Oak, lots of oak. That’s my first thought. Ok, it is quality oak and it’s not totally dominating the fruit initially but it’s fairly obvious. A bit more air and the fruit comes up to meet the wood halfway, starting to look good. A little herby, a touch of cola and plenty of ripe dark red fruits. In the mouth it’s a different story, your in first class here. It sits on a fine line between medium and full bodied, excellent acid and rough suede like tannins. A bit of a tight rope walker this one, one step either way it wouldn’t work. But it pulls it off convincingly. Not the best vintage of Flor de Pingus, but I have a feeling this will be a late bloomer in about 5 years. 90+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $195 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2005, 2006

Anyway, I picked this up at Dan Murphy’s on Friday night, rather surprised to see it there. After all, this is a fairly small family run bodega that gets a bit of press every now and then. I’ve had their Reserva in Spain a couple of times, now that its available here it’s well work tracking down if Ribera is your thing. The short story on this one is that’s Tempranillo grown in lime rich soils in northern part (towards Burgos) of Ribera del Duero, that gets a quick dunk in french and american oak for 4 months (hence the name)…Imported by Bibendum.

A bit stinky on opening, but this cleans up in a minute or two to reveal a nose of tar and spice, salami, sweet cherry and a little funky mulberry. Very slick in the mouth, smooth with buscuit crumb tannins but that acid drive things along nicely. Deeply flavoured, juicy fruit as you’d expect from Ribera del Duero, with cola, minerals, clove and sage.  Lip smackingly good, grab a rack of lamb for the BBQ and a bottle of this for a nice sunday lunch. Drink now and over the next 5 years. 90 Pts

Source: Dan Murphy’s Price: $31 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasfelixcallejo.com

With a bit of background from my last post, we can get on to the wines in more detail. I was lucky enough to visit two different producers and drink a number of wines from other producers at local restaurants and bars. The thing that is common to all of these producers is that they are looking to the older mencia vineyards on the high slopes that centre around the villages of Cruillon and Villafranca del Bierzo at the west end of the valley. There is an amazing diversity of climats here, a slight move 10 meters left or right on a hill can make a difference to the amount of sunlight that a vine will receive and the soil composition. Similarly, elevation changes the character of the resulting grapes. With elevation ranging from 500 to 1100 meters, there is a wide variation in the character and class of the wines produced here. The single vineyard wines of Descendientes de J.Palacios show this really well, but more on that in another post.

Now Menica can be a tricky little beast, it is very high in tannin, moderate in acid, and has a number of traits that some will see as overbearing, at the least undesirable. A herby green tang, smoke and excessive blackcurrant to name a few. As such it is fairly easy to make hard, tanninic monsters with green notes and there are some tough decisions to be made in both the vineyard and bodega depending on the desired style and source of grapes. Many modern producers belive that a mix of tradition with a healthy dose of modern methods is required to get the best out of these hills.

Vineyards in Bierzo, like many other areas of Spain, have traditionally been small plots owned by a family for their own consumption with the left overs sold off to either a local co-op or larger producer. This hasn’t really changed too much, so many of the wines are a made from a collection of small, old vine vineyards that are still farmed by their owner in conjunction with whoever they are selling their grapes to. A number of producers are buying up small plots and working them with organic or biodynamic methods, however this is still not too far off the way people have been farming here for generations. There are also broadacre vineyards on the river flats that have been planted in the past 15 years, these are generally for bulk production and are farmed as they are anywhere else.

The majority of the quality vines are grown in the traditional gobblet or en vaso style, so no trellis or and only minimal training. Driving around the region you will see some newer vineyards with trellis, these are mainly on the lower, flat land for bulk wine production, however some newer quality planting have also use trellis. In terms of rootstock, most vines are on their own rootstock, however newer plantings are using phylloxera resistant rootstock. I haven’t done a lot of research into it yet, but I’m told that there is a huge number of clones of Mencia available. From what I can tell most people are replanting with cuttings from similar sites or with clones they prefer from long experience in the vineyard.

So, moving on to the  wine making style of Bierzo in general, the modern producers tend to like largish (2,000 to 10,000 litre) french oak fermenters for oak aged wines, while the young wines are fermented in stainless steel. There are some using old open top concrete fermenters (or legares) and holding tanks, however the use of these seems to be on the decline. I’m told many of these old tanks were hiding places for republican supporters during Franco’s purges in the 30s and 40s. A bleak reminder of Spain’s past.

