Déjà-Vu Wine Oscars across the Andes

The Argentinean wine establishment has mirrored their Chilean counterparts over the other side of the Andes with their first vinous awards ceremony held in Mendoza a couple of weeks ago. And as sure as night follows day, Wines of Chile had their fourth annual bash in Santiago a month before that. What was a first for Santiago this year, was the all American judging team - in the past mostly Brits - including Bob Paulinski MW, Mary Ewing-Mulligan MW, Joshua Greene (Wine & Spirits mag), critic Jay Miller and the Wine Enthusiast's Michael Schachner. Over in Mendoza, the tasters included many established names from the UK - in fact the same 'old' ones who've previously done the judging thing in Chile (ooh, jealousy and bitching will get you nowhere!) - such as Oz Clarke, Robert Joseph, Peter Richards, Jancis Robinson MW and Beverley Blanning MW, as well as winemakers from Argentina Roberto de la Mota (Bodegas Mendel) and Daniel Pi (Trapiche) among others.
Anyway, enough of the banter; let's move on to the decorated wines. As for Argentina, "interestingly eight out of the nine Trophy winners will retail in the UK for under £10" commented James Forbes, UK Director of Wines of Argentina. They are as follows:
Sparkling wine - Familia Zuccardi, Alma 4 Chardonnay Roble 2003
Red blend - Bodega Norton, Norton Privada 2003
Tempranillo - Tittarelli, Finca El Retiro Reserva Especial 2004
Cabernet Sauvignon - Bodegas Santa Ana, La Mascota 2005
Malbec - Fabre Montmayou, Fabre Montmayou Gran Reserva 2005
Sauvignon Blanc - Pulenta Estate, La Flor de Pulenta Estate 2006
Torrontés - Bodega Felix Lavaque, Quara 2006
White blend - Bodega Luigi Bosca, Gala 3 Viognier 2006
Syrah - Don Domenico, Finca Don Domenico de Huanacache 2006.
You might be surprised to see a top sparkling wine from Argentina, although Domaine Chandon, for example, has also been making good fizz there since the 60s. I haven't tried the Zuccardi wine (but hope to at some point), yet that producer doesn't usually disappoint. Apart from them, there are a few other old favourite names here such as Norton, Fabre Montmayou and Luigi Bosca. All the medal results are available on www.winesofargentina.org.
Back to Chile, best screenplay and director go to:
Sauvignon Blanc & 'best in show' - Viña Casas del Bosque Reserve 2006
Cabernet Sauvignon - Viña Hacienda Araucano, Reserva 2005
Carmenère - Viña Odfjell, Orzada 2004
Syrah - Viña Porta, Winemaker Reserve 2005
Merlot - Viña Concha y Toro, Marques de Casa Concha 2005
Chardonnay - Viña Nuevo Mundo, Tacón Alto 2006
Other red variety - Viña Millaman, barrel aged Zinfandel 2005
Red blend - Viña Estampa, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenère/Petit Verdot 2005
Best value white (this is beginning to sound like the International Wine Challenge) - Viña Miguel Torres, Santa Digna Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Best value red - Viña MontGras, Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Rosé - Viña Chocalan 2006.
Similarly, see www.winesofchile.org for full listing. I'm pleased to see Casas del Bosque up there, as I've always thought they make one of Chile's best Sauvignons. Also worthy of comment is the mix of familiar names, who are obviously now showing their experience and pedigree, and new estates (to me at least). I look forward to tasting these wines in the near future. My feature on the 2006 winners is included on a mega Chile page (see "more wine words" on the right).

Wine Relief 2007

Big plastic red noses, 22 million people tap-dancing at once, football celebs being doused in purple custard: Comic Relief day is back with a vengeance on Friday 16th March. The UK wine industry, retailers, writers, restaurants etc. will once again be doing their bit to raise money for CR charities in Britain and Africa (Wine Relief has amassed £2million since its launch in 1999). The following are donating 10% of the sale price of a range of Red Nose wines: Co-op, Majestic, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Somerfield, Tesco, Threshers, Waitrose and Café Rouge.
A few of my favourites include Montes Reserve Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley (£6.49) and Crozes-Hermitage, Cave de Tain L'Hermitage (£6.99) at Majestic (if you're anywhere near their Vinopolis shop in Southwark, south London, you don't have to buy a case there); Darting Estate Riesling (£6.99) and Pirque Estate Sauvignon Blanc (£6.99) from M&S; Porcupine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon (£5.49) at Sainsbury's; Brown Brothers Dry Muscat (£5.24) at Somerfield; Tesco Finest Tapiwey Sauvignon Blanc and Kulapelli Cabernet Sauvignon/Carmenere (both £7.99); Gobelsburger Grüner Veltliner from Austria (£6.49), Fetzer Syrah Rosé from California (£5.99) and J P Ramos' Trincadeira from Portugal (£7.49) at Waitrose; and the Laroche Terret and Grenache white and red house wines at Café Rouge (£15) sound worth a go. Consume sensibly of course! Click on the Big One top right for more info, fundraising ideas, donations etc. Posted 27/2/07.
Although not part of Comic Relief, another inventive fundraising event for the world's poor is the VSO Big Curry Night on Saturday March 10 2007 (follow the highlighted link for details), which sounds like a fun idea for charidy. This was brought to my attention by Warren Edwardes from Wine for Spice, purveyor of curry-friendly wines such as Raja Rosé (I did a little feature and tasting on his wines in 2004, which I haven't yet rebuilt on this site...), who's also supporting Big Curry Night. You can read his blog here. So check out the VSO's recipe ideas, go shopping and get cooking. Talking of rosé wines, I do find they often go with spicy food very well: check out my regular "wines of the moment" and Roussillon guides, for example, for recommendations. Posted 5/3/07.

