Published by Jeremy.
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Hondarrabi Beltza is a rare red grape from northern Spain that we do not see all too often. So when we had the chance to pick up a bottle from Doniene Gorrondona, we knew we had to give it a try.
As it turns out, this red wine was quite intense and reminded us a lot of a Cabernet Franc!
Hondarrabi Beltza is an Interesting Red from Spain
This Hondarribi Beltza was medium purple in color with medium(+) aromas of black cherry, dark plum, bell pepper, stewed strawberry, black raspberry, sage, and clove.
On the palate it was dry with medium(+) acidity, vegetal tannin, body, and finish, as well as medium alcohol. We detected flavors of black cherry, dried red cherry, sage, clove, black pepper, bell pepper, dried raspberry, and tomato leaf.
In a way, this wine reminded us a lot like a Cabernet Franc with its pyrazine notes and was a bit more intense on the tannin than we had initially expected. This one packed a punch!
Hondarrabi Beltza Food Pairing – Salmon Teriyaki
We paired this flavorful Spanish red wine with teriyaki salmon as we thought the savoriness of the sauce could pair well with the acidity and flavors in the wine. Admittedly, we didn't expect the wine to be as vegetal as it was and only noted some more intense red fruits with the pairing.
As such, this pairing felt a bit flat simply because the food lacked the intensity that was necessary for this particular wine. If we were to do the pairing over again we would probably move over towards red meat for this particular bottle over a more delicate (even if intensely flavored) fish.
Score: 2 / 5
We are okay on this one.
Overall, this bottle of Hondarrabi Beltza was quite interesting and reminded us a lot like Cabernet Franc. That said, it was a bit more intense than we hoped for, particularly in the tanning and pyrazine areas for our tastes, and as such we are okay on this one.
Doniene Gorrondona is located at Bentalde Auzoa, 10, 48130 Bakio in Bizkaia, Spain. We purchased this bottle on Wine.com and enjoyed it in 2023.
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