Archive for the ‘$40-$60’ Category
Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wines: Domaine de la Charbonniere 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Clairette, French Wine, Grenache Blanc, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good on September 2nd, 2010
As mentioned in my last post, Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc gets little attention. Nevertheless, these are distinct wines with their own expression of some of the famous terroirs of Chateauneuf that are quite unlike the whites of the Northern Rhone.
Galet Vineyards
Charbonniere makes their four red Chateauneuf and one white cuvee from four main vineyards: les Brusquières, la Crau, Mourre des Perdrix, and around the estate Charbonniere. These vineyards are in the north or north east and thus have clay and limestone soils (one of four broad types within CdP). The vineyards also contain the famous galets or rounded stones that sit in the vineyard soaking up and storing heat.
A Classic Vinification
From 20 year old vines Charbonniere makes their white using a blend of 40% Grenache blanc, 40% Roussanne, 20% Clairette, with the Clairette being harvested after the other two. The wine is then destemmed, crushed and vinified in 25% new oak and 75% stainless steel, with no malo-lactic fermentation. As the wine ages it sees regular battonages (lees stirring), which works well in this wine as its acidity balances the richness.
The classic approach reflects in the flavour profile, with this wine delivering good rounded flavours and structure, but little out of the ordinary or exciting.
A Wine of Itself but Lacking Punch
The nose is softly spicy with lemon and minerals that remind me very much of Chardonnay. This is more expressive than the Boursan, and the palate has better structure and length, with Chardonnay-like flavours of lemon, cream and minerals. However, it is quite a bit less distinctive than the Boursan, though more accessible and more immediately delicious.
Again, this is a well made wine but nothing particularly stands out. Everything is in its place, though I suspect the balance of the wine could be improved.
Very Good+
$55 at Marquis Wine Cellars
So What’s the Deal with CdP Blanc?
While signs are that these wines will continue to improve, right now they can’t match the range, complexity and better value offered by the white wines of the Northern Rhone. Despite this, these wines still possess enough interest and terroir to make them worth experiencing and are an important stop on a wine geek’s journey.
The remainder of this focus on Rhone whites will look at how these varieties are being treated in the New World – some of what is going on is quite surprising.
Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Bois de Boursan Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc 2007
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Bourboulenc, Clairette, French Wine, Grenache Blanc, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good on August 29th, 2010
Chateauneuf du Pape is, of course, famous for its red wines. In Vancouver particularly CdP is often the premium wine of choice for many novice buyers and moneyed collectors. Many wine geeks, however, have moved away from many Chateauneufs, which with ever better reviews from Robert Parker and ever increasing interest from the points crowd, have increased in price significantly. Despite this trend towards prestige pricing, the white wines of Chateauneuf still sit well under the radar of most collectors, and even many wine geeks.
Chateauneuf du Pape Blanc can be made from five different grapes – Roussanne, Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Bourboulenc and Picardan. Most predominantly use Grenache Blanc, though there are a few pure Roussannes that have gained a strong reputation (Beaucastel’s most notably). Bois de Boursan makes its white from a unique blend of 35% Clairette, 35% Grenache Blanc, 15% Roussanne and 15% Bourboulenc. Most of us, including myself, have never tasted pure Clairette or Bourboulenc so it is hard to tell exactly what these add to the flavours of the blend, but Jancis Robinson explains that the grapes are used in the southern Rhone to add aroma and acidity to a wine.
The wine is unique, presenting apple ginger spice cake on the subtle and not overly expressive nose. The wine tastes best at near room temperature, and along with the above flavours, has some dry minerality in the finish. Perhaps thiswas too young when I drank it, but I found it fairly closed, even as the mid-palate had serious structure. The medium acid held the wine together well enough so it didn’t become overly rich – but this is not a sprightly or crisp white. Bois de Boursan uses barriques from Alsace and Borgogne for its wines and the old wood influence works quite well. I expect the wine will open with age, but it is not nearly as immediately delicious as the Northern Rhone whites.
