On this page: Cava mini-guide & Castilla y León: "undiscovered Spain..."
Other Spanish posts/features/profiles: Terras Gauda - Galicia and Castilla León, Winery snapshots (Llopart, al Límit, Ijalba, Parra-Jimenez, Parxet/Alella/Tionio, Bonastre, Ètim, Palacio Vega, Raimat), New Wave Spain, Monastrell: Jumilla, Rioja free zone!, Catalonia & Aragón "wines of the mo", La Rioja Alta, Bobal, Monastrell, Garnacha, Tempranillo, Torres/Rioja @ Belfast Wine Festival, Cava: “fizz of the mo”, Rioja: Alvarez Alfaro, Rioja duet: Lagunilla, Llopart Cava - Upper Penedès and "mas" more to come!
And if I ever get around to restoring my original original web material from 2002-2003: Cava & Penedès Institute trip, Rioja: CVNE / Contino inc. rare vintages, Torres: Mas La Plana vertical tasting, "Mucho Español" mixed Spanish tasting report...
And if I ever get around to restoring my original original web material from 2002-2003: Cava & Penedès Institute trip, Rioja: CVNE / Contino inc. rare vintages, Torres: Mas La Plana vertical tasting, "Mucho Español" mixed Spanish tasting report...
Cava mini-guide: "creative Catalan bubbles..."
Intro: "I'm not going to bore you with the full monty geographical or technical stuff, the Cava region is quite vast and extends beyond Catalunya... This gradually expanding page, originally published in 2008, is more about bringing your attention to a few lesser-known sparkling gems and hopefully also to encourage you to explore beyond Barcelona and the region's nice beaches and coastal towns, out into real Cava country... head for those green hills!" Includes these 10 stand-out Cava wineries: Llopart, Carles Andreu, Perelada, Parxet, Raimat, Bach, Lavernoya, Mont Àrac, Blancher, Parató...
And the promised full-monty:
I'm not going to bore you with the full Monty geographical or technical stuff - the Cava region is quite vast and extends beyond Catalunya in fact – so check out the official website for more details: http://www.crcava.es/ or you could also try http://www.cavafromspain.com/ (Wines from Spain's New York City office site). This mini-guide is more about bringing your attention to a few lesser-known sparkling gems that I've enjoyed personally (in moderation of course); and hopefully also to encourage you to visit and explore beyond Barcelona and the region's nice beaches and coastal towns, out into real Cava country (centred on Vilafranca del Penedès): head for those green hills!
Grapes-wise, traditional local white varieties include Macabeu, Xarel.lo (the funny dot between the Ls gives a "luh" sound in Catalan a bit like an English double L, otherwise it's pronounced more like "yuh" as it is in Spanish) and Parellada; and red grapes Trepat, Monastrell and occasionally Garnacha for rosé Cava (rosat in Catalan, rosado in Spanish). You'll also see Chardonnay and Pinot Noir depending on the producer's philosophy and plantings. I'm not sure if the raging row about the latter 'invaders' is still going on; but when I visited a few years ago (see 'Cava & Penedès Wine Institute' opposite, when I've reconstructed that page...), one of the Freixenet (http://www.freixenet.es/) bosses (against French varieties in Cava) told an amusing tale about how they wouldn't even open the door when he once called by at Codorníu (http://www.codorniu.com/ big fan of Chardy etc)! Otherwise Cava is made pretty much in the same way as Champagne, from enormous scale (Freixenet's cellars are like an underground multi-storey car park) to family artisan producers. The key winemaking ingredient is a minimum of nine months bottle age (by law) on the fine yeast lees, before this deposit is removed by a nowadays mainly mechanised process called 'disgorgement' (this word doesn't appear to exist in English according to my spell-check).
The wines I've sampled and reviewed below are mostly non-vintage or NV styles unless where an actual vintage is stated, meaning obviously it's from that year specifically rather than a more usual blend of different (more recent) vintages. I'm rather keen on the food-friendly Brut Nature or Natural style, which you don't see much outside Spain for some reason, meaning no added dosage i.e. it's not sweetened leaving barely any residual sugar (as opposed to I think 9 to 12g/l on average for a classic Brut style). So these Nature wines are normally very dry but are often aged for longer in bottle to give some compensating richness. The ones that aren't can be rather lean; however, the acidity level in Cava is generally less than Champagne, which can make them more charming although probably with lower ageing potential (I've tried some very good older ones though, such as Gramona). Another thing, at usually 11.5% alcohol, they make a refreshing change too.
Cava is doing very well in the UK (over 31 million bottles exported in 2006, according to the Cava website), Germany (a whopping 46m although decreasing) and the US (over 13m); yet in Britain at least still appears to have a cheap image. Not surprising perhaps given the wide availability of discounted supermarket own-labels and heavily promoted big brands (many of them good by the way). Isn't it time that the better quality and more unusual Cavas, which you find everywhere in Catalunya and to a lesser extent the rest of Spain, got more of a look-in? The large producers are bound to export some of their quirkier styles that must end up in small quantities in independent wine merchants, so browse for longer next time you pop into your local specialist shop. In Spain, I find you can generally buy a really nice bottle of Cava for €5 or more, sometimes for only €3 or €4 (it's not really worth buying the cheapest ones). And if you really 'splash out' €7 to €10, or occasionally more even, you can find some superb quality sparkling wines (go to the bottom of page for the posh-est names). Just remember to bring a couple of polystyrene bottle packs with you so you can take some back in your suitcase (otherwise the toast will be on airport security).
This mini-guide includes certain wines savoured previously (2006/2007), some of which you'll find elsewhere on the site, side by side with more recent recommendations (my autumn/winter collection 2007/2008). I've also been updating it throughout summer 2008, as and when suitably tasty Cavas are unearthed... and continuing in 2009, 10, 11... Richard M James: original report published January 2008, last updates November 2011.
Mont Bató - Castell de Vilarnau
Brut Nature (11.5%) - ridiculously good for the price, this delicate and quite stylish sparkler has plenty of fine bubbles with enticing baked apple and yeasty biscuit aromas / flavours; nice toasty oaty coating and almost rounded texture vs crisp refreshing appley finish. Apparently it was disgorged on 29/6/09, although not very useful without knowing the date it started its second fermentation... Oct 2009: value! €3.99 Bon Preu own-label (Catalan supermarket). 87+
Brut Nature (11.5%) - ridiculously good for the price, this delicate and quite stylish sparkler has plenty of fine bubbles with enticing baked apple and yeasty biscuit aromas / flavours; nice toasty oaty coating and almost rounded texture vs crisp refreshing appley finish. Apparently it was disgorged on 29/6/09, although not very useful without knowing the date it started its second fermentation... Oct 2009: value! €3.99 Bon Preu own-label (Catalan supermarket). 87+
Família Oliveda http://www.grupoliveda.com/
Brut Nature Reserva (Macabeo Xarel·lo 11.5%) - lightly toasty yeasty edges, floral and honeyed too; quite refined style, elegant refreshing and dry v ever so slightly rounded and milky, crisp finish. April 2009, €4.70. 87+
Rosat Brut Reserva (Garnatxa Trepat 11.5%) - fuller richer fruitier style (a touch sweeter actually) with creamy strawberry flavours and dark chocolate undertones; again refreshing and juicy with off-dry finish. April 2009, bargain at €3.99. 87+
Cava d'Oriell
Brut Nature (11.5% "disgorged" 12/11/08) - its lively fine small bubbles release evocative appley, lightly yeasty and honeyed aromas; very drinkable, mouth-watering and crisp with just a touch of biscuit richness on its otherwise very dry finish. January 2009, €5.59 Bonpreu supermarkets. 89
Celler Planas-Albareda Brut Nature (11.5%) - well-made and stylish showing freshly baked bread aromas & flavours plus floral and oily tones too; very crisp and dry v rounder textured edges, refreshing and quite fine. €5 88+
Marfil - Alella Vinicola http://www.alellavinicola.com/
Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo) - refreshing and attractive style showing light toasted bread and honey notes, crisp bite but not too dry. June 2008 €5.60. 87+
Rosat Brut (Garnacha Trepat) - nice delicate strawberry fruit with black cherry & chocolate cake undertones, moving on to a fresh and off dry finish. June 08 87+ Try their "still" rosé too.
