As far as I know, Qertos joven represents a style of wine is unique in the

As far as I know, Qertos joven represents a style of wine is unique in the US market. It is common in Rioja Alavesa for winemakers to make carbonic maceration wines for quick, easy drinking. Of course in many cases, the wine is not made from the best fruit or made by the more serious bodegas and, presumably, the wine only lasts a few months. In other words, these are on the order of Beaujolais. Qertos joven 2001, made by Bodegas y Vinedos Pujanza, is a more substantial version of these wines without being less fun (and it is still just $12). Rather than wimpy Gamay as in the case of Beaujolais, this wine is made from 45-year old Tempranillo yielding something considerably more substantial than, say, a Beaujolais cru such as Brouilly. The wine is a flagrant, decadent purple in color and it smells of ripe mulberries, strawberries, and flowers. On the palette it’s juicy and plush, showing nice fruit concentration, and it even has enough of a light dusting of tannins to make one confident that it will not fade too fast. Make no mistake: Qertos is still only foreplay - a quaffable wine that go well with tapas and suntan lotion - but that is precisely its allure.