California: Clos du Val - Napa

Hardly a new discovery - at the grand age of 35, CDV is almost an old timer by Californian standards (well, I mean relative to the many new new wineries rather than the handful of 19th Century candidates) - but their wines retain a nice European-esque charm and elegance (not that I'm biased towards Euro wines). They also have extensive vineyards in Carneros (pic. above), source of some very enticing Pinot. Mind you, I didn't like their 04 Zinfandel though. Wines below sampled at Boutinot's tasting in the Tower of London (mind your head once again) in Feb 2007:

2004 Pinot Noir - delicate perfumed morello cherry aromas with savoury edges, lovely fruit intensity v tight fresh length. £15.50 92
2003 Merlot (plus a little of both Cabernets) - gamey nose with light red pepper tones, chunky tannins and power v herbal fruit finish. £14.50 87-89
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon - inky herbal edges to its rich chunky palate, again shows light cedar and leaf characters on a riper rounder whole with very firm tannins. £16.50 90
1996 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon - mature savoury leather-tinged fruit, dry grip set on nice developing fruit finish. £31.50 90-92

Spain: Rioja free zone!

That's probably a good way of making sure I don't get invited to Rioja. Not that I have anything against them - far from it, there are some outstanding wineries in the region making lovely wines. But, when faced with an enormous amount of bottles up for tasting at the Wines from Spain annual bash in London (Feb 2007), I decided to shun Spain's best known area in search of a few different things. Something newer or sexier perhaps. So in this report, you'll find around 25 red and rosé wines - or rather rosado, or rosat from Catalonia - made mostly from the Garnacha, Monastrell and Tempranillo varieties (with a few French grapes thrown in) coming from regions such as Toro, Jumilla, Yecla, Alicante, Ribera del Duero, Campo de Borja, Navarra and Terra Alta. For more info, the link on each of these headings takes you to the relevant bit on Wines from Spain's website.
Click here to discover lots more Spain on this site.

Toro
This very up-and-coming region is found to the west of Ribera del Duero in Castilla and Leon (click on each of the dark blue region titles in caps for more info on Wines from Spain's website). Winemakers are doing exciting things with Tinta de Toro, the local name for Tempranillo, and so far charging reasonable prices for the results.
Covitoro
2004 Cañus Verus, Viñas Viejas (Tinta de Toro = Tempranillo) - vanilla and cedar notes backed up by ripe plummy fruit, grip and power to finish. £8-£10 87
2005 T Rosado (Tempranillo Garnacha) - creamy redcurrant and raspberry aromas, quite chunky and weighty (13.5%) with a touch of tannin v fresh length. £5 85
Quinta el Refugio
2005 Tinto (Tempranillo) - more serious wine (but not price), lightly rustic fruit v very firm build, yet rounded on the finish too. £5-£6 89-91
2004 Vetus (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon) - quite extracted and dry tannins but again has lush dark fruit and power on the finish. £10-£15 89

Jumilla
I like wines from Jumilla (located in Murcia in the southeast), especially those based on the region's wonderful Monastrell grape variety. Another area once known for bulk wine, there are many new wineries worth checking out. The fact that Torres has bought vineyards here must say something about potential quality.
Bodegas Juan Gil
2006 Monastrell - nice juicy ripe black cherry and olive notes, light tannins and savoury finish. £5-£6 87-89
2004 Silver Label Monastrell - more extracted and leathery, liquorice fruit v firm framework, tangy black olive finish. £8-£10 90
Casa de la Ermita
2004 Monasterio de Santa Ana (Monastrell) - black cherry and olive with meaty herbal tones, the 14%+ alcohol is quite noticeable but the wine has character. £5 85-87
2001 Reserva (Monastrell Cabernet Syrah) - savoury black olive and ripe black cherry with liquorice edges; nice texture and weight, firm v rich fruit. £12 90+

