2005 Bodegas Ostatu Rioja Alavesa
Fruit driven nose of strawberry with herbal accents and a touch of vanilla. Palate is medium body with ripe tannins gently showing through. Quite smooth with slight stemmy notes, this finds the mid-point between traditional Rioja and the modern style. Quite complex. Terrific value. Drink now as it seems to be at its peak.
Very Good/Excellent
Read MoreAn American in Spain
Dave Phinney is one of the rapidly rising stars in the American wine-making scene. From relatively humble beginnings as a harvest worker at Robert Mondavi in 1997 he started making wine for himself and others in 1998. He has also worked at Opus One and Whitehall Lane. He has since created his own highly successful label in Napa Valley called Orin Swift. The name is an homage to his parents; Orin being his father’s second name and Swift his mother’s maiden name. Orin Swift produces several wines, most notably a Zinfandel-based blend called The Prisoner. The Prisoner and its baby brother, Saldo (also a Zinfandel-based blend, sourced from vineyards across California, not just Napa) were sold in 2010 to Augustin Huneeus, owner of Napa’s Quintessa and Chile’s Veramonte.
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