Years ago when I started looking for wines with great value, Spain was amongst the first countries that hit my radar. I loved the predominant style of wines from Rioja and found there were a boat load of stunning values coming from there. Fast forward almost two decades and some things have changed and some have stayed the same. The biggest change is that Spanish wines are much better known by US consumers then they were then. What hasn't changed is that there are still a host of excellent wines coming from Rioja and Spain in general. many of these continue to be excellent values. Today I'll look at a Rioja from Négociant Cameron Hughes.
The 2004 Cameron Hughes Lot 93 Rioja is of course composed of Tempranillo. 700 cases of this wine wefre produced and the suggested retail price is $21.
Vanilla, cherry and cedar notes are prominent in the nose of this Rioja. When you first open it this wine is a bit tight and an hour or more in the decanter is recommended to get the best out of it now. Licorice, earth, dusty chocolate, star anise, bramble and more are all part of a complex, layered palate that unfolds as this offering opens up. The finish on this wine long, persistent, intense and more than anything else, impressive in both length and scope of complexity. This is and incredibly structured wine with firm tannic structure and excellent acidity. Pair this wine with a steak, or heck have the wine for dinner.
This offering has the benchmark qualities I think of when it comes to Rioja. Good fruit, structure and nice oak treatment. And it over-delivers in its price category. I have found that to be true of Rioja over the years. I haven't been drinking Cameron Hughes selections as long, but so far he's delivering a lot of value with each offering I have tasted. At this point I'm comfortable enough that I'd confidently pick up anything with the Cameron Hughes name on it and expect a good deal. By the way you could could easily lay down this particular wine for a decade.
discovered wines from many other parts of Spain. But Rioja is still, easily, my favorite. Today I'll look at a selection from 
this wine were produced in what was only their second vintage for Tempranillo. The Retail price is $18.99. This wine is finished with a natural cork closure.
As with the previous three it was produced from fruit sourced in Ribera Del Duero. Hemar's older vineyards at 80 years old are also at an average elevation of 2,730 feet and the soil is quite stony in nature.
The 2005 Hemar Crianza spent 13 months in French oak followed by 9 months in bottle before it was released. As with the other wines I tasted in the Hemar line the Crianza straddles the line of New World fruitiness and Old World Elegance. This wine needs about 30 minutes of breathing time before it's fully ready to come out and play. Once it has had that time though it reveals itself nicely. The nose gives of an earthy mushroom muskiness that puts me in the mind of Burgundian Pinot Noir. The mid-palate is an absolute buffet of dark berry fruit with underlying notes of vanilla and a hint of clove. Hints of subtle dark chocolate hit the back of the throat and tease it with their richness. Hemar Crianza is somewhere between medium and full bodied. It's incredibly rich and full in the mouth but doesn't overwhelm. The finish is long, lingering and well above average. More of the earthiness that was apparent in the nose as well as some peppery notes come out in the finish. The acidity and balance of this wine are perfectly in check. This wine will go well with an assortment of grilled meats and other fairly hearty fare.
Rioja region. The Barón de Ley 2001 Reserva was aged for 20 months in new American oak. After that it spent a full 24 months aging in bottle.
This first thing the nose of this wine gave off was a strong whiff of menthol. I didn't find that very pleasant but it was also accompanied by some subtle cherry. The initial sip was very tart. This wine needs to be decanted for at least an hour. Once that hour passes the menthol notes dissipate and the cherry come out front and center. Accompanying the sour cherry notes, which are fairly typical of Rioja, is plenty of out front oak. As time goes on the oak fades from the forefront. The mid-plate features more cherry accompanied by some vanilla and spice notes. The wine has tremendous acidity. Not so much that it's distracting but it is ever-present and should be considered when looking for a dish to pair this wine with. The finish brings out some white pepper and a touch of earthiness. However for a wine that retails at around $22 the finish is below average in length and frankly unimpressive. Overall the wine doesn't have nearly enough complexity to justify it's price tag.
Today's selection is the third of four from 
As Spanish Wine weeks extends into it's 6th day I'm taking a look at another wine from 
producer I'll be taking at look at over the next several days. The nose of the wine features a huge bouquet of fresh cut strawberries and a touch of candied plum. This wine is young, fresh and tank fermented. Upon opening, this wine reveals itself almost immediately. There are absolutely no harsh or rough edges to this one. The color is a brilliant black cherry hue. The mid-palate features Bing cherry and copious cherry notes. Joven straddles the line between light and medium bodied. The finish reveals just a tiny bit of tartness and tingly white pepper dancing across the tongue.
The 2006 Toro is 100% Tempranillo. The first thing off of the nose is a bushel of berries. blackberries and blueberries dominate. A hint of oak and a touch of vanilla sneak into the nose as well. Right out of the bottle the wine is closed up, tight and had a few sharp edges to it. It opens up easily and quickly however, with 20 minutes really doing the trick.
pretty tart and a touch rough around the edges out of the bottle. Decanting for about 45 minutes softens the edges and diminishes the tartness. This wine is light bodied and the mid-palate features sour cherry flavors and white pepper notes. In some ways it's similar in body and flavor characteristics to Chianti in a similar price range. The finish is below average in length, featuring more of the above-mentioned sour cherry notes. Overall it's a fairly one-dimensional wine. Not unpleasant to drink, but not really impressive in any way either.