and the thought of conquistadors drinking a rioja that I can relate to. Spain's grasp on old and new world winemaking opens the door for just about any wine drinker to find something they love.
This bottle is a blend of 30% Shiraz, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 50% Monastrell from the Jumilla region of Spain. I shouldn't have to mention that this is one of my favorite regions again, but I will. I was sold on this bottle because it is very similar to Altos de Luzon, but instead of tempranillo, this one adds shiraz. The 2003 season was hot in Jumilla which benefits the late ripening Monastrell grape. Apparently they even had to move up the harvesting date 15 days to compensate for the heat. Three men worked together to produce this wine. Marcial Martinez Cruz is the wine maker and is thought to be one of the most innovative winemakers in the Spanish Mediterranean. Guy Anderson, known for his contribution to the Fat bastard wines, assembled this winemaking team. William Long, a friend of Guy and fellow Englishman, helped to create the name and imagery. Inspired by the heat in the area, he said "It's so hot you need to be either mad or an Englishman to work here." If you are into dogs you may find it interesting that the fellow on the label is a Jack Russel terrier. You'd think it should be an english bulldog but thats not important I guess.
Almost solid red-purple color. Concentrated dark berry nose with a touch of pepper. Juicy berry and plum fruit flavor with a gentle spice component. Well rounded flavor but I think the tannins could be more substantial. I found it to be thin, but I am using more expensive Monastrell based wines as my reference. The finish is pleasing and quite tasty. It went well with my grilled steak with gorgonzola. Ultimately it's a fun wine that I wouldn't hesitate bringing over a friends place for dinner and letting the conversation follow. My grade: B
Comments