Campo de Borja Monte Oton
Wine: Campo de Borja Monte Oton
Grape: Garnacha
Region: Zaragoza, northern Spain
Vintage: 2008
Price: $7.99
In the glass: Monte Oton is a deeply opaque purplish color with an inky core going out into a rich violet-red rim definition with just a hint of fuchsia and high viscosity.
On the nose: This wine is speck-full of black fruit laced with pepper and crushed mixed berries. It is positively redolent of brimming ripe cherries, cranberry juice, liquid minerals and earth-driven notes of iodine, crushed black peppercorn and spice-laden fruit.
On the palate: Monte Oton is an explosion of concentrated, freshly crushed black cherries, black plum skins, black licorice, blackberry liqueur, beef jerky, creme de cassis and notes of roasted meats, smoked bacon and peppers. The midpalate is one of the most extracted for a wine in this category with yet more black licorice and cherry fruit, going into a well-balanced, structured finish that lasts for a good 25-plus seconds on the after-mouth with just a hint of peppercorns and herbs.
Odds and ends: This is another good value from Spain, which is the go-to country for the smart wine consumer. All of the wines from Campo de Borja -- including its Borsao, which is superb -- are delicious, and most cost less than $10, including Monte Oton. This is a great food wine, and now that the weather is finally starting to cool off, it would work well with a nice pot of goulash or similar stew. As it is from the amazingly good vintage of 2008, it should easily drink well now through 2012.
Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.
