Wine Review: 2009 Liberalia "Tres"

If there is anything good to come out of the recent economic downturn affecting the economies of southern Europe, it's that there are a lot of fascinating Spanish wines out there available at prices that range from reasonable to remarkable.   In an effort to get their wines to market, and to lure the ever elusive and important American customer to try something new, an awful lot of these wines are priced quite affordably.

Today's selection is priced at the upper end of the scale, at $24.99.  The 2009 Liberalia "Tres," hails from the Toro region of Spain, and is made from a grape called Tinta de Toro, quite literally "the red of Toro."  This is the same grape known as Tempranillo and  like many grapes in Europe, this one has multiple names depending on the locality where it is grown and clonal differences. 

This wine is inky dark purple in the glass, thouroughly opaque, and has an inviting nose of dark, cooked fruit, with maybe just a touch of herb.  On the palate, it is dense, and driven by a dichotomy of heavy tannin and rich blackberry fruit.  There is a little acidity present, but it is fully overwhelmed by this wine's fruit and tannin character.  It finishes with a note of earthiness, perhaps a bit of tobacco and a touch of floral or herbal characteristics. 

For a wine so young, it threw an incredible amount of sediment, and I fear that I may have opened this FAR too early.  This bottle could easily cellar for several more years, hopefully allowing some of the tannins to drop off and leaving the rich fruit to enjoy the spotlight.  I think this might also gain greater complexity with additional bottle aging.  Definitely a selection for those of you looking to build your cellar, and who aren't  afraid to hang on to something for a few years.