Tag Archives: Spain

Value Alert! – Outstanding Spanish Wine For $11!

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From time to time I come across a wine with a surprisingly good quality/price ratio (‘QPR”).  The 2007 Bodegas Castaño Yecla Solanera Viñas Viejas , a Spanish wine from the Yecla D.O., is such a wine.  I purchased this bottle from my favorite wine store, K&L Wine Merchants.

Not familiar with the Yecla region of Spain?  Join the club, neither was I! What I do know about Spain is that it consistently offers great value in its wines.  Whenever I look for great QPR wine, I alway start with Spanish wine!  And whenever, I find one as good as this one, and consider what it cost, I inevitably ask myself why I’m not drinking more Spanish wine! It’s a country whose wines I intend to explore more…

Yecla is a small DO ( Denominación de Origen) near the town of Yecla in the northernmost corner of the region of Murcia, not far from Spain’s east coast.  The vast majority  of vineyards are planted to Monastrell (Mourvèdre, Mataro),  Other permitted red varieties are  Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Tintorera, Tempranillo, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Permitted white varieties include Airen, Merseguera, Macabeo, Malvasia and Chardonnay.  The inclusion of grapes like Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay tells me the region produces wines that are well-suited to the American palate.

The region is made up of a single district, but the local wine community divides the area into two – Yecla Campo Arriba, and  Yecla Campo Abajo.  Yecla Campo Arriba  is considered superior because  of its old vines.  Yecla was granted DO status in 1975.

Bodegas Castaño is a family run private winery that has had a winemaking presence in the region for generations.  They own about 400 hectares (approximately 10% of the DO) in four prime locations.

This wine has an excellent track record.  Previous vintages  (2001-2006) were all scored 90+ point and considered best values by the Wine Advocate and the International Wine Cellar.

2007 Bodegas Castaño Yecla Solanera Viñas Viejas

2007 Bodegas Castaño Yecla Solanera Viñas Viejas – Great QPR!

Here’s what the producer says about the wine…

“This special limited production wine is an example  of the high quality potential of the emerging Yecla region in Southern Spain.  Solanera is produced from the oldest vines of the indigenous Monastrell, along with low-yielding Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tintorera which is aged in oak for 10 months..This wine is a custom blend for Eric Solomon and is bottled unfiltered and unfined.”

My tasting notes follow:

Opaque violet color with sweet tobacco, cedarwood, sweet dark fruits, and hint of violet aromas. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied with supple tannins, and surprisingly fresh acidity with dark cherry, blackberry, blueberry, and a bit of cassis flavors. Long finish. 

 

Here’s the wine geek stuff:

Where it’s from: Spain> Murcia> Yecla

The grapes: 65%  Monastrell (a.k.a. Mourvedre), 25% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Garnacha Tintorera (a.k.a. Alicante Bouschet),

Aging: Ten months in 10 months in oak; French (70%) and American oak (30%)

Age of vineyards: 40+ year old vineyards from Campo Arriba

Cost: $11

Alcohol: 14.5%

Closure: Cork

Recommendation: This is going to be a repeat purchase for me!  I highly recommend! To find this wine click here

Other related posts you might enjoy:

 

T.G.I.F. Bubbly – German Gilabert Penedès Brut Nature Rosat

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This week’s sparkler, German Gilabert Penedes Brut Nature Rosat, is a Rosé Cava from Spain.  It’s an interesting blend of Trepat and Garnacha (Grenache), which are both dark-skinned grapes used to produce red wine.  Most Rosé sparkling wines are made using either light-skinned grapes such as Chardonnay, or a combination of light and dark-skinned grapes.

This wine is a special project custom-made for Jose Pastor, an importer of Spanish wines who lives in the Bay Area.   Pastor is passionate about “Lively wines from the coolest corners of Spain“.  He is passionate about terroir-driven, small-lot wines produced from organically grown fruit that is well priced.

For the uninitiated, here’s a quick 411 on Cava..