Mont d'Àrac - Can Descregut http://www.montdarac.com/
Reserva Brut Nature (11.5%) - very nice style, showing toasty yeast and almond sponge cake flavours v crisp focus and dry length; quite complex, tasty and oily textured v refreshing bite. June 2008, about €5.50. 90+
Arvisa Celler de l'Avi, Brut Nature Reserva (11.5%) - fine mix of lively crisp and dry v oily biscuity flavours and texture, easy drinking stuff yet elegant and well-made. I think it's a kind of own-label for a wine shop in Calella. April 08, about €5. 87-89
Marqués de Sarnella (J.A.P. Roura http://www.roura.es/)
Brut Nature (11.5%) - enticing mixture of quite rich, toasty and oat biscuits with almost 'sweet' fruited texture v crisp dry bite and intensity; ludicrous bargain at €3.25, on offer at Alcampo supermarkets (the Spanish guise for Auchan). March 08. 89
Brut Nature (11.5%) - enticing mixture of quite rich, toasty and oat biscuits with almost 'sweet' fruited texture v crisp dry bite and intensity; ludicrous bargain at €3.25, on offer at Alcampo supermarkets (the Spanish guise for Auchan). March 08. 89
Cavas Lavernoya http://www.lavernoya.com/
Heretat de Lácrima Baccus Gran Reserva Brut Nature (11.5%) - extraordinary stuff for €4.95 (old stock perhaps, this is a ridiculous bargain?) tasting like mature vintage Champagne (the first bottle more so than the next couple of times tasted). Toasty and yeasty with almond, hazelnut and honey notes; rounded concentrated and full with tangy v rich-baked oat cake flavours; quite lively, tight, long and fine on the finish. February and March 2008 at Alimentaria, Barcelona's enormous food & drink show, as were the others below. Again in June 08: tighter and less toasty but still very good. 90-92
Heretat de Lácrima Baccus Reserva Brut - lovely honeyed v yeasty aromas, crisp and lively with fresh v biscuity fruit, nice length too. 88-90
Lácrima Baccus Finca la Porxada Brut - quite fine, tighter and crisper; less obviously toasty and yeasty yet still has very attractive honeyed oily texture and good length. 87-89
Primerisimo Gran Cuvée - toastier almost woody nose, richer and oilier v fresh and tight; a bit less interesting on the finish though.87
Lavernoya Reserva Brut Nature (18 months lees ageing) - more floral and fruity on the nose, pretty bready and oaty on its concentrated v lively palate, lovely finish and length. 92+
Summum Brut Nature - wow: rich complex almond biscuit notes give way to a tense, dry and refreshing palate; beautiful balance of mouth-coating and seductive fruit/yeast and real finesse too. I'd imagine this one belongs under 'posh cavas' below. 94
Castillo Perelada http://www.castilloperelada.com/
Brut Reserva (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo) - elegant floral almond and biscuit aromas, more chocolatey on the palate with crisp dry and tight length. Nice with chocolate and coconut sponge. On offer (usually over €5) summer 2006... and summer 2010: agree with that note and score, this is so consistently fine and tasty.87+
Brut Rosado (Monastrell Garnacha) - enticingly frothy summer fruits' cocktail, leading to fresh choco-nut and off-dry finish. On offer (usually over €5) summer 2006. "Tasted" again June 2010, similar note here. 87+
Brut Reserva (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo, 11.5%) – 15 months bottle ageing on the lees: fine nose with subtle yeast intensity and honeyed undertones, crisp and mouth-watering making you want to sip more. January 2008 €5-€6. 87+
2002 Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo) - You'll think it's Champagne: really quite refined with subtle intensity of yeasty oily almond flavours, crisp elegant length and very dry refreshing finish. February 2006 €6-€7. 90-92
2005 Brut Nature (mostly Macabeu Parellada 11.5%, 15 months bottle age) - still quite young with elegant honeyed almond and lightly yeasty edges, fairly 'sweet' textured and tasty although this is tight, refreshing and crisply dry on its fine finish; a bit closed up, it should fill out a little more in bottle. June 2008 €6. 90
More Perelada below under "posh Cava": Gran Claustro.
Brut Reserva (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo) - elegant floral almond and biscuit aromas, more chocolatey on the palate with crisp dry and tight length. Nice with chocolate and coconut sponge. On offer (usually over €5) summer 2006... and summer 2010: agree with that note and score, this is so consistently fine and tasty.87+
Brut Rosado (Monastrell Garnacha) - enticingly frothy summer fruits' cocktail, leading to fresh choco-nut and off-dry finish. On offer (usually over €5) summer 2006. "Tasted" again June 2010, similar note here. 87+
Brut Reserva (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo, 11.5%) – 15 months bottle ageing on the lees: fine nose with subtle yeast intensity and honeyed undertones, crisp and mouth-watering making you want to sip more. January 2008 €5-€6. 87+
2002 Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Xarel.lo) - You'll think it's Champagne: really quite refined with subtle intensity of yeasty oily almond flavours, crisp elegant length and very dry refreshing finish. February 2006 €6-€7. 90-92
2005 Brut Nature (mostly Macabeu Parellada 11.5%, 15 months bottle age) - still quite young with elegant honeyed almond and lightly yeasty edges, fairly 'sweet' textured and tasty although this is tight, refreshing and crisply dry on its fine finish; a bit closed up, it should fill out a little more in bottle. June 2008 €6. 90
More Perelada below under "posh Cava": Gran Claustro.
Jaume Serra www.civusa.com/jaume.html
Brut Nature – quite stylish with toasted almond and floral aromas, fuller waxy mouth-feel v crisp and dry finish. Bargain at €3.50 November 2007 & April 2008. 87
Rosado Brut Reserva (Pinot Noir Trepat 11.5%) - earthy meaty even with peppery undertones combine with roast almonds and squashed strawberries; rounded and ripe fruity with tangy rhubarb flavours too, fairly dry fresh finish. A bit strange but nice with it. May 2007. 87
Brut Nature – quite stylish with toasted almond and floral aromas, fuller waxy mouth-feel v crisp and dry finish. Bargain at €3.50 November 2007 & April 2008. 87
Rosado Brut Reserva (Pinot Noir Trepat 11.5%) - earthy meaty even with peppery undertones combine with roast almonds and squashed strawberries; rounded and ripe fruity with tangy rhubarb flavours too, fairly dry fresh finish. A bit strange but nice with it. May 2007. 87
Mas Miralda Rosado Brut (11.5%) - a label for Asda in the UK (bargain for under a fiver) showing attractive fruity style with delicate toasty edges, quite light dry and refreshing. September 2011.
Bach http://www.codorniu.com/ / http://www.bach.es/
Extrísimo Brut Nature (varieties: Macabeu, Xarel.lo, Parellada. 11.5% alc.) - not the greatest "Brut Natural" style Cava (very dry, no added dosage) but one of the most consistently brilliant value: I've tried it several times before and recently bought a bottle in Spain on offer for under €3! Attractive combo of floral bready and light oat-biscuit notes, with hints of honeyed almond flavours too; followed by refreshingly appley, crisp and dry finish. Good with light summer food or very easy quaffing as an "apero." 87
Extrísimo Brut Natural – light and crisp, quite tight palate lacking a bit of richness perhaps, quite dry and attractive finish. Looking above and below, looks like this bottle was less good than the other two I tried. January 2008 €3.50. 85
Extrísimo Brut Natural (same as above) - light and elegant with underlying oily, nutty and appley characters; fresh, fairly long and crisp finish. Feb 2006. 85+
Reserva de la Masia Brut (Macabeu Xarel.lo Chardonnay 11.5%) - fairly rich and biscuity, ample and rounded with complex flavours and fine bubbles & length. January & March 2008 €6.50. 90-92
Bach http://www.codorniu.com/ / http://www.bach.es/
Extrísimo Brut Nature (varieties: Macabeu, Xarel.lo, Parellada. 11.5% alc.) - not the greatest "Brut Natural" style Cava (very dry, no added dosage) but one of the most consistently brilliant value: I've tried it several times before and recently bought a bottle in Spain on offer for under €3! Attractive combo of floral bready and light oat-biscuit notes, with hints of honeyed almond flavours too; followed by refreshingly appley, crisp and dry finish. Good with light summer food or very easy quaffing as an "apero." 87
Extrísimo Brut Natural – light and crisp, quite tight palate lacking a bit of richness perhaps, quite dry and attractive finish. Looking above and below, looks like this bottle was less good than the other two I tried. January 2008 €3.50. 85
Extrísimo Brut Natural (same as above) - light and elegant with underlying oily, nutty and appley characters; fresh, fairly long and crisp finish. Feb 2006. 85+
Reserva de la Masia Brut (Macabeu Xarel.lo Chardonnay 11.5%) - fairly rich and biscuity, ample and rounded with complex flavours and fine bubbles & length. January & March 2008 €6.50. 90-92
Cava Blancher, Capdevila Pujol http://www.blancher.es/
Brut Natural Reserva especial Antoni Capdevila Pujol (11.5%) - yeasty with chocolate cake notes, fine constant bubbles although not that fizzy; crisp acidity v Brazil nut richness, fresh & dry v rounded texture. What a find. Jan & May 2008 €5. 88-90
Pere Camps Reserva Brut (Chardonnay Macabeu Xarel.lo, 11.5%) – good stuff for the money: delicately yeasty with acacia honey notes, fresh off-dry finish. October 2007 €3.50. 85+
Castellblanch http://www.castellblanch.es/
Brut Zero Reserva (11.5%) - subtle quality fizz showing apple and biscuit characters, hazelnut oily texture and refreshing finish. March 2006 and November 2007 €5-€6. 89
Brut Zero - Brut Nature (11.5%) - not sure if this is a different Cava from the one above or could be just a change of name/packaging, as they're pretty similar. Intricate enticing nose showing subtle bready/oat-cakey and lightly roasted almond aromas, similar flavours on the palate with attractive oily nutty texture and very dry, crisp appley finish. Tasted Feb 2010, quite classy for the money: €5! 87-89
Castell d'Olèrdola Brut Reserva (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 11.5%) - subtle floral citrus and bread aromas, tight refreshing mouth-feel with just a hint of yeasty roundness, dry crisp finish. Feb 2008. 85
Latest Cd'O Cavas tasted in October 2011 here.