There are a few things here that are common to many other regions of Spain. In just about every red wine producing area in Spain there seems to be three main styles of wine: carbonic maceration wines, young wines with or without oak, and mature wines with extensive oak treatment and aging. I am simplifying of course, and you could lump the first two together if you like and there is lots of diversity in each category.

Carbonic maceration is quite popular here. At it’s best it can produce fresh, fruity blueberry bubblegum flavored wines with that retain a savory note and they match excellently with the local food. Now, I am not often a fan of wines made with carbonic maceration, but when done well it seems to suit Mencia from Bierzo quite well. The young wines step this up a little in terms of structure and generally have some time in wood, french oak seems to be the popular choice, although many wines have a blend of american and french oak.

Mature wines, or ‘raised’ wines, don’t really follow a defined trend in terms wood treatment or aging here and the crianza system is not prescribed by the DO. So there is no fixed minimum time in wood or bottle (there are lots of other rules that govern the production however). As such producers are free to do what they like with wood aging. There are wines with full on new oak for 18 or 24 months, wines with only old wood, fermented in old lagres and everything in between. In general these are the wines that are causing all the buzz on this region and they range from huge, taninic big oaky wines to smooth, almost Burgundian styled wines. As always producer is important to pick the right kind of wines for your taste.

To my mind the leading producer in terms of quality is Descendientes de J.Palacios (lets call them DJP for short), a collaboration between Ricardo Palacios and his uncle Alvaro. I’ll give a full report on these guys later on, but the work that is being done by these guys is inspiring and they have brought significant muscle to the table, both in terms of experience and know how coupled with smart investment.  Focused on very high quality, DJP produce wines on a similar model to burgundy: there is a regional wine from a blend of their own and bought grapes, called Petalos, a ‘village’ wine from the vines around the village of Corullon, called Corullion strangely enough, and a range of single vineyard wines of high up on the slopes surrounding  Corullion. Similarly, Martin Codax are making some great wines here and have really worked hard to capture the essence of Bierzo and Mencia. Other producers to look out for here in Australia are Domino de Tares and Luna Beberide. Given these four producers you should be able to see a good cross section of what is going on here and get a good feel for the region.

Amelibia is my favourite place to eat in the old walled town of Laguardia. We ate here a couple of times on our last trip and were very keen to get back and see what’s new. It’s a small restaurant (just 12 tables) that overlooks the vineyards and across to the Cantabrian mountain range. Laguardia is just about the last outpost of Euskadi, or Basque country, and as such the food here is a good mix of Basque food and traditional Riojan food. So you will have a menu that has things like kokotxas pil pil (throat of hake in an olive oil and garlic emulsion, a very Basque dish) and rabo de vaca al tinto vino (oxail in red wine, a typically Riojan dish).

Most importantly, the wine selection is excellent. Mostly made up of local producers from Laguardia (and there are many), plus selections from around Rioja, with a few other things like Cava and sherry in there as well. We went with Artadi Vinas de Gain 2006, which has soften over the past year and is even more silky and fragrant than my last tasting. Still, there is nice line and length with a firm backbone of acid, it coped with my very fatty main with ease.

These guys offer modern interpretations of traditional classics, so your oxtail has no bones and is wrapped in what looks to me to fried rice paper. Excellent quality ingredients are used here, including the great fresh produce of La Rioja. Today we had a carpaccio of bacalao, very thin slices salt cod over a base of aioli with oil, chilli flakes and chives, and some mixed vegetables with jamon and garlic to start with. For mains we had the excellent Rabo de Vaca and a dish of deboned pork knuckle and foie gras. The pork knuckle that had been slow cooked and shaped into a cube, with a big hunk of foie in between. Very decadent.

Pork knuckle and foie

Then there is dessert. Ultra dense chocolate mousse with Maldon salt and olive oil…sounds weird, tastes like chocolate on steroids! The salt brings out the chocolate flavour and intensifies it. This is going on high rotation at home!

Another bonus is that they are open on Mondays (someone has to!), so they are closed Tuesdays instead. Also closed Sunday to Wednesday for dinner. Booking essential in peak seasons, highly recommended at other times. Ph: +34 945 62 12 07

Mans best Friend in Bierzo is not the dog...

It’s impossible to define a whole region after visiting for a couple of days and talking to a handful of winemakers, but here is a quick overview of what makes this a special place to make wine.

