Tag Archives: spain

La Rioja Alta S.A. Vina Alberdi Reserva 2016, Rioja DOCa, Spain

18 Wednesday May 2022

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Medium garnet colored, this Tempranillo has trademark aromas of leather, earthy dust, ripe blackberry, rich plum, vanilla, black cherry jam and charred wood.  The palate is dry with medium acidity and grippy tannins that coat my mouth.  The fruit is ripe and the wine is full bodied.  Black fruit flavors wrapped in a cloak of oak nuance with some signs of tertiary development make for a delicious wine.  I paid $19 for this stunning 92 pointer that gets 5 stars.  I would pair it with grilled Hangar steak and sweet potato fries.  I think this balanced and structured wine will drink well until 2030 at the least.  Salut….

Bodegas Balbas Ardal Seleccion Especial Reserva 2012, Ribera del Duero, Spain

12 Thursday May 2022

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This blend of Tempranillo and Cab Sav is nearly opaque with a bright purple color.  On the nose I get rich black plum, dusty earth, blackberry, vanilla, baking spices, menthol, some farmyard funk and bramble.  The palate is dry, quite tannic and high in acidity.  I love Spanish Tempranillo- it has such an earthy, dusty, brambly component and they throw a good bit of oak at this level (Reserva) which adds dimension, complexity and flavors/aromas of vanilla, baking spices and toast.  The black fruit is ripe and juicy- the Cabernet adding richness and grip.  The body is full and the finish is medium to long in length.  Structurally- this wine is a baby and needs some cellaring unless you like them searingly dry and astringent.  There is plenty of fruit to last a while and the whole package should drink beautifully until 2032 at the least.  I am going with 93 points and for $40 this is a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Bodegas Valduero Gran Reserva 2001, Ribera del Duero, Spain

08 Sunday May 2022

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It’s been nine years since I last tasted the 2001 Valduero, which I opened by accident.  Today’s bottle is intentional- Mothers Day Sunday roast.  It is deep garnet colored with definite signs of aging.  The nose smells divine- leather, earth, blackberry jam, cassis, mint, coffee bean, vanilla, baked blueberry and a medicinal note.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity and melded tannins which caress my gums.  This 100% Tempranillo is full bodied and I get flavors of stewed/cooked black and blue fruits, earth, leather, oak influence (coffee, vanilla and the medicinal note) and a tart black cherry note on the long finish.  The tannins start to grip on the back end and cover my teeth and gums with a ‘hairy’ feeling.  This 21 year old wine is still showing youth in structure and some fruit, amazing.  It will go beautifully with our dinner and could potentially cellar some more with a drinking window out to 2027.  I paid $60 back in the day for this 95 point wine which I would award 5 stars to.  Salut….

Raventos I Blanc ‘Blanc de Blancs’ 2018, Catalonia, Spain

07 Saturday May 2022

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I wanted to introduce my tasting group to sparkling wines and the differences between Traditional method versus Tank method production.  We kicked off the 27th VWTC event with this Spanish sparkler made from Macabeo in the traditional way.  Apple, citrus, toast, caramel, yeast, and a wet hay component were noted by the group.  On the palate we found a dry wine with high acidity and flavors of green (crisp) apple, citrus, almond (marzipan) and the autolytic characters we smelled- toast and yeast.  A medium finish that left us somewhat refreshed yet yearning for the minerality this wine promised.  I scored it 89 points and for $17 it’s a nice 4 star introduction to this style of wine from Spain.  Drink till 2026.  Salut….

Bodegas Ego ‘Infinito’ 2017, Jumilla, Spain

02 Monday May 2022

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It says that this wine is 70% Monastrell.  Learning the different names for the same grape has been challenging in my studies but I know that this Mourvedre is also known as Mataro.  There’s 30% Cab Sav thrown in for good measure.  It is a deep ruby color and has very slow moving legs that give away the 15% ABV.  The nose is rich with blackberry, black plum, purple licorice, hints of baking spice and toasty oak.  Blueberry jam is the last thing I coax out of the glass.  On the palate it is dry with medium (+) acidity and grippy tannins.  Full bodied, it gives me waves of rich black and blue fruit notes with oak influenced spices and toast.  The purple licorice turns black on the mid palate and the charcoal and toasted oak really come out.  The finish is dry from the tannins and medium in length.  This is a tasty number that will do well with grilled beef or lamb chops.  The tannins, whilst balanced, are quite powerful on the back end- this wine will last till 2030 at the least.  91 points from me for this $20 make it a no-brainer 5 star effort.  Salut….

