Spain Feature
Rioja
CAMPILLO CAMPILLO RESERVA 2002
DOCa Rioja
Julio Faustino Martínez, owner of Bodegas Campillo, named the winery as a tribute to his family’s first vineyard. Depending on the vintage, Campillo ages their 100% Tempranillo Reserva for 22 to 36 months in French oak (for one year) and American oak (for up to two years). The 2002 Reserva is a big, rich wine with lots of tannin, making it a delicious match now, after a good 3 hours of decanting, for grilled rare leg of lamb. It will also reward cellaring up to 2013.
094870 (D) 750 mL $ 23.95
CONDE DE VALDEMAR GRAN RESERVA 2001
DOCa Rioja
(Bodegas Valdemar)
Conde de Valdemar is Bodegas Valdemar’s flagship line. This wine is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and 5% Graciano from their oldest vineyards. Aged 26 months in a combination of French and American oak, and then another 48 months in bottle prior to release.
TASTING NOTE: Dried cherry, tobacco and anise flavors mingle in this supple, juicy red. Not heavy, but has focus and intensity, with a floral, spicy finish. Drink now through 2011. Score – 90. (Thomas Matthews, www.winespectator.com, June 30, 2008)
114504 (XD) 750 mL $ 39.95
CUNE VIÑA REAL RESERVA 2001
DOCa Rioja, Oro
TASTING NOTE: Medium red. Ripe cherry and plum aromas are strongly influenced by vanillin oak and mocha. Sweet, toasty red berry flavors verge on jammy but are enlivened by zesty acidity. Fine-grained tannins add support to the long, sweet finish. The oak is pretty strong right now but I’ll bet that it will be absorbed by the fruit with time in bottle. Score – 89(+?). (Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar, July/Aug. 2007)
094896 (D) 750 mL $ 32.95
ESCUDERO SOLAR DE BECQUER CRIANZA 2004
DOCa Rioja
(Bodegas Valsacro)
Wine critics the world over consider the 2004 vintage an excellent year in Rioja.
TASTING NOTE: A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Mazuelo and 10% Garnacha. Aged for 14 months in American oak, this shows classic Tempranillo aromas of strawberry and blueberry, plus pomegranate, almond and toasty oak. Dry with structured flavours that bring all the fruit, fresh acid and moderate tannins harmoniously together. Terrific length to finish off the whole package. Try it with roast beef au jus or osso bucco. (Vintages panel, Sept. 2008)
103465 (D) 750 mL $ 16.95
FINCA ALLENDE ALLENDE 2005
DOCa Rioja
TASTING NOTE: The 2005 Allende is 100% Tempranillo barrel-fermented and aged for 14 months in mostly new French oak. Purple-colored, it offers up an enticing bouquet of pain grille, crushed stone, spice box, scorched earth and blackberry. Ripe, layered, and complex, it has gobs of spicy fruit, several years of aging potential, and a lengthy finish. Score – 92. (Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)
954560 (XD) 750 mL $ 34.95
LEALTANZA CRIANZA 2004
DOCa Rioja
(Bodegas Altanza)
TASTING NOTE: The 2004 Lealtanza Crianza was sourced from 30-year-old [Tempranillo] vines and aged for 12 months in French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it offers a complex bouquet of cedar, tobacco, blackberry, and black cherry. Smooth-textured, ripe, and sweetly-fruited, this nicely balanced wine has excellent depth and length. Drink it over the next 5-7 years. It is an excellent value in traditionally-styled Rioja. Score – 90. (Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)
114835 (XD) 750 mL $ 19.95
Wine of the Month
New at Vintages
MARQUÉS DE CÁCERES GRAN RESERVA 2001
DOCa Rioja
A blend of 85% old-vines Tempranillo with the other 15% comprised of Garnacha and Graciano.
TASTING NOTE: Still firm, this red offers black cherry, mineral, licorice and tobacco flavors over solid tannins that dissolve on the finish, leaving floral and spicy notes. Foursquare and balanced. Drink now through 2011. Score – 90. (Thomas Matthews, www.winespectator.com, June 30, 2008)
976670 (XD) 750 mL $ 39.95
On the Cover
NAVARRSOTILLO MAGISTER BIBENDI CRIANZA 2004
DOCa Rioja
Magister Bibendi translates as ‘Drink Leader’. This term is used in Spain to describe an individual who oversees the selection of drinks at a party. A product of the excellent 2004 vintage and aged for 12 months in a combination of American and French oak, this Crianza is a flavourful, crowd-pleasing and elegant blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Garnacha. Our Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 6 mg/L of free sulphur.