The valley has been cut out of the surrounding mountains by a couple of rivers and has formed a paradise for traditional agriculture. First there is the river flats for grazing animals, a little higher up for vegetables and apples, pears and plums. Go higher still and you’ll find chestnuts and cherries. But where are the vines? Look a little higher to the impossibly steep mountain sides and you’ll find small plots of very old vines clinging to the side of the hills. This is perfect country for traditional farming and community. The region is well known for it’s produce: potatoes, tomatoes, goat and lamb, cured meats (which are generally smoked here due to the humidity from the rivers), and all kinds of fruits and nuts.

Of course these days people do grow vines on the river flat, it is easier to make bulk wines here with machine harvesting, but it is on the mountain slopes where you’ll find the quality grapes. The mountains here are steep, some of them look almost vertical, yet there are vineyards here. How people work them is beyond me, but I do know that the help of a donkey is required. Like in Priorat, or the much closer Douro Valley, the mount sides consist of a base of slate shist with a variety of stuff over the top: clay and pebbles at the base near the river, a bit higher up it moves into limestone and quartz (I pilfered a couple of good size rocks, as only a wine geek would!) and towards the top you find slate coming to the surface. This is a generalisation, as the top of some hills have clay and no limestone etc, but it should give you an idea of the landscape.

Mencia is the grape of choice here,  it has evolved over time to become at home in Bierzo and has the ability to produce some stunning wines. It produces strong, robust reds that are deeply tannic, with slightly lower acidity than what is considered normal. Yet this doesn not seem to hinder the wines aging quite well. One of the great things about mencia is that it is very approachable when young, the 2009 vintage barrel samples I looked at were ready to go and thats only 4 months after harvest. Most wine tasted at this is very young and almost doesn’t taste like wine. There are plantings of Tempranillo, Cabernet and other red grapes in the areas, for my tastes these should be left well alone.

In terms of white wine, there is a small production of Godello which shows promise. There are lots of old Palomino vines mixed in with the mencia in some vineyards, this was used in the past to bulk up production, the end result being a table wine of lower concentration and alcohol with a wishy-washy taste. Quality producers are replacing these old palomino vines with mencia.

Frozen Shist

Of course the people and their influences form a big part in the region too, and this place has had its fair share over the years. First it was the Romans, who minded the hills and river valleys for gold. Then of course there is the Camino de Stantiago (or the way of St. James if you prefer the english version). People have been walking the camino for centuries, bringing many things with them, including vines. The old story is that monks brought vine cuttings with them from northern Europe to Bierzo and planted what has become Mencia, the king of grapes for the region. Now, many have though that mencia was originally Cabernet Franc from Bordeaux, and there are similarities between the two, however genetic testing has disproved this theory. Whatever it was, I’m very thankful that they did.

Of course then there is the Spanish Civil War and Franco’s reign over the country from 1936 to 1975. The story is similar to that of many other regions that were abandoned for wine production during the Franco era: grape prices where set on weight regardless of quality, the amount of labour required to cultivate the vines in Bierzo is very high and yields were low, so many families abandoned their vineyards and went to the bigger cities to look for work in industry or offices. Those that stayed were generally older, this can still be seen now, there are very few young people walking in the streets of Villafranca del Bierzo. The younger generations came back in the summer for holidays, but that was about it.

In the late 90s younger people started looking at all these old vines (and importantly EU funds for reclaiming old varieties and vineyards) and production of quality wine was again on the agenda. Given a couple of hectares of vineyards, plus the fruit trees that are intermingled with the vines, a family is again able to sustain itself from the land. The old vineyards are being rejuvenated with quality as the driver, rather than quanity.

The region has a blossoming wine industry now and interest is high. Many in the Spanish (and global) wine press have announced El Bierzo the ‘new Priorat’. This linkage is helped by the fact that Ricardo Palacios, nephew of Alvaro Palacios, has started up a major concern here in partnership with his uncle. Generally speaking, many of the local wines are produced by Co-Ops while there is a growing interest from large wine companies.

More on the wines of Bierzo in my next post….

This time in Spain I’m having a bit more of a holiday and I’m focusing more on food than a full on wine adventure: lazy days with long lunches, lots of jamon and roasted lamb, and of course a bit of wine here and there. Of course I can’t help but have a couple of appointments in and around Bierzo, plus a couple more in Rioja to get the low down on the 2009 vintage. I’ll post up some notes as we going along…Oh and another thing. If you haven’t checked out the new (or not so new) Movida book “Movida Rustica”, do check it out. From the brief look I’ve had so far it looks like its full of ‘real’ Spanish food.

Anyway on to the wine. Love the label and the 2008 is much better than the 2007 that was around for a little while mid last year. Fresh raspberry and earth is the first thing on the nose