Is the Gran worth an extra $5?

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This article was published 19/02/2016 (3656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

So how often do you get to compare two incarnations of an almost identical wine with a $5 difference in price?

Not often, at least not in these parts.

Which is what makes the Grandes Vinos y Vinedos Monasterio de las Vinas offerings so very interesting.

I’m a bit late to this party, as I know many folks have been enjoying these fab Spanish wines for some time. And I, too, enjoyed them many months ago, but there always seemed to be something more pressing or more current or a newer discovery that should be focused on in an upcoming column, and the Monasterios just kept being pushed to the back burner yet again.

This was all much to the consternation of my husband, who is much more protective of our limited kitchen countertops than I am, and the two bottles I’m finally about to discuss have been sitting on (and practically filling up) the smallest of those spaces awaiting the writing of this column.

It’s not that there’s any information on them about bouquet and tastes. And I like it when there’s not, because then I make up my own mind about what I smell and taste, and not have preconceived notions about aromas and flavours because of what the winemaker suggests is to be found in his or her creations. Regardless, I never look at the back label until after I’ve sampled a wine, so as mentioned, it was a happy discovery that these wines didn’t try to tell me what I should look for.

The only reason those bottles were fixtures in my kitchen for what’s at least a few months now was to remind me to write this column. It was penned the day after Valentine’s Day, so I’m about to give my hubby a belated Valentine’s Day gift and throw those bottles into the recycling bin!

Anyway, back to the wines, which are both very, very good.

The Grandes Vinos y Vinedos Monasterio de las Vinas Reserva (made from 70 per cent Garnacha, 20 per cent Tempranillo and 10 per cent Carinena) boasts spicy, peppery goodness, a touch of flowers, as well as plenty of black cherry and plum, leading to a lovely, ripe and lush wine that has some staying power.

I tried the 2006 version of the Reserva and the 2005 vintage of the Gran Reserva, and they were both in fine form at nine and 10 years of age respectively (I tried them both in the fall of 2015).

I believe the current vintages available at the Liquor Marts are around 2009, so they’re probably drinking very well now but should be even better if they’re laid down for the next few years. That was certainly the case with the vintages I tried, anyway.

And as indicated, the Grandes Vinos y Vinedos Monasterio de las Vinas Gran Reserva — the “Gran” is the only difference you’ll notice in the labeling of these bottles — was splendid as well.

This one, made from 60 per cent Garnacha, 30 per cent Tempranillo and 10 per cent Carinena, has many of the same aromas and flavours of the Reserva, with perhaps a bit more fruitiness.

I really love Tempranillo, so I’m thinking the 10 per cent decrease in Garnacha and the 10 per cent increase in the amount of Tempranillo might be influencing my preference a little bit, because I adore the depth and plummy black cherry-ness of Tempranillo, and it certainly shines through in this wine.

But if both of these wines are good, why pay $5 more?

Well, I’d never turn up my nose at either of these wines. In fact, I’d welcome them both with open arms, or at least an empty glass. And with all they’ve got going for them, the price for each is far lower than one might expect. The Reserva sells for $14.99 while the Gran Reserva is $19.99, a bargain in both cases, I’d suggest.

But here’s the kicker. Regular readers of this column will know I believe strongly that if a wine costs twice as much as another one, it should be twice as good. If it costs three times as much, it should be three times as good. And so on.

But with the Grandes Vinos y Vinedos Monasterio de las Vinas Reserva and Gran Reserva, and at a cost of only one-third more, the latter is more than just one-third better. I’d suggest it might be twice the wine — maybe even three times as good — for the extra five bucks.

The beauty of this is you can decide for yourself. Buy a bottle of each. Taste them blind, without knowing which one you’re sampling first. Then decide if there’s a difference, and if there is, how much you prefer your pick of the two.

But with either of these beverages, you’re likely to enjoy a splendid wine.

Diane Nelson is a longtime journalist and former Sun staffer who really likes wine. A lot.

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