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 This
thought-provoking tasting, held in London in July 2008, was
designed as a showcase for the top 100+ Spanish wines deemed
award-worthy, which had already been selected from a
considerably more marathon taste-off judged by a team of UK
trade and press hardened palates. Although there were some great
wines here - see my pick below - I have to say I was
disappointed. Part of the problem was the perennial difficulty
of keeping white, rosé and sparkling wines pleasantly cool in a
warm room without killing them off with ice. So some of these
styles would probably show better well-chilled with food: e.g.
Castillo de Perelada Cava Rosado Brut (usually very fruity, refreshing and quite classy;
£8.99); Tesco's 2007 Finest Albariño from Rías Baixas in Galicia,
in the northwest (zesty, juicy and elegant; £6.19); or the two Rueda
whites from Bodegas Antaño.
As for the reds, I wasn't the only one who found lots of very
oaky, over-extracted and unbalanced (too powerful) wines that
left me wondering whether some Spanish winemakers have really
moved forwards. Especially from the trendy regions of Ribera del
Duero, Priorat and up-and-coming Vino de la Tierra areas
such as Castilla y León. For example, Abadía Retuerta's 2005 Pago Garduna
(impressive competition wine but undrinkable; but I did like their
less expensive one, see below), the 2004 Durius Magister (wood and
alcohol) or Marqués de Grinon's cult Eméritus 2004 (trying to be
grown up but so immature). And a few of the Catalan reds didn't deliver what I'd
hoped for. Actually, call me old-fashioned but the best,
certainly most enjoyable,
reds on tasting were good old charming Rioja (although some
quite expensive): so I've done a separate paragraph for those. As for
the multitude of different sherries, it's been said before by
winey types what high quality and
relatively good value you get; but sadly does anybody else drink these
unique
wines? Hardly 'new wave' though. Anyway, I loved some of them! As ever, the rant
is now over and out and, for what it's worth, here's what
made the earth move for me.
Key:
Producer Wine
Grape variety Region - "Awarded..." £UK retail price and agent
100 point scale.
WHITE
Adegas d'Altamira
2007
Brandal
Rías Baixas (13%) - aromatic mix of grape juice and celery; a
bit more weight on the palate than some of the others from this
region (perhaps the slightly higher alcohol), giving it more
length and presence with lively fresh acidity too. £8.99 Oakley
Wine Agencies. 87-89
Pazo de Señorans
2003 Selección Añada Rías Baixas (12.5%) -
complex greengage flavours enhanced by a very oily Riesling type
profile, rounded and mature yet still with firm acidity
underneath; it's good and certainly different but £40 a bottle?!
Shipped by Vinites. 87-89
Marqués de Murrieta
2003 Capellanía Rioja (13.5%) - mature oxidised Fino
sherry notes move on to nutty textured and very dry mouth-feel,
intricate lingering flavours; drinking now, I like it but many
won't! £14.50 Maisons Marques & Domaines.
89-91
ROSADO
Bodegas Victoria
2007 Pardina Cariñena (13.5%) - delicious strawberry and
raspberry fruit, nice juicy v weighty mouth-feel then crisp dry
finish; very attractive foodie rosé. £4.99 Anglo Peruvian
Trading. 87
Bodegas Santo Cristo
2007 Viña Collado Campo de Borja - more 'serious' and
biscuity in style, has a tad of dry tannin even v rich juicy
fruit. £5.50 Burridges of Arlington St.
87
RED
Abadía Retuerta
2005 Selección Especial Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y
León (14%) - lush blackberry and spice flavours layered with
stonky, extracted tannins and rich fruit; but in the end it's
balanced showing nice panache. £16.49 Liberty Wines.
89-91
Bodegas Fariña
1998 Gran Colegiata Reserva Toro (13.5%) - mature savoury
mint edged v berry fruit, at its best but has enough of that
attractive savoury tobacco fruit and firm tannins to pull it
off. £14.25 Bibendum Wines. 89
Jean León
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva Penedés (13.5%) - nice
savoury and leather tones with dried cassis fruit (and a tad of
old wood?), still firmly structured v mature fruit and quite
charming old-fashioned style. £13.95 Bibendum Wines. 87-89
Castaño
2006 Monastrell Yecla (14%)
- not a fancy wine but finally, after too many hard woody fiery
reds, something with nice black cherry and olive fruit, aromatic
v chunky with attractive fruity finish. £5.49 Averys. Value.
87
Bodegas San Marcos
2007 Pilgrimage Mazuelo
Extremadura (14%) - wild rustic fruit with black cherry/berry
and light leather edges, powerful palate yet nice compensating
fruit. £6.99 Guy Anderson Wines. 87
Bodegas Ochoa
2005 Graciano/Garnacha
Navarra (13%) - chocolate oak up front, this has nice depth of
smoky fruit, firm mouth-feel but it's more generous. "Best red
under £10." £8.99 Pol Roger UK. 87-89
Bodegas Julian Chivite
2002 Colección 125 Reserva Navarra (13.5%) - also oaky
but there's definitely something going on here, with its
compelling herbal smoky tones; pretty rich v solid palate with
power, fair class and balance. £20+ Berkmann Wine Cellars.
90
RED RIOJA
Bodegas
Palacio
2005 Cosme Palacio (13.5%) - quite oaky and extracted although
there's some attractive smoky ripe fruit lurking underneath,
tight long finish. £8.49 Antonio Barceló.
89+?
