Tempra Tantrum

Wine: Tempra Tantrum.

Grapes: Tempranillo (60 percent), cabernet sauvignon (40 percent)

Region: Tierra del Castillo, central Spain

Vintage: 2008

Price: $7.99

In the glass: Tempra Tantrum wine is a deep crimson-red color with a bright semi-opaque core going out into a pinkish-red rim definition with ultrahigh painted viscosity.

On the nose: This wine is a true surprise, revealing wonderful white-pepper tinged, spicy crushed red fruits with almost exotic undertones. Think butter-sauteed strawberries with cracked black pepper and balsamic vinegar. There also are herbs, wood notes and earth-driven minerals all nicely melded together.

On the palate: Peppery notes come before the onslaught of ripe cranberries, boysenberries and red currant jelly, with underlying cherry liqueur, red plum extract and minerality. The midpalate provides further proof of this wine’s solid structure with balanced, supple tannins interlaced with red fruit and bell peppers, going into a lingering finish that won’t quit the palate even after 30 seconds. It is a revelation at this price.

Odds and ends: Spain has gone through a roller-coaster ride in the U.S. market with its wines. There was a huge influx of Spanish wines in the early part of the 2000’s, but with so many high-scoring wines and increasing prices, consumers found better value in Chile and Argentina. It is fitting that the importer for this wine is called Underdog Wine Merchants, because that’s what I considered this wine before tasting it. But Tempra Tantrum is just a great little wine that delivers serious bang for the buck and has a practical screwcap to boot. Try it with the kind of tapas served at Julian Serrano restaurant in Aria. Drink it now through 2015.

Gil Lempert-Schwarz’s wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89106-0749, or email him at gil@winevegas.com.