Review #24: Vinedos de El Seque Alicante 2008, 14%

I'm pretty sure I'm missing some diacritical marks here and there.

Monastrell can be really good. I think it's the same as Mourvedre, but I don't know. This one is (a) amazing and (b) less than $10 (what I paid, anyway).

Absolutely stunning nose: brambly berries and strawberries and happy berries (not a real thing, admittedly), with some violets and gravel and stems and cherries and spices. Nice medium-body fruit-forward palate, but the nose is just stunning, if you like that sort of thing.

Monastrell, I think, usually disappears in blends with "rhone" varietals, where it's supposed to offer a little strawberry perfume to balance out the mix. But here it's fantastic on it's own -- or maybe with just a little cab and syrah -- I've read different things. I expected something heavy, rustic, and licoricey from a warm climate wine, but this was just perfect.

really good stuff.

score: 91