2018 Bodegas Fariña Arco Iris “Rainbow” Tempranillo 1.0 Liter

Since we can’t be close, let’s make a rainbow connection!

Bodegas Fariñas is one of those dynamic Spanish estates where a young vintner is using modern techniques and farming extremely old vines. The result is wine that is both mouthwateringly scrumptious, that drinks far above its price point.

The vineyards of Bodegas Fariñas are glorious to see. Backed up in the high desert of Toro, Spain, the site’s shallow, clay-traced soils would at first appear to be just an infertile, inland desert. But therein lies the rub – these vines are so extremely old that their enormous root systems can reach deep down into the soil to search out pockets of water buried far beneath. And it’s here the family Fariñas have farmed vines since 1942.

While they have now completely modernized their winery and make many different wines, it was this little gem that caught my attention. While the name may sound like something Kermit the Frog would sing an ode to, I actually think that spirit kinda fits the wine really well:

The Tempranillo (red) practically bursts from the glass with bright aromatics of red cherries, freshly picked strawberries, and hints at lightly ripened raspberries. It’s fruity, but not in a jammy, overly ripe way – its fruit character remains fresh and lively; it’s easy to get to know, and there is so much to explore. The Fariñas believe in tradition and, to that end, they ferment in concrete tanks and mature the wine in old casks. The result is a heightened sense of minerality through the midpalate and seamless drive and vitality right on through, the brilliant cherry finish wrapped up with a deft touch of cedar.

In other words the wine is fun, fresh, fruity – when I first tasted it I wrote “party in a bottle.” And heck, it’s in a one-liter bottle, which I have always believed is the perfect size for a single serving. In this time of social distancing, here is your chance to have a party, all by yourself, and make a beautiful rainbow connection.

P.S. – What is with the name? To my understanding, but I couldn’t get the facts for sure, the Arco Iris Rainbow is a reference to Grandpa Fariñas making a charming “rainbow” of a wine, arcing to his beloved wife Iris. “Somebody thought of that / and someone believed it / And look what it’s done so far.” Cheers.