Unlike Champagne, Cava isn’t from a particular region in Spain, rather it’s a term used for Spanish sparklers made in the traditional method (known as Méthode Champenoise) used in France.  While there various regions in Spain that make Cava,  about 95% of the production  comes from the traditional home of Cava, the Penedes region in Catalunya (a.k.a. Catalonia)  The basic rules for making wines that may be called Cava are:

  • Must be made in the traditional method.
  • Must age on lees in the bottle in which it will be sold for a minimum of 9 months, 18 months for Reservas and 24 months for Gran Reservas.
  • All the grapes used must be white grapes – the 3 most common being Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Parellada (pronounced pa-re-yada), and Xarel.lo (pronounced cha-rel-low) – unless you are making a Rose, in which case certain red grapes (Trepat, and Garnacha as with this wine) are permitted

NV Vinos de Terrunos German Gilabert Penedès Brut Nature Rosat


German Gilabert Penedès Brut Nature Rosat

My tasting notes follow:

Crimson red color with a frothy mousse showing tiny dispersed bubbles with yeast and red fruit aromas. On the palate, it’s dry owing to zero dosage (no added sugar) with fresh cherry, raspberry, and a hint of mineral flavors. Aged ten months on the lees. Super Value at $12!  Highly Recommended – I’ll be buying this one again!

Pair with: The beauty of sparkling wines is their versatility with food, because of their palate cleansing quality (think scrubbing bubbles;-). I think this one was pleasant as a sipper, but it’s very food friendly.  It has enough  body to pair with Paella, spicy Chinese, Thai, and pizza.

Where it’s from: Spain> Catalunya> Penedès

The grape(s) Trepat, and Garnacha (Grenache).

Production method: Traditional Method 

Alcohol: 11.5.%

Dosage: Brut Zéro/Brut Nature (0-3 grams of sugar per liter)

Retail: $12

Serve At: 43°-50° F

 

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T.G.I.F. Champagne And The LIke…NV Poema Brut Cava

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This week’s sparkler is a Cava from Spain.  I picked this up a BevMo for $9.99 (It was priced at $10.99 pre-BevMo club discount )

Poema is a small producer (when you consider the likes of Codorníu, Freixenet, and Segura Viudas), that is in Korbrand’s portfolio.  They own 20% of the vineyard sources.  The rest are under long-term contract with various growers.  In addition to this Cava, Poema also produces Extra-Dry and Rosado (Rosé) Cava.

For the uninitiated, here’s a quick 411 on Cava..

Unlike Champagne, Cava isn’t from a particular region in Spain, rather it’s a term used for Spanish sparklers made in the traditional method (known as Méthode Champenoise) used in France.  While there are some other regions in Spain that also make Cava,  about 95% of the production  comes from the traditional home of Cava, the Penedes region in Catalunya (a.k.a. Catalonia)  The basic rules for making wines that may be called Cava are:

  • Must be made in the traditional method.
  • Must age on lees in the bottle in which it will be sold for a minimum of 9 months, 18 months for Reservas and 24 months for Gran Reservas.
  • All the grapes used must be white grapes – the 3 most common being Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Parellada (pronounced pa-re-yada), and Xarel.lo (pronounced cha-rel-low) – unless you are making a Rose, in which case certain red grapes are permitted

NV Poema Brut

Where it’s from: Spain> Catalunya> Cava

The grape(s) Xarello, Macabeo and Parellada.

Production method: Traditional Method 

Alcohol: 11.5.%

Dosage: Brut (0-15 grams of sugar per liter)

Retail: $10

My tasting notes follow:

Light golden-yellow straw color with surprisingly persistent bead of tiny bubbles, and toasty apple aromas. On the palate it’s light-bodied with fairly creamy mousse, approaches off-dry and displays easy apple/pear flavors. Short finish – 85pts

Pair with: The beauty of sparkling wines is their versatility with food, because of their palate cleansing quality (think scrubbing bubbles;-). I think this one would be pleasant as a sipper, but it’s also good with food.  This would also make be a great bubbly for a picnic, or with other light summertime fare.

Recommendation:  This is a good Cava that represents a solid value in Cava, but the field is crowded.  It’s worth a try…but not a re-purchase for me.