Very Good+
$60 at Marquis Wine Cellars
Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Pierre Gonon ‘Les Oliviers’ St. Joseph Blanc 2005
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne on August 23rd, 2010
A return to elegance and complexity as I return to this spotlight – lost amongst distractions and digressions. Run by two brothers in their 30’s, Domaine Gonon is one of those dwindling producers only making one red and one white wine. With the infection of the prestige cuvee both in the southern and the northern Rhone, it is rare and exceptional to find a producer with some incredible terroir who see simplicity as the way to the heart of good wine.
A Simple Take on Terroir
As wines made in the St. Joseph appellation, some might place the Gonons’ creations into the unfortunate realm occupied by the highly cropped and poorly made wines from the regions with little terroir. This would be a mistake. The Gonons’ father was one of the first to pursue white wine seriously in the modern generation, planting his Marsanne vines in 1958. This makes the vines some of the oldest in the Northern Rhone.
These days, the white Gonon is made with 80% Marsanne from these vines and 20% Roussanne from vines planted in 1974. The vines sit above Tournon, 200 metres above on the Coteau des Oliviers – a site renowned since before the creation of the St. Joseph appellation. As for soils, you will find stones and red clay with some sanded granite.
Farming and vinification practices are thoughtful and attentive at this estate. For instance, all the vineyard work is manual and they don’t use wire training for any vines. They also select cuttings from their own rootstock to avoid importing clones. In the cellar, they use all indigenous yeast and ferment in open wooden vats.
A Perfect Balance
The brothers report that their white wine can age up to 20 years in great vintages, a rarity for whites made from Marsanne and Roussanne. I tasted it at a mere 4 years of age, but it was showing perfectly. The nose was soft and clear with minerals and stone combined with citrus zest. This is basically textbook St. Joseph Blanc – it marries suppleness and elegance with intense flavour and tremendous versatility for a low-acid wine. I would pair this with a main course, but the pear, apple, honey, nuts and caramel flavours are also lush and wonderful by themselves. Full bodied, clean, but not overly sweet, the aromatics and texture are enticing beyond addiction. This is the complete package and you could not hope for better quality from a white at this price.
Excellent
$50 at Marquis
Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Yves Cuilleron St. Joseph Blanc ‘Le Lombard’ 2005
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine on July 30th, 2010
As with most wine regions in Europe, in St. Joseph there is a tension between the old and the new. At what point does a producer cease being traditional and become modern? One point of comparison might be to look at vinification practices, but who is to say when any one technique bridges the purportedly vast gap between memory and anticipation.
When History Becomes Modern
If Domain Courbis attains venerability with its history dating back to the 16th century, then Domaine Yves Couilleron must look elsewhere for like wisdom. Within itself the Domaine lives its own tradition, with its oldest syrah vines being planted in the time of Yves’ grandfather in the 1930’s and 40’s. If we see things from the vine’s perspective – the oldest vines in the world top out at around 100 years – wisdom and time acquire a different meaning. And, indeed, the Marsanne vines for this wine were planted in 1967, thus sitting comfortably amongst the most venerable of its peers.
So what makes Yves ‘modern’ in the eyes of critics? Perhaps because his partnership with Pierre Gaillard and Francois Villard in planting old vineyards and focusing on fruit has earned him and his partners the reputation of New World influenced upstarts. Gaillard, for instance, was the first in the Northern Rhone to use oak for his whites. It could also be because he carries an American style passion for inventiveness and risk – which could also be why he is shaking up the region and helping to breath new life into some underdog styles, such as this white St. Joseph.
When is a Wine Natural? And Does it Matter?
There is much talk these days of ‘natural’ wine making. For Yves, ‘natural’ must be considered in context. If, for example, he eliminated all weed killing chemicals, he would have to increase his work force and increase the price of his wines about 35%. He feels this is untenable in the current economic climate. Furthermore, while he likes to use only natural yeasts, he does find that he cannot make his white wines dry without the addition of yeast towards the end of fermentation.
