The Wine Front

Mayford Tempranillo 2011

This is just pre-release though I’ve had the good fortune to taste/drink it a couple of times. The first time I was impressed by its aromatics, the second by its tannin structure. It was a tough year in the Alpine Valleys (there will not be a shiraz release) as it was in many parts, but Eleana Anderson and Bryan Nicholson run such a meticulous estate that the tempranillo has sailed on regardless. Screwcap sealed. Whoa. Incredibly vibrant, juicy, alive. More-ish and then some. Cherries, musk, peppers. Perfumed. But for all its up-front deliciousness, it maintains a strict, filigreed, tannic line. Pitch perfect. No need to cellar it though I suspect it will cellar remarkably well. It certainly opens up beautifully as it rests in the glass. Some cola characters minus the sweetness. Such a gorgeous/pretty wine. I thought it was a (admittedly delicious) short termer when I first tried it but I now don’t think it is; it has legs.