Wine Note
2018 Baron Amarillo Monastrell (Aldi £6.49)
“Baron Amarillo” seems to be just a marketing invention but “Monastrell” is real enough.
It’s the grape variety variously known as Mourvèdre in France, Mataro in Australia, and Monastrell in Spain.
The label says “Wine of Spain” but offers no indication as to which part of the country it comes from. In Aldi’s characteristic tiny print, the bottler is revealed as Torre Oria. They’re in Requena near Valencia in the hot east. That makes sense – Monastrell is a very late ripening grape and needs heat to produce something that can be turned into drinkable wine.
And the contents of this bottle are indeed very drinkable. There’s plum fruit and Spanish spice as well as just enough acidity to make it refreshing. It sits on the lowest level of the Spanish wine hierarchy but who cares? Save money on this bottle and spend the rest of your food budget on some fine jamón to go with it.
John Freeland (u3a Wine Tasting Group)
Harborough District Council to help