Cases Ribalta Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 11.5%) - elegant fizz with quite intense almond biscuit flavours, lightly oily texture then fresher finish. On offer April 2006. 87
Brut Nature (same as above, full price) – quite refined and delicate with nutty oily flavours v fresh long and very dry finish. January 2008 just over €5. 87-89
Cases Ribalta Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 11.5%) - elegant fizz with quite intense almond biscuit flavours, lightly oily texture then fresher finish. On offer April 2006. 87
Brut Nature (same as above, full price) – quite refined and delicate with nutty oily flavours v fresh long and very dry finish. January 2008 just over €5. 87-89
Conde de Caralt http://www.condedecaralt.com/
Blanc de Blancs Brut (11.5%) - flowery and elegant tones lead on to an oily creamy palate with light yeasty tang and freshness, delicate bubbles too. January 2008 about €5. 87
Mont Marçal http://www.mont-marcal.com/
Reserva Brut (11.5%) - quite fine bubbles with subtle baked bread and floral tones; elegantly oily texture with yeasty appley bite v fuller honeyed flavours, crisp and quite intense finish. February 2008 about €5.50. 87-89
Reserva Brut Nature (11.5%) - similar to above showing elegance and freshness v lightly toasted bread notes; more mouth-watering, crisper, drier and longer in the end. June 2008 €5.95 on offer. 89
Segura Viudas http://www.seguraviudas.es/
Brut Reserva – pretty benchmark style showing a touch of class yet more importantly refreshing drinking: nice balance of light yeasty/toasty and crisp & clean. November 2007 €5-€6. 87
1994 Brut Vintage – I don't think this bottle was showing that well (maybe ever so slightly corked?); however, it was appley and honeyed with fresh bite, a bit lighter than I expected though. December 2007 €7.50. 87
Raimat http://www.raimat.com/
Brut Nature Mètode Tradicional (Pinot Noir Chardonnay Xarel.lo, 12%) - from the tiny Costers del Segre DO zone but still in Catalonia. This really quite fine and flavoursome sparkling wine, shaped by similar production methods to Champagne, comes from outside the Cava area. Fairly rich, buttery and tropical fruit gives way to developing yeasty complexity with fresh, dry and elegant length. Brut Nature means no added dosage, i.e. not sweetened with less than 4 grams natural residual sugar; so pretty dry to you and me. March 2006 about €6. 90-92
Brut - tasted and enjoyed Jan 2008, €5.50.
Brut Nature (same as the first one) - trying it again just went to prove what a fab sparkling wine this is: rich and toasty with golden baked oat cake flavours, rounded oily texture than fresh dry cut on its long finish. June 2008 €6.65. 92-94
Codorníu http://www.codorniu.com/
Herència 1551 Brut Nature - attractive mix of freshness and youthful citrus fruit v fuller waxier texture, very dry and a touch austere perhaps. January 2008 €5.50. 87
Herència 1551 Brut Nature (same as above: Parellada Xarel.lo Chardonnay 11.5%) - maybe there was something not quite right with the above bottle (or maybe it was me being a touch austere), as this one was richer and more generous with subtle toasty yeast, oily honeyed roundness then crisp dry refreshing finish. May 2008, same price. 89
2009 Vintage Rosado Brut (Monastrell, Garnacha; 12% alc.) – bottle aged on lees for at least 9 months. Quite delicate fizz actually with subtle toasty oat-cake & biscuit edges vs ‘sweet’ red fruit cocktail vs refreshing bite and length. 1+ (see blurb in the right-hand column for more on 1-2-3 "scoring") August 2011. £6.99 at Tesco, allegedly "half-price" although I never believe the so-called full-price claimed on these offers. Anyone else spotted Tesco's increasingly blatant shelf-positioning of ridiculously over-priced bottles right next to the current "half-price" deals, so you'll notice them and which the following week or month magically become "half-price" themselves? Their way of getting round the law I suppose, allegedly...
Eudald Massana Noya http://www.massananoya.com/
Brut Nature Família (11.5% organic) - fine and subtle Cava with delicate yeast, honey and almond oil notes; lightly nutty palate with fresh citrus, tight zesty and dry finish. Feb 2008 €5-€6. 89
Freixenet Excelencia Brut (1/3 each Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada) - light refreshing style with floral and subdued yeasty-bready aromas, attractive baked almond notes and gently oily vs crisp finish. 1 £5.99, also allegedly "half-price" at Winemark/Russell’s Cellars in Northern Ireland. I've also bought bottles of this in Catalunya in the past and enjoyed it just the same, especially as it used to be about €3.50 there! See blurb in the right-hand column for more on 1-2-3 "scoring." August 2011.
Marqués de Monistrol
2008 Clos de Monistrol Vintage Extra Brut (Chardonnay, Macabeo, Xarel·lo, Parellada; 12%) - yet another "half-price" job, I think from memory at Sainsbury's (?), making it a very good £5-£6 bargain anyway. Quite toasty and rich actually with roast almond and oaty edges, hints of honey and oily texture with a little crispness underneath; not very fizzy but fairly fine with off-dry finish. 1+ August 2011.
See blurb in the right-hand column for more on "as easy as 1-2-3 scoring."
2009 Clos de Monistrol Rosado Brut - delicate red fruity vs fairly crisp tight mouth-feel, subtle bubbles and light biscuity bready edges. A bit young still perhaps. On offer at Asda for about £5, Nov. 2011.
Caves Carles Andreu http://www.cavandreu.com/
Tried and tested at Alimentaria Barcelona, March 2008:
2006 Trepat (13.5%) - not Cava but an unusual red wine showing Pinot Noir type 'sweet & savoury' aromas tinged with a hint of vanilla oak; 'sweet' oak on the palate layered with soft red fruits and a bit of weight coming from the alcohol, supple tannins yet quite fresh bite too. 88+
Cava Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada, 18 months lees ageing,11.5%) - fine elegant nose showing light chocolate tones; delicious balance of yeasty complexity, richness, elegance and refreshing dry length; good stuff. 90+
Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Chardonnay, 26 months,12%) - again has an elegant floral nose with dark chocolate cake notes; toasted almonds v crisp intensity, incisive length v 'sweet' texture (it's very dry actually). 92+
Two more Carles Andreu "posh" barrel fermented cavas below.
Tried and tested at Alimentaria Barcelona, March 2008:
2006 Trepat (13.5%) - not Cava but an unusual red wine showing Pinot Noir type 'sweet & savoury' aromas tinged with a hint of vanilla oak; 'sweet' oak on the palate layered with soft red fruits and a bit of weight coming from the alcohol, supple tannins yet quite fresh bite too. 88+
Cava Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada, 18 months lees ageing,11.5%) - fine elegant nose showing light chocolate tones; delicious balance of yeasty complexity, richness, elegance and refreshing dry length; good stuff. 90+
Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Chardonnay, 26 months,12%) - again has an elegant floral nose with dark chocolate cake notes; toasted almonds v crisp intensity, incisive length v 'sweet' texture (it's very dry actually). 92+
Two more Carles Andreu "posh" barrel fermented cavas below.
Parató http://www.parato.es/
Tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008 Barcelona:
Parató Brut (the 3 usual suspects plus 5% Chardonnay, 15 months lees ageing) - elegant style, subtle hazelnut and honeyed flavours followed by crisp yet rounded mouth-feel, not so dry. 87+
Parató Brut Nature Reserva (24 months) - quite taught acidity v slightly toastier depth but subtle with it; very appley, bright, lengthy and elegant too. 89-91
Parató Rosado Brut Reserva Pinot Noir (15+ months) - a touch volatile? or something but interesting with it; quite chunky strawberry and raspberry fruit, 'sweet' textured v fresh and drier than the first one. 87-89
Cellers Triada
Tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008 Barcelona:
Gran d'abbatis Brut Nature (100% old-vine Parellada) - very floral and peachy on the nose, subtle yeasty tang (despite 18 months lees ageing in fact) v refreshing elegant cut, very dry yet well-balanced. 89-91
2005 Brut Rosado Trepat - very fruity and up-front, slightly earthy too; fruit cake on its rounded oily texture, zingy bite too; commendably unusual. 89
Parxet http://www.parxet.es/
Brut (Xarel.lo Macabeu Parellada 11.5%) - tasty and classy Cava that makes you want to sip more, lovely balance between toasty baked bread richness and fresh crispness, rounder and seems less dry than some of the others although long and stylish. Nearer 10 than 5 Euros Feb 2008. 90
Three of the wines below were tasted at Alimentaria Barcelona in March 2008, where I was a little more underwhelmed for some reason, although they were served icy-cold so perhaps not showing very well. Anyway, they have pretensions of being listed under 'posh' price-wise, but I'd have to taste them again before I was totally convinced...
Update: I did indeed try a couple of them again at Parxet's office/cellar in Tiana (just northeast of Barcelona) in June 2008 with other wines from their stable - Marqués de Alella white wines and Bodegas Tionio reds from Ribera del Duero. So, more recent notes on their Cavas also follow below. A bit of a blurb on their different wineries and comments on the non-fizzy wines to follow ("winery snaps").
