Our Introduction to the K&L Wine Club

One of the many wonderful things to came out of our
Christmas was a lovely gift membership in a Wine Club. Our son and daughter-in-law very thoughtfully gave us this gift so that our blogging horizons might be expanded beyond California wines. Thanks to them, every month we will receive two wines from K & L to enjoy. Accompanying
each pair of wines is a nice newsletter with background on the wines and some
tasting notes. Our first package came just before Christmas (don’t tell
Santa). We selected one of these wines to savor and enjoy as we watched the
49ers in their first post-season game.

The Happy News Arrives!

We chose the 2010 Bodegas Solar Viejo “Monologo” (nice pick @klwines!). Bodegas
Solar Viejo winery is in the Rioja district of Spain, with a wonderful climate for grape
growing and ancient tunnels for wine making. Made from 100% Tempranillo aged
entirely on American oak, this wine was tight and a bit yeasty when we first
opened it. At first the aroma was reminiscent of cinnamon rolls with leather and
walnut notes. We tasted lots of fruit, even strawberries and a hint of citrus
zest. We felt that this wine would be perfect to pair with a fruit torte. We liked what we tasted,
but felt that decanting and some time to breath would be beneficial. Oh, the
joys of wine tasting!

Twenty minutes of resting in the decanter delivered a
wine quite different from its first taste from the bottle. The original tight,
yeasty nose gave way to great aromas of black cherry and even chocolate! There
was a bit less spice, shifting more toward the warm and fruity range. We tasted
just enough acid to be crisp, but not astringent. Described as “exquisitely
balanced”, this wine left a great aftertaste of plum and tobacco, and more
black cherry and raspberry.

This Monologo would pair well with herbed chicken or a
pasta dish. It is a smooth and fruit-forward wine that can stand up to some
food spiciness without overpowering the meal. And don’t forget the fruit torte
for desert!