2005 Palacio Crianza (13%) - drinking well now, has nice
resin v rustic v vibrant fruit; oily texture yet solid rounded
tannins. £6.99 Antonio Barceló. 89
2004 Cosme Palacio Reserva (13.5%) - again oaky and
extracted but its pure concentration and depth of fruit win you
over; very tight and fresh finish with some underlying class.
£12.99 Antonio Barceló. 89-91
 Contino
2005
Viña del Olivo (mostly Tempranillo
+ Graciano 14%) -
seductive oak coating but this is rich and concentrated,
elegant too despite its punch on the finish; that oak dominates
at the moment but this is classy and has plenty of life ahead of
it. £45 Hatch Mansfield. 90-92
2001
Viña del Olivo (mostly Tempranillo
+ Graciano 14%) -
complex meaty and 'cheesy', very tasty palate showing class and
elegance, maturing v still tight and focused. £45 Hatch
Mansfield. 92-94
CVNE
2001 Real de Asúa (14%) - lovely smoky maturing fruit
with very light cedar texture; lush v tightly focused
mouth-feel, fine acidity and poise too. Yum. £45 Hatch
Mansfield. 92-94
Bodegas Luis Cañas
2005 Hiru 3 Racimos (14.5%) - impressive extracted style
although it shows good fruit v very firm dry tannins; a bit of a
monster but it's still better balanced than certain wines from
certain regions. £60! Alliance Wine. 89
2002 Reserva Especial Amaren (Tempranillo
14%) - cheesy v vanilla oaky v fruity, powerhouse extracted
palate, vibrant fruit v grippy tannins; the latter a bit much
but overall this has style. "Best red of the show." £25 Laithwaite's.
90-92
Bodegas
Viña Herminia
2004 Crianza (14%) - quite tight and fine with cedar grained
texture, revealing nice savoury fruit underneath. £8.49 Michael
Hall Wines. 88-90
Bodega Ysios
2004 Reserva (13.5%) - lots of coco and choc oak but this
has real class, concentration and power all together; very taut
framework of fresh tannins and acidity, needs 5+ years to
develop. "Joint best red over £10," so at £14.99 (Pernod Ricard
UK has stockist info) better value than some of the dearer ones.
94
Bodegas Roda
2004 Roda I Reserva (14.5%) - attractive and intricate
nose with 'cheesy' meaty notes; this is serious stuff with
powerful solid mouth-feel v superb depth and class, savoury v
liquorice finish; the alcohol is just a bit out of kilter but a
great wine (I'd have graded it 95 otherwise). £35 Mentzendorff.
92-94
2004 Roda Reserva (14%) - again has that old-fashioned
complex meaty cheesy nose; concentrated and refined palate,
finishing firm yet elegant and well balanced. £24 Mentzendorff.
93-95
SHERRY-JEREZ
Bodegas Valdivia
La Rubia Manzanilla - pretty classic style showing fresh
toasted almonds; very dry with nice refreshing yeasty tang.
£7.50 50cl Laymont & Shaw. 87-89
Sacramonte Oloroso (20%) - Madeira-like
intricate, weird and wonderful nose; intense roasted walnuts,
super tangy and long although a bit 'hotter' than Lustau's
(below). £15. 93
Hidalgo
Tesco Finest Manzanilla Pasada - an aged Manzanilla
style, very crisp v oily and nutty with nice bite v weight;
different. £6.99. 87-89
La Gitana Jerez Cortado Wellington VOS (17.5%)
- 'lighter' alcohol, again nice walnut v almond v yeasty v
caramel; dry intense long finish. £20 Mentzendorff.
90+
Lustau
Manzanilla Olorosa - attractive traditional dry
Amontillado style with plenty of Brazil nut flavour; good bite
and complex long finish. £11.49 37.5cl Laithwaites.
89-91
Waitrose Solera Jerezana Puerto Fino (16.5%) - roasted
almonds mingle with an enticingly odd 'cheesy' complexity, a bit
wacky; very dry v oily and nutty texture/flavour, delicious
actually. "Best own label sherry." £7.49 = value.
90-92
Dry Oloroso (20%) - wow, what incredible
flavours; powerful yeasty tangy characters v toasted hazelnuts
and caramel; very long developing finish. £17 Laithwaites.
95
Beltran Domecq at Harveys
Fine Old Amontillado VORS (19%) - voluptuous haunting
nose, rich and nutty v very dry and alive; lovely style, class
and length. "Joint best dry Sherry." £20 Beam Global.
95
Palo Cortado VORS (19%) - caramelised
hazel/walnut with fresher almond notes too; tight and tangy
palate, once again classy and long v dry and intense. £20.
90+
Sandeman
Royal Esmeralda VOS Dry Amontillado (20%) - richer and
more 'caramelised' than above, delicious tangy yeasty flavours
set against walnut and Brazil 'sweetness'. £11 Stevens Garnier.
92-94
Fernando de Castilla
Antique Oloroso (20%) - more vanilla and caramel
than some of the others; tight, tangy and complex though with
enticing roasted nut flavours; also a bit 'hot' but it's very
nice. £20 Boutinot. 90
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Other
Spanish stuff
Cava guide
Winery
snapshots page 4
Raimat
Palacio
Vega
Parxet-Alella-Tionio
Bonastre
Ètim
Parra Jimenez
Ijalba
al Límit
Wines of the mo
Biodynamic
growers
Millésime
Bio
Monastrell Jumilla
Rioja
free zone!
Features
2004-2005 to follow:
Waitrose
Majestic
Rosé riot
Mini-profiles 2005
Features
2002-2003 to follow:
Cava Penedès
CVNE Contino
Mas La Plana
Mucho Español
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