TN: '04 Borsao

Dec 03, 2007 7 Replies

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Mark Lipton 18 years ago

After several years of reading Dale's notes on this wine, I finally located some recently at Sam's in Chicago. Though not the current release, the '04 still sounded like something to try, even at the relatively high price of $10.49/bottle. Tonight, with a simple meal of spaghetti in tomato sauce, we opened a bottle:

2004 Borsao Campo de Borja (65% Garnacha/25% Tempranillo/10% Cabernet Sauvignon)

nose: cherry, pencil lead, a hint of oak palate: fruity entry, good acid, dusty tannins

Initially, there was an noticeable but unobtrusive smell of oak to the wine, but after 30 minutes it was long gone and new notes of minerals and meat began to make themselves noticed. A fine spaghetti red, this probably isn't quite the QPR leader at the price we paid for it than Dale's usual $6-7, but it was still very nice with our dinner.

Thanks, Dale! Mark Lipton

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Lawrence Leichtman 18 years ago

Yes, based on Dale's recommendation I hunted this down and found it at $10.29. At $7 this would be a high QPR wine at $10+ B- for me.

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DaleW 18 years ago

Scary prices. Widely available around here at $5.87 to $7. Never a world beater, but at that price a solid buy- great for parties, and has a label that Betsy knows- fair game for cooking wine.

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Lawrence Leichtman 18 years ago

We don't get the good pricing you do in NYC as there is less price competition here. I found it online at the price you quoted but with shipping costs it came out the same so not worth the effort.

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Zeppo 18 years ago

Unfortunately, they are pretty high in PA as well. $7 for the Vina Borgia and $9 for the Campo de Borja. I can usually find them for $4.50 and $6.50 in NJ however. I've enjoyed both and have been very pleased with the Tres Picos as well. The PA price on that is actually fairly reasonable at $13.

Jon

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Mark Lipton 18 years ago

Oops!! This exchange encouraged me to do what I should have done in the first place: check labels on Cellartracker (great resource, that). What I actually bought and drank was the Crianza (I noted that on the label but figured that they all were), which does see more oak than the regular bottling. That may explain the higher price, as Sam's isn't usually that different from NYC pricing. I don't know if Larry did the same, but my wine has the orange label rather than the funky brown one. Ironically, this means that I've now had the Tres Picos and Crianza, but not the lower level bottling.

Sorry about the confusion, Mark Lipton

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Lawrence Leichtman 18 years ago

As you clarified here, I also had the orange label so I guess we are now talking about apples and oranges

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DaleW 18 years ago

This shows the label I'm referring to:

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I think Borsao's nomenclature is quite confusing. The one I like as a value is generally referred to as just "Borsao" (or Borsao Tinto), and is a Grenache/Tempranillo blend. Pretty sure this is US only.

They also have: Borsao Primicia (identical label except the work Primicia is added) which is all Grenache, and I think carbonic maceration. Haven't seen this is US in a while. $5 The Borsao Joven (bright orange label) $5, Crianza (more subdued orange label)$8, and Reserva $9 all have Grenache, Tempranillo, and Cab Sauvignon in varying amounts, and see some oak aging. There's the Vina Borgia (black label)$6, unsure re cepage. Tres Picos is all Grenache, with oak. $12

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