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Wine Of The Week – Gonzalez Byass “Apóstoles” Palo Cortado VORS

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My Wine of the Week (“WoW”) for June 16-June 22 is the Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xéres-Sherry Apostoles Palo Cortado Muy Viejo 30 Anos (Phew…that’s a long name!)

The Winery

Gonzalez-Byass was founded in 1835 by Manuel M. Gonzalez in the town of Jerez, Andalusia, Spain.   In 1855 the Byass family, distributors in the U.K., become shareholders of the Company, and the first cellars were established.  The Company changed its name to Gonzalez Byass in 1863.  The company is still run by the founding family (now in its 5th generation)  In addition to wines sold under the Gonzalez-Byass label, they also sell Sherry under the Tio Pepe label.   The Tio Pepe label was added in 1936.  In addition to Sherry,the Company also makes Brandy.

The Wine

Sherry is a fortified wine made in Spain.  As with in other European countries, the wine is named after a geographic region.  In this case, the city of Jerez in Andalucia.  Interestingly, the words Jerez, Xeres, and Sherry appear on each bottle of Sherry. Each is a different corrupted version of the area the Greeks called Xera.  Sherry is an anglicization of Xeres.

Sherry is arguably Spain’s greatest wine.  I like what Karen MacNeil states in The Wine Bible…

“But no matter what you call it, if there were justice in the wine cosmos which there is not, Sherry would be one of the world’s best-loved and oft-sipped wines. As it stands, Sherry is the unsung hero of the great classic wines, is misunderstood, underappreciated, and wrongly cast as the libation of old ladies”

As it stands today, it’s mostly a wine geek’s (guilty as charged) wine.  Because of its oxidative aromas, and the almost saline flavors of some styles of Sherry, it can certainly be an acquired taste.  That’s why I believe it’s underappreciated.

However, I think Sherry is among the most versatile wines when it comes to food pairings.  For that reason, I look for it, mostly when I’m dining out.  And that’s how I came across this wine.  We were having dinner at Nopa in The City, and it was one of a bunch of Sherry their wine menu.   What caught my eye was “30yr”.  I was also familiar with  Palo Cortado, the rarest style of Sherry, through my readings and I wanted to try some!  I’m glad I did.  This style of wine was a great match for not only our appetizers, but also for my main course.

Sherry is a unique product of terroir (in particular the microclimate in the Sherry Triangle), an aging process that includes using Soleras, and the Palomino grape, which is the primary grape used for making Sherry.  How Sherry is made is beyond the scope of this piece, but for good video about how Sherry is made click here.

There are essentially two broad categories of Sherry – Fino and Oloroso.  Fino’s  are light, dry, and crisp, while olorosos are more full-bodied, darker in color, nutty, and sometimes sweet.  Palo Cortado, a rich, yet dry, or perhaps off-dry style falls between the a Fino and an Oloroso.  In fact, Palo Cortado begins life as a Fino, then evolves as an Oloroso, developing a rich nuttiness and darker color.

This wine is sourced from a solera created in 1862 in honor of a vineyard visit by Queen Isabel II!!

Qualitatively, Sherry may be classifed as “VOS”, or “VORS” meaning the sherries are more than 20 and 30 years old respectively.  It was understanding that “VORS” stood for Very Old Rare Sherry, but looking at the label,  it literally means something else.  My Latin is rusty (Okay…damn near non-existent) but I don’t think it’s “Very Old Rare Sherry”

Sherry is aged a Solera like this:

Valdivia in Jerez, Andalusia (Spain) Español: ...

Valdivia in Jerez, Andalusia (Spain) Español: Botas de oloroso en una bodega de Jerez de la Frontera. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My tasting notes follow:

Beautiful burnt umber color with aromatic complex aromas of toffee, caramel, hazelnuts, and sea air. Only slightly oxidative aroma. On the palate medium-bodied, off-dry (from the 13% PX) initially,but somehow drier on the back palate, silky smooth, and balanced with nutty, toffee and dried fruit flavors with a very long finish. – 93pts

Recommendation: Highly Recommended.  This is an excellent example of a Palo Cortado.  If you’ve been curious about Sherry, one that is an off-dry style such as this may be more to your liking.  It’s a great match for cured meats, pate, many cheeses, and foods rich in garlic and spices.