2004 Vintage Gran Reserva - quite closed on the nose, leading on to subtle yeasty honeyed cakey notes v tight and crisp bite; refreshing and quite long. 89
Titiana Chardonnay - similar profile to above but rounder and fruitier, again has that trademark crisp length. 89
Titiana Pinot Noir Rosado Brut (20-30 months lees ageing, 6 gr/l RS) - fine toast v raspberry aromas, oat cakes layered with crunchier red fruits, taught and snappy to finish. 89-91Tasted again June 2008: delicious strawberry and raspberry flavours, quite lush fruity and chocolate cakey actually; weighty rounded v crisp underlying bite running through it. Yum. 92
Brut Nature (Xarel.lo Macabeu Parellada 11.5%, 20 months) - fine elegant style with crisp, very dry mouth-feel v subtle coating of lightly toasty and honeyed fruit; refreshing long and tight finish. June 2008 89-91
Castillo Perelada http://www.castilloperelada.com/
2004 Gran Claustro Brut Nature (Pinot Noir Macabeu Chardonnay) – their top Cava and the only one still aged in Peralada's (different spelling in Catalan) old castle cellars on traditional racks: it doesn't say how long for in their brochure (a secret perhaps), but I'd guess at least 2 years lees ageing in bottle; so the 2004 is youthful at the moment. Complex toasty aromas supported by rich v citrus-tinged fruit; very tight, intense and dry palate with great length, lovely round texture v crisp bite. Needs a few years to blossom. February 2008. 92-94
Caves Carles Andreu http://www.cavandreu.com/
Tried and tested at Alimentaria Barcelona, March 2008:
Reserva Barrica Brut Nature (Macabeu Parellada Chardy 26 months lees ageing 12%) - quite oaky vanilla notes with fragrant white peach fruit underneath; honeysuckle flavours on a weighty rich palate, weirdly a bit cloying despite the fact that it's very dry and fresh on the finish! Different certainly, I do rather like it but it's not for everyone; drink with food, savoury or sweet even. 90+
Rosat Trepat Reserva Brut, Fermentat en Barrica (12%) - Whereas the above Cava was aged in oak for about 6 months after the first fermentation in stainless vats and before second fermentation in bottle (with me?); this one-off rosé was cold soaked with skins to pick up some colour, then fermented and left in new (untoasted) oak barrels with lees-stirring for three months, then underwent its second fermentation in bottle for 26 months on fine lees. Phew, complicated! Anyway, it shows Black Forest gateau and vanilla aromas, very rich and toasty on the palate, quite oaky yet fruity and yeasty too; on the sweeter side (13g/l residual sugar as opposed to 3g as above) but it has underlying crisp acidity (much higher than above according to the tech sheet). One of the wine world's oddball specimens, nevertheless it's very good. 90+
Cava Llopart http://www.llopart.es/
Integral Brut Nature (Parellada Chardonnay Macabeu, 11.5%, 18-24 months bottle ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - very fresh, floral & fruity aromas lead on to a lively palate lined with subtle chocolate nut v yeasty tanginess; refreshingly dry and mouth-watering finish.90+
2002 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 12%, approx. 4 years ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - richer and toastier showing attractive maturing fruit characters and biscuity coating v fresh and crisp intensity, fine and long finish. 92+
Microcosmos Rosé Brut Nature (85% Pinot Noir 15% Monastrell, 12%, 2½-3 years ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - fine perfumed red fruit and rose notes moving on to grilled black cherry and dark chocolate mouth-feel, again balanced by fresh intensity & fine acidity; delicious sparkling wine in fact. 93+
Ex-Vite Brut (Xarel.lo Macabeu 12%, 5 years ageing, 5 gr/l RS) - rich cakey nose showing oily baked oat cake flavours, lush coating but again has that trademark fresh acidity plus long and complex finish. 95
All four Cavas above were tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008, in Barcelona. Integral retails for about €9.50, the others are dearer: relative to their oozing supremacy, they still make equivalent quality Champagnes look very expensive.
Update summer 2010: here are the latest Llopart vintages and a "profile" following a daytrip in late June... Located in the "Alt Penedès" (in Catalan), the Can Llopart wine estate is indeed lost up in the hills a few kilometres south of Sant Sadurni (and about 45 minutes west of Barcelona, or two hours if you time it wrong traffic wise like I did) with vineyards planted from 370 to 420 metres altitude (1300 ft above sea level). The elegantly landscaped winery and old family villa lying a little higher up, surrounded by 85 ha (210 acres) of handsome terraced vineyards (planted with Catalan and French varieties), do make a pretty picture as you'll see from the sumptuous photos on their website (link at bottom. This peaceful spot has lovely views all around, and you quickly forget you're not that far from the not-so-pretty western side of Barcelona with its big airport, heavy industry, towering new development etc.
Llopart is still very much a family affair - they all appear to have a role whether office, cellar or vineyard - as I discovered in late June 2010 when tasting with Jesi Llopart i Llopart (the full family name) and soon met her brother and dad. There's a 14th Century Latin document displayed on the wall mentioning an ancestor (Leopardi, whose name's used for one of their Cava cuvées: see notes below) who was allocated some vineyards here; and they first made bottle-fermented wines in the late 19th Century. Fascinating stuff, I hear you say, but what are the wines like now? I first tried their Cava range back in 2008 and was very impressed, so it was good to have the opportunity to call in and taste them again in situ; confirming they really do give you quality and style (and hence the prices starting at €10 a bottle in Spain).
"We're now almost entirely certified organic," Jesi added, "but we've always only ever used sulphur and copper sulphate treatments (sanctioned by organic viticulture regs) in the vineyard." She continued: "We usually start picking in mid August, which is later than elsewhere in the region... the Cavas are aged from 18 months to five years on the lees, with an average of about three years (i.e. longer than most), and we shake up the lees half way through (adds extra flavour complexity)." Their Brut Nature styles (= "zero dosage"), which I'm particularly fond of if done well, are very dry and even the Brut Cavas have half as much residual sugar (RS) as many producers' (and Champagnes too, by the way). US importer Fine Estates from Spain in Massachusetts lists the Leopardi and rosé; and some of their wines are available in Belgium, Germany and Japan (but not the UK at the moment unfortunately).
2009 Vitis (Xarel.lo, Subirat Parent, Muscat 12% alc.) - juicy lees-tinged and aromatic with banana and grape notes; turning to greener fruit edges with crisp juicy and gummy mouth-feel, quite zingy finish although not so dry. 80+
2009 Clos dels Fossils (mostly Chardonnay + Xarel.lo 12.5% alc.) - very light creamy oak vs peachy and slightly exotic fruit; zesty and crisp with subtle lees notes, refreshing and quite elegant finish.85+
2007 Cava Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 11.5% alc., 2 g/l RS, 2+ years lees-ageing) - subtle toasted oat cake vs aniseed notes; clean crisp and intense palate with attractive subtle acidity, turns a touch toastier and richer to finish vs crisp and very refreshing. 89+
2004 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 12% alc., 4+ years, 2 g/l RS) - enticingly toasty oily nose, richer and "sweeter" profile than above (although not sweet) vs still very crisp vs oily finish; has more flavour perhaps but somehow a bit flatter too in the end, lacks the poise of some of the others. 89+?
2005 Imperial Gran Reserva Brut (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 3.5+ years, 5 g/l RS) - pretty toasty with fruit cake and chocolate aromas/flavours vs fine and intense with refreshing acidity; quite mouth-coating and textured yet still surprisingly nimble with only 11.5% alc. Nice balance and class. 90+
2004 Ex-Vite Gran Reserva Brut (old vine Xarel.lo & Macabeu, 12% alc., 5+ years incl. some barrel ageing and reserve wines, 6 g/l RS) - rich and creamy nose and palate, oily and rounded with yeasty bite and again fresh acid underneath; delicious oat cake and chocolate finish vs elegant cut, wow. A foodie Cava: dessert or main course even I'd say! 94
2006 Microcosmos Reserva Rosé Brut Nature (85% Pinot Noir 15% Monastrell, 12% alc., 2+ years, 2 g/l RS) - attractive mix of yeasty intensity, ripe red fruit cocktail and cherry cake; tight crisp mouth-feel with light red fruit bitter twist, long and lively finish. Delicious. 92+
2007 Rosé Brut (Monastrell Garnacha Pinot Noir, 11.5% alc., 18+ months, 7 g/l RS) - lovely fruity style, a tad sweeter than above although still lively and quite crisp; nice strawberry and oat biscuit to finish vs intense and refreshing. 89+
2006 Castell de Subirats Tinto Selección (Merlot, Ull de Llebre =Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% alc.) - touches of coconut and vanilla oak on the nose vs maturing savoury notes, smoky vs cassis and soy sauce too on the palate; fairly concentrated and soft textured vs a bit of grip with nice balance; attractive style with "sweet/savoury" finish and underlying oomph too. 88+
Integral Brut Nature (Parellada Chardonnay Macabeu, 11.5%, 18-24 months bottle ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - very fresh, floral & fruity aromas lead on to a lively palate lined with subtle chocolate nut v yeasty tanginess; refreshingly dry and mouth-watering finish.90+
2002 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 12%, approx. 4 years ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - richer and toastier showing attractive maturing fruit characters and biscuity coating v fresh and crisp intensity, fine and long finish. 92+
Microcosmos Rosé Brut Nature (85% Pinot Noir 15% Monastrell, 12%, 2½-3 years ageing, 2 gr/l RS) - fine perfumed red fruit and rose notes moving on to grilled black cherry and dark chocolate mouth-feel, again balanced by fresh intensity & fine acidity; delicious sparkling wine in fact. 93+
Ex-Vite Brut (Xarel.lo Macabeu 12%, 5 years ageing, 5 gr/l RS) - rich cakey nose showing oily baked oat cake flavours, lush coating but again has that trademark fresh acidity plus long and complex finish. 95
All four Cavas above were tasted at Alimentaria, March 2008, in Barcelona. Integral retails for about €9.50, the others are dearer: relative to their oozing supremacy, they still make equivalent quality Champagnes look very expensive.
