Montecillo Wine Flight Review - Crianza And Reserva....Delicioso!
These two wines are the last two holdovers from our visit to the 2011 NSLC Port of Wines Festival. We tried these two wines and couldn't choose between the two so we got them both. They are both Tempranillo wines and both are aged in oak; the 2008 Crianza for one year to the 2006 Reserva for three years.
To kill any suspense, both these wines are quite good. At $20 locally the Crianza is a good value with a solid flavour profile that will will expand upon shortly. At $25 the Reserva is worth every penny of the price increase with an excellent nose and a softer set of tannins (more on that shortly). We decided to make this as traditionally Spanish as possible and had tapas with it, including Chorizo, Figs wrapped in Proscuitto and Blue Cheese, Aged Cheddar, Crudite, Olives, and good bread. As we have done in the past, rather than our typical rating (which we will provide in a shortened version) we wanted to focus on attributes and food pairing.
These wines are very similar in overall characteristics but there is a huge difference in the tannins and balance (as expected). We will break down the components of these wines individually to give a proper compare/contrast.
Crianza - this wine has notes of smoke in it which has a bit more roughness to it. Not a fine cigar but a Cigarello. Not bad at all but not as much refinement. There is an edge to the nose which has some fruit notes but is mostly vanilla/almond extract smell.
Reserva - where the Crianza is rough around the edges, the Reserva is as smooth as glass. What was potent about the Crianza becomes soft and supple on the nose. The violets and cherry notes shine through though the vanilla and smoke are still there. It is like having cherries with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.
Clear winner: Reserva
The look of the wines are very similar though there is a darker mahogany tone to the Reserva. The Crianza is a little more on the watery side with spots showing on the glass during the swirl versus a thick coating of wine on the glass with long legs for the Reserva. Both are nice looking Tempranillo's.
Close Winner: Reserva
The flavours of these wines are certainly similar with common flavours running through both wines.
Crianza - this wine has the tartness one would expect from Tempranillo. It is a little on the thin side with loads of sour cherry and tobacco notes. There is an under current of oak that is nice but not overwhelming. Again, we like this wine especially at the price point.
Reserva - this wine is fantastic and complex. It is much more soft and balanced than the Crianza. Where the Crianza is rough and thin, the Reserva smooth and full bodied. The additional aging totally transforms the wine into something special; where the tannins and fruit are in excellent balance. We wish we could have had the same year's for this wine to see if the vintage played a role in the difference. Either way, it is fun to experiment. :)
Clear Winner: Reserva
Sight:
The Crianza is a little more watery in the glass and has a lighter colour. (4.0)
The Reserva sticks to the glass with slight brownish edges. (4.25)
Smell:
The Crianza has a rougher nose which has a lot of vanilla and tobacco. (4.0)
The Reserva smells fantastic and blows the Crianza away as far as complexity is concerned. This smells like it should be more than $25. (4.5)
Taste:
The Crianza has a nice flavour to it with loads of sour cherry, tobacco, and oak layered but it is just a bit on the tart and tannic side. Very good but when stack up against the Reserva, it struggles a bit. (8.25)
The Reserva brings all the things we love about wine to the table, balance, complexity, and a great mouthfeel. At $25 it is worth the price and makes the additional money spent a little less painful. Truly a great wine, we would pick this one over the Crianza every time, BUT the Crianza stands up fine on its own. (8.75)
These wines are close in quality and the scores are as follows:
KC = 16.25 / 20 (81.25%)
TP = 17.5 / 20 (87.5%)
Two good wines both worth a purchase. We would say that a flight of this nature always favours the higher priced wine but the Crianza totally held its own.
Keep on tasting!To kill any suspense, both these wines are quite good. At $20 locally the Crianza is a good value with a solid flavour profile that will will expand upon shortly. At $25 the Reserva is worth every penny of the price increase with an excellent nose and a softer set of tannins (more on that shortly). We decided to make this as traditionally Spanish as possible and had tapas with it, including Chorizo, Figs wrapped in Proscuitto and Blue Cheese, Aged Cheddar, Crudite, Olives, and good bread. As we have done in the past, rather than our typical rating (which we will provide in a shortened version) we wanted to focus on attributes and food pairing.
These wines are very similar in overall characteristics but there is a huge difference in the tannins and balance (as expected). We will break down the components of these wines individually to give a proper compare/contrast.
Crianza - this wine has notes of smoke in it which has a bit more roughness to it. Not a fine cigar but a Cigarello. Not bad at all but not as much refinement. There is an edge to the nose which has some fruit notes but is mostly vanilla/almond extract smell.
Reserva - where the Crianza is rough around the edges, the Reserva is as smooth as glass. What was potent about the Crianza becomes soft and supple on the nose. The violets and cherry notes shine through though the vanilla and smoke are still there. It is like having cherries with a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper.
The look of the wines are very similar though there is a darker mahogany tone to the Reserva. The Crianza is a little more on the watery side with spots showing on the glass during the swirl versus a thick coating of wine on the glass with long legs for the Reserva. Both are nice looking Tempranillo's.
Close Winner: Reserva
The flavours of these wines are certainly similar with common flavours running through both wines.
Crianza - this wine has the tartness one would expect from Tempranillo. It is a little on the thin side with loads of sour cherry and tobacco notes. There is an under current of oak that is nice but not overwhelming. Again, we like this wine especially at the price point.
Reserva - this wine is fantastic and complex. It is much more soft and balanced than the Crianza. Where the Crianza is rough and thin, the Reserva smooth and full bodied. The additional aging totally transforms the wine into something special; where the tannins and fruit are in excellent balance. We wish we could have had the same year's for this wine to see if the vintage played a role in the difference. Either way, it is fun to experiment. :)
Clear Winner: Reserva
Sight:
The Crianza is a little more watery in the glass and has a lighter colour. (4.0)
The Reserva sticks to the glass with slight brownish edges. (4.25)
Smell:
The Crianza has a rougher nose which has a lot of vanilla and tobacco. (4.0)
The Reserva smells fantastic and blows the Crianza away as far as complexity is concerned. This smells like it should be more than $25. (4.5)
Taste:
The Crianza has a nice flavour to it with loads of sour cherry, tobacco, and oak layered but it is just a bit on the tart and tannic side. Very good but when stack up against the Reserva, it struggles a bit. (8.25)
The Reserva brings all the things we love about wine to the table, balance, complexity, and a great mouthfeel. At $25 it is worth the price and makes the additional money spent a little less painful. Truly a great wine, we would pick this one over the Crianza every time, BUT the Crianza stands up fine on its own. (8.75)
These wines are close in quality and the scores are as follows:
KC = 16.25 / 20 (81.25%)
TP = 17.5 / 20 (87.5%)
Two good wines both worth a purchase. We would say that a flight of this nature always favours the higher priced wine but the Crianza totally held its own.
Chris & Shannon
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