Bodegas Neo Vivir, Vivir 2008, Ribera Del Duero, Spain

Today my DC cousin and I made our way to her friend's friends wine shop, a cute little Alexandria locale named "Unwined," to grab a couple bottles for dinner tonight, and for her future consumption.  I offered my Simple Girl Sommelier services, and we came away with a few very nice bottles.  It's interesting because, once you've memorized and learned about the different wine regions of the world and the gamut of grape varietals, even though you aren't familiar with a certain producer of wine, you can tell approximately what the wine is going to taste like.  So you're able to guesstimate what is going to be a good buy and what isn't.  It's pretty nifty.  


Anyway, she's a Pinot Noir girl, so naturally I thought we'd try some Spanish Tempranillo and see what she thought.  We picked up two bottles.  She liked one, I liked the other.  Her pick was Paternina Banda Azul 2006 from Rioja, Spain.  My pick was the second, the Bodegas Neo Vivir, Vivir.  I must say I was cheating a bit- I'd had this wine before.  I'd been introduced to it prior to my leap into wine studies, but I recalled it was really pleasant.  I was correct.  The theme of this Tempranillo is "smooth."  Everything about it is very silky.  The nose is slightly spicy and smells of velvety dark fruit. It has a super silky mouthfeel that leaves a bit of smooth tannins on your tongue, but I find the sensation very pleasant.  It's a bit smoky, but it's well balanced and round with a little blast of vanilla oakiness.

Technical Info:

Varietal: 100% Tempranillo 

Alcohol: 13% 

Origin: Ribera del Duero, Spain

Price: $11.99 at Unwined and other wine shops

Rachel's Grade: B+  I know I seem to be giving a lot of B+s these days, but I'm fortunate enough to be drinking a lot of B+ grade vino!  This Tempranillo is really a crowd pleaser, with big fruit and soft tannins.  It's light in the mouth but serious about it's finish.  I've heard the '07 vintage is even more exciting.  I'll have to try it.