Tag Archives: spain

Osborne Pedro Ximenez 1827 Sweet Sherry NV, Andalucia, Spain

30 Sunday Jun 2024

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Deep amber colored with heavy staining and a high viscosity (17% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of stewed prunes, dried nuts, desiccated blueberry, vanilla thread, raisins, Christmas cake and cherry cola syrup.  The palate is very sweet, with medium acidity and a full body that sits heavily on the tongue.  The flavors echo the nose with a touch of heat interfering on the back end.  It’s a luscious wine for sure that has a medium to long finish.  I would pair it with vanilla ice cream or a cheese board with some stinky blue on it.  Delicious stuff but a thimble-full will go a long way.  92 points, and for $32 it gets 5 stars.  Salut….

Buil & Gine ‘Gine Gine’ 2020, Priorat DOCa, Spain

27 Thursday Jun 2024

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Deep purple/garnet with some haze, minor staining and high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of ripe black cherry, black raspberry, licorice, slate, menthol, baking spices, brambleberry and is very primal at this stage.  The palate is  dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium (+) tannins, bordering on high.  Rich, ripe dark cherry, raspberry and brambleberry resonate right off the bat.  I get nuance of licorice as was on the nose and also some menthol and dried herbs.  The slate/iron note is somehow absent.  The fruit is very much in charge here but the tannins kick it up on the mid-palate.  The finish is a touch dry and quite long.  This Grenache based wine has aging capacity and should soften with tertiary development till 2032.  I am going with 90 points and for $21, this is a 5 star effort.  Salut….

Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli 2022, Getariako Txakolina, Spain

26 Sunday May 2024

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Pale lemon with gold highlights, some spritz and low viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose of this Hondarabbi Zuri has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon, lanolin, seaweed, saline, white grapefruit, lemon pith, brioche and peach.  The palate is off-dry with an ever-so-soft hint of effervescence to go along with a light body and high acidity.  Citrus, sea breeze, minerality and a touch of peach round out the very refreshing flavors that linger on a medium finish, making me want to sip more. The Brioche I smelled is very feint on the palate and is a result of some Sur-lie aging. It’s a delicious summer sipper and at a relatively low 12 % alcohol, it’s easy going.  I was planning to pair with Alfredo, good thing there’s shrimp going in as well plus the Caeser salad.  Anything heavier would not work, this wine needs lighter fare and perhaps something from the sea.  90 points from me for this $19 effort makes it a 5 star stunner to buy in bulk- summer is here.  Salut….

Bodegas Agro de Bazan Granbazan Etiqueta Verde 2022, Rias Baixas, Spain

20 Monday May 2024

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We kicked off the 36th virtual wine tasting with this delightful Albarino, tasted chilled first and then at room temperature for comparison.   I picked this bottle as we had tasted the 2018 Gran Bazan Ambar and loved it.  Pale lemon in color with a watery sheen (13% ABV).  Medium (+) intensity aromas of cantaloupe, melon, yellow apple skin, peach and saline were noted by the members.  On the palate we got medium (+) acidity and a medium (-) body.  Minerality was a key component of the taste with saline, cantaloupe, melon, honeydew, lemon pith and peach all present.  The finish was medium in length leading to a 17 point award on our tasting scale.

The room temperature version was very muted on the nose and palate but it had more minerality, less fruit and was waxy on the mouthfeel.  There was a pithy bitterness on the back end that we did not get with the chilled version.  It showed a shorter finish as well making it a 12 point effort.

Overall I love this wine and gave it 89 points which makes it a 4 star bottle considering its $19 price point.  I would pair it with grilled Swordfish or a Paella.  Drink now.  Salut….

Ameztoi Getariako Txakolina 2022, Spain

02 Thursday May 2024

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Bright lemon colored with a watery sheen (11.5% ABV) and evidence of gas.  The nose of this Hondarabbi Zuri has medium intensity aromas of lemon zest, lemon, white grapefruit, green almond, white blossom, white pepper, saline and minerality.  The palate is dry with a slight spritz, high acidity along with a light body- very refreshing.  Flavors of lemon, white grapefruit, white blossom, green almonds and some salty spice.  The very slight amount of effervescence is typical for this varietal/region and makes the wine just dance on my tongue.  It’s delicious and will pair beautifully with my North African spiced seafood dish.  91 points for this $20 bottle makes it my new 2024 summer slammer.  It gets 5 stars- drink soon.  Salut….

