The Wine Curmudgeon has always been ambivalent about the Las Rocas, a Spanish red wine that is one of wine guru Robert Parker's favorite wines. It wasn't so much the quality of the wine as the hype and the price. In Dallas, it's almost never less than $12, and, frankly, for $12, I always expected a lot more than the Las Rocas delivered.
The 2007 vintage is mostly more of the same, though I found it for $10 (purchased) as an increasing number of local retailers are trying to clear out inventory. It's fruity and extracted (think very dark berries that coat your mouth), high in alcohol at 14.5 percent, and has lots of oak, especially for a wine at this price. No doubt those qualities are why it appeals to Parker.I don't think it's a better value than Osborne's Solaz, but if you drink the Las Rocas with grilled beef or something similarly hefty, which will match the fruit, oak and alcohol, you'll understand why so many people enjoy it.
Technorati tags: wine reviews, red wine, Spanish wine, Robert Parker, Las Rocas, garnacha