Details:

Alcohol: 20% alcohol.

Closure: Cork closure.

AVA: Spain> Andalucía> Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

Varietal(s): 87% Palomino, 13% Pedro Ximenez

Oak: Average of 30 years in American oak barrels following the Solera system

Retail: $40 for half-bottle (375ml)

Cheers!

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T.G.I.F. Champagne And The Like…N.V. El Xamfra Cava Mercat Brut Nature

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This week’s bubbly is another Cava.  I purchased this from my go-to wine store, K&L Wine Merchants ( based on my quick check of  Wine Searcher.com, K&L is the only place you can purchase this wine).  It was designated as a “Top Pick”, and  rated 91pts by the Wine Advocate, so I was curious.

The producer is El Xamfrá, which was founded in 1987 by Francisco Domínguez and his wife Antonia Ruiz in the center of the town Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, which is referred to as “the heart of the Cava”.

For the uninitiated, here’s a quick 411 on Cava..

Unlike Champagne, Cava isn’t from a particular region in Spain, rather it’s a term used for Spanish sparklers made in the traditional method (known as Méthode Champenoise) used in France.  While there are some other regions in Spain that also make Cava,  about 95% of the production  comes from the traditional home of Cava, the Penedes region in Catalunya (a.k.a. Catalonia)  The basic rules for making wines that may be called Cava are:

  • Must be made in the traditional method.
  • Must age on lees in the bottle in which it will be sold for a minimum of 9 months, 18 months for Reservas and 24 months for Gran Reservas.
  • All the grapes used must be white grapes – the 3 most common being Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Parellada (pronounced pa-re-yada), and Xarel.lo (pronounced cha-rel-low) – unless you are making a Rose, in which case certain red grapes are permitted

It’s interesting that this wine is not labeled as a Reserva because according to the El Xamfrá website, it was aged for 18 months.  I also found it interesting that this wine has no dosage, which means there is no added sugar. So it’s very dry.  I must also add this bottle has one of the prettiest labels I’ve seen!

El Xamfrá Mercat Brut Nature

N.V. El Xamfra Cava Mercat Brut Nature

Where it’s from: Spain>Catalunya>Cava

The grape(s) Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parellada

Production method: Traditional Method 

Alcohol: 11.5%

Dosage: 0.3 grams/l residual sugar

 Retail: $15

My tasting notes follow:

Pale straw yellow color with lot of bubbles, and floral, stone fruit, citrus and slight sweet yeast aromas. On the palate, it has a surprisingly explosive, yet soft mousse, and approaches medium-bodied with stone fruit, citrus, and toasted nut flavors.  Medium finish. 11.5% alcohol.

Pair with: The beauty of sparkling wines is their versatility with food, because of their palate cleansing quality (think scrubbing bubbles;-). I think this one would be pleasant as a sipper, but it’s also good with food.   I enjoyed this with a Chicken Burrito rather than a beer, and it was quite good!  It would be nice with a salad, especially one with a citrus based dressing because of its citrus flavors.  This would also make be a great bubbly for a picnic, or with other light summertime fare.

Recommendation:  I’ll be buying more this.  I highly recommend!

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Value Alert – 90pt Gem From Spain for $12!

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Several months ago, I attended a La Mancha tasting in San Francisco.  I blogged about it in a post entitled Is La Mancha Ready For Primetime?  Of course, most of us are familiar with La Mancha thanks to the famous book by Miguel de Cervantes entitled The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha (or perhaps for the less literary types such as myself, the Broadway musical The Man of La Mancha) 

These days La Mancha is trying to make a name for itself with its wines.  Here’s the 411 on La Mancha:

