2006 Vina Hermosa Cosecha Rioja

Name: 2006 Vina Hermosa Cosecha Rioja
Producer: Vina Hermosa
Region: Spain, La Rioja, Rioja
Classification: N/A
Type: Red Wine
Variety: Tempranillo
Year/Vintage: 2006
Bottle Size: 750ml
Purchased: $10.98, Wine Library (NJ)
Date Logged: 08/19/2009
Pairing(s): Pizza (Piccolo Forno)
My Rating: 2 Stars

The first thing you notice about this wine is that it is thin…something you don’t generally associate with a Rioja…and generally not a good attribute for a Rioja. It is medium red in the glass with some cloudiness, which I also found a little odd. The nose has some strawberry jam and cherry aromas, with a little smokiness lurking in the back. It is watery on the palate, with some cherry fruit up front that quickly disappears. Not much acid, and even less tannins, and a fairly short finish. Overall, not a delicious wine and definitely not a wine for sipping. However, it gets a little better with food, and did, in fact, compliment the Neapolitan style pizza quite well.

At only a couple of years in the bottle, it is probably one of the youngest Riojas that I’ve ever had. So maybe it needs a little more time in the cellar. We’ll see, since I bought a case of this based on a promotion from Wine Library.