Update summer 2010: here are the latest Llopart vintages and a "profile" following a daytrip in late June... Located in the "Alt Penedès" (in Catalan), the Can Llopart wine estate is indeed lost up in the hills a few kilometres south of Sant Sadurni (and about 45 minutes west of Barcelona, or two hours if you time it wrong traffic wise like I did) with vineyards planted from 370 to 420 metres altitude (1300 ft above sea level). The elegantly landscaped winery and old family villa lying a little higher up, surrounded by 85 ha (210 acres) of handsome terraced vineyards (planted with Catalan and French varieties), do make a pretty picture as you'll see from the sumptuous photos on their website (link at bottom. This peaceful spot has lovely views all around, and you quickly forget you're not that far from the not-so-pretty western side of Barcelona with its big airport, heavy industry, towering new development etc.
Llopart is still very much a family affair - they all appear to have a role whether office, cellar or vineyard - as I discovered in late June 2010 when tasting with Jesi Llopart i Llopart (the full family name) and soon met her brother and dad. There's a 14th Century Latin document displayed on the wall mentioning an ancestor (Leopardi, whose name's used for one of their Cava cuvées: see notes below) who was allocated some vineyards here; and they first made bottle-fermented wines in the late 19th Century. Fascinating stuff, I hear you say, but what are the wines like now? I first tried their Cava range back in 2008 and was very impressed, so it was good to have the opportunity to call in and taste them again in situ; confirming they really do give you quality and style (and hence the prices starting at €10 a bottle in Spain).
"We're now almost entirely certified organic," Jesi added, "but we've always only ever used sulphur and copper sulphate treatments (sanctioned by organic viticulture regs) in the vineyard." She continued: "We usually start picking in mid August, which is later than elsewhere in the region... the Cavas are aged from 18 months to five years on the lees, with an average of about three years (i.e. longer than most), and we shake up the lees half way through (adds extra flavour complexity)." Their Brut Nature styles (= "zero dosage"), which I'm particularly fond of if done well, are very dry and even the Brut Cavas have half as much residual sugar (RS) as many producers' (and Champagnes too, by the way). US importer Fine Estates from Spain in Massachusetts lists the Leopardi and rosé; and some of their wines are available in Belgium, Germany and Japan (but not the UK at the moment unfortunately).
2009 Vitis (Xarel.lo, Subirat Parent, Muscat 12% alc.) - juicy lees-tinged and aromatic with banana and grape notes; turning to greener fruit edges with crisp juicy and gummy mouth-feel, quite zingy finish although not so dry. 80+
2009 Clos dels Fossils (mostly Chardonnay + Xarel.lo 12.5% alc.) - very light creamy oak vs peachy and slightly exotic fruit; zesty and crisp with subtle lees notes, refreshing and quite elegant finish.85+
2007 Cava Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 11.5% alc., 2 g/l RS, 2+ years lees-ageing) - subtle toasted oat cake vs aniseed notes; clean crisp and intense palate with attractive subtle acidity, turns a touch toastier and richer to finish vs crisp and very refreshing. 89+
2004 Leopardi Gran Reserva Brut Nature (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada Chardonnay, 12% alc., 4+ years, 2 g/l RS) - enticingly toasty oily nose, richer and "sweeter" profile than above (although not sweet) vs still very crisp vs oily finish; has more flavour perhaps but somehow a bit flatter too in the end, lacks the poise of some of the others. 89+?
2005 Imperial Gran Reserva Brut (Macabeu Xarel.lo Parellada, 3.5+ years, 5 g/l RS) - pretty toasty with fruit cake and chocolate aromas/flavours vs fine and intense with refreshing acidity; quite mouth-coating and textured yet still surprisingly nimble with only 11.5% alc. Nice balance and class. 90+
2004 Ex-Vite Gran Reserva Brut (old vine Xarel.lo & Macabeu, 12% alc., 5+ years incl. some barrel ageing and reserve wines, 6 g/l RS) - rich and creamy nose and palate, oily and rounded with yeasty bite and again fresh acid underneath; delicious oat cake and chocolate finish vs elegant cut, wow. A foodie Cava: dessert or main course even I'd say! 94
2006 Microcosmos Reserva Rosé Brut Nature (85% Pinot Noir 15% Monastrell, 12% alc., 2+ years, 2 g/l RS) - attractive mix of yeasty intensity, ripe red fruit cocktail and cherry cake; tight crisp mouth-feel with light red fruit bitter twist, long and lively finish. Delicious. 92+
2007 Rosé Brut (Monastrell Garnacha Pinot Noir, 11.5% alc., 18+ months, 7 g/l RS) - lovely fruity style, a tad sweeter than above although still lively and quite crisp; nice strawberry and oat biscuit to finish vs intense and refreshing. 89+
2006 Castell de Subirats Tinto Selección (Merlot, Ull de Llebre =Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon 13.5% alc.) - touches of coconut and vanilla oak on the nose vs maturing savoury notes, smoky vs cassis and soy sauce too on the palate; fairly concentrated and soft textured vs a bit of grip with nice balance; attractive style with "sweet/savoury" finish and underlying oomph too. 88+
MORE BUBBLY CATALAN BOTTLES ADDED AS AND WHEN I DISCOVER THEM!
And you'll find more here too: Wines of the moment 2005 - 2010
Undiscovered Spain: Castilla y León
WINES (words below...)
Bodegas y Viñedos Pilcar - Cigales
2008 Carredueñas rosado (Tempranillo 13%) - tasty and creamy red fruit cocktail vs fresh tangy twist, very pleasant and gluggable. 83-85
2005 Viña Concejo (Tempranillo) - quite coconut and vanilla oaky but beginning to show some nice maturing smoky fruit and underlying lively raspberry and black cherry; firm dry texture yet with attractive rounded edges so not overpowering on the finish.
Second bottle (there was a little confusion over the vintage so I'm not sure if this was actually the 2005 and the above 2006? Either way, they didn't taste the same to me although this one might have been open longer) - less oaky and more interesting with smoky vs herbal fruit; seems more concentrated and tighter on the palate yet with 'sweeter' texture and perhaps more elegant finish. 87+
1999 Reserva - soft and mature with 'sweet' dried fruit vs 'savoury' meaty notes; the oak has totally melted into the wine so rounds off its texture nicely, elegant and complex and mature now really. Good with the tender beef cheeks (much nicer than it sounds). 89+
2008 Carredueñas rosado (Tempranillo 13%) - tasty and creamy red fruit cocktail vs fresh tangy twist, very pleasant and gluggable. 83-85
2005 Viña Concejo (Tempranillo) - quite coconut and vanilla oaky but beginning to show some nice maturing smoky fruit and underlying lively raspberry and black cherry; firm dry texture yet with attractive rounded edges so not overpowering on the finish.
Second bottle (there was a little confusion over the vintage so I'm not sure if this was actually the 2005 and the above 2006? Either way, they didn't taste the same to me although this one might have been open longer) - less oaky and more interesting with smoky vs herbal fruit; seems more concentrated and tighter on the palate yet with 'sweeter' texture and perhaps more elegant finish. 87+
1999 Reserva - soft and mature with 'sweet' dried fruit vs 'savoury' meaty notes; the oak has totally melted into the wine so rounds off its texture nicely, elegant and complex and mature now really. Good with the tender beef cheeks (much nicer than it sounds). 89+
La Setera - Arribes del Duero
2008 La Setera white (100% Malvasía 13%) - floral aromatic and nutty, nice yeast-lees edges with quite rich honeyed notes too; steely and lemony with yeasty tones adding a bit of wild complexity, zesty vs oily texture; juicy mineral finish vs a tad of concentration and weight. Absolute bargain at €3. 87+
2007 La Setera red (100% Juan Garcia 13%) - peppery, youthful black cherry fruit with lightly smoky edges; vibrant mouthfeel with lightly leafy vs liquorice side, again fresh acidity with dry texture and cherry fruit, touch of weight too. 85+
2006 La Setera red (100% Juan Garcia 14%) - leafier nose yet with maturing tobacco and baked cherry edges too; pretty firm and dry vs again that refreshing bite, a tad more % weight and more structured vs good depth of fruit, although perhaps a little harder too. A touch schizophrenic but certainly has presence. 87
2005 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 14.5%) - very rich colour, intriguing mix of lightly spicy oak and earthy, smoky, meaty edges; pretty powerful, extracted and grainy which is a pity as it's also quite lush with 'gravy' vs dark cherry flavours. Bit clumsy in the end but interesting. 85+
2004 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 14.5%) - seductive rich and slightly rustic nose with black fruits and cassis undertones; lush liquorice and tobacco flavours and coating of tannins vs tangier fresher side, chunky although balanced finish. 88+
2003 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 15%) - much more mature with meaty tones yet still quite perfumed minty and cherry-ish; attractive 'sweet' fruit and richness with leather notes, dry grip but not over the top or cooked; still has a touch of underlying freshness to offset its fairly big and punchy nature, lovely mature liquorice fruit vs wild herbs and lively tannins. 88
"2007" La Setera 'Special Selection' red (Touriga Nacional from 25 year old vines in Portugal, 8 months in French oak, 13.5%) - very floral with violets, dark plums and cassis underlined by subtle coconut spiced oak; delicious flavoursome and ripe vs slightly savoury fruit, firm yet rounded texture; quite concentrated and tasty finish with good balance tannins vs fruit, freshness vs power. Pretty delicious actually: get planting TN in Arribes! 90+
La Setera 'natural sweet wine' - tried a spot of this after lunch, it's made from "raisined" Merlot grapes i.e. shrivelled and dried out on the vine. I didn't write a note but it was unusual and very nice!
