Everyone loves a wine that "over delivers"; a wine that is just way too good for the price. This week's Spanish feature, 2011 Vinsacro Rioja, does just that!
Vinsacro Rioja is made by the Escudero family, winemakers and grape growers that go back generations. Bordeaux-trained winemaker Amador Escudero transformed their small family bodega from the Rioja Baja region of Spain into a major Rioja wine producer. He saw the potential in their old vineyards (and when we say old, we mean OLD - we're talking some over 100 years) & knew he could work with them to make modern-style, premium Rioja wine. From there, the Vinsacro (formerly called Valsacro) project was born.
Vinsacro wines have a reputation of being consistently fantastic from one vintage to the next. The 2011 Vinsacro Rioja is no exception, earning an excellent 92 point rating from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar:
"Bright purple. Heady, oak-spiced aromas of black and blue fruits, cigar box and cola, with a sexy floral nuance emerging with aeration. Seductively sweet and expansive, offering intense blueberry, cassis and vanilla bean flavors that deliver liqueur-like intensity and depth. Seamless in texture, with slow-building tannins adding shape to the clinging, smoky finish. In a distinctly modern style and awfully easy to drink now. - Josh Raynolds"
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (Sept/Oct 2014), 92 pts
This award-winning, expertly-made Rioja is a great value and true over-deliverer!
