Fields Family Wines Tempranillo

Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (701g; 1 lb 8.7oz). Under cork. Not quite two years after the last bottle (no, not *that* Last Bottle ) and it seems as though the time has not been kind. Sure, this wine is quite tasty, with good fruit and a zingy tartness, but that fruit is certainly a bit stewed at this point and the wines comes off as a bit chalky and, well, tired. I still really like this wine, but I …

Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (701g; 1 lb 8.7oz). Under cork. Fairly dark to dark in the glass with a load of dark fruit in the glass: blackberry, plum, a bit of cassis. Sure, this is nothing like a Rioja but why should it be? This has fantastic fruit, a touch of earth, plenty of tartness, and loads of verve. Yeah, if you are looking for a Central Spain comparison, you are barking up the wrong tree. But. If you …

Dark ruby color with an appealing nose black cherry, cigar box , plum, damp earth and a hint of clove aromas that bring to mind Spain more so than California. The palate it medium-bodied, vibrant, supple and balanced with black cherry, red cherry, plum, and sweet spice and a hint of dark chocolate flavors underpinned by a very appealing savory character with a satisfying finish with touch of minerality.

Another awesome bottle of this wine. So refreshing but packed with delicious fruit and lots of non-fruit complexity.

Decanted 1 hr. ahead and sampled over the next hour. Very deep garnet color. Nice nose of black cherry, plum, hard spices. On the palate, acid balance is somewhat smoothed-out, meaning that it is not quite soft and certainly rich in black-fruit flavors. Medium-full body. Finishes quickly, with low grip and very low tannins. Thoroughly credible overall.

Few Blind CA Reds : Deep ruby color. Smells of juicy black cherries, tangy dark plums and tart blackberries, deep violets and rich loamy soil, some roasted nuts, spicy clove and some tobacco. So, yeah, loads of complexity on the nose. The palate is so pure, vibrant and balanced — the tannins provide structure but smoothness, while the acidity keeps the wine brisk and alive. The fruit (black cherry, blackberry, plums) is tart and crunchy but juicy as well. Lots …