Doble de Diez Mencia 2018, Spain

21 Thursday Apr 2022

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This Mencia varietal is medium garnet in the glass with interesting aromas starting with vanilla and dill.  I get fruit-driven cherry, pomegranate and cranberry with secondary notes of cinnamon and smoke.  The palate is lightweight for sure- it’s very easy to drink with medium (+) acidity, gentle tannins and medium intensity flavors of red fruit.  The vanilla and green note taper off quickly but I do get the smoke and spice.  The finish is short lived but very yummy with tannins that just fade away.  This wine is begging to be drunk- it is so smooth and the lower than usual alcohol (12.7 ABV) makes it possible.  We are pairing it with meatballs in Boom Boom sauce on a bed of shredded veggies.  Drink this 90 point wine till 2024.  It retails for $20 and gets 5 stars from me.  Salut….

Bodegas y Vinedos Valderiz ‘Valderiz’ 2018, Ribera del Duero, Spain

30 Wednesday Mar 2022

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This is the second bottle of the vertical, please read my previous note on the 2017 Valderiz.  Tasting will be via the Systematic Approach to Tasting.

  • Deep purple
  • Medium (+) intensity nose with aromas of blackberry, bramble, black cherry, orange peel, vanilla, black plum compote.  Youthful.
  • Dry, medium acidity, medium (+) tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium (+) intensity flavors of blackberry, bramble, black cherry, orange peel, vanilla, black plum compote, charcoal with a medium finish.
  • Very Good quality
  • Drink now but has potential for aging

I found this wine far more youthful than the prior vintage, showing no tertiary notes.  It is of a higher quality by half a point but I rounded down to VG, versus Outstanding.  For $30 ($5 cheaper than the 2017), you can get a better wine that I would give 93 points to and 5 stars.  Salut….

Bodegas y Vinedos Valderiz ‘Valderiz’ 2017, Ribera del Duero, Spain

30 Wednesday Mar 2022

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I attended a wine tasting course last night and ended up scoring this bottle with my team- by request.  I knew I had a newer vintage of the same wine at home so I wanted to do a vertical.  I will report on both strictly by using the Systematic Approach to Tasting.

  • Deep Ruby
  • Medium (+) nose with aromas of earthy dust, bramble, dried cherry, orange peel, black cherry, dried tarragon- this wine is developing.
  • Dry, medium (-) acidity, medium (+) tannins, high alcohol, medium (+) body, medium intensity flavors of earthy dust, bramble, dried cherry, orange peel, black cherry, dried tarragon and vanilla with a medium finish.
  • Very Good quality
  • Drink now, suitable for aging or further aging

I thought this was a little thin on the palate compared to the nose, my partners agreed.  I would give it 91 points and for $35 it gets 4 stars.  Salut….

Costers del Priorat Petit Pissares 2016, Priorat, Spain

25 Friday Mar 2022

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Deep garnet in the glass with thick legs (14.5% ABV), this Garnacha/Carinena blend from Priorat has medium intensity aromas of baked plums, blackberry, raisins, black raspberry, coconut and some spice.  The baked/cooked aromas disappeared almost immediately.  The palate is dry with high acidity, medium (+) tannins, medium (+) body and medium (-) finish.  The fruit flavors are quite intense and I get the black raspberry, blackberry, some plum and spice but no oak-derived coconut.  Black and smoky Lapsang Souchong teas present on the mid palate and add to the tannic grip that has enveloped my gums.  I find this wine a bit of a conundrum- it is very primal in fruit, yet shows advances in age beyond its 6 years, I wonder if it was mishandled along the way.  Let me have a look.

I did some research, this wine should have lots of tertiary and secondary notes, instead, I get the baked and stewed fruit which is either very aged wine or heat damaged wine.  The flavors I get do not match the descriptions of where I bought this $23 bottle from.  I would love to revisit it I could get a good bottle.  For now, I would imagine it to hold up to the 90 point score the pros awarded.  It could potentially be a 5 star effort.  Salut….

J. Navascues ‘La Vadina’ Garnacha 2018, Carinena, Spain

10 Thursday Mar 2022

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This Spanish wine is a blend of 75% Garnacha and 25% Cariñena.  It is medium ruby colored:nothing too exciting there.  The nose is a bit off-putting to me.  As an amateur I’m allowed to add personal opinion.  I don’t like candy aromas and flavors in my wine.  This one is loaded with cherry hard candy and ripe raspberry.  Other notes include maraschino cherry, a touch of baking spice and some very feint charcoal.  The palate is…. interesting.  I would like to say it is dry, yet I sense some sweetness via red cherry and really ripe raspberry.  I’ll say this- it’s very smooth and easy to drink.  Medium tannins and acidity coupled with a lighter weight body make it a slippery wine that finishes dry and lasts a decent amount of time.  Not complex by any stretch, this $12 …85 pointer gets 2 stars from me.  I just don’t care for it.  Drink now.