Abacela has focused primarily on developing Spanish varietiies in the Umpqua Valley of Oregon, and done one hell of a fine job of it. And the wines are affordable! The two Tempranillos, Albarino, and Garnacha Rose' are standouts.
Here's the meat:
There are now two Tempranillo wines, the Estate and the Fiesta offering. The Estate is the more conservatively robust and stately of the two, more akin to the idee fixé of Rioja and Ribera. The Fiesta Tempranillo is the more approachable of the two immediately upon release, grapy and gulpable and made so as to soften up the tannins and make the wine smoother and silkier, but more in a Spanish way than a traditional jam-centric California style. There’s still lively acidity, black fruits and spiciness here, and no hint of overconcentrated jamminess. It is compulsively drinkable: one sip and you want the whole glass, and a refill, and then another bottle. There’s no tannic bite or scratchiness either, due to the choice of the grape lots and the barrel regimen, with 17 months of a combination of old and new barrels, using a combination of French and American oak. (Interestingly enough for wine geek types, the Fiesta actually reminded me of the Mencia/Bierzo reds, even though that’s a different Spanish variety; it made the wine even more drinkable.)