Navarra
Neighbouring Rioja in north-eastern Spain, Basque-side, Navarra seems to have established its own identity with often successful red blends of Bordeaux and Spanish varieties, as well as some of the country's best rosados. Wineries need to watch any excessive penchant on the style and price front!
Bodega 1877
2002 Altoro crianza (Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon) - smoky plum with vanilla undertones, maturing ripe fruit v solid grip. £6-£8 89
Bodegas Ochoa
2005 Lágrima Rosado (Garnacha Cabernet Sauvignon) - delicate fruit, quite tight and fresh v good balance of weight and crunchy red fruits. £8 87
Bodegas Otazu
2000 Altar (Cabernet Sauvignon Tempranillo Merlot) - spicy oak on a quite rich and extracted palate, shows concentration and grip with attractive maturing fruit underneath. £21 88-90
Bodegas Iñaki Nuñez
2003 Pago de Cirsus, Selección de Familia (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot) - new wood v rich yet elegant fruit, chunky modern blackberry with a touch of finesse too. Good but £35? 89+

Ribera del Duero
Hailed as one of the most exciting regions along with Priorat, Ribera's almost cult status has lead to sometimes very high prices and over-the-top winemaking (see Valtravieso's VT below for an example of an impressive competition wine, although not the most exaggerated by any stretch). Having said that, there are many superb wines with controlled extraction and oak usage at more reasonable prices, as you can see below.
Bodegas Ismael Arroyo
2004 Mesoneros de Castilla roble (Tinto Fino = Tempranillo) - big yet elegant wine showing dark fruit and dry tannins v fair alcohol and fresh bite; good concentration and balance, value too (for this expensive region). £6-£8 92+?
2001 Valsotillo Reserva (Tempranillo) - more farmyard and meaty soup in tone and texture, maturing savoury fruit v firm yet rounded framework. £15+ 89-91
Pago de los Capellanes
2005 Tinto roble (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot) - juicier with cassis and plum notes, very firm and powerful balanced by lovely fruit. £10-£15 90-92
2003 El Nogal (Tempranillo) - smoky leather aromas with meaty prune undertones, vanilla oak backdrop with power and extracted tannins. Wow but a little unbalanced. £15+ 89
Bodegas Valtravieso
2005 Dominio de Nogara (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot) - ripe perfumed black cherry with light leather notes, firm tight mouth-feel with fresh elegant style too. £8 87-89
2004 VT Vendimia Seleccionada (Tempranillo Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot) - broody nose leads to rich extracted palate, very firm and dry with ripe fruit and oak roundness. Impressive to taste but difficult to drink? £38 87
Bodegas Félix Callejo
2003 Selección Familia (Tempranillo) - a bit strange: perfumed vanilla v meaty aromas; big and grippy, quite extracted but it works somehow. £20 87
Cillar de Silos
2003 Torre Silo (Tempranillo) - nice chunky fruit with background oak, savoury development v grip and length. £25 89-91

Priorat
Catalonia's most famous, highish-altitude region needs little introduction (click on the title to zoom to the WFS website); and for some reason, I only tasted one wine whose winery provenance is also a bit of a mystery...
2004 Osmin - rich chunky fruit and texture, quite oaky but not too much. 88-90

Yecla
This small region adjoins Jumilla in Murcia province and similarly is fast becoming a source of delicious good-value Mediterranean reds.
Bodega Castano
2002 Pozuelo crianza (Monastrell Cabernet Sauvignon Tempranillo) - smoky earthy nose with ripe creamy fruit, attractive grip and elegant length. £6-£8 87-89

Campo de Borja
Head south from Navarra into Aragon and you'll find this still obscure wine area, where Garnacha in particular appears to be shaping their promising future. I haven't tried many wines from here but Borsao below is a pretty reliable name.
Borsao
2005 Tres Picos Garnacha - spicy oak v rich ripe fruit, nice dry grip on the perhaps a bit too oaky finish. 85-87

Alicante
Located not far from Valencia, Alicante also has large plantings of yummy Monastrell; although I appear to have picked one of the dearest wines from this talented and otherwise good-value region!
Bodegas Sierra Salinas
2003 Mira Salinas (Monastrell Garnacha Cabernet Sauvignon) - quite tight and firm mouth-feel with vibrant black olive and liquorice fruit, powerful finish. £15+ 89

Terra Alta
One of Catalonia's least known areas, in contrast, found to the west of Priorat. Traditional and French varieties seem to work well together, and this region has one or two very good co-operatives who offer rich 'modern' Med reds at affordable prices.
Celler Pinol
2005 Sacra Natura (Cariñena Tempranillo Syrah Cabernet, organic) - meaty chunky wine with grip and power (14%), nice dark fruit in the background. £10 87-89

Conca de Barberà
This region poised above Tarragona (west of Barcelona) came to the limelight quite a few years ago but still doesn't exactly trip off the tongue. However, it's home to one of Torres' flagship estate wines that incorporates obscure local varieties making a comeback.
Torres
2001 Grans Muralles (Monastrell Garnacha Garró Samsó Cariñena) - Garró and Samsó are old lost Catalan varieties that Torres has resurrected. Smoky complex nose with 'sweet' and savoury mix, grip power and length on the palate. £45 88-90

Portugal: Caves Aliança

Profile and tasting notes are here (Portugal archive page, scroll down)...