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Spain's variety of soils, climates, and altitudes produce a great number of grape varietals with unique flavors that make distinct wines. Come join us on Saturday and try a range of Spain's varietals, from an unheard of Pinot Noir to Tempranillo the king of Spanish wines. It's a good way to see not only what these different grapes taste like, but also what makes them distinctly Spanish. Cory Van de Ven will be on hand to coax the essence from the wines and talk about it.
2005 Rafael Bravo, Barcelona, $16
Pinot Noir
Sideways in Catalonia, this Pinot Noir is soft and offers aromas of raspberries, blueberries, and plums that roll into a full bodied, well-balanced, wine with fine texture and a lingering finish. The wine complements a wide range of dishes from grilled meat to richly sauced pasta dishes and medium cheeses.
2005 Barahonda, Yecla, $10
100% Monastrell
Barahonda founded in 1925 covers 840 acres of vineyards in the town of Yecla. Monastrell (Mourvèdre in France, Mataró in Italy and the New World) is the widely planted grape in this region where the cooling breezes of the Mediterranean Sea make wines that are fresher and more aromatic due to cooler temperatures. The Barahonda is deep color, lush, plum and berry fruit, loaded with character and maybe a hint of eucalyptus. Parker gave the 2004 a 90. Come see how the "05 is shaping up.
2003 Falset Old Vines Montsant $15
85% Grencahe and 15% Cabernet
Montsant, in the high mountains of Tarragona next to the Priorat Region, over the centuries has been the site of numerous shrines and religious monasteries because of its silent and majestic environment. The monks brought with them the tradition of winemaking. As a result Montsant has one of the largest plantings of old vines grapes. Falset Marçà was founded in 1913 by a group of vineyard owners. These vineyards surround the small town of Falset, and its population of 184 people. The wine has an inky color with licorice, cherry liqueur and oak spice aromas followed by cherry, dark berry flavor and fine tannins with a bright, long finish.
2005 Vinos Pinol, Sacra Natura, Terra Alta $16
60% Cariñena (Carignane) , 40% Tempranillo
This small winery, in northeast Spain, lies a few miles south west of Priorat in the small town of Batea. Although Terra Alta and Priorat are a few miles apart--Terra Alta's warmer microclimate produces fuller bodied, richer wines. The wine is inky rich and round with a balanced structure, a full to medium body and a long finish of lingering bright fruit flavors. A mineral/herb note punctuates the blackberry, raspberry fruit. The 2004 also got 90 pts from Parker. All that and it's organic.
2004 Rug Vino, Horizonte de Exopto, Rioja Alavesa $34
80% Tempranillo, 10% Garnacha, 10% Graciano
This boutique bodega produced only 583 cases in 2004 and only 100 made it to the U.S. The Tempranillo vines are between 50-90 year old and the Graciano 30 year old vines. Of the three districts in Rioja (Alta, Alavesa and Baja), Alavesa is the coolest and highest in rainfall. Its soil and climate combination, result in small yields, freshness, aromatics, fruit concentration and dry extract. The wine is bright ruby color, with cedar-toned flavors of bing cherry and raspberry and has a long, spiced finish with vanilla notes.