Bodega Viñas del Cénit - Tierra del Vino de Zamora
2006 Venta Mazarrón (Tempranillo from 25 year-old vines, 8 months in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels, 14.5%) - quite chocolatey oak on the nose with spicy berry fruit underneath; 'sweet' vs dry textured, a bit too toasted / charred on the finish.
2006 Demora (Tempranillo "old vines," 18 months in 50-50 new and 2nd fill barrels, 14.5%) - quite a bit of vanilla on the nose and palate again; more structured though with greater depth of 'sweet' berry fruit, gripping coating of grainy textured tannins; perhaps has better balance despite its power, but still not sure about that oak.
Cenit - "older vines" still, all around 14-15%+ alc. with 24 months in barrel including malo-lactic fermentation (the 'second' after, although sometimes at the same time as, the alcoholic fermentation) and lees-stirring. In the last 6 months of ageing, 20% of the wine goes into more, high-toast new barrels; then some of it is selected, blended and put into yet more barrels! At least, I think so... all that barrel talk got a bit confusing.
2006 - again rather charred chocy oak dominates, it's pretty concentrated and chunky though with very firm yet attractive texture; not sure what the fruit potential is as it's rather swamped in toasty oak.
2005 - further vanilla notes but there's some richer sweeter fruit emerging; less grippy tannins although still structured and chunky with quite punchy alcohol vs lush backdrop of oak / probably fruit, lingering vanilla flavours although not unattractive.
2004 - grainy cedary oak, again this is concentrated with that 'sweet' vs dry coating and underlining power; good depth on the finish with the oak fading out a bit, leaving a nicely textured 'sweet & sour' finish, some weight and darker fruit too.
2005 Cenit VDC = Viñas del Cenit (or "DB wine", its macho nickname: work it out from the initials!) - even more oak really, chunky and intense but what a waste of the best fruit!
2008 La Setera white (100% Malvasía 13%) - floral aromatic and nutty, nice yeast-lees edges with quite rich honeyed notes too; steely and lemony with yeasty tones adding a bit of wild complexity, zesty vs oily texture; juicy mineral finish vs a tad of concentration and weight. Absolute bargain at €3. 87+
2007 La Setera red (100% Juan Garcia 13%) - peppery, youthful black cherry fruit with lightly smoky edges; vibrant mouthfeel with lightly leafy vs liquorice side, again fresh acidity with dry texture and cherry fruit, touch of weight too. 85+
2006 La Setera red (100% Juan Garcia 14%) - leafier nose yet with maturing tobacco and baked cherry edges too; pretty firm and dry vs again that refreshing bite, a tad more % weight and more structured vs good depth of fruit, although perhaps a little harder too. A touch schizophrenic but certainly has presence. 87
2005 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 14.5%) - very rich colour, intriguing mix of lightly spicy oak and earthy, smoky, meaty edges; pretty powerful, extracted and grainy which is a pity as it's also quite lush with 'gravy' vs dark cherry flavours. Bit clumsy in the end but interesting. 85+
2004 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 14.5%) - seductive rich and slightly rustic nose with black fruits and cassis undertones; lush liquorice and tobacco flavours and coating of tannins vs tangier fresher side, chunky although balanced finish. 88+
2003 La Setera Crianza (100% Juan Garcia 15%) - much more mature with meaty tones yet still quite perfumed minty and cherry-ish; attractive 'sweet' fruit and richness with leather notes, dry grip but not over the top or cooked; still has a touch of underlying freshness to offset its fairly big and punchy nature, lovely mature liquorice fruit vs wild herbs and lively tannins. 88
"2007" La Setera 'Special Selection' red (Touriga Nacional from 25 year old vines in Portugal, 8 months in French oak, 13.5%) - very floral with violets, dark plums and cassis underlined by subtle coconut spiced oak; delicious flavoursome and ripe vs slightly savoury fruit, firm yet rounded texture; quite concentrated and tasty finish with good balance tannins vs fruit, freshness vs power. Pretty delicious actually: get planting TN in Arribes! 90+
La Setera 'natural sweet wine' - tried a spot of this after lunch, it's made from "raisined" Merlot grapes i.e. shrivelled and dried out on the vine. I didn't write a note but it was unusual and very nice!
 |
| "Old desert vines @ Viñas del Cenit" by Brett Jones |
Bodega Viñas del Cénit - Tierra del Vino de Zamora
2006 Venta Mazarrón (Tempranillo from 25 year-old vines, 8 months in 2nd and 3rd fill barrels, 14.5%) - quite chocolatey oak on the nose with spicy berry fruit underneath; 'sweet' vs dry textured, a bit too toasted / charred on the finish.
2006 Demora (Tempranillo "old vines," 18 months in 50-50 new and 2nd fill barrels, 14.5%) - quite a bit of vanilla on the nose and palate again; more structured though with greater depth of 'sweet' berry fruit, gripping coating of grainy textured tannins; perhaps has better balance despite its power, but still not sure about that oak.
Cenit - "older vines" still, all around 14-15%+ alc. with 24 months in barrel including malo-lactic fermentation (the 'second' after, although sometimes at the same time as, the alcoholic fermentation) and lees-stirring. In the last 6 months of ageing, 20% of the wine goes into more, high-toast new barrels; then some of it is selected, blended and put into yet more barrels! At least, I think so... all that barrel talk got a bit confusing.
2006 - again rather charred chocy oak dominates, it's pretty concentrated and chunky though with very firm yet attractive texture; not sure what the fruit potential is as it's rather swamped in toasty oak.
2005 - further vanilla notes but there's some richer sweeter fruit emerging; less grippy tannins although still structured and chunky with quite punchy alcohol vs lush backdrop of oak / probably fruit, lingering vanilla flavours although not unattractive.
2004 - grainy cedary oak, again this is concentrated with that 'sweet' vs dry coating and underlining power; good depth on the finish with the oak fading out a bit, leaving a nicely textured 'sweet & sour' finish, some weight and darker fruit too.
2005 Cenit VDC = Viñas del Cenit (or "DB wine", its macho nickname: work it out from the initials!) - even more oak really, chunky and intense but what a waste of the best fruit!
Bodega Viñas Zamoranas - Tierra del Vino de Zamora
2005 Novo (Tempranillo 14.5%) - very light coconut spice and maturing savoury notes; spicy dried berry mouthful, rather dry tannins and bite with a kick of alcohol; there's also a touch of sweetness vs firm framework, a bit lacking on the finish. 80
2004 Tresántos (Tinto de Toro 14.5%) - smoky / rustic aromas but not too, with developing tobacco vs cooked tomato tones; more liquorice like and lusher 'sweeter' on the palate vs meaty flavours too, rather firm and solid mouthfeel vs a richer gutsier side, punchy and dry. More character even if old-fashioned, the tannins are a bit aggressive and rustic on the finish. 83-85
2004 Los Zorros - even funkier (barrel problem?) but it's minty too; however, it's quite rich and lush-textured vs again very solid extracted tannins, gutsy with underlying sweet smoky flavours; it shows fair depth and is livelier and less soupy than above although still rather rustic in style. €6 ex-cellars. 85-87
2007 Viña Malva white (Verdejo 13%) - still quite zingy vs oily textured, attractive zesty appley flavours vs fatter honeyed side. 85
2004 Tresántos Vendímía Seleccionada (14.5%) - similar profile to the above reds, smoky with richer fruit then punchy cidery finish; a bit out of kilter and baked, but it cut nicely through the lamb at dinner. 85
Bodegas Otero - Valles de Benavente
2008 Rosado (Prieto Picudo & Tempranillo) - attractive juicy gummy red fruits with perfumed rose petal notes; a tad of creamy weight vs nice fresh finish. 83-85
2007 - fatter and creamier / oilier with ripe strawberry flavours, again still quite crisp vs weightier finish; tastier now but drink it up soon. 85
2008 Rosado (100% Prieto Picudo) - floral and fruity nose, finer style with fresh leaner structure and a bit more oomph (13.5%); tight at first with more elegant red fruits unrolling as it opens up, attractive style.85+
2006 Otero Crianza (Prieto Picudo 14%) - light coconut dusting plus a nice touch of smoke (or "bretty" farmyard notes perhaps?) and ripe resiny fruit / liquorice; quite but not very firm with good weight vs smoky 'tarry' fruit. Needs 6 to 12 months yet approachable now. 85-87
2005 - smoky cheesy development vs underlying herbal berry fruit; more baked on the palate vs firmer texture, perhaps richer yet has tougher tannins although fair concentration too, and is still quite tight on the finish. 85+
2004 - deeper colour with toasted coffee vs savoury notes, minty vs dark berries; similarly smoky, nice and lush on a firm framework, lovely ripeness and dark fruit with coffee edges, dry vs savoury finish. 89+
2007 Joven (Prieto Picudo & Tempranillo) - quirky minty blueberry and cassis aromas; quite rich and coffee-ish vs a bit of grip and chunky fruit. 85+
2008 Verdejo - clean, zesty, grassy citrus style; turning oilier on the palate. Good with their tasty queso de ovejo (ewes' milk cheese). 80+
1970 Rosado - the vintage is correct! Julio dug this out of a personal dusty stash shoved in a corner of the cellar by his grandfather, I think. Surprisingly alive, a kind of dry Amontillado / red wine ageing profile; rounded and oily with nutty oxidised notes yet still a bit of fruit underneath.
