*** I received this wine as a sample. ***

I’ve mentioned the five Wine Ladies that I regularly get together with before.  They’re are a great group of women who live in my condo building, love wine, always bring delicious food, and are great conversationalists.  So, when I was asked to participate in the Wines of Navarra Twitter TasteLive event, I knew they would be the perfect group to join me as I tasted the 10 Spanish wines.

After a busy day at work, we all gathered in the lounge of our condo building.  Supplied with some Spanish meats and cheeses, water, and the Navarra wines, I signed online to check us in for the tasting, opened all of the wines, and got everyone settled.  There was definitely excitement in the air, as this was the first TasteLive event for all of them, but everyone quickly fell into the groove of tasting and talking about the wine.

• 2010 Castillo de Monjardin Finca el Cerezo Chardonnay (suggested retail price $12) (winery)—Medium lemon-yellow color, subtle nose with some good grapefruit and pineapple.  In the mouth, there were citrusy fruits, pears, and granny smith apples.  Maybe some sour patch kids, too.
  3.5 Corks
  
• 2009 Otazu Chardonnay (SRP $14) (winery)—Very different from the ElCerezo.  The nose was beautiful and full of promise…oranges, apricots, peaches, maybe some mango…but the finish left us a little disappointed. Lots of mineral & acid, but not much else.
  2.5 Corks
  
• 2010 Gran Feudo Rosado Garnacha (SRP $12) (winery)­­—Great color! I loved the bright pink with a twinge of orange. The wine had some pink grapefruit, apples, and raspberries with nice acidity. Perfect for the 90-degree weather.
  3 Corks
  
• 2010 Señorio de Sarría Vinedo no. 5 Rosado (SRP $16) (winery)—One of my Wine Ladies described this wine as Sex in the City pink.  The wine was like a grown-up version of the Gran Feudo Rosado with nice fruits and refreshing acidity.  It also paired amazingly well with the Jasper Hill Cabot Cloth-Bound Cheddar we had.
  3.5 Corks
  
• 2010 Señorio de UNX Garnacha (SRP $8) (winery)—I was the only one who didn’t dump this wine, and I actually enjoyed it. It was big on the blackberries, blueberries, & cherries with touches of vanilla and leather. 1WineDude suggested that it would go well with Tennessee BBQ, and I agree.
  3 Corks
  
• 2008 Malon de Echaide Tinto Roble (SRP $1.50)—The wine had an interesting nose…blackberries, blueberries, and my grandmother’s cedar chest. It was definitely a “wine & cheese” wine, pairing well with both the Spanish goat & the Jasper Hill Cabot Cloth Cheddar.  At $1.50, this wine has one of the best quality/price ratios I’ve ever seen in a wine.  It’s certainly my new “Two Buck Chuck.”
  3.5 Corks
  
• 2006 Marco Real Crianza (SRP $15)—One of the Wine Ladies said described it as the color of OPI’s Lincoln Park After Dark nail polish.  The wine, which was a Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon blend, had dark fruits combined with a bit of forest after a rain.
  2.5 Corks
• 2008 Inurrieta SUR (SRP $13) (winery)—A blend of Garnacha, Syrah, Graciano, this wine had big dark fruits, some nice spices, and lots of oak.   It could have benefited from more air than I gave it, but was absolutely lovely with the Spanish fig almond cake I bought from Arrowine.
  3 Corks
• 2007 Albret French Oak (SRP $8)—This wine was a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Tempranillo that the group found to be very drinkable.  With dark fruits and woodiness, it tasted like the type of you could take to a party when you don’t know what people will drink.
  3 Corks
  
• 2010 Ochoa Moscatel (SRP $20)—Unfortunately, our bottle of the Moscatel was tainted, so all we were getting was a lot of wet wool mixed with peaches.  It sounded like others who did the TTL were pleasantly surprised by this dessert wine, though.

I was the only one who had ever had wine from Navarra, so it was fun way to introduce my friends to a new wine region of Spain.  It’s also nice to do a tasting like this with other people who like drinking and talking about wine because we all have different ways of describing what we like (or don’t like).  All in all, it was a lot of fun and very educational, plus I think there are several wines we’re all going to keep an eye out for.