Tio Pepe Fino (375ml)

I’ve written this wine up before, but it’s such a classic I’m writing it up again. One of things with sherry is that it does change slightly from each drawing of the solera. It’s kind of like NV or MV champagne in that different disgorgement dates can be different wines altogether. The aim is to have a consistent house style and flavour, but there are always some small difference.I don’t know the bottling date on this one, but I’m sure that it is reasonably fresh.

I got home last night and decided that a bit of cooked up chorizo and some mushrooms in cream and garlic was the menu for dinner. The mushrooms need a splash of sherry or wine, so what better excuse to open a bottle. Plus I have some Tio Pepe copitas I bought back from Spain years ago, so Tio Pepe was the drink of choice…

Very pale in colour (don’t believe the picture, photoshop has tinted the colour a bit darker when I converted from RAW to JPEG) with a fine nose of apples, a touch of lemon and orange peel,  almonds and light flor character. Long and lively in the mouth with plenty of nuts, a shake of salt and orange peel. Balanced with crisp acidity. Not as precise and harmonious as my last bottle, but still a great fino. 90 Pts

Vintage Cellars Tasting

Last Wednesday night I took a short trip out to Camberwell to taste through most Vintage Cellar’s Spanish and Portugues range. Its quite a big range and it’s fairly much all come about in the past year, increasing from about 7 wine to around 30 with more on the way. A few Tinto y Blanco readers came along for the fun, which was great.

The focus is on quality wines at affordable prices, I found plenty to like here and there some real stand out wines from Ribera del Douro in the range. Here’s what I thought on the night:

DO Cava

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva NV ($13.99) - Bready and apply, quite fresh and refreshing. Looking quite good at the moment 86 Pts.

Segura Viudas Brut Rosado NV ($13.99) - Not sweet at all, dusty strawberry, quite pretty and light with something a bit herbal on the mid palate. 86 Pts

Segura Viudas Brut 2002 ($19.99) - The standout in this bracket, yeasty and nutty on the nose, cider apples and less character. Blanced fizz and acidity with plenty of length. 88 Pts.

Segura Viudas Semi-Seco NV ($13.99) - An off-dry style, sugared backed apples, a bit dusty but quite fresh. Mildly sweet. A bit simple and fruity with a clean finish. 85 Pts.

DO Rueda

Con Class Vendemia Excepcional 2007 ($17.99) - Grassy with passionfruit and a sweaty note (in a good way) on the nose. Nice and fleshy in the mouth, pear and apple. Plenty to like here. 87 Pts.

Con Class Verdejo 2007 ($11.99)- Fresh with plenty of fennel and pear on the nose, dusty and tangy. As I’ve said before, great for the cash. 88 Pts.

DO Rias Baixas 2006 ($16.99) - I didn’t take a note on this one, but still looking very good as per my note here.

DO Jerez-Sherry

Osborne Manzailla NV ($19.99) - Fairly classic manzilla notes of apples, sea spray, almonds and flor. There is something herbal on the mid palate that’s a bit odd at first but very enjoyable after that. 88 Pts.

DOCa Rioja

Aradon Joven 2006 ($9.99) - Juicy and fresh with bright cherry and blueberry. Earthy cherry and plum on palate with a clean long finish. A bargain at this price. 87 Pts.

Cosme Palacio Cosecha 2005 ($20.99) - Modern with lush fruit, plenty of cherry and plum with firm tannins and a touch of oak influcence. Solid wine. 88 Pts.

Glorioso Crianza 2004 ($17.99) - Here is a classic Crianza at a great price. A lovely nose of violets, plum and cherry on the nose with a bit of pencil shavings and earth. Traditional character with plenty of fruit. 89-90 Pts.

Glorioso Reserva 2003 ($27.99) - Subtle on the nose with some earthy cherry, plum and spice. The palate shows good fruit with some spice and slight coco. 88+ Pts.

Glorioso Gran Reserva 1999 ($45.99) - Surprisingly to me this was a crowd pleaser, normally people go striaght to the crianza or modern wines. Classic oak aged nosed of pencil shavings, mint/pine resin, strawberry and cherry with clove, nutmeg and cinnamon. A bit flabby in the middle, but some fine grained tannins and a very long finish. 90 Pts.

Bodegas Palacio Reserva Especial 2001($49.99) - A modern styled Super Reserva. Dark chocolate, espresso and ceadery oak over some dark cherry and plum fruit. The oak treatment is a little hamfisted, but there is some great fruit under there. I’m not sure if it’s in an odd place or just over oaked. 87 Pts.

