IFW tasting

I jumped on the train after work yesterday and headed down to Abbotsford for a tasting of wine from all over the place, but most importantly Spain and Portugal. I have been drinking some of their new releases over the week, but I got a chance to look at few others that haven't made it into my tasting pile as yet, plus some stuff that I wouldn't normally see. The Cognac Tesseron gear they're importing is just amazing, I now have taste for another thing I can't afford! Take a look if you get the chance.

I took some notes of course, so here are some quick and dirty notes on the stuff I haven't already written up:

Agapito Rico Carchelo Monastrell 2006:  Warm inviting nose of cherry, plum and nutmeg and a bit of barnyard action. A touch of sweetness in the mouth, cherry, Rosella, pepper and clove. Good price too 87 Pts.

Dehesa la Granja 2001: Looking a bit better than my last look. 88 Pts.

Quinta do Noval 2004: This is the top end Douro table wine from Noval, and its a beauty. A tight nose of cherry, plum, clove, shist and some violets. Mouthfilling and very complex on the palate with sarsparilla, clove, plums, mulberry and pepper. I'm going with a 93+ on this tasting but I'm sure it would a bit better with more air.

Quinta do Noval Tawny: Real quality here, raspberries and a bit appley on the nose. I don't drink enough tawny to have a reference point, but I like it.

Quinta do Noval Silval Vintage Port 2005: This is looking great, fairly classic VP with plums, dark cherries and rosella jam, spicey pepper, clove and nutmeg. 91 Pts.

Val de Sil Montenovo Godello 2006

 

Cedro do Noval 2004

If you've ever had even a passing interest in Port, you will have heard of Quinta do Noval. This most be one of the most iconic Port houses going and they are now making table wine in the Douro. They have come a bit later to the game than many, but the wines are bloody good. This is the second wine and its a winner, friendly, plenty of Douro character and it doesn't break the bank. Well packaged too.

The nose starts off with something that I'm calling schisty: soot, hot rocks and earth along with some clove, sweet plum, cherry and pepper. Well balanced and smooth with supple tannins and loads of minerals on the finish. There is some great savoury fruit on the palate plums, cherries and rosella mixed in with some chocolate, pepper and minerals. Its a bit meaty, but very stylish. As is usual for Portuguese wines, acid is more of a supporting player, but here it plays its part well. An excellent addition to the growing range of Douro reds available in Australia. 91 Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $44 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.quintadonoval.com

Bodegas Breton ‘Lorinon’ Crianza 2004

I have no idea why some wineries want to have gaudy flash websites, complete with a sound track direct from some bad 80s movie. These guys have a horrible one. But they seem to have the wine making sorted, this is a wine that will go well in the cellar over the next couple of years. Its their entry level red made from mostly tempranillo with 5% each of garnacha, mazeulo and graciano, then aged in robles Americano for 14 months. They make a whopping 820,000 bottles and 29,000 magnums of the stuff. And why not, it's a solid drink.

Oh and if you haven't checked it out, the guys at Catavino were off in Rioja last week (lucky bastards!), so they've had a few guest posters in. Adrian Murcia from Blame it on Rioja has written a great post on an American view of Rioja, its certainly worth a click.

A deep red in colour, moving to purple toward the rim. A fine nose of liquored up dark cherries and plums, dark chocolate and earth wrapped up in some fairly good oak. Heavily influence by old school rioja, with a bit more fruit. Tight at the moment, but its a middle weight in the mouth with plenty of backbone with good mouthfeel and fine, silky tannins. On the palate its fairly much a mirror of the nose, but its all ripe cherry rather than plum, and adds some cinnamon for added interest . Give this a good decant, or even better, a couple of years in the cellar. 88+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $28 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasbreton.com

Martinsancho 2006