118125 (D) 750 mL $ 19.95
ONTAÑóN RESERVA 2001
DOCa Rioja
This Reserva is 95% Tempranillo with a 5% dollop of Graciano for ‘seasoning’, and has been aged for 24 months in a combination of French and American oak.
TASTING NOTE: A spectacular Reserva featuring aromas of strawberry, anise, almond, plum, dried berries and smoke. Complex, layered flavours and smooth tannins bring this stellar, long-finishing wine into balance. Give it a go tonight with slow-cooked, rolled flank steak stuffed with mozzarella, scallions and red pepper or cellar it 2-4 years. (Vintages panel, May 2008)
725895 (D) 750 mL $ 24.95
PALACIOS REMONDO LA VENDIMIA 2007
DOCa Rioja
Palacios Remondo’s La Vendimia is simultaneously modern and ‘old school’. Modern, because they use every cutting-edge method at their disposal to make fresh, bright, flavourful wines; old school, because they use a higher level of Garnacha (a practice more common in Rioja Baja where superstar winemaker, Alvaro Palacios, is from). The blend here is 50% Tempranillo and 50% Garnacha. Look for aromas of blackberry jam, fresh raspberry and a hint of Mediterranean country herbs (called garrigue in the south of France). Enjoy this wine with beef ragout or even grilled liver and onions. It will also age gracefully for 4+ years.
674564 (XD) 750 mL $ 15.95
Catalunya
JEAN LEÓN TERRASOLA TEMPRANILLO/monastrell crianza 2005
DO Catalunya
A blend of 88% Tempranillo and 12% Monastrell (Mourvèdre). This wine is always dominated by Tempranillo, but the secondary grape is selected based on the performance of individual varieties from vintage to vintage.
TASTING NOTE: Rich black plum, cherry, fresh fig, mocha and cedar dominate this finely structured wine. Elegant yet assertive, Jean León’s Terrasola 2005 is a perfect representation of European style and New World flourish in harmony. Enjoy it tonight with rich meat dishes including stews, lasagna or other pasta dishes. (Vintages panel, Sept. 2008)
114298 (D) 750 mL $ 16.95
Navarra
QUADERNA VÍA TEMPRANILLO CRIANZA 2005
DO Navarra
This 100% Tempranillo was matured for 12 months in oak and 12 months in bottle before release. Our Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined that this wine contains 9 mg/L of free sulphur.
TASTING NOTE: Balanced and supple, this Tempranillo features pretty aromas of black plum, raspberry, dried black fruit, smoke and vanilla. Dry and flavourful, this balanced wine is ready to drink tonight with grilled lamb chops. (Vintages panel, Sept. 2008)
115758 (D) 750 mL $ 18.95
Ribera del Duero
BODEGAS DE LOS RIOS PRIETO PRIOS MAXIMUS ROBLE 2006
Pesquera de Duero, DO Ribera del Duero
A Silver Medal winner at the 2008 Tempranillos Al Mundo competition. The wine is grown in the respected Pesquera area and aged almost 6 months in American oak and 6 months in bottle before release.
TASTING NOTE: This 100% Tempranillo from 40-year-old vines shows the virtues of mature vines in wine production. Opaque ruby colour with intense aromas of plum, almond, cocoa and wood spice. Dry, fleshy and rich with exceptional aroma replays on the palate. Medium full-bodied with a long, balanced finish. Match it to rich beef stews or lamb dishes. (Vintages panel, May 2008)
103432 (D) 750 mL $ 15.95
New at Vintages
MARQUÉS DE VELILLA CRIANZA 2003
DO Ribera del Duero
TASTING NOTE: Aged 12 months in oak, this 100% Tempranillo displays aromas of strawberry, menthol, milk chocolate, cherry, leather and anise. The whole package is tied together beautifully, showing an exceptional balance between fruit, acids and tannins. The finish is long and lush. Try it tonight with grilled game bird or cellar 3-5 years. (Vintages panel, May 2008)
103515 (D) 750 mL $ 24.95
Toro
EL CURATO OLD VINES 2006
DO Toro
(Canto Petirrojo)
Jay Miller of www.erobertparker.com gave this wine a score of 90 (Feb. 2008), but did not provide a tasting note. The wine is 100% Tinta de Toro (the local name for Tempranillo).