DO Navara

Tandem Ars ‘In Virto’ Merlot Tempranillo 2005 ($14.99) - This opened up a bit reductive, but this blew off to show some chewy plums and cherry, nice chunky tannins and a generally soft friendly wine. A bit of sweetness in the mid palate, but it pulls it off. 87 Pts.

Tandem Ars ‘Nova’ Tempranillo Cabernet 2004 ($22.99) - Plenty of fruit here, but it’s earthy and savoury blue and red fruits. A bit juicy with nice fine tannins. 89 Pts.

Tandem Ars ‘Macula’ Cabernet Merlot 2004 ($32.99) - Soft, dry and plenty of flesh fruit tannin here. Nice plum and blackcurrant with some earthy herbs, but it doesn’t really grab me. 87 Pts.

DO Ribero del Duero

Vina Mayor Tinto Roble 2005 ($17.99) - A very well done roble with classic animale, cherry and blackberry with some herby bramble. Plenty of flesh tannins and well balanced acidity. 88+ Pts

Tabula Damana 2004 ($34.99) - These two next wines were the stand out of the tasting. This is all red cherry and mocha with some lavender and sage. Excellent mouth feel thanks to some refined tannins. Great length and character. Lots to like here and will cellar very well. 91+ Pts.

Tabula 2004 ($66.99) - Toasty oak over the top of blackberry and black currant with some violets. Juicy, meaty fruit with a shovel load of soft fruit tannins. Earthy and savoury with a core of perfectly ripe blue and black fruits. 93 Pts.

DO Priorat

Cims de Porrera ‘Solanes’ 2003 ($32.99) - An old standard that is back in Australia. pepper and spice, a little funky but very appealing. Nice plumy fruit with some pepper earth and herby bramble.

Portugal

Vinho de Mesa Rose NV ($8.49) - A little cheesy, but there are some fresh strawberry and raspberry notes. A bit too sweet for my tastes, but finishes nicely with some strawberry candy. 81 Pts.

DO Estremadura

Pink Elephant Rose ($11.99) - Musky, sweet strawberry with a good acid back bone, more in the winey style of rose. Designed for food and would be great with something spicy. 85 Pts.

DO Alenquer

Quinta das Setencostas 2005 ($14.99) - Fresh and spicy, savoury plums and blueberry. Plenty of texture and a lick of acid to keep things moving, a bit of mid palate sweetness that I’m not that keen on. 86 Pts.

DOC Porto

Taylors 10 Year Old Tawny Port ($49.99) - Nice aged characters on the nose, raisins and clove with a light sprinkle of mixed nuts. Very long finish with good integration of spirit. 90 Pts.

Taylors LBV Port ($39.99) - I didn’t catch the vintage on this, but will chase it up. Plum and cherry fruit with clove and nutmeg, a bit of hot cinnamon. Fleshy and well structured with plenty of vintage character. 88 Pts.

Van Zellers Douro 2005

This is a project from Christiano van Zellar of Quinta do Vale Dona Maria, a field blend red wine from the Douro that uses grapes from outside Quinta. That’s about all I know, a quick bit of work on google didn’t really show up much except for a couple of good scores from TWA and WS for the 2004.

These mid-priced Douro seem to be were it’s at, I think you get the best expression for the price at around $40-60, with good value at the low end. The top end wines, while outstanding, are starting to get up there in price ($170 for the Meao top bottling, the new Vallado super deluxe job will come in over $300 here if it’s imported). It’s not that they aren’t great wines…

That classic sooty, rocky shist note kicks things off on the  nose followed by some juicy plum, blueberry and cherry with a bit a clove pepper. The acid level is quite high for a Douro red and gives a good balance to the meaty, flesh tannins. Savoury and flavour packed on the palate: plums and cherry, with a touch of rosella with subtle christmas cake spices and a mineral crunch. A generous long finish. Very moreish in this cold weather. 91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $55  Closure: Conventional Cork

Pazo San Mauro Albariño 2007

Of the main regions of Rias Brixas, Condado de Tea is the least represented in Australia. The region is a bit more challenging than Val do Salnés and O Rosal, its a more inland with river valleys, a touch warmer and the soils are more solid and slatey. This wine is made by Cristina Mantilla, who also makes Valmiñor. Expect classic Albariño with plenty of flavour and a touch of minerals.

Fairly much text book albariño on the nose: freshly sliced lemons, a shake of white peaches, a bit of jasmine and lime blossom. A convincing mix of texture with a tight acid backbone, gives good mouthfeel. It’s very long on the finish with some rocky minerals and a lemon tang.   Clean, fresh, and direct, the palate mirrors the nose for the most part. A classy act. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Salvador Poveda ‘Borrasca’ 2002

A ‘high expression’ wine from Salvador Poveda, who you might know from their Toscar range. Low production from older Monastrell vines that are grown at high altitude. Very sensible use of big 500l french oak barrels too.  Production is limited to 7,000 bottles. Being from the 2002 vintage, its spent a bit of time in bottle which hasn’t hurt either.

