2023 Patón-Clemente Tempranillo ($5)
The Patón-Clemente brand operates in the La Mancha D.O. region of central Spain. Not only is La Mancha the largest wine-growing region in Spain, it’s the largest wine growing region in the world!
La Mancha features a hot, dry continental climate with parched water tables. This creates bold and fruity wines.
This 2023 Patón-Clemente Tempranillo is produced from 100% Tempranillo that is fermented in stainless steel and then aged in oak. Because it is a “Crianza” wine, it is required to undergo a minimum of six month aging in oak barrels and a total of 24 months of aging before being sold.
This Tempranillo is medium ruby-garnet in color with a delicate aroma of cherry and plum. On the palate, this medium-bodied wine has a nice cherry flavor with medium-high tannin and medium-high acidity. The six months of oak aging (likely in neutral oak) adds just a trace of flavor. It finishes slightly sweet (its 13% Alcohol By Volume means there is a bit of residual sugar in the wine that didn’t get fermented into alcohol) and jammy with firm tannin (should have let it decant for ~60 minutes).
This 2023 Patón-Clemente Tempranillo Crianza is good wine at a tremendous price (Seems to be a Trader Joe’s exclusive), that makes it a great fit as the Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!
The opinions expressed are entirely my own.