Spain now producing a quality wine vintage

Coming from the Bodega Dehesa des Rubiales, owned by Grupo Galiciano and located in the Castilla Leon region of Spain, this Alaia red wine is a very typical example of the incredibly affordable high-quality wines that are now being produced in old wine-growing regions of Spain.

Historically, Spain has consumed almost its entire domestic production of wine, but with the globalization of the wine business, a reckoning has dawned upon centuries-old traditions of grape cultivation on vineyard lands.

Spain used to produce rather insipid wines from huge yields of up to 18-25 tons per acre, making the wines just good enough to be enjoyed at the many small tapas bars and restaurants strewn out across the nation.

In addition, Spanish people consume large quantities of wine in their homes, but again this wine was, and to some extent still is, not up to international standards.

But several clever oenologists and wine-growers have "tweaked" the natural resources while working their vineyards using more modern techniques. The result is now a flood of great to excellent wines coming out of Spain.

Spain is today one of the most exciting re-emerging winegrowing nations. There is a plethora of superb wines at great quality-to-price-ratios, with this Alaia being one of them.

In the glass, this Alaia red wine is a dark garnet red color with a fairly light core going out into a fine pinkish rim definition with medium viscosity. On the nose, there is a blast of very meaty ripe red and black fruit, gamy hints of elder fruit, sloe clusters, crushed loganberries and hints of roast beef, violet pastilles and sweet licorice.

The palate is rich and ripe bursting with rustic black fruit flavors that intermingle with loganberries, bramble fruit and ripe raspberries. It shows interesting characteristics through the mid-palate with soft, almost silky smooth, tannins, that have just a touch of the French oak this wine was aged in. The powerful finish has tons of English licorice and star anise and good length.

It is a remarkable wine for cheeses, such as Reblochon, Saint Nectaire and Mimolette. Drink it now through 2008, as this is not a wine built for long-term aging.

Wine: Alaia Red Wine 2004

Grape: Prieto picudo (50 percent), tempranillo (45 percent), merlot (5 percent)

Region: Castilla Leon, Spain

Vintage: 2004

Price: $7.99 per bottle

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749.