I’d had this inexpensive Spanish wine in my cellar for a while and opted to uncork it to pair with grilled porterhouse steaks with peppercorn sauce.

In the glass, it shows a deep purple color not unlike the purple band on the bottle’s label.  On the nose, I smelled Herbes de Provence and hints of cracked peppercorn.  The palate of this Monastrell is a mouthful of dark berries with nice acidity and pine needle notes.  The finish is short, which is a bit of a disappointment.   Grilled pork chops would have been a better match than my steaks.  Nice wine for $10.

Pairings:  Grilled pork chops, goat cheese on toasted bread.

Style: Red

Grape Type(s): Monastrell (also known as Mourvedre)

Region: Murcia, Spain

Around $10