Dominio Dostares Leione Prieto Picudo 2005

As an outstanding example of the rare, indigenous grape variety by the name of Prieto Picudo, the 2005 Dominio Dostares Leione is imbued with a deep, deep purple color and a knockout aroma that is both lush and mysterious. A totally captivating wine, the 2005 Leione is made from vines 90 to100 years of age. It is a truly unique offering that owes its special flavor to the inimitable Prieto Picudo. However, Leione’s style and hedonistic appeal most closely resemble that of outstanding Châteauneuf-du-Pape; only Leione is cleaner, softer, and more seductive. It is pure September juice, red fruits, black fruits, violets, and spice. How else does one describe a wine for which there is no other frame of reference? In tastings of the three wines of Dominio Dostares, the words seductive and seductress are most often repeated, and Leione leads the trio in casting her spell and working her magic. For optimum enjoyment, phone a friend and enjoy this “mysterious” wine after a bit of aeration. We suggest serving it between cellar and cool room temperature for maximum flavor intensity (55°-66°F).

The 2005 Dominio Dostares Leione provides an exemplary partner for a host of simple and sophisticated dishes. The wine’s full flavor and seamless structure make it easy to pair with nearly all types of meats. Tender young veal, grilled chicken, or even a juicy sirloin steak will complement Leione with aplomb. Serve the main dish with an artfully prepared orzo salad with garbanzo beans, fresh tomatoes, red onion, and mint, and you have a simple feast with which to accompany the flavorful 2005 Dominio Dostares Leione. A chicken and shrimp paella provides another lovely accompaniment, especially when just enough saffron is added for panache. In fact, almost any rice and bean dish, even moderately spicy black bean versions served with Cuban pork, will not overwhelm this unique wine. So whether you are planning a formal dinner party or an impromptu get-together, the 2005 Leione should provide plenty of gustatory pleasure. Enjoy!

Dominio Dostares (Doe-mean-yo Doe-star-ace) was founded in 2004 by the highly-respected Dominio de Tares (Doe-mean-yo Day-tar-ace) estate of Bierzo with the objective of reviving León’s exceptional Prieto Picudo grape. Prieto Picudo (Pre-ate-o Pee-cue-doe) is a rare indigenous red variety that had been reduced to a few hundred acres of old vines, which, in the hands of small local cooperatives, were being used to make first-rate rosé instead of extraordinary red wine, despite the vines’ ancient age, high level of color, extract, and alcohol. Dominio de Tares acquired 75% of those venerable old Prieto Picudo vines in Léon, many in excess of 100 years of age, and began Dominio Dostares by applying production methods they had perfected in the Bierzo DO with that region’s indigenous Mencia variety. The results have been nothing short of spectacular, as Dominio Dostares has received tremendous accolades from critics and wine lovers alike on their three special wines: Estay, Leione, and Cumal – all from old vines of Prieto Picudo. Domino Dostares introduced Estay, Leione, and Cumal in 2007. While the three wines share many similar characteristics, Estay is by far the lightest of the three wines. Leione and Cumal are deeper, more age-worthy wines that spend longer time in oak. Of the latter, Leione is the more feminine offering and Cumal the weightier, more massive wine. Both of these special Prieto Picudo wines are rare and offer the taster a glimpse of two sides of the same coin. More importantly, these wines taste great.