Bodegas y Viñedos Agribergidum - Bierzo
2008 Castro Bergidum white (Godello 13%) - honeyed vs green edges with a bit of yeast-lees weight and cream then mineral bite; rounded and quite full countered by juicy green finish, nice style. UK: Tesco wine club in a mixed case. 85+
2008 Castro Bergidum rosado (Mencía 13.5%) - deep colour with perfumed cherry and raspberry 'boiled sweet' aromas; spicy crunchy and tart vs quite powerful weighty and rounded, juicy zesty and quite long.85-87
2007 Castro Bergidum red (Mencía 13.5%) - violet and pepper aromas vs smoky 'tarry' meaty edges; pretty chunky 'sweet' blueberry vs nice tannins and fresh bite, vibrant fruit vs firm finish. 87+
2007 Spanish Steps red (Mencía 13%) - similar to above although funkier and more peppery; quite smoky and lush vs leafy edges, similar finish with perhaps rounder mouthfeel. Tesco wine club mixed case.87+
2005 Encomiencia red crianza (Mencía 14%) - a touch of dusty vanilla oak on the nose; however, it has concentrated palate with rounded tannins, nice rich fruit vs again those leafy edges and beginning to show a touch of tobacco too; stocky and firm but not drying, punchy and peppery vs 'sweet & savoury' finish. 89-91
2008 Odorus white (Godello 13%) - despite the name this isn't smelly at all showing touches of yeast-lees complexity; more intense than the white above (from older vines apparently), concentrated oily and exotic vs crisp and green, elegant vs weighty. Very nice. 89
Bodegas Margón - Tierra de León
2007 Pricum Albarín Barrica (13.5%) - aged on the lees for 8 months in large wooden vats. Creamy toasted nose with aromatic peachy fruit; quite toasty palate yet has nice green fruit freshness, a tad of yeast-lees creaminess and nutty development; attractive weight vs quite crisp acidity on the finish. Its character was perhaps a bit swamped by the oak at first but it opened up nicely over lunch - see opposite for more comments. €6.50 ex-cellars. 85+ at first later readjusted to 87+
2007 white (from cask - selected parcels of Albarín, more wood) - more buttery with toasted hazelnuts yet still has nice floral freshness and apricot fruit underneath; tight and mineral mouthfeel vs toasty and fat. Not entirely sure at the moment, needs 6 to 12 months to express itself (and hopefully not any longer in oak). 87+
2007 Pricum rosado (Prieto Picudo 13.5%) - partially wood-vat fermented. Very deep colour, a bit baked / oxidised and lacking aromatic fresh fruit; however, this unusual rosé has great texture and weight, fascinating style although not for everyone. 85-87
2008 rosado from tank - livelier cherry and raspberry fruit and zesty aromatics; still pretty stocky and dry textured with nice zippy finish. Bottle it now! €10 87+
2007 Pricum Prieto Picudo (14%) - quite a bit of rubbery smoky oak but also has attractive floral cherry fruit lurking in there somewhere; rather charred texture although again some refreshing bite underneath, not too grippy tannins considering it had a very long maceration. Should perhaps knit together better over time, tricky to say now how it will develop thanks to that oak: see notes opposite over lunch. 87+?
2007 Prieto Picudo single parcel (from barrel) - quite vanilla oaky but with greater depth of fruit, rounder v dry bite.
2007 Prieto Picudo different parcel, sandy soil (from barrel) - smoked bacon oak, some sweet fruit but...
2008 Late Picked Verdejo (from barrel) - picked in December in the snow so an ice wine style! Citrus and grapey aromatic nose and mouthfeel vs quite lush and sweet although not very; creamy edges vs very fresh bite, promising oddity. Was about 14% when I tried it but still fermenting very slowly, maybe around 10% unfermented sugar although doesn't taste like it! He only made 3 casks from 3 to 4 ha carefully selected from very old vines.
WORDS
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| "Saucy winery fresco @ Zamoranas" by Brett Jones: see text below. |
The vast evocative Castilla & León region, which lies roughly between Madrid and the north coast stretching almost from Rioja across to Galicia and Portugal, isn't exactly "undiscovered," for Spanish wine lovers at least. Hip Ribera del Duero needs little introduction and other areas such as Toro (for reds) and Rueda (for whites), which are found to the east, south and west of Valladolid, appear to have gained some ground in the recognition stakes in the UK and US. But on this winery tour, we travelled resolutely west of that charming small city taking in Cénit and Zamoranas in the new-ish DO (Denominación de Origén) of Tierra del Vino de Zamora, and La Setera in Arribes del Duero a stone's throw from the Portuguese border; then north to see Otero in the fledgling appellation of Valles de Benavente, Margón in Tierra de León on the way to that fine eponymous city and further northwest still to theBierzo region and home to Latin-tinged Agribergidum.
Having said that, the first visit was to Bodegas Pilcar in the slightly better known (but not much) appellation of Cigales, which snuggles on Valladolid's northern side and so is the closest wine region to explore if you're staying there. My train from Madrid arrived after the group had left for a tour of their cellar, but I met them later with Enrique Concejo from Pilcar at Restaurante Los Zagales de la Abadia in the old town, where I tried Enrique's wines while relishing a rather tasty array of dishes (see notes opposite).
Arribes del Duero or Arribes for short - actually now the DO's official name as apparently they were bullied by Ribera del Duero to drop the latter bit, which is ridiculous since it's the name of the river that flows through both of them! - caresses the frontier with Portugal whereDuero turns into Douro. The landscape around La Setera is like wild dry moorland reminiscent of Ireland or Dartmoor without the water. I got to know Juan Garcia here, the John Smith of grape varieties by name perhaps but nowhere near as common. You mostly only find it around here, and it's the majority red variety planted in Sara Groves-Raines (originally from Northern Ireland I think) and her husband Patxi Martinez's seven hectares of vineyard (17 acres); along with Rufete, Bastardo (also seen over the border) and a Tempranillo 'clone' called Tinto de Madrid. As for whites, there's a little Malvasía, Verdejo and Albillo (I'd never heard of it either, nothing to do with Albariño from further north).
Despite backbreakingly low yields (about 2000-2500 kg of grapes per ha, to throw in a bit of geeky info), La Setera's wines are reasonably priced at €3 to €10 across their range. Sara and Patxi also make a few different (soft white, hard pressed and blue) wonderful goats' and ewes' milk cheeses, which we sampled at lunchtime at the very memorable (food and setting) restaurant & hotel Posada de Doña Urraca in Fermoselle. They said they sell about 30% of this cheese from the farm gate - the 'cheesery' is across the yard from their very compact and bijou 'winery' - which is surprising that many people manage to find the place at all! Outside of Spain: RDM Wines in Wales will soon be stocking their wines, Pamisa in Switzerland and Bernhard Kistler in Germany.
Back at the Posada, who cure their own "acorn-fed Iberian Black Pig" ham by the way (which was utterly delicious needless to say), we werefilled in with a bit of detail during a tutored tasting. The key terroir features in this neck of the woods are altitude (vineyards planted at 700 to 1000m, over 3000 feet), the river influence in a "continental / Mediterranean" climate, 350-400mm rainfall (i.e. not much but higher than in the south but lower than further north) and granite / slate soils. Total area under vine is 750 ha, 80% of it your main man Juan Garcia (good to see they're championing this rather than the same old same old varieties) with an increasing amount of Bruñal (red). They appear keen to trial Touriga Nacional from across the border, which looks very promising judging by the "experimental, doesn't really exist" 2007 red noted opposite! Out of the region's 634 growers, the majority are members of five co-ops with 14 wineries in total.
Heading back east a little towards Zamora took us into another recently created and, from my point of view, uncharted appellation: Tierra del Vino de Zamora, logically enough. Bodegas Viñas del Cénit's winery is located in the middle of nowhere, down a dusty dirt track and slightly up a hill. The winemaker took us to see some very old, gnarled vines nearby in one of the most extraordinary vineyards I've ever seen (pic. above). We're talking sandy: it was like walking on a sloping high-altitude (750m = 2500 feet above sea level) beach, planted with super old Tempranillo (allegedly 250 years...the vineyard perhaps but the vines? Anyway, obviously pre-phylloxera for sure).
He quipped that "wine from the 50 year-old vines goes into the joven ('young wine')," which rather eclipses what some winemakers from certain countries claim on their labels. His wines are sold in the US, Switzerland, Germany and Belgium, by the way (more info on distribution from AV+ Madrid); which may or may not explain his fondness for oak - see my notes. Such a pity, as I could see what rich complex vibrant fruit there was underneath... his defence or explanation was frank enough though: "I started using less new oak, and lower toast, in 2006. Originally we were targeting the US entirely, but then I wanted to change the style."
We stayed the night at the astounding Hotel El Convento half-an-hour away, which is a mecca of sumptuous kitsch and high-quality camp. Room after room full of immense 'old-school' or neoclassical paintings, hefty intricate furniture, more voluminous chandeliers than in a chandelier factory, the odd smattering of slightly incongruous deco pieces and a gilded red / blue / yellow colour scheme to die for. Highly recommended indeed. The whole place was rebuilt in 1943 retaining the original architecture and is owned by the same person who ownsBodega Viñas Zamoranas, which is located alongside the hotel, restaurant and spa complex. The winery is full of surprises too, which actually used to be a disco and has a strange saucy fresco painted on the roof in "astrology on ecstasy" mode (pic. at top).