  • Part of the Castilla-La Mancha autonomous community
  • Largest of 9 DOs in Castilla-La Mancha, which is the largest continuous vine-growing area in the world
  • Climate – According to a local proverb – “nine months of winter and three months of hell“
  • Authorized red grapes: Cencibel (a.k.a Tempranillo, Grenache, Moravia, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah
  • Authorized white grapes: Airén (pronounced “Aye ran”), Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Chardonnay, Verdejo, Moscatel de grano menudo, and Sauvignon Blanc
  • Achieved DO status in 1976
  • There are  5 wine classifications rather than 3 typically found in Spain.  In addition to the traditional Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva classifications, La Mancha also has Young (Jóven), and Traditional classifications. The wines classified as “Joven” typically see no oak.  And according to LaManchaWines.com, the Traditional is “Made with the traditional system, reinforced by the latest technological advances. They keep a distance and equilibrium point between the young and aging wines.”  In other words, it’s a New World style.
  • Known for producing wines with great price/quality ratio, and formerly known for producing bulk wines

The orange tag indicates this is classified as a "Tradicional" wine (click to enlarge image)

2009 Bodegas Volver La Mancha Single Vineyard - $11.99 at Costco

2009 Bodegas Volver La Mancha Single Vineyard

My tasting notes follow:

Inky purple-black color with black fruit, clove, allspice, and tobacco aromas. On the palate medium- full bodied, and smooth with well-behaved tannins, and with vibrant black cherry, plum, a touch of black currant fruit and spice flavors. Medium plus finish.  - 90pts

This wine,  which is  classified as “Tradicional,” is a fine example of a wine that can win over New World palates and put La Mancha on many a wine lover’s map, particularly if seeking great price/performance.   It’s 100% Tempranillo.  The grapes were sourced from a 72-acre vineyard planted in 1967.  It’s fermented in barrel and aged 14 months in new French Oak.   Rated 92pt by Wine Advocate.   I’ll be buying more, and highly recommend you give it a shot!   I purchase the wine at Costco.  But it’s widely available.  Click here to find.

Wine Words Demystified: Old World

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You know the deal, the more some folks learn about a topic, the more shortcuts/slang/acronyms/initials/technical jargon can be tossed around.  I’m here to help you understand those sometimes mysterious words and phrases, thus - Wine Words Demystified!

This week’s word is Old World…

According to Karen MacNeil‘s The Wine Bible:

 Old World refers to those countries where wine first flourished, namely European ones and others ringing the Mediterranean basin.  Old world techniques, by extension refer to ways of growing grapes and making wines that rely more on tradition and less on science.

In other words, Old World refers to countries like France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Germany.  Tradition, of course, has it’s place in wine making, especially when it comes to where grapes are grown.  However scientific advances, including things like the organic movement have blurred the lines between the Old World and the New World (United States, Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Chile).  Sounds a lot like Ole Skool/Nu Skool to me!

Image courtesy of Google Images

Which wines do you prefer Old World, or New World?

T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like…Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Cava

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Elyssia is separate label produced by Freixenet (pronounced ‘fresh-eh-NET) one of the largest producers of sparkling wine in the world.  You may know Freixenet from their ubiquitous black Cordon Negro Cava, which is the #1 imported sparkling wine in the world.

This Cava is different in that none of the grapes used in the traditional Cava blend are present in this bottling.  Instead Pinot Noir, a grape not widely associated with Spain, and Trepat, a little known indigenous black grape used mostly for Rosé Cava are used.

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Cava

Elyssia Pinot Noir Brut Cava 

Region: Spain>Catalunya>Cava

Variety – 85% – Pinot Noir/ 15% – Trepat

Residual Sugar – Unknown

$19, 11.5% a.b.v.

Production method: Méthode traditionnelle;

My tasting notes follow:

Appearance: Lovely blush pink salmon color

Aromas: Fresh bread dough, raspberries, and cherry aromas

Body: On the palate, a moderately aggressive mousse, medium bodied, dry with a bit of fruitiness, and soft acidity

Taste: Raspberry and ripe cherry with a hint of tangerine on the back palate.