TASTING NOTE: Inky violet. Expansive, jammy blackberry and blueberry on the nose, with no signs of earth or game. A pliant, juicy midweight, showing impressively sweet, deep dark fruit flavors, with light tannins adding support to the long, supple finish. Impressively suave and flavorful for the price. Score – 89. (Josh Raynolds, International Wine Cellar, July/Aug. 2007)
117879 (D) 750 mL $ 19.95
New at Vintages
PINTIA 2005
DO Toro
TASTING NOTE: Bodegas Pintia is owned by Vega Sicilia. Pintia is located further west along the Duero River inside the warmer D.O. of Toro. The estate owns 96 hectares of land. The first vintage released was the 2001. As for the 2005 Pintia, it is 100% Tinta de Toro [Tempranillo] aged for one year in new French and American oak. Opaque purple-colored, it offers a complex perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry. This leads to a full-bodied, ripe, layered wine with intense flavors, serious complexity, and exceptional length. It has enough structure to unfold for another 4-6 years and drink well through 2025. Score – 95. (Jay Miller, www.erobertparker.com, Feb. 2008)
022954 (D) 750 mL $ 64.95
ADDITIONAL NOTES FOR PINTIA:
SOKOLIN price : $69.95US
Where the Deuro is about to become the Douro and Spain cedes to Portugal, we find the arid forthright vineyards of Toro, its evocative name not inappropriate given the rugged terrain and the power of the wines. The Pintia vineyard is strewn with poppies and pudding stones; one could almost be in Châteauneuf Du Pape here, were it not for the distinctive subsoil of red clay. The stewardship of Vega Sicilia has brought expertise and investment, but the character has not been lost.
Tempranillo is known as Tinta de Toro in these parts of Spain; with 50 years of age, these vines have had to dig deep to nourish and moisten the wines in the brutal heat of 2005. The wine has been aged for 23 months in new oak ( 70%French, 30% American); its haunting aromas of violets, plums and charcuterie almost remind me of Quinta Do Vesuvio ( not that far away after all); then on the palate dark brooding fruits, licorice, tar and undergrowth; balancing acidity and robust but not astringent tannins. One for the longer term certainly; one to watch without any doubt at all.
Simon Field MW, BBR Buyer
92 points from Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar: “Inky purple. Alluring bouquet of blackberry and blueberry preserves, cherry-cola and vanillin oak spices. Broad, fleshy and deep, with sweet flavors of dark berries, floral pastille and vanilla beans. The rich fruit nicely absorbs the oak element on the long, velvety finish. Leaves a wide swath of creamy dark fruits and licorice in its wake. Pretty sexy stuff.” (Jul/Aug '08)
91 points Wine Enthusiast: “Very young but exuberant and balanced. Tasted in Spain well after bottling but before its March 2008 release, Pintia, Vega Sicilia’s Toro project, comes across as a bull of a wine with huge levels of color and extraction. Floral, mineral and violet aromas lead off, followed by deep berry fruit flavors and lots of rustic charred beef on the finish.” (6/1
“For explorers of the New Spain , Pintia is a safe bet, boasting the Toro soifs and Vega Sicilia pedigree. This is intense and complex, 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo), with notes of liquorice and black pepper.”
(Decanter - Why Spain is the most exciting wine country in Europe - Dec 2008)
It is no secret that Vega Sicilia have been working for a number of years on a new wine - from Toro, the “next big thing” in Spanish red wine appellations. Known to some under the codename ‘ALQUIRIZ’, the wine (and winery) finally has a definitive name...PINTIA.
Toro is located further along the Duero river from Vega Sicilia, in hotter, wilder territory as one approaches the Portuguese border (after which, the Duero becomes the famous Douro of Port fame). The Vega group began researching the area in 1997, with experimental vinifications and judicious purchases of top vineyard sites, half of which are already planted with mature 25 to 45 year old vines. The estate now possesses 96 hectares of land, including a state-of-the-art vinification and ageing facility. The 2001 vintage is the first judged worthy of release, in a limited quantity of 80 000 bottles.
The wine is 100% Tinta de Toro, the superior local clone of Tempranillo, aged 1 year in new oak (70% French, 30% American). It displays the style and class of a Vega Sicilia Group wine, but with the extra spicy, forceful presence of a Toro. A fantastic newcomer to the Spanish scene!
www.skurnikwines.com/prospects.cgi?rm=view_prospect_detail&prospect_id=466
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