2012 Tres Picos: One of Wine Advocate’s Best Value Wines for 2013!

I love Grenache.  It is a wine from many different continents and provides great pleasure for an everyday wine.  It can also be so well done as to provide great depth of flavor and structure.  This is a varietal I find myself turning to frequently as it can be bright and fruity (typical flavors of strawberry and raspberries, when young) and will not overpower a lighter meal like chicken.  (Apparently, Californians eat a lot of chicken – Giada De Laurentiis said this the other day as I was watching the “food network.”)

Grenache is grown in Spain, the Southern Rhone of France (it’s included in the blend in Chateauneuf-du-Pape), Australia, Coastal Central California, and Northern California.  I have bottles in my cellar from all of these regions, and they all have their own special nuance.

So, what is the big deal?  I recently saw the listing from the Wine Advocate for Robert Parker’s greatest value wines in 2013.  As one of his top three, he gave the nod to a Grenache called Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Campo de Borja 2012.  He gave it 92 points, and the price should be $18 or less!

Here is Robert Parker’s review of the wine: “The terrific 2012 Tres Picos is one of the finest inexpensive, Grenache-based wines made in the world. This full-bodied beauty boasts a deep ruby color as well as loads of strawberry and black cherry fruit, hints of lavender and crushed rocks, sweet tannin, and a broad, savory mouthfeel. It, too, should be consumed over the next 3-4 years.”

So, again, what is the big deal?  Well, it is a great review of a wonderful varietal that I am hoping you will be able to find near you.  Just yesterday, I was in my local grocery store, and they had the 2011 on the shelf.  That bodes well for availability of the 2012, and it is a “drink now” wine.  No need to wait — it should drink well in the moment.

Enjoy!