Finish: Short-Medium

Pair with: The beauty of sparkling wines is their versatility with food, because of their palate refreshing quality (think scrubbing bubbles;-). This was delightful as an aperitif and with food.   I enjoyed this with a traditional Filipino style meatloaf called embutido, and glazed carrots.  But this would be a versatile pairing partner for a host of foods such as  sweet and sour dishes, or mildly seasoned pork, or poultry dishes.

This is good value for a sparkling Rosé at $19.  I recommend!  86 pts   (Click here to find this wine)

T.G.I.F. Champagne and the like…2008 Raventos i blanc Cava L’Hereu Reserva Brut

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For this week’s sparkler it’s back to what’s becoming a favorite of mine, Cava.  Unlike Champagne, Cava isn’t from a particular region, rather it’s a term used for Spanish sparklers made in the traditional method (known as Méthode Champenoise) used in France.  While there are some other regions in Spain that also make Cava,  about 95% of the production  comes from the traditional home of Cava, in the Penedes region in Catalunya (a.k.a. Catalonia)  The basic rules for making wines that may be called Cava are as follows:

  • Must be made in the traditional method.
  • Must age on lees in the bottle in which it will be sold for a minimum of 9 months, 18 months for Reservas and 24 months for Gran Reservas.
  • All the grapes used for must be white grapes – the 3 most common being Macabeo (a.k.a. Viura), Parellada (pronounced pa-re-yada), and Xarel.lo (pronounced cha-rel-low) – unless you are making a Rose, in which case certain red grapes are permitted.

The producer, Raventós i Blanc, is the only Cava producer to estate grow (on about 200 acres of land that has been in the family since 1497!) and bottle all their wines.  After commissioning an in-depth study of their unique estate, it was determined that there are 44 individual parcels, each managed separately.  All the fruit is biodynamically farmed, handpicked and processed via a gravity flow system.  Their Cavas are all vintage dated, which also sets them apart.

I previously reviewed (and very much enjoyed) the 2007 vintage of this wine, so I was eager to try the 2008 vintage.

2008 Raventos i blanc Cava L'Hereu Reserva Brut

2008 Raventós i Blanc Cava “L’Hereu” Reserva Brut

Region: Spain>Catalunya>Cava

Variety – 60% Macabeo, 20% Xarel.lo, 20% Parrellada

Residual Sugar – 6g/Liter

$18, 12% a.b.v.

Production method: Méthode Champenoise;

My tasting notes follow:

Appearance: Very light straw color with tiny bubbles

Aromas: Green apple, brioche, and faint mineral aromas.

Body: On the palate a creamy, delicate mousse uncommon at this price point.  Approaching medium-bodied mouthfeel

Taste: Green apple, citrus and mineral flavors.

Finish: Medium

Pair with: The beauty of sparkling wines is their versatility with food, because of their palate refreshing quality (think scrubbing bubbles;-). This was delightful as an aperitif and with food.   Try this one with tapas, especially seafood tapas, or maybe grilled seafood such as grilled scallops.

This is another winner from Raventós!   It’s a classy Cava that delivers exceptional value for the money!  90 pts   (Click here to find this wine)

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Value Alert!…2010 Bodegas Terra Sigilata Filón Garnacha

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From time to time I come across a bottle of wine that has a surprisingly good Quality/Price Ratio (“QPR”).  Then I can’t wait to share it with you, because that’s what us wine lovers do – we share!

This is a kick-ass Grenache from Spain where it is known as Garnacha.  Spain is renowned for value wines, and this one from the Calatayud DO (Denominación de Origen) located in the south-west of Spain is a righteous bargain!  The region is similar to certain areas of  Arizona or Utah, with tall red buttes and dry arroyos at high elevation (1,800 – 2,600 ft.), and a continental climate.  The fruit for this wine is produced from dry-farmed 30-40 year old vines.



2010 Bodegas Terra Sigilata Calatayud Filón


My review follows:


Inky nearly opaque violet color with dark red fruit, leather and anise aromas.  On the palate, medium-bodied with smooth well-integrated tannins, and a great mouthfeel with dark cherry, raspberry, spice, and licorice flavors.  Short-medium finish. Great QPR @ $10/bottle!  Will buy more!  To find this wine, click here


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