Raventos I Blanc Can Sumoi Sumoll – Garnatxa 2020, Catalonia, Spain

21 Sunday Apr 2024

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Deep purple colored with low viscosity (12.5% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of game, black plum, black raspberry, violets and some garigue.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a medium (-) body and medium tannins.  Flavors of game, black cherry, black raspberry and black plum with some floral highlights.  The finish is light and medium in length, not overly complex or tantalizing.  This wine is a bit one dimensional and I can feel some alcohol yet it only rings in at a modest 12.5%.  It runs $23 and gets 86 points from me making it a 2 star effort to drink by 2025.  I am pairing mine with a smoked Beef shank.  Salud….

Jaume Serra Brut Cava NV, Catalonia, Spain

16 Tuesday Apr 2024

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Pale gold colored with medium intensity bubbles and low viscosity (11.5% ABV).  The nose has medium (-) intensity aromas of white pear, brioche, grapefruit pith, white blossom and salted caramel.  The palate is dry with medium (+) acidity, a light body and a medium (-) mousse.  Flavors of citrus pith, brioche, white blossom, ripe white pear and lanolin.  The mouthfeel is very smooth as the mousse has tamed itself with plenty of aging whilst the acidity is still bright and refreshing.  The finish is a tasty affair that is medium in length and very satisfying- some spritz, some zing and fresh fruit surrounding the bready, brioche notes.  This bottle has dubious provenance, it sat in my buddy Rewt’s basement for god-knows-how-long yet is shows decent quality and aging capacity.  As with most Non Vintage Cava, it is hard to tell the disgorgement date so I have no idea how long this bottle has slumbered.  A curious web search made my jaw drop- $9.  Yup, under 10 bones and you are drinking a very serviceable and delicious sparkler that is made in the traditional method out of Macabeo, Parellada and Xarel-lo grapes. I would be looking to stock up for the summer, this is a porch-pounder for sure.  88 points, and 5 stars.  Salut….

Izadi Seleccion Blanco 2021, Rioja DOCa, Spain

10 Wednesday Apr 2024

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A vibrant hue of lemon with a watery sheen (13.5% AVB).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of lemon zest and pith, grapefruit, beeswax, white blossom, crunchy green apple, slate, vanilla thread and petrichor.  The palate is dry with a medium to full body and medium (+) acidity.  Flavors of lemon zest, grapefruit zest, white flower, tart green apple and that mineral note like licking a piece of granite.  There is a slight waxy feel to it that I am intrigued by, it’s delicious.  There is obviously some oak attention here, which explains some of the heaviness and also the slight vanilla character I am picking up.  The finish is moderate in length and sits nicely on my palate- an interesting dichotomy of freshness from the acidity yet weight from the treatment.  I like it.  92 points worth, and at $22, it gets 5 stars.  Drink till 2029.  I am pairing it with Yuzu marinated grilled chicken.  It’s a blend of Viura (60%) with support from Malvasia, Torrontes, Garnacha Blanc and others.  Salut….

Bodegas Juan Gil Plata – Silver Label Monastrell 2020, Jumilla, Spain

05 Friday Apr 2024

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Medium garnet colored with high viscosity (15% ABV).  The nose has medium intensity aromas of black plum, vanilla, blackberry, game, bramble, dried herbs, baking spice, ripe black cherry and wildflowers.  The palate is dry with medium acidity, a full body and medium tannins.  This is a rich wine with layers of dark, ripe fruit interlaced with oak nuance, telltale game and some dried herbal notes.  It has a medium (-) length finish as far as the fruit goes, but the tannins are super fine and caress my gums for quite a while.  This is a $15 Monastrell, aka Mourvèdre that really brings value and gets 91 points from me making it a 5 star effort.  Drink till 2029 with steaks or even stews, like the Goulash I am whipping up tonight.  Salut….

Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli 2022, Getariako Txakolina, Spain

18 Monday Mar 2024

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Medium lemon colored with a deceptively high viscosity (12% ABV).  The nose has medium (+) intensity aromas of white blossom, lemon zest, lime zest, tangerine, honeysuckle, Meyer lemon, grapefruit pith and cheese curd.  The palate is slightly off-dry with high acidity and a medium (-) body.  The tartness of the wine sharpens the citrus notes that now dominate.  The florals, which were quite lopsided on the nose now play second fiddle.  This is turning into a food wine for sure, it needs seafood to balance it out.  Delicious, en pointe and very zesty it has medium length finish.  I paid $18 for this bottle that gets 91 points from me and 5 stars.  Made from Hondarrabi Zuri grapes.  Drink this delicious drop till 2025.  Salut….