Tasting - Castano Monastrell

Name: Castano Monastrell
Variety: Monastrell
Region: Yecla
Country: Spain
Year: 2009
Price: $8.00

Critic Review: Bodegas Castano's 2009 Monastrell was aged for 6 months in neutral French oak. Produced entirely from estate fruit and now bottled in screw-cap for the USA market, it is a dark ruby-colored wine with a fragrant nose of underbrush, blueberry, and plum. Super-juicy on the palate and densely packed, this is a pleasure-bent effort for drinking over the next 2-3 years. " 88 - points The Wine Advocate.

My Review: This wine smelled like dried cherries, currants and a little bit like cranberries.  It was very dark in color.  The taste was yeasty and little like cherries with a bitter slightly oak-flavored aftertaste. It was full bodied with a blast of flavor initially. I did not try this wine with food.