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One wine in particular that I feel warrants special mention is Grace Patriot Wines' 2005 Tempranillo (El Dorado). On top of the fact that this was their first vintage using their own estate-grown grapes, this wine— true to its namesake — demonstrated a remarkable finesse that stood out from the crowd of other reds that were often more rustic in style.
Another producer I feel deserving of special mention is Chateau Lorane, located in southern Oregon. Vinified from grapes grown in a region cooler than that of the majority of other TAPAS producers, their 2004 and 2005 vintages of Tempranillo demonstrated an old-world restraint verging on elegance. I was first introduced to this producer during a trip I took with my partner to his hometown in Oregon, where we discovered Chateau Lorane's Pinot Gris — a wine that is quite simply one of the best examples of this cooler-weather varietal, showing a gorgeous balance of acidity and fruit expression that puts it among the finest from Alsace.
Clearly, from my experience, there were some impressive wines poured at the TAPAS tasting event. About the organization itself, though, I'm a bit more ambivalent. On the one hand, I deeply admire that a collection of wineries has come together to increase consumer awareness of — and producer participation in — otherwise unfamiliar varietal wines. This is a good thing, because regardless of what's happening on the production side, it all hinges on consumer interest. However, the mission and focus of TAPAS, being a rather young organization, seems to be still in development. Is this a group whose emphasis will intensify on Tempranillo alone, dedicated to strengthening and ensuring the success of that single varietal in the marketplace? Or will it seek to continue being inclusive of producers of Iberian varietals in general, perhaps diluting a mission that may benefit from a tighter focus? It remains to be seen, but I'm nevertheless optimistic. In the meantime, I plan on supplementing my collection with a few of the fantastic wines I discovered at the 2008 TAPAS tasting event.
Thanks to Heidi Stine for all her hard work in helping to organize the trade/press registration of the event. For more information about the Tempranillo Advocates Producers & Amigos Society, visit the TAPAS website or contact
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directly.
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