If looking for a Spanish red wine, but not wanting to stick to the standard range of Rioja’s. Then consider trying Berberana’s Seleccion Oro, a 100% Tempranillo based wine, made in the notorious Castile region of Spain.
Berberana – History, Heritage and Wine
Berberana was founded back 1877 and makes a number of wines across several wine producing regions in Spain. The Spanish wine producer is most famous for its wines produced in the Rioja region. Berberana however, as with this bottle also produces some good wines in the Vino de la Tierra, part of the Castile region of Spain.
In recent years the wine maker has placed an increasing emphasis on the brands green image. The company has been involved in a recent project in the Arribes del Duero national park, encouraging the protection of the native Evergreen Oak Tree, along the Spanish-Portuguese border.
In this bottle Berberna has produced a wine which is made from 100% Tempranillo, the wine is aged in American Oak for 18 months prior to bottling. As such, the 2007 bottling has now spent a further 18 months aging in the bottle. The wine comes in at 13% by alcohol content and is recommended to be served at room temperature.
Berberana Seleccion Oro – Tasting Notes
- Presentation – The wine is presented in a standard green Bandeaux style bottle, which is encased in a traditional golden wire “cage”. The bottle is sealed with a traditional cork and foil cap, requiring a corkscrew to open the bottle. The reverse of the bottle also bears the sticker, indicating the provenance of the bottle as a wine from the Vino de la Tierra de Castilla region.
- Appearance – The wine has a deep purple colour on pouring into the glass.
- Nose – On nosing, the wine has a hint of pepper and the slight smell of shoe polish. There is also a faint smell of raspberry in the background.
- Pallet – After a relatively closed start on the nose, the wine picks up pace on the pallet. The wine has a soft texture, with the noticeable signs of oak aging. Vanilla is the dominant flavour and the one which follows into a long finish. In addition, one can detect stone fruits such as plum and perhaps a little black cherry.
- Summary – Here, Berberana have produced a refined and aged Spanish red wine. The wine has good signs of aging, but has also maintained a degree of fruit on the pallet. All in all this is a balanced Spanish red wine that will appeal to a wide range of pallets.
Sources:
MacNeil, K. 2001. The wine bible. Workman Publishing.
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Frank Smith - Frank Smith currently works as an full time industry analyst for a well known construction company in Lincolnshire. In his spare time, ...
