Navarra Uncorked: Bodega Señorío de Otazu Crianza 2006

“You need to take pleasure in life's daily little treasures. It is the most important thing in measuring success.” ~Denis Waitley

Many folks today are looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, becoming insta-famous, seeking the fame and fortune on the big screen or hoping to get rich quick by hitting the mega-millions jackpot; reasonably understandable in today's economic climate, that desire is even more amplified by the media consumed and beamed to their smart-phones. But, in that vain pursuit, it's far too easy to run by the many treasures which lie easily within our reach.

The every-day treasures, of getting every green light on the way home from work, getting off work early before a big weekend, a well-made meal waiting on the table as you walk in the door after a long day or perhaps even a great bottle of wine you looked forward to enjoying. To me it's those little things, that can be a real game changer. In my experience, a great bottle of wine; is like a work of art or a thought-provoking book, one that helps me shine a big-bright-light, to find a way out of the mundane.

It was just a few years ago in September that a team of wine-writers from the states and I had a fantastic opportunity to visit one of the very best wine regions in the world and in my opinion some world-class wineries. An area is known as the Kingdom of Navarra; a region that for many is simply and sadly flying under the radar. I think that's especially so for the average vino sapiens, walking the aisles of their local wine store thirsting for wines with a soul. If you were to take a small poll and ask ten random vino-sapiens to name a winery from that region, I believe they'd be hard-pressed to come up with an answer to the question, let alone even know where Navarra is located on a map (sad to say).

Now you've most likely read those words before, "wines with a soul" but what does this mean? The idea came about during a conversation with a good friend, a fellow wine-geek and blogger, known to many as the Wandering-Wino. It's a phrase I will directly attribute to him and give him full credit for the concept. It's that idea or concept which I mention in my posts from time to time concerning a few wines which remind me of that phrase.

In today's review of the 2006 Bodega Otazu Crianza, I’m again reminded of that concept of wines with “soul.” For me the concept is simple; it means you can see, smell and taste that a wine came from a place, it doesn't have that manufactured look and feel, there's no slimy residue, something I find in many bulk-wine facility producers, where "efficiencies of scale" are their claim to fame [you know who they are]. In my opinion, those wines seem as though they have been formulated in the chemistry lab and honestly who wants to drink wine that is better suited to the sippy-cup than a delicate stem.

So in keeping with the theme of today's review, of finding everyday treasures of life, I present to you a wine I brought all the way home from Spain last year, although you can actually find it here in relative quantity, I loved this wine so much I just scored another half case of this beauty for under a Benjamin with shipping and that folks is quite a deal. Because dollar for dollar, the quality of this juice beats the snot out of so many other wines, even in higher price points. So yes, we are talking some serious QPR here, as this wine sells for under $15 most places, making this wine an everyday luxury, one that helps take a large bite out of the hum·drum.

Even after the last drop had been slurped down, delicate, yet abundant aromas still swirling about in the glass afterward, very nice. It's most likely the same experience we all have, as we get a whiff of freshly baked bread in the morning breeze, it's hard to get enough of that tantalizing aromas. In the glass a dark cherry red with bright garnet tones.

Elegant aromas flood the nose; tea leaves, dark plum, florals and a bit of underbrush. After the first splash down, ripe plum, black-cherry fruit, sweet spices [a dusting of clove] delicate hints of cedar nuances, neatly tucked in with the fruit, making for an optimum balance between fruit and the seemingly nearly neutral oak presence.

Wow, how a wine in this price point achieved such complexity is just amazing to me. The approach
on this wine from beginning to end is very pleasant, a silky entrance with no fuss and no muss, I didn’t even decant it, just let it warm up to room temperature after removing from the cellar in the morning. If you like freshly evenly balanced wine, this wine has it in spades. The Bodega Señorío de Otazu Crianza is a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. I gave it a score of 91 points and highly recommend you giving it a swirl, sometime soon. Until next folks, please continue to sip long and prosper cheers!