Where is Somontano? What is Parraleta? My dear friends Ryan and Gabriella Opaz of CataVino have resurrected Wine Blog Wednesdays with a feature on Spanish wine. How could I pass this up? Hunting deep in my collection I wanted to taste a relatively obscure wine from a relatively unknown region. I even surprised myself with what I found!
The 2006 Pirineos Parraleta hails from the DO Somontano, situated in the foothills of the Pyrenees in the province of Huesca (Aragon). The Parraleta grape is indigenous only to Somontano and is cultivated in only .02% of of the planted area – so yields are extremely low. It is no wonder I was ecstatic to find such a rare wine (especially in the US). The 2006 Pirineos Parraleta has garnet hues which lighten towards the rim. Aromas of sweet strawberries, cherries, pomegranate, minerals, and damp earth fill the nose and invite one to dive in and experience more of this incredibly unique wine. It does not disappoint. On the palate, this somewhat tannic, medium-bodied (red) wine tastes of raspberry, ripe strawberry, spicebox, and white pepper. Paired with Asian stir fry, this wine was a very pleasant treat; and at around $12-15 a bottle, an extremely affordable one!
Life is short. Drink Spanish wine!
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