Archive for January, 2009
Gran Solbeira 2007
This is a fun wine from Ribero. Not a lot of details available, but it looks and taste like it has a high percentage of Treixadura with maybe some Godello mixed in for good measure. The label is a bit of a dog’s breakfast tho. Anyway, it’s cheap, fun and cold which is what I [...]
Remelluri Reserva 2003
Remelluri is quite the name in Rioja. These guy lean towards the traditional side of things, but are a bit different as they are one of the few producing single estate wines (the term finca is usually used to describe this), although this is more common these days. It’s located up quite high in Rioja Alvesa, the vineyard is terraced into three areas and is one of coolest vineyards around. It used to be a neglected old monastery until it was bought and rejuvenated by one Jamie Rodriguez Salis in the 60s. That’s right, Telmo’s dad.
Blume Verdejo 2007
Félix Solís looks to be something of a powerhouse in Northern Spain, they’ve purchased a couple of new bodegas, this being one of them. The wine is made from verdejo in Rueda, its bright and fresh. Perfect for the week of 40 degree days we have coming in Melboune. I must say I am looking forward to catching the end of the European winter…
Artadi Vinas de Gain 2006
Artardi is one of those producers that people get really excited about. I’m always getting questions like: who’s importing Artadi? When will it be in? Is it really that good? These should all really go to the Spanish Acquisition (the importer), but the good news is that you can now buy the joven (Orobio) and Vinas de Gain now, the big guns are coming shortly (and they are not priced for those of us with light wallets!). I think this wine show great value in the current wine market and should be considered top flight Rioja regardless of what it’s big brothers can do.
Pazo Pondal Albariño 2007
This is the big brother to the Leira, and its quite a step up. I’m not sure which sub-zone this is from but it looks and tastes like its from O’Rosal (ie similar to Valminor). This is more in the tight, minerally acid expression of albariño that I have an ever so slight preference for. [...]
Niepoort ‘Redoma’ Brancho 2007
Niepoort make some amazing red table wines, as well as some mind blowing ports, but I think it’s these Douro white wines that really show Dirk Niepoort’s skills and that the Douro isn’t a region just for the production of fortified wines. Its made from a a blend of Rabigato, Codega, Donzelinho, Viosinho and Arinto from 40 year old vines up on the top of part of the Douro valley. The thing that really sucks me in with this wine is its calm, subtle and fresh nature. You could almost swear it was a village white burgundy going by the texture, length and mouthfeel.
Ramon Bilbao Viura 2007
One of the things I want to get my head around when I’m in Rioja next month is what is going on with white Rioja.There are a couple of modern versions, like this or Placet from Palacios Remondo, that really rock my boat. Plus the traditional stuff like Lopez de Heredia’s Reservas and Gran Reservas, that are like nothing else on earth. Then there is Remulleri Blanco (It is a tasty blend of Vigonier, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Moscatel, Marsanne and Roussane) which is something else altogether. I’m heading to all these places, so I should be able to get a good view of what is going on and where white Rioja is heading. Either that or I just get to drink some nice wines with friendly people.
Pazo Pondal ‘Leira’ Albariño 2007
A box of white wines turned up the other day, which would be perfect if we actually had some summer weather here in Melbourne. Pazo Pondal is not a producer I have seen before, they have this wine from Condardo de Tea which is more inland and swampy than the two sub regions that most of the Albarino we see comes from: O Rosal and Val do Salnés. There is a little sticker saying Robert Parker 90 Points on the bottle, as usual I am a few points behind…
Sybarus Tardana ‘Unico’ 2007
This wine is from Utiel-Requena and its made from the Tardana grape. Never heard of it? The only reason I knew anything about this wine was a post over at Catavino late last year. Being new and unusual is a good thing in my book. There is a lot of promise shown here, but don’t bet on finding people importing vine cuttings just yet.
Spanish Red 2005
I’ve had a draft of this hanging around for ages, time it saw the light of day. I guess you’d call this a cleanskin, but this is one of those cleanskins that actually delivers well and truly above it’s price point.
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