2006 Mercedes Eguren Shiraz/Tempranillo

Those of you that have been following this blog for a while will notice that while I do rate a fair number of wines,  most of them are in the under $25 category. There is a reason for this, I’m not rich. I would love to be dropping big bucks every night on a wine that is supposedly fantastic or have a wine cellar where I can just immediately pop down and grab a world class wine at a moment’s notice. Sadly, that just isn’t the case.

However, what I have found is that I can go and have a fair bit of fun searching for those wines that represent great value and excitement in that under $25 category. Seriously, when you come across something that just blows you away and you’ve only spent $12 on it, that is an awesome find. You can go back and buy a case (getting the appropriate discount) and stash a bunch away for whenever you want them. That’s my goal, to find those underpriced gems and to let you folks know about them as well.

Today’s offering falls squarely in the category of underpriced gem. It is a Spanish wine from Bodegas Eguren in Vitoria and it has two things going for it. First, it comes in at right around $10 a bottle which really makes me smile. Second, it is made from blend of grapes not usually seen in Spanish wines. the Tempranillo grape for sure is Spanish, perhaps being the most common Spanish grape out there. The Shiraz grape however, is a grape better known from other regions, principally Australia and the west coast of the United States and France where it is known as Syrah. In fact, since the grape is typically known by the Syrah name in Europe, it is a bit of a surprise to see it called Shiraz here. (For a more thorough discussion on name of the Shiraz/Syrah grape, you can start with the Syrah page on Wikipedia.)

In this wine, the winemaker has done an excellent job of bringing out the best of both grapes. The color is a deep rich garnet, just short of opaque. On the nose you get a sense of cherries and plums along with a suggestion of leather and chocolate. On the palate there is fruit up front with the cherries being well represented, clearly the handiwork of the Shiraz. There is a nice bit of tannin and acidity on the finish, something brought to the party by the Tempranillo. For those of you that like to grill, this wine would match up well with just about anything that you cared to apply the flame to. A spectacular bargain at this price.