They only buy grapes, i.e. don't own any vineyards, from two DOs, Toro and Zamora obviously (the latter terrain mostly at altitude overlooking the Duero with 60-100 year-old vines), which are overseen and transformed by two consultant winemakers (both women in fact, like all the winery staff). Apart from that magnificent ceiling, it's a pretty typical cellar equipment-wise etc. although they do have 500 barrels (not sure if that's impressive or not). My tasting notes are across the page; followed by dinner in the hotel's suitably enormous Mediaeval-style banqueting hall decked out with stained-glass windows.
Next stop: Bodegas Otero in Benavente, which lies roughly half-way between Zamora and León and in the heart of a fledgling appellation called Valles de Benavente. I use the generic "appellation" as this area isn't a D.O and, by the sound of it, they don't really want to be. So good for them, I say, as does it really matter? Boss Julio Otero López (pic. below) explained further: "we think the quality is already there so we don't need it, and it costs a lot of money (implying into the Junta's coffers and other regional bodies) with more controls and admin. There are only six wineries anyway." Producers here decided to nurture their local red varieties Prieto (= tight or dark) Picudo (= pineapple-shaped, pointy) and Mencía.
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| "Julio Otero digs out a dusty 1970 rosé, much to RMJ's amazement..." by Brett Jones. |
"Vineyards have halved from around 5000 ha," Julio continued, "as we pulled up several old mixed vineyards but have replanted (the latter) as well as added Tempranillo, Cabernet and Merlot." Otero owns 43 ha (106 acres) and buys grapes from contracted growers depending on the year. I'm told Prieto Picudo is a tricky one to master as it can grow in all directions: old-vine stock in small spaced-out bushes and new plantings in narrower rows. For budding scientists among you, there are two clones: one with small berries and the other one's are olive-shaped, but "they're virtually the same generically... We sell mostly rosé locally, this grape is good for that (I can vouch for this, see opposite)." Otero's main export markets are the US and Germany.
A 100+ km drive northwest brought us to the town of Ponferrada on the edge of the Bierzo wine region in León province, and with it a change in backdrop (greener, rockier) and air (it felt more mountain-like). Not far from here you'll find the astonishing Las Medulas World Heritage site, where a vast surreal red & yellow sandstone landscape bears witness to the Romans' (ah, there I go mentioning them again!) ruthlessly efficient, and dangerous, mining techniques. The melting water-canoned hillside has been hypnotically scarred leaving behind a panorama of Martian rock formations. It's an attractively steep, calorie-burning walk up to the site and there are a few hiking paths going off in different directions from here.
Victor Arroyo Alba at nearby Bodegas y Viñedos Agribergidum has been working with Nick Oakley Wines in the UK to create some exciting new wines (see opposite). Although Bierzo remains a little obscure, Victor's operation has been going for over 20 years and he built a new winery in Pieros-Cacabelos in 2002. Their 65 ha (160 acres) are sown mostly with the Mencía variety (they make 80% red and a tiny bit of rosé) and Godello, a high-quality white grape rather than nephew of a prehistoric movie monster. Victor told us that "Mencía might be related to Cabernet Franc or might be from Italy originally," which adds up looking at my tasting notes. He's also experimenting with a Brut Natural (completely dry) Cava-style sparkling wine made from Godello, which with, at that point, eight months bottle-ageing on the lees was showing potential.
A good trek eastwards across open swathes of quite dry yet green, gently rolling yet deceptively flat-looking land, brought us to Bodegas Margón and yet another new winery building in the middle of nowhere. Like much of this whole plateau-ed region, you soon lose your sense of altitude as the vineyards here actually lie at 700 to 800m (2500 feet) above sea level. Margón is owned by two wealthy wine-enthusiast families, the González and Martínez who employ Raúl Pérez Pereira as consultant winemaker, apparently one of Spain's leading white wine specialists which makes sense looking at their well-crafted whites. They have 25 ha (62 acres) spread around the village, mostly planted with Prieto Picudo and Albarín in deep clay soils with sand and pebbles and close to the, as I said, 'flat-looking' ground. The weather can be quite extreme here with wind, low rainfall and stark hot / cold contrasts: I was told even in summer it can go from 35°C in the afternoon to 5 at night! Read on for further comments...
And finally on to León for lunch at Restaurante Imprenta Casado on Thursday 19 March (c/ Varillas 3; tel: +34 987218235). This particular section below was written for the Circle of Wine Writers' Update e-zine, so please forgive its slightly "lovey" nature...
"When asked to “write up the lunch” on one of these trips, I’m only too conscious that any epicurean words can quickly translate into a profound yawn for the reader who wasn’t there (“yet another nice pork-out… we were and you weren’t, nerr nerdy nerr nerr”). So, here goes nothing. A bit of context first perhaps: we’d just visited Margón (whose wines we put to the food-test over lunch) and, in sheer contrast to this lively eatery set in the hub of old-town León, one of their isolated vineyards with its weird abandoned lunar vista planted with up to 100 year-old Prieto Picudo, literally all over the show as is its penchant.
A very brief feel for the historic city of León was had strolling to our restaurant destination, somewhere I’d definitely like to come back to and delve deeper into. The most striking building en route was one of the most impressive, slightly Disney-styled banks I’ve ever seen. Trip captain and Spanish maestro John Radford reliably informed me designed by Gaudí but retaining ye olde Castilian touches, such as castle slate-roofed turrets and plenty of stone-cladding. We occupied the downstairs red-brick cellar in Imprenta Casado and soon got stuck into the hors d’oeuvre tapas and a glass of Margon’s 2007 white. I immediately questioned whether this was the same wine we’d tasted back in their cellar, called ‘Barrica’ which I thought was on the label but not on this bottle? It just seemed much more open showing better balance of toast v citrus fruit; and slowly over lunch just got better and better with its fresh citrus edges v oily buttery texture. A food thing I guess.
Anyway, a few inevitably massive plates of tasty cured meats were duly delivered as a warm-up. A pleasant surprise this time after a lot of ham consumed on the trip (how good are the Spanish at pig in all its guises): ‘Cecina de León,’ a delicious smoky melt-in-the-mouth beef speciality. It’s actually tongue cured for about one year, our host Marcos thought (as opposed to c. 3 years for top ‘jamón iberica’), although “not too tonguey” as fellow traveller Quentin Sadler said, spot-on. Tasted like a kind of refined corned beef although much leaner. Again their white wine charmed its way in there but the oaky red was too toasty with this dish.
Margon’s white continued to really come into its own, not surprisingly, with the plumped-up mussels (not very Med-looking) in a spicy tomato sauce, with its lemony tang v rounded weight. Next up, ‘Revuelto de Morcilla’ with matchstick chips scattered around the edges. We were by now seasoned campaigners of that national dish, Morcilla black pudding; but this one was quite different, very spicy and runnier (bound with egg, usually has rice in it). The oak on the red clashed hugely with the pudding’s overt spiciness; once again the white was an attractive match as it was, of course, with the simple tuna salad, which I got stuck into thinking it could be the only veg we’d get with this meal.
On to the main (as if we hadn’t already eaten enough): slices of Dracula-leaning steak (with a touch of lemon juice?); very nice, tender and lightly pink. I was now really trying to like that red with the meat, and by the next round of bigger steaks (I won’t name names of who in our party ordered more), it was beginning to open up and go quite well with it adding a bit of sweetness. But the white was still performing well, cutting through the steak and lifting it at the same time. Finally, a lovely cheesecake: I mean a proper German-style baked one surrounded by more predictable jammy ‘coulis’. Restaurante Imprenta Casado set the scene nicely for the most boisterous lunch so far, maybe because it was the last one all together and just one more glass than usual was poured all round."
Other recommended restaurants & hotels in the area not mentioned in the text above:
Hotel Meliá Recoletos, Valladolid, solmelia.com - fairly upmarket place across the road from the long pedestrian 'boulevard' that stretches from north of the railway station (10-minute stroll); smart but not repressively so with quite spacious rooms and bathrooms.
Hotel AC Ponferrada, Ponferrada, ac-hotels.com - quite chic place on the edge of town, if black minimalism is still 'in' these days. At least you can get free wi-fi in the lobby, unlike above...
La Moncloa de San Lazaro, Cacabelos (León), moncloadesanlazaro.com - sizeable rustic restaurant big on wood and stone serving very good traditional Castilian food. They have a few rooms as well.
Hotel Meliá Recoletos, Valladolid, solmelia.com - fairly upmarket place across the road from the long pedestrian 'boulevard' that stretches from north of the railway station (10-minute stroll); smart but not repressively so with quite spacious rooms and bathrooms.
Hotel AC Ponferrada, Ponferrada, ac-hotels.com - quite chic place on the edge of town, if black minimalism is still 'in' these days. At least you can get free wi-fi in the lobby, unlike above...
La Moncloa de San Lazaro, Cacabelos (León), moncloadesanlazaro.com - sizeable rustic restaurant big on wood and stone serving very good traditional Castilian food. They have a few rooms as well.
All rights © text by Richard M James
Photos by Brett Jones "the Wine Maestro":
More of his pics @ cwwcastillayleonvisitmarch2009.shutterfly.com.
This report on a Circle of Wine Writers winery tour in March 2009 was compiled & published June/July 2009. By the way, I paid for my own airfare and the rest was organised and covered by the Junta de Castilla y León and Ade Excal Internacional.