The question some might ask, then, is at what point do his wines cease being ‘natural’? For Yves, on the other hand, he is simply attempting to add his touch to wines so they can best express their terroir. He believes that the 6-7 grams of residual sugar that would result in naturally fermented whites would mask the terroir of the various plots in St. Joseph from which he makes his wine.
He also cask ferments his whites, using 25% new oak, but does not stir the lees. The fermentation lasts up to four weeks, to fully maximize the sugar in the fruit, which is often picked fairly late.
A Taste of the New
The Lombard, pure Marsanne, presents itself in the glass with a deep rich golden-hued yellow. The nose provides honey, toast, apples, and a hint of quince. One simply feasts on the palate, with its honey-apple spice and lonely rocky undertones. A delicate and structured wine, the Lombard is also elegant while holding more weight on the palate than the Courbis. I suppose if the Courbis is ‘traditional’, then this is ‘modern’ St. Joseph – but the differences are all those of perspective as both wines are delicious.
Excellent
$45 at Marquis Wine Cellars
Spotlight on Rhone Valley White Wine: Domaine Courbis Saint-Joseph Blanc ‘Les Royes’ 2004
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, French Wine, Marsanne, Rhone Valley White Wine, Rousanne, Very Good on July 18th, 2010
While Viognier is known for its aromatic complexity and its rich, opulent texture, as we move from Condrieu into St. Joseph, we also see a change in grapes from Viognier to Marsanne and Roussanne, known to be more elegant and restrained, often in need of a little age. We also see a move from a very small and closely demarcated wine growing zone to a very large and broad one, with multiple terroirs. St. Joseph has been so expanded over the years that it is difficult to predict the terroir and quality of a wine based simply on the appellation. Producer is what matters in St. Joseph, and if you want quality it is essential to properly research the producer whose wine you are buying.
White wine from St. Joseph is also very rare, comprising a mere 9% of the total production of the region. Marsanne, known for depth and richness, dominates the white blends in St. Joseph, but many wines also blend in Roussanne for acidity and aromatics. While there is debate over whether Marsanne and Roussanne grow best in granite (the undisputed choice for Syrah) or limestone soils, many important producers such as J.L. Chave, Domaine Coursodon and the producer of today’s wine Domaine Courbis, think that limestone produces the best white grapes.
This wine is grown in the famous Les Royes vineyard, one of the steepest in the Northern Rhone, which holds limestone and clay soils. It sits at between 200 and 270 metres above sea level and is well sheltered from the famous Mistral wind. The vines, comprising Syrah, Marsanne and Roussanne, average around 35 years of age, but the oldest are, impressively, over 60 years old. Everything produced at Courbis is hand harvested and left on the vine as long as possible. Because Courbis is so skilled at this technique, this means the white wines have incredible balance and phenollic ripeness without going too far into the realm of opulence.
Unlike the classic white St. Joseph, the Les Royes white is made with pure Marsanne dating from 1975 and is completely fermented in new Allier oak, which in the case of this wine is a very good thing. The wine also sees batonnage (lees stirring) and full malo-lactic fermentation – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t one of the most elegant St. Josephs available. Only the best casks are used and the total production is a tiny 3000 bottles or 250 cases.
The wine itself? Well, it offers a nose of apple, spice and rock and is very soft and clean – a general hallmark of this very elegant St. Joseph. The palate adds some interesting licorice and herbal/root characteristics along with apples. This has great flavour and structure and great elegance. It might lack a little in acidity, but this wine successfully combines power and elegance and a fantastic ability to pair with food. I had it with honey/tamari glazed Salmon and the pairing was extremely successful.
As rich, dense and opulent as the wines of Condrieu are, so far the wines of St. Joseph are discrete, powerful and yet very elegant.
