Monday, April 7, 2008

Some notes on several Spanish wines...and prep for a trip to SPAIN!


Those of you who have suffered through OWOS for a while know that Spanish wines are some of my favorites. Having lived in Sevilla, and having travelled through parts of Spain for the better part of a year, Spain will always hold a special place in my heart. Spain is more than partially responsible for my love of beaches, jamon/chorizo/salchichon, late dinners, adventures on trains and buses, and to sum up, instilling in me a real sense of joie de vivre. So to return to a country and people who provided me with so much, to once again spend time somewhere that dramatically added dimension to and shaped my early adult years, obviously means a lot. Since I hardly experienced any wine stuff the first time around (the one exception being a tour of a sherry bodega in Jerez), I type in anticipation of an educational, thorough, and fun independent tour throughout Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, Ribeira Sacra, Rioja and Penedes. There is a lot of planning to do; there will be no cattle call Spanish wine bus tour for me (at least not this time around). Ooh, the anticipation....

So expect lots of Spanish content in the upcoming weeks. Tonight, I've got a few tasting notes for recently tasted Spanish wines. Later in the week, I'll report back on a wine dinner we are doing with Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia from the incomparable Rioja estate, Lopez de Heredia, and Xavi Buil from Buil & Gine in Priorat.

Vizcarra Ribera del Duero Roble 2006
Dark cherry and plum aromas, skins and all. With a hint of licorice and more dark fruits on the palate, still tasting fresh and not overly oaked or otherwise processed, this is tasty joven Ribera and all you can ask for in a young, fruity Tempranillo.

Marques de Murrieta Rioja Reserva 2004
Strong coconut and black cherry on the nose lead to a fairly high toned, juicy black cherry palate, with hints of nutmeg as well. Traditional style, slightly updated for modern times.

Can Rafols del Caus Gran Reserva 2002

Interesting stuff, this. 50% cab franc, 20% merlot, 20% cabernet sauvignon. It smells like a mature claret, with green pepercorn, cherry, and some terrific interplay between sweetness and savor, earth and brightness, fruit and herbs. This winery is clearly making some distinctive, elegant wines that will please folks with old world sensibilities when it comes to their wine. They do a few other reds (including a Pinot Noir), and several whites: a Chenin, an oddball from the hybrid incrozio manzoni grape, and a fresh Penedes style white blend. Most of the wines are aged for at least 42 months in bottle prior to release.

5 comments:

jz1 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jz1 said...

From the vineyard to the wall...

http://www.sogoodblog.com/2008/04/04/lil-jon-has-a-wine-label/

When are you going to Spain?!

Joe Manekin said...

Yeah, I read about the Lil Jon thing. Yaaaaaayyyyyyeahhh!

Will be in Spain late May through the first week of June.

Unknown said...

I stumbled on this blog while googling sherry. It's good. I'm going to Spain for the first time in early June for a month. Also, in the last two years I've been getting interested in wine (France of course, but branching out now to Italy, Spain, Germany, Austria etc). So, I look forward to you entries on your trip. Please don't write 'insiders' copy. Put in a bit of explanation/history/context for those of us only getting started with Spanish wines/regions/varieties. I'll probably copy-cat some of your itinerary!

Joe Manekin said...

Richard,

Thanks for stopping by. Incidentally, I will be in Spain around the same time as you. Good constructive criticism on the 'insider's copy' - duly noted. I don't want to ever dumb anything down here, as I feel like the best way to learn about any topic is to dive head in and figure things out on one's own. But context is certainly important. I look forward to writing about my trip here, and to hearing about your experiences as well.

Best,
Joe