So this week on Valentine’s Day, I had told my partner that we wouldn’t do anything during the week, and that we could celebrate on the weekend. But we were both at home on Wednesday night, and because we had to eat dinner anyway, I decided to cook up a bit of a feast. I’m going to share the recipe for my slow cooked lamb shanks next week because they were out of control good, but I thought this week I could share a bit of a review on the wine that we ended up opening to enjoy with dinner for Valentine’s Day.

I’d opened a Naked Wines Cab Sav to make the lamb shanks, but I thought because it was a special occasion that we should have something a little more special. We are self-proclaimed wine hoarders, seriously. We have so many beautiful wines sitting in our wine room that we don’t drink, because they are from a special winery trip, or they are special occasion wines. As a result, we have these beautiful wines just sitting there that we never touch. We must have will power of steel, I’m telling you, and this power definitely doesn’t extend to other foods.

A very special wine

I always get this little pang in my gut every time I think of opening one of these special wines, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. You can’t rebottle it, and as some of them have a few years on them, you can’t really replicate the same wine again. It’s a one time enjoyment, and after that, you can’t get it back! I guess this is why I always avoiding drinking them, because I like to have them there just waiting for another special occasion. But this week when my partner suggested we open the Moonrise Estate Blue Moon 2013 Tempranillo, I decided it was time to let it go. I fought it a little at first, but then I figured it was a special occasion, and that wine needed to be enjoyed!

I glad we opened this wine, and really have zero regret, other than wishing that we still had more of it to enjoy! But sometimes that’s the thing about special occasions; you can’t repeat them, and the memory is nicer because it exists in that moment. I’m so glad we chose such a delicious wine to enjoy on Valentine’s Day, because now I can look back and remember sharing that bottle with my partner over some delicious food.

We picked up this wine when we went to Stanthorpe a few years ago. We went on a winery tour, and one of the stops was Moonrise Estate. This winery is award-winning and has amazing views over Stanthorpe. Really worth a visit if you are in the area!

Why I loved it

This Tempranillo won multiple awards in its time, including a trophy for best alternative red. You can definitely see why. Even though we were enjoying it in the last year of cellar time, it was still light and fruity. That being said, the age on it gave a punch of flavour. I found it so drinkable, the bottle disappeared a little more quickly than intended. It has a great zing of tannins that leaves you wanting more of it, but they aren’t overpowering I found.

What to enjoy it with

I found it went beautifully with richer food as it really cut through the flavours in the lamb dish. Because it is a spanish variety it will pair perfectly with tomato based meals. It would also be great with mexican food if you’d rather a red over a white.

Final verdict

This wine is up there as one of my favourite reds by far. It was absolutely delicious, refreshing and complex. It would be great chilled as well and paired with a balmy late afternoon. Although you can’t buy the one I enjoyed, you can still get your hands on the 2016 version here. We are going to Stanthorpe in May for another wine trip, and Moonrise Estate is on our list!