Very Good+ to Excellent
$50 at Marquis Wine Cellars
Winery Profile: Brick House
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Chardonnay, Excellent, Gamay, Oregon Wine, Pinot Noir on June 27th, 2010
Oregon’s wine country can sometimes seem to fit into a very restricted mold. The sense of repetition derives not just from the fact everyone is making Pinot Noir (that happens in Burgundy too), but more from the seeming lack of myriad exciting terroir driven expressions of the grape. There is no doubt in my mind, however, that Oregon has the potential for variety and distinction. Brick House is one of the wineries that has started to develop a strong sense of terroir, which manifests simply in the fact that their wines don’t taste like what everyone else is making.
My visit began by pulling into a small unassuming patch of land with a simple and very unpretentious little space set up for tasting right on top of the barrel aging cellar. While sipping on a surprisingly outstanding 2007 Chardonnay, my host Alan explained to me the sedimentary terroir of the Ribbon Ridge AVA where Brick House is located. Ribbon Ridge lies within the larger AVA of Chehalem Mountains but has received its special designation because of an ancient flood that deposited sediment carried from thousands of miles away (fossils of animals not indigenous to ancient Oregon are consistently found here).
The Chardonnay, by the way, was outstanding, with stone, pear and quince on the nose. However, what made this work where so many Oregon Chards fail is its great structure (full oak aging and malo) supported by ripping acidity that makes this very easy to drink and gives it the backbone to age 3-4 years before consumption. For the price, there is little around in New World Chardonnay that can match it. Very Good+. $24 at the winery. The 2008 was just as structured, but needed more time in the bottle. I would not hesitate to recommend both.
But terroir means little without the vineyard practices and farming philosophies to match. Brick House is a fully biodynamic winery and is certified as such by Demeter. This means no artificial chemical fertilizers on the vines and no chemical additives (other than sulfites) in the wine. It also means picking with the cycles of the moon and all those other unscientific accoutrements. Many of the vines are also own-rooted. To me what matters more than any certification are the actual practices of the farmers and the wine makers, what they believe in and what they do. From what I observed at Brick House, the fundamental concerns of wine making are well considered, well respected and thought about both ethically and in terms of quality and terroir.
The soul of the winery’s achievements lies with their Pinot Noirs, which taste unlike most of the Pinots being produced in Oregon today (with some important exceptions). The 2008 Boulder Block Pinot Noir is made from Pommard clones imported from Burgundy. This was an immediately accessible wine with spicy red fruit jumping right out at you from the glass. The palate has great balance, acidity and length, coupled with an easy to like prettiness and the taste of raw unadulterated red fruits. This is real Pinot Noir. Excellent. $42 at the winery.
The second Pinot was also my personal favourite, although this choice is more a contrast in style than quality. The 2008 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir was made from Dijon Clones 113, 114 and 115 and it was the most intellectual of the wines on offer. This was densely packed, with restrained fruit and a deep mineral and earth core. It also changed tremendously with air and time in the glass, showing subtle notes of dill, chocolate and restrained red fruits. If I had to rate this I would give it an excellent rating and note that it is $45 at the winery.
Both of these wines stay out of the dark fruit territory that I find too many Oregon Pinot Noirs venture into. But the difference between these wines highlights the crucial importance of clonal selection in wine making. It is almost meaningless to grow Pinot Noir without knowing what clones you are growing, where, and why. The Dijonnais is the wine to lay down and the Boulder Block the wine to drink now. Both are outstanding.
My last taste was a barrel sample of the 2009 Gamay Noir. This is the only Gamay I’ve tasted from anywhere in the world that approximates a very good Beaujolais Cru. There is more depth and weight here than you find in many of the Crus, but I would compare this most with a Morgon from a good vintage. It had stone, mineral, bright strawberries and that wonderful clean, pure and supple earthy texture that makes great Beaujolais Cru so great. This is proof that with the right sort of vineyard treatment, Gamay Noir can be made into some extremely good wines in Oregon. Excellent. I think ~$19.