The nose is quality monastrell: juicy plum, blue berry and honey with the trademark animal notes, a little dark cherry and nutmeg. Soft and rounded, but a few firm edges give interest as do the dusty tannins that are light and fluffy. It starts off all blueberry and violets on the palate, with some blackberry and plum with a touch of raisin. A bit of chewing tobacco too. Highly enjoyable, this one classy monastrell. Good value too. 91 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Bodegas Beronia Tempranillo 2006

The designation on the bottle is Elaboracion Especial and it’s a tricked up straight Tempranillo from Rioja. Most of the wines made by Bodegas Beronia are fairly traditional, however this is modern in its approach. Its made using barrel fermentation, but using high toast American oak rather than the usual French.

Deep and intense on the nose, plenty of mocha, toasted bread and vanilla with earthy cherry and mulberry. Supple and rich in the mouth, textured by plenty of soft tannins and a cheeky bit of acid on the finish. Plenty of get up and go on the palate, fresh plum and cherry with some mocha and sage. The fruit stands up to the wood well. A highly likable wine that shows a different approach to modern Rioja. 90 Pts.

Bodegas Beronia Crianza 2005

I traveled up to Canberra for a day last week, damn is it cold up there. No time to look around at the wineries or drinking anything local unfortunately. Actually, I think my main achievement for the day was getting home on Qantas, what with cancelled flights and delays. Luckily I had Bar Lourinha waiting for me when I got home.

Anyway, here’s a tidy crianza from the 2005 vintage in Rioja. It leans towards the traditional in style and shows plenty of refinement at 13% alcohol. Its a blend of 82% Tempranillo, 14% Garnarcha and 4% Mazuelo that lives in oak for 12 months.

Mocha anise and cookie dough with some black berry and cherry fruit. Its friendly and well rounded, with some plush, juicy fruit. Plenty of savoury cherry and mulberry with bushy undergrowth. Some earth and anise thrown in for good measure. Solid winter drinking. 89 Pts

Bodegas Finca Vaqueros I’Corus ‘Vendimia Seleccionada’ 2003

I reviewed the two entry level wines from this bodega a month or two ago and this is the big daddy of the range.Older vines (80 years old) and some special oak treatment (16 months in a mix of French and American oak) give this more ompphh for long term aging. I think anyone would have a hard time picking this from any of the Mauro wines.

Wild and thrilling is a good summary for this wine. It starts of with a nose of brambly cherry, mulberry and plum, adding some vanilla bean and mocha with some barnyard undertones. Supple with fine edges, quite charming and rustic tannins that build to give impressive texture. Its juby and meaty in the mouth with more cherry and black jelly beans, a touch of blackberry and black currant as well as some earthy herbs. I really enjoy drinking these wines, highly enjoyable and drinkable. You could keep it for a while, but I’d have trouble keeping my hands off them. 92 Pts.

Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $50 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasfincavaqueros.com

Altozano Tempranillo 2006

If you read Gourmet Traveler Wine, you would have seen this wine receive big wraps and (94 Pts) in a blind line up of Spanish and Aussie Tempranillos. While, I’m not as enthusiastic its great at this price and now comes in screwcap.

Its a media-crianza that sees 4 months in a mix of American, Hungarian and French oak. The grapes are from Toledo, hence the VDlT Castilla label.

The nose is full of blueberry, dark cherry and blackcurrant, with a hit of mulberry in the middle. Plenty of warm climate tempranillo character here, rich and generous mouth feel and soft tannins. Earthy blackcurrant, plum and dark cherry fruit, with some sarsaparilla. Complexity isn’t the name of the game here, its all about the bold fruit. The wood is really well handled too. At this price you can’t go wrong. 87 Pts.

Bodegas Beronia Viura 2006

I’ve been flat out lately, both at work and home, with the start of the new financial year and all. I’ve got plenty of tasting notes in my notebook, just no time to write them up. I’ll hopefully clear out the back log this week. So, on to the wine. This is a fresh and zippy white Rioja, perfect with something fishy or lemony. I like the traditional style label too.

light in colour, the nose shows lemon with some white flowers, candied lemon and lime peel and some musky grapefruit. A fairly serious drink, not the kind of thing you can ignore. It’s textured to start, but with a zippy acid backbone on the finish that leaves a tangy finish. Minerally and complete, there is some lemon and nettle too. Perfect for snacking on small fish or something salty. 88 Pts.