Back Up the Truck: 2007 Numanthia Termes
Bask in the Spanish Sun at the
LOWEST PRICE IN THE WORLD
Special Case-Pricing as Low as $18.99!

Straight from the mouth of an unrepentant Burgundy fanatic: THIS IS GOOD!

I'm talking about the 2007 Numanthia Termes, a wine with enough warm, blanketing richness to comfort you all winter long, yet with enough glide to charm even the Burgundy lover.

I have to say, this wine genuinely shocked me.

Numanthia is most famous for their flagship Termanthia bottling, an epic wine with a "200% new oak treatment" that renders it larger than life and darker than night. The Termanthia soars in the $150+ range with the "perfect" 2004 checking in well above the $300 mark.

We've written about the wines of Rafael Cambra before. His old-vine Monastrell, called "Uno," was one of the first modern Spanish wines to unflaggingly win us over with its perfect balance of power and elegance.

Cambra's follow-up bottling, called "Dos", is another stunning wine, packing incredible depth of flavor into a bottle that's priced to drink any and every night. This wine is equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc; a Spanish rendition of Bordeaux-meets-Napa Valley with a concentrated nose that comes out of the bottle complex, yet smoothes out to present a balanced spectrum of cassis, dark fruits, herbs, tobacco and a fine-grained minerality. The palate is saturated with layered, palate-staining fruit, much more effusive than the nose, both delineated and layered with great definition and length.

At under $20, it's a no-brainer value Cabernet with power and class.

This wine isn't about complexity, mouthfeel or minerality.

It's about an icy and refreshing glass of wine to fend off the overbearing heat and humidity of August. With temperatures peaking in the 90s for the inaugural weekend of August, this month promises heat with high humidity to boot. Yes, August is here.

Gazela is light in body and light in alcohol with bright citrus flavors - lime zest, floral notes and a bit of spritz to liven it up even more. Mix this wine with fresh fruits and spirits to create one of our obsessions when the weather kick's up - Sangria! (See Joe's great Sangria recipe below.)

At $60 a case - delivered anywhere in Manhattan - this is the best way we've found to beat the August NYC heat!

Arriving at a singular wine, one that I would anoint as the “Wine of the Year,” is a daunting task. Obviously, my choice would have to be a wine that truly stands apart from the hundreds of great experiences that we’ve offered at Crush throughout 2006.

I also knew that it would be derived from my personal passion for wines that display an authentic sense of place, such as my terroir-laden favorites in Burgundy, Piedmont, Champagne and Germany.

However, after much thought and deliberation, my choice had to be the López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva 1981 from Rioja, Spain’s oldest and grandest winemaking region.

Imagine the following:

You're a 50-year-old vine. Every year, feet in the dry, infertile dirt, you're exposed to a blistering 2,160 hours of sunlight with summer temperatures pushing 105 degrees Fahrenheit. You're burning up, and the young enigmatic genius who tends to you won't give you a single drop of water.

Yes, Rafael Cambra, one of the most innovative young winemakers in Spain, is pushing you to the limits of your existence to make a wine of other-worldly richness.

Today's "under the radar" offer comes from not-so-anonymous winemaker Alvaro Palacios and nephew Ricardo Perez, who are making absolutely stunning wines from tiny ancient vine sites in the Bierzo town of Corullon (see below).

While Penedès is best known for churning out gallons of bubbly Cava (Penedès produces more sparkling wine than any other region in the world besides Champagne), there are also some enterprising wineries who are experimenting with smaller plots of traditional red varietals like Ule de Llebre, Caranyena, Garnatxa Negre, and Monastrell, as well as international favorites Cabernet and Merlot.

Over the years, I've tasted my share of wines from Rueda and listened to Spanish wine importers and enthusiasts rave about them. But, none of that marketing or talk ever convinced me. Sure, Spanish white is generally nice and crisp, perfect for sipping on the patio or by the pool. But no Rueda has ever knocked me over with complexity, flavor or depth.

But then I tried the Mantel Blanco Rueda, which has that extra dimension I've been looking for. The Mantel Blanco offers an incredible mid-palate, wonderful purity of flavor and a soft yet vivid texture. It really transcends my idea of Rueda. To serve, think lighter fish and seafood, but it also makes for a refreshing cocktail wine.