Marqués de Griñón Dominio De Valdepusa Caliza 2004

My travels never take me across the pond, but if they did I would chart a course to Spain and stay a while, seeing as much as possible. Therefore lately when I haven't been on the road, I've been charting a course through lots of Spanish wines. There are wine values to be had from every geography but this must be Spanish wine season because they are very popular in my glass right now.

Marqués de Griñón's central Spain estate Dominio De Valdepusa was the first to be granted its own appellation in 2003, in recognition of its unique terroir. The label reflects the shape of this geographic place of origin, near Toledo and Madrid. The name Caliza translates to limestone in Spanish, the sub soil that is credited with contributing to the texture of this wine.

Carlos Falcó is the visionary behind the estate. Having studied at U.C.-Davis, he returned to his estate near the ancestral home of the Marqués de Griñón to put in place modern approaches to producing wine. He enlisted the help of heavyweight consultants Dr. Richard Smart in the vineyard and Michel Rolland in the winery and he tapped Julio López Mourelle to become his lead winemaker.

Caliza 2004 is 65% Syrah and 35% Graciano, an indigenous Spanish grape I've not knowingly tasted in wines previous to this one. The appearance is deep purple eggplant with an opaque unfiltered appearance. (Michel Rolland typically discourages filtering from being practiced at wineries he consults with.) The aromas range from fine bourbon, dried tart cherry and forest/earth. The tannins are substantial yet polished providing an encore finish.

Excellent value ($22). Closure: Real cork. Alcohol content: 14%.

Sensational, and easier to get to than Madrid.