On Sunday night I cracked open a bottle of Tempranillo that I bought a few weeks ago and haven’t gotten around to drinking. This tends to happen a lot. I’ll see a wine in the store, think it looks good, buy it and forget to drink it! That’s the problem with having a wine cellar I suppose, although it isn’t the worst problem to have!

I have to say, when I opened this bottle my partner was sceptical. He had tried it with some friends and they hadn’t enjoyed it that much. To be honest, I was a little too upon reading some reviews online. However, I think there is a place for most wines, it just comes down to personal preference. So I decided to review this wine because it is a great example of one of these wines that polarises people.

Personally, I have to admit, I purchased it because of the label. I am a sucker for a nice label, and this bottle has a great one. It was what made it stand out on the shelf for me, and sometimes that is what makes the difference between purchasing a wine and not. There is so much competition out there, and it’s important to stand out! At least in my books anyway, because who am I kidding? I’m not really a wine connoisseur.

The wine I am reviewing is the Manos Libre Organic Single Vineyard Tempranillo Blend 2017.  Tempranillo is one of those wines that you can find great examples of from Australia as well as from Spain, where it originated, so I tend to dabble in a bit of both. This wine stood out to me because it was something I hadn’t tried: a blend including tempranillo, malbec, shiraz and merlot. Oh, and the label of course! I mean you can’t go past something as interesting as this one!

The wine is organic and uses French oak in its production. Personally, I find it hard to tell the difference between organic and non-organic wines, but I am sure there is one my unsophisticated palate isn’t picking up. However, I think the oak is what made the difference in this wine. It has changed the blend to become heavier in flavour, and richer as a wine. I think this is why it hasn’t been favoured by everyone. It is quite strong and much stronger than I expected from a Spanish wine. Normally I find them quite easy to drink, however, this one was quite heavy.

This wine surprised me because of the rich flavour. It hits you in the face with a lot of sweet, rich fruit right at the start. I actually found the sweetness a bit much on my first sip, finding it tasted almost like brown sugar. However, once the wine had breathed a little, it levelled off into quite a pleasant fruit flavour. The smokiness from the oak lingers after this, however, I found the taste of the wine didn’t have much of a long-lasting effect. It was a bit of a different experience with such a heavy wine, but I didn’t mind it. It meant you could have a couple of glasses and not feel too overpowered from the flavours.

I think this wine was great for something different. I am used to medium-bodied Spanish wines, and so to try something so heavy was really surprising. It really packed a punch, and although this meant I didn’t enjoy it as much without food, I found the wine really came alive when I had dinner. Some may not like this, and that’s ok. But for me I like trying different things and this wine was certainly something different.

Tempranillo is usually medium-bodied in its taste, but this one was quite heavy overall. This is why I think it isn’t favoured by some, as usually, Spanish wine goes well with lighter, tapas-style dishes, or nothing at all. This wine completely changed when you had it with food. I wasn’t the biggest fan of it until I had a glass with our pizza, and I felt the wine completely changed. The sweetness levelled out when paired with savoury food, and made for a great eating experience.

Unlike most Spanish wines, I wouldn’t pair this with tapas or antipasto. This is definitely more of a dinner wine, so think meaty dishes with a lot of strong flavours. They will mellow out and complement the sweetness in the wine, and the result is great. Italian seems to go well as well but stick to tomato based sauces.

I know this wine isn’t for everyone, but I definitely think it has its place as a good midweek drinking wine. It is easy to drink and offers something different to your usual Tempranillo. This means that it is perfect with a main meal, rather than enjoying before dinner. Sometimes you need a wine to pair with a proper meal, and if you enjoy Spanish wines this wine may be the wine for you. Especially if you prefer your wine on the heavier side with a lot of flavoursr.

This wine is a great example of a producer creating something different. I like seeing winemakers trying new things, and changing the way we perceive grape varieties. Not everyone will love it, but there really is a wine out there for every taste, and I think this Tempranillo blend definitely has a place.