Pinot is king in Oregon, but Brick House proves that it is not everything. Both their Chardonnay and their Gamay Noir are outstanding wines at reasonable prices (which is increasingly rare) and are unique wines with character rather than ‘different grapes’ made into wine that tastes like canned fruit. That said, what Brick House is doing with their Pinot Noir also shows that, when done right, site can truly become terroir in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
Domaine Baudry Le Clos Guillot 2007
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Cabernet Franc, Excellent, French Wine on June 11th, 2010
Domaine Baudry produces wine in the Chinon appellation of France’s Loire Valley. But this wine is no ordinary cabernet franc. Whereas many wines from Chinon can be overly thin and green on the palate, despite their often impressive aromatics, Baudry’s wines provide far more extract and structure than one might expect. These are not, however, intensely extractive wines that overbear the senses – the climate ensures that is impossible. Instead, these are wines that combine quiet gravitas with immediate accessibility.
Baudry makes several cuvees, with this particular wine being made from 10-20 year old vines. The grapes are grown on southeast facing limestone hills and are hand harvested. The juice is then fermented in wooden vats and matured in 12 months in old oak casks – though the oak merely provides backbone rather than flavour.
The wine itself is wonderfully balanced and easy to drink but also complex and long. Flavours like blackberry, red cherry, fresh underbrush, graphite, and some mineral and earth give great depth of flavour to this understated dry wine. The lack of dominant wood characteristics, low alcohol, and incredible fresh acidity allows the wine to be both supple and versatile. This wine is so versatile, in fact, that it fulfilled my mission to find a red wine that would pair with Tandoori chicken. This is a wine where simple pleasure becomes a memorable experience. I have no doubt this could lay down for a few years, but when it tastes this good right now, why would you? 12.5% ABV.
Excellent
$40 at Kitsilano Wine Cellars
Spotlight on Spain: Rioja or What Makes Good Wine Great
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, Spain, Spanish Wine, Spotlights, Tempranillo, Very Good on April 27th, 2010
Rioja is Spain’s most famous wine region. In fact, to many Rioja is Spain’s icon wine region, reaching that apotheosis where a place name immediately indicates style and quality. But, how did Rioja get to the level of prestige it now enjoys?
Certainly consistency in quality has been a big factor, not to mention a historical connection with the French practice of aging wine in oak barrels (although the Riojans add the unique touch of using mostly old American oak for extended periods of time). There is, too, the moderate pricing compared to most of the world’s great wines – this helps to bring many sommeliers and wine aficionados into the equation, pushing the essential ‘value’ of Rioja. Of course, alongside the relative international value that Rioja offers is its domestic status and high price by Spanish standards.
The prevalence of Rioja on wine lists within Spain cannot be discounted as an important factor, both with the domestic consumers and with tourists visiting the country. The current trend (both climatically and stylistically) towards greater ripeness might also be contributing to the increased interest in Rioja amongst the North American crowd. The ability of the wines to age and improve in nuance and delicacy is also a significant factor.
But all of these elements speak only to how good wine becomes famous or reputable – none of these answers help us with the deeper and much more difficult question: how does good wine become great?
Culture and history likely play a part here – but historically the current form of Rioja is as much a product of the downfall of French vineyards in the 19th century than it is of anything distinctly Spanish. Then again, how far can one go in looking for ‘roots’ to ground the greatness of a wine. As global warming is making inescapably apparent, the meaning of place is also ever changing, and ‘culture’ – one of the bugbears of Europe – is not always about tradition.
Great wines also seem to need a profound difference and distinctness from everything else that is out there and, often, a unique, singular and important contribution to the international world of wine. What is Rioja’s contribution? It offers a unique expression of Tempranillo and uses methods unlike those used most elsewhere. However, these traditions are being lost in the wave of internationalism. And, despite what I have read about Rioja, the traditionalists are, at least in my experience, losing the battle. Too many of the modern style wines are making it onto wine lists and consumers’ shopping lists.
