The Viva España Issue
Me, at my happiest. Glass of wine in hand, squeezed up close to my man!
Buenos días my dear subscribers. Wake up and smell the Spanish coffee, this is the Viva España issue of SWP!
Pictured below, from left to right: we'll start with a crisp white from Rueda, venture to Toledo - a region not classically known for quality wine production, stop and smell the figs in Rioja and then finally land in a bed of tobacco and spice in Ribera del Duero.
Come, join me...
This is a white wine from the Rueda DO of Spain. It's made, primarily, from a grape called Verdejo. Under Spanish wine law, white wines that carry the DO name of Rueda on their label must contain at least 50% Verdejo. The remaining 50%? It's usually Sauvignon Blanc and/or Macabeo which is a grape variety predominately found in the Spanish region of La Rioja.
Most of us are familiar with Sauvignon Blanc, right? So we won't be surprised to hear that this is a fresh and crisp style of wine. The Verdejo carries with it aromas and flavours of honeydew, white peach and citrus notes of grapefruit and lime.
Earlier this week I had a picnic at Kew Beach. On the menu, of course, was this 2017 Marques De Riscal Rueda served with a greek-style couscous salad.
Unlike the other three wines in our lineup today this wine is not from a recognized DO of Spain. Belonging to a DO requires that producers adhere to strict requirements on maximum yields, aging, and the type and quantiles of grape varieties used. However, not having DO status does not preclude winemakers from making good wine.
Toledo produces very little wine and what little they do is almost exclusively red. The primary grape varieties found here are Garnacha and Tempranillo. The Gran Sello pictured here is a blend of Tempranillo and Syrah.
The depth of colour of this wine is rich and foretells of the weighty notes of American oak, roasted pine nuts and dark chocolate. There's also plenty of fruit here: dark plums, black cherry and raspberry.
Get in the spirit of fiesta and serve this with an appetizer plate of Manchego cheese and Serrano ham.
This wine, from Spain's most well known DO, Rioja, is developing beautifully. It's a dream to drink now but has the potential to age another 5-7 years.
La Rioja, named after the river (río) Oja, lies in the north of Spain where Tempranillo is the most widely planted grape variety. This 2009 Beronia Rioja Gran Reserva is predominately Tempranillo with a touch of the less famous Graciano grape.
Let's deconstruct this label:
Beronia is the name of the producer.
Rioja is the name of the DO.
Gran Reserva is a term that, in Rioja specifically, signifies that this wine has been aged at least 2 years in oak and is at least 6 years past its vintage before it's released from the winery.
2009 is the vintage year.
So, next time you're at a restaurant and you see Rioja Gran Reserva on the list you'll know it's not a grape variety or brand name but rather, a style of wine from the region of La Rioja in Spain, any producer from that region can make it, so long as they follow the requirements of the DO and meet the aging requirements of a Gran Reserva. If it's red, you'll know it's predominantly Tempranillo and you'll like that if the below tasting note makes your mouth water:
I tasted this wine over a period of two hours. During this time it continued to evolve in the glass, gaining, most notably, more leather and earthy notes of, well, damp earth and rotting leaves. I noted dried fruits like fig and date but there was some fresh fruit too, blueberries, black plum. Gamey and raw meat aromas were rounded out with violet, cedar, tar, and pomegranate. To say this wine is smooth would be unjust. It cascades over the tongue like a wave of velvety dark chocolate and leaves behind a mouthwatering acidity that keeps you going back for more.
Tonight I'll be drinking the rest of this bottle with my guy, who makes a killer steak and blue cheese salad with cherry tomatoes and Spanish onion on a base of arugula. Good company and simple, delicious, ingredients. This is what the best kind of Friday nights are made of!
Trade in your California Cabernet for this tantalizing Tempranillo and Cab. Sauv blend from the DO of Ribera Del Duero!
I tasted this wine alongside the above mentioned Rioja. It was amazing how fresh and fruity this one seemed when toggling back and forth between the two. But, make no mistake, this is still a full-bodied, heavy-hitting oak-aged wine.
I was first hit with notes of vanilla, toast, coffee grinds, cinnamon, tobacco and leather. It was at this point that I shuffled over to the Rioja. It was only upon coming back to this 2006 Balbás Reserva that I was struck by the ripeness of the cherry and raspberry that I missed on the first go-around. Sweet aromas of red liquorice and cherry cola belie the serious alcohol, tannins and acid in store.
The level of complexity found in this $24 wine rivals that of the $40 Rioja. Ribera Del Duero, having, historically, fewer top-tier producers, and being commercially lesser-known, just doesn't command the same price point. This doesn't make these wines interchangeable but, it does make Ribera Del Duero a great value proposition.
It's no secret that wine is always better with food. This wine however, with 15% alc./vol. requires it. I could think of few things more appropriate than paella. But, if that's just not happening tonight, stuffed peppers or fajitas piled high with peppers and onion would do really nicely.
You'll notice on this bottle, the term Reserva, which all over Spain, is used to indicate a wine that, before leaving the winery, has been aged a minimum of 3 years, with at least 1 of those years spent in oak barrels.
