Another slightly high end wine….but the Mauro 2005 is totally worth its 22€ price tag.  Mauro was one of the pioneers in making top quality wine outside the traditional wine appellation areas.  Its category is Vino de la Tierra, in theory a table wine category, but also producing some of the best and best value wines in Spain.  Mauro was founded in 1980 in the Ribera del Duero area.  Outside the wine appellation has given the winery more flexibility in grape varieties, which include Tempranillo, Garnacha and Syrah.  In the mid to late 90’s Mauro changed wine styles along with many area wineries, seeking fresher fruit and more intensity.  Mariano Garcia, the famed winemaker from Vega Sicilia took over and the result was one of the hottest wines in Spain…it really put the category of Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Leon on the map.  Even the casual wine-drinker has heard of this winery.   I used to drink a lot of this wine, but had ignored it in the past few vintages.  I’ve rediscovered the wine in the very good 2005 vintage…an intense, yet attractive wine with a perfect oak balance…something sadly lacking in many Ribera del Duero wines. It’s great to revisit a pioneer and find it still deserves its reputation.  For more information on the Vino de la Tierra Category of wine see my blog post on the unconventional wine categories in Spain.  Read on for more details on the wine.

Wine:  Mauro 2005
Winery:  Bodegas Mauro
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Léon
Alc: 14.5%
Grape varieties: 90% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), 10% Syrah
Oak regime:  15 months in new French (75%) and American oak
Price:  20-22€ retail in Madrid

Tasting notes
Visual:  Deep black ruby color
Nose:  Intense nose…black liqueur fruit, anis, some oak spice….quite complex but not the prettiest nose at first.  With air the fruit opens up and is more appealing.     
Mouth:  Sweet black fruit, great acidity, intense structure and tannins…quite a mouthful!  Big full-bodied mouth, but the alcohol is in balance.  The oak is lovely; adding spicy notes and complexity, but the fruit dominates it.  The tannins are very big but the rest of the wine can stand up to them and the tannins are very ripe. Very long fruit and tannin finish. 
Food:  Perfect with roast lamb in the region.  

Conclusion: This wine really represents the new generation of wine drinkers in Spain…the new young drinkers are looking for the intense sensations these wines can give.  It is a really well-done Ribera del Duero style….big, intense, but with appealing fruit and oak that plays a great supporting role.  What I also love about this wine is that it has so much more personality than some of the Ribera clone wines that seem to be everywhere.