In fact, I might even venture to claim that Rioja is becoming emblematic for Spain not just for its traditions, but more for the evisceration of historical methods and grapes in favour of internationalism. In fact, this is a trend that has come to dominate the majority of Spanish wines available. While certainly offering more variety in the ‘value’ category than places like Argentina and Australia, the momentum towards internationalization has had the effect of dumbing down the wines of Spain and of giving increasing prevalence to such unfortunate varieties as Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay. The recent changes to the Rioja DOC will allow some of these international grapes to be grown and blended into the wines.
Rioja’s structure of thousands of small growers supplying the larger houses does not help this situation since growers tend to be beholden to the giants. Of course, and luckily, there are a few staunch traditionalists that will help to maintain some of the most important aspects of Rioja’s tradition, and there is probably no danger of Tempranillo losing pride of place to other grapes. However, other regions of Spain, such as Somontano and Jumilla are already capitalizing on the appetite for international varieties. But, at what cost?
One of the saddest experiences I had in Spain was the sheer volume of boring internationalized wines I came across and the relegation of the truly interesting wines to a handful of specialty shops and high end restaurants. The grass is greener adage seemed apropos to many of my experiences in the country.
So, wherein lies Rioja? Rioja is still bobbing its head higher than the majority of Spanish wine regions, but it seems to me that it is also succumbing to some unfortunate trends. The modernization of Rioja should be about distinctiveness and about finding contemporary expressions of traditional techniques, methods and beliefs. If Rioja goes to the point of no return by increasing the use of new wood, by over-expressing the consistently greater ripeness of the grapes today compared to a decade ago, and by playing to certain perceptions of international palates, then it will be the beginning of a painful decline for the region. That there are only a handful of traditionalists left in a region with hundreds of wineries is the pronouncement of an unwelcome herald. Luckily, for now, there is still hope, and I managed to taste quite a few excellent wines from Rioja while in Spain. Here are some of my favourites:
Montecillo Reserva 1998: Subtle, earthy and beautifully silky drinking. Not as complex as the other two wines on this list, but the perfect example of classically made Rioja that pairs perfectly with subtly seasoned meats. Still showing fruit and acid. Very Good+ and about 30 euros on restaurant wine list (15 retail).
Muga Prado Enea Gran Reserva 2001: A truly exceptional wine with the potential for much longer aging. This was the most complex Rioja I tasted on the trip, and also the Rioja demanding the most contemplation. I find wines with this much nuance are often difficult to pair with food, not because they can’t combine to create very tasty harmonies with the right food, but because such pairings often mute some of the more interesting and exciting characteristics of the wine. That there is so much going on here, though, is certainly not a bad thing. Excellent and 34 euros retail.
Marques de Murrieta Reserva 2004: My favourite Rioja of the trip. This was exuberant but still soft and perfectly balanced. Exceptional fruit combined with restraint and a softer, more playful mouthfeel than many of the red wines I had in Spain. This wine is about sheer deliciousness more than anything else, but this is a deliciousness that derives from balance and aromatic expression rather than power and impact. Excellent and 35 euros on restaurant wine list (about 22 retail).
Spotlight on Spain: Bodegas Alion 1999
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, Spain, Spanish Wine, Spotlights, Tempranillo on April 17th, 2010
The recent unexpected volcanic eruption in Iceland has relegated me to another several days in Europe, with ample opportunity to reflect on my experiences in Spain. Over the past couple of weeks I´ve discovered that one of the peculiarities of Spanish wine service is that vintage is generally considered irrelevant to most drinkers and wine lists. It is also common to simply see, even at the better wine bars, a list of wines with such elaborate descriptions as “Ribera del Duero” or “Albarino”. Producer and vintage are conspiculously occluded by the basic tradition of drinking wine as a simple accompaniment to food and company. This attitude, to be honest, is overrated for someone trying to actually appreciate wine, even in an unpretentious way. While I agree that wine and food and company are essential pairings, it is also difficult to grow wine culture and appreciation without the details necessary for more thoughtful deliberation. Without this, wine is akin to your basic lager.
As a case in point, when I ordered this 1999 Alion off the bottle list at Madrid´s Tempranillo wine bar (considered one of the best in the city), the following discussion ensued:
Me: 1999 Alion por favor.
Waiter: oh we do not have 1999, only 2003 or 2004
Me: Oh that´s too bad, I like older wine.
Waiter (with quisical look): Oh, this is a crianza, not meant to age. We tried some they tasted like vinegar.
Me: Maybe it wasn´t cellared properly.
Waiter (looking confused): one minute
Another waiter comes back with the 1999 Alion and pours while telling me they generally don´t serve wines older than 2002.
First off, as most likely know, Alion only comes in one form, and is meant to age 10 or more years. Second, this strange attitude towards younger wines is actually not very in tune with the general spirit and tradition of Spanish wines, most of the classics of which are built to age. So why this curious attitude?
I don´t find this anecodote particularly interesting from the perspective of the wine elite or of the great afficionados of vintage; rather, I find it peculiarly insightful into the differences in wine culture between Canada and Spain. In Canada we have an almost religious reverance for vintage and producer – we talk about X wine from the latest hot producer and that X vintage produced some of the best fruit yet seen in the region. In Spain, place is wine. You don´t need to know such things as producer and vintage. What you need to know is the basic symbol of a particular tradition. Albarino and Rueda dominate the white wine scene here for their traditionally crisp and steel fermented styles that accompany seafood with such verve and alacrity. The Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines provide a moment of pause and reflection, with perhaps a chance at a great pairing with some of Spain´s classic Jamon.
So, in the end, it seems that culture and tradition are what focus our attention in wine service. There is no correct mode of serving or highlighting particular attributes of a wine – such endeavors are contextual and driven as much by our hopes and pretentions as by the objective characteristics of a wine.
As for the Alion? It was supple, laden with minerals and graphite and yet still youthful enough to offer exuberance and elegant pleasure. If all crianzas brought the drinker to this level, the reservas and gran reservas would be the figments of mythology. Alion tuly is one of Spain´s great `crianzas´, and I would rate it Excellent.
Look for more to come in the next several days.
Spotlight on Spain: Dominio DosTares Cumal 2005
Posted by Shea in $40-$60, Excellent, Prieto Picudo, Spain, Spanish Wine, Spotlights on March 30th, 2010
In what will very likely be my last post before heading to Spain I’m going to be writing about a wine made from one of the most obscure grapes in Spain: Prieto Picudo. Jancis Robinson describes this variety as unusual and musky, and notes that it is grown in an area of about 5000 hectares surrounding the city of Leon, which is actually fairly close to Bierzo. She describes the wines as light in colour but fairly distinctive. Leon is, of course, in the region of Castile Y Leon, which was so named because of the huge number of castles built when the region was the frontier between the Christians and Moors.
This wine, from producer Dominio DosTares (sister winery to Dominio de Tares, whose Bembibre Mencia I reviewed a couple days ago), is nothing like what Jancis describes. First off, it is made from 90 year old vines grown in DosTares’ own vineyards in Pajares de los Oteros (810m above sea level), is grown in sand and loam, is handpicked and sorted, and is aged in new oak barrel for 15 months. This wine is also not musty at all, but rather is all about density: plum, blackberry, chocolate and an oak influenced aromatic structure. This is huge on the palate, almost in a New Worldy way, but it transcends any formula by having tremendously unique fruit to it. Sure there is cassis and black fruit, but there is a funky quality, almost reminiscent of Chile, but far more interesting, that pervades the wine. The tannins are pretty massive and this could do with some age, but paired with Lamb this really sang. Personally, I’m still more excited about Mencia, but this is worth a look for any wine geek out there. 14% abv.
So, this short note ends my domestic exploration of Spanish wine as I head off to Spain for the visceral in person experience. I hope to post a few updates while I’m there, and also plan some longer write-ups when I return, particularly of my planned two days visiting Bodegas in Jerez. Until then, Salud!
Excellent
$50 at Marquis Wine Cellars
