Tasting note
Colour - Medium depth scarlet.

Aroma - Fruits of the forest and blueberry aromas with a hint of balsamic.

Taste - Warm red berry fruits over gentle rounded tannins. Some refreshing acidity.

	Type:Still Red Wine		Country:Spain		Appellation:La Mancha DO
	Grape Type:Syrah-based blend		Drink Before:End of 2010		Body:Medium Bodied
	Alcohol:13%		Bottle Size:75cl		Bottle Code:60727

Description
This soft Cabernet Shiraz - an unusual combination for Spain - is a perfect illustration of the great potential of the Shiraz grape in La Mancha, when grown with low yields on poor soils. In just a few years, perhaps it will become more usual to buy your Shiraz and other varietal wines from this great value area, rather than Australia!

La Mancha is in fact one of the most exciting wine-producing regions of Spain. Less than twenty years back, it was generally regarded as good only for bulk wine or for producing stuff that was good for distillation. With the introduction of modern technology, it is now showing its true potential. It has a huge expanse of poor soils, ancient gnarled vines and reliable sunshine ... all the ingredients for great wine if you can harness the fruit.

Just in the last decade, a number of the biggest players in Spanish wine have bought up land and planted it with vines. The renowned Rioja family Martinéz Bujanda have 500 hectares of vineyard and a state-of-the-art winery too and are making impressive wines.

Gran Oristan is from the excellent Bodegas Lozano which has been in La Mancha since 1920. It was founded by Juan Ramon Lozano, a long-time grape grower who decided it was time for him to produce the wine too. The cellar is now run by the third generation of the family, Juan Ramón Lozano, nephew of the founder, and has won many top awards.