I don't think I'll ever get tired of the fresh, juicy tempranillo joven wines. Perfect for casual drinking with earthy food at this time of year. The three joven wines put out by Telmo Rodriguez are a good chance to look at different expressions of Tempranillo from the premier regions of northern Spain. Same winemaker, similar production methods but different clones, climates and soil types. Drinking all three in one sitting is a very educational experience, if a touch too boozy for a school night.
LZ is the joven wine from Rioja. Its a wine that lives by a "straight edge" philosophy: no oak, no fancy wine making tricks just the raw flavours of tempranillo from Rioja. Yes, I have been watching too many music documentaries…
Classic bright red cherry flavours with sarsaparilla, earth and cinnamon on the nose. A bit of musk stick floats in and out as the wine builds with air. The tannins are soft and abundant and there is plenty of acid to clean up the mouth. The palate fairly much mirrors the nose, the fruit is juicy and fresh with good concentration. Very much on up to its usual standard and surprisingly a bit better than the 05. 89 Pts.Dave Worthington, Tinto y Blanco
Getting a bottle of the real Spanish stuff is a lot easier these days thanks to a very good Melbourne importer, Scott Wasley of The Spanish Acquistion. Telmo Rodriguez LZ ($25) lets you sample modern tempranillo without the adornment of oak. Tony Harper
