Tinto Rey Verdejo 2018 & Matchbook Petit Verdot 2017

Ooooooooh! It's Matchbook time again! I can't say enough about these guys, and these are probably the two wines by them that I talk to people about the most. The 2018 vintage of the Tinto Rey Verdejo is... just imagine me pinching my fingers, kissing them, and then flicking my wrist out while saying "MWAH!". Italian kissy fingers. It's got this medium to full body with a creamy mouthfeel and the perfect amount of acidity to play along with those. There's much more citrus than previous vintages but the notes of pear and honeysuckle are still there. It's just so good. Their best vintage yet. And since the first time I tasted Matchbook Petite Verdot I have not stopped raving about it. This stuff is absolutely killer and I have not met a person who hasn't tried it and not been taken back by surprise. The 2017 vintage is no exception. Big and juicy with blackberries, raisins, and violets. Full bodied, high in ethanol fumes, bright in acidity, and tight tannins. This PS is a rock star.

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Tinto Rey Rosé 2019, April Wine Pick

April is Matchbook Wine Company Month, with reviews focusing on their wine all month! This is the second time Matchbook has had their own month on this blog, but I've done A LOT of reviews of their wines in the past six years. To learn about their history, read my article "A Brief History of Matchbook Wine Company".

Tinto Rey is one of the labels that Matchbook produces, and their Rosé is my wine pick of the month!  It's April! It's officially Rosé season! This wine is made from 50% Tempranillo, 35% Tannat, and 15% Verdejo. It was fermemted in stainless steel hand has an ABV of 12.8%. For the third vintage in a row, the color is  Crayola peach. There's aromas of white peaches, limes, strawberries, and potpourri. On the palate it's medium bodied with a slightly oily mouthfeel and bright but not overpowing acidity. There's a bit of saltiness among flavors of cherries, peaches, limes, and strawberry. Then it finishes nice and juicy, with the acidity brightening the fruit. Yum yum! This is a very good Rosé for the price!

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $19

Rating: 4/5 = Recommended (what does that mean?)

The bottle used was supplied free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.

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Wine Quickie: Tinto Rey Rosé 2018

Tinto Rey is a label line by Matchbook Wine Company, who is one of the best winery friends of the blog. The winery and vineyards are located in Dunnigan Hills, California, and the Tinto Rey line's purpose is to produce Spanish style and Spanish varietal wines there. So I'm surprised that this is labeled as a Rosé instead of a Rosado, but not surprised when thinking about it from a marketing perspective.

This is 54% Tempranillo, 30% Tannat, and 16% Verdejo (a white varietal). Like the 2017 vintage, the 2018 Rosé is Crayola peach in color. And everything else is pretty similar to the previous vintage, as well. It has a bit of an oiliness to the mouthfeel of its fuller body with restrained acidity and a slight touch of astringency. There's loud floral notes on the nose, with overall characteristics of watermelon, cantaloupe, lime, and concrete. A solid rosé for the price for people who like their rosé fuller bodied.

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Wine Review: Tinto Rey Verdejo 2017

Matchbook Wine Company is back yet again on the blog, and this is wine #3 of 4 that I'm reviewing for this go-around. The Arsonist Red Blend 2016 was my January Wine Pick, I've already reviewed Matchbook Estate Bottled Petite Sirah 2016, now I'm on Tinto Rey Verdejo 2017 before I conclude with Chasing Venus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018.

Tinto Rey is Matchbook Wine Company's brand that focuses on Spanish varietals and Spanish style wines. To learn more about Matchbook, one of my favorite wineries, you can read all about their great story in my article "A Brief History of Matchbook Wine Company".

The Tinto Rey Verdejo 2017 is 89% Verdejo (from a half-acre vineyard at the entrance of Matchbook's winery that was planted in 2012) and 11% Chardonnay. It was hand harvested, stainless steel and barrel fermented, saw five months of aging on the lees in neutral French oak, and has an ABV of 12.%. I reviewed the Tinto Rey Verdejo 2015 back in 2016, and that one was 100% Verdejo will all of it being barrel fermented.

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Wine Review: Tinto Rey Rosé 2017

Tinto Rey is the label by Matchbook Wine Company (out of Dunnigan Hills, California) that focuses of Spanish varietals and Spanish style wines. I've done so many reviews of Matchbook's wines that it's ridiculous. To read all about Matchbook check out my article A Brief History of Matchbook Wine Company, and to see my other reviews of their wine then click here.

But right now I'm in the middle of a brand new series of Matchbook wine reviews. Their Matchbook Old Head Chardonnay 2016 was my wine pick of the month, today I'm reviewing their Tinto Rey Rosé 2017, then next I'm on to Chasing Venus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017, and cleaning up with Matchbook Cabernet Sauvignon 2016.

The really cool thing about this rosé is that they took 51% Tempranillo, 39% Tannat, and 10% Verdejo (a white grape) and crushed them all together and cold fermented them together like a field blend, instead of doing each one separately and blending at the end. So that means that it even spent some time in contact with the white skins and not just the red. So does that make it a pink and orange mutant wine? Hmmm. The final ABV is 13.5%.

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Wine & Wine Product Review: Tinto Rey 2015 Verdejo & The Wine Hook

Matchbook Wine Company is a winery that I consider a friend of the blog. I've reviewed many of their wines and even dedicated a whole month to them in November of 2015. If you'd like to read more about them then check out my article A Brief History of Matchbook Wine Company.

Tinto Rey is their new brand that focuses on Spanish varietals and Spanish style wines. If you know about Matchbook or read that article than you know that they're based out of Dunnigan Hills, California, and obsessed with Spanish wine anyways so this is nothing strange from them.  This is a review of their 2015 Verdejo and I'm also reviewing their 2014 Super Tinto Red Blend separately. I freakin' love the label. Dueling Spaniards stabbing each other after hanging a dude is the best time ever.

While I'm reviewing this wine I'm using The Wine Hook to hold my glass. We'll see how that goes. It's a clip that you attach to your chair so you can use an actual wine glass at, for example, the beach. It goes on beach chairs and patio chairs and all sorts of different kinds of chairs but apparently not on my desk chair. So I've got it clipped to my desk.

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Wine Review: Bodegas Veganzones 912 de Altitud 2014 "Tierra Arenosa" Rueda

Spain's Denominación de Origen of Rueda is southwest of Ribera del Duero. The region surrounds the town of Rueda and it's been making wine since the 11th century when the Verdejo varietal was brought from North Africa and planted there. For most of its history in winemaking, Rueda was focused solely on that Verdejo grape until phylloxera came to town in 1890 and stuck around until 1922, forcing them to bring in other grape options. Today they grow Verdejo, Viura (AKA Macabeo), and Sauvignon Blanc for whites and even four reds are allowed (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Garnacha).

But Verdejo is still the queen of Rueda, and to carry the name of the Rueda DO the wine must be 50% Verdejo at the least. To be called Rueda Verdejo it must have a minimum of 85% Verdejo but they're usually 100%. The varietal creates a tasty, well-rounded white wine that goes great with any kind of poultry, especially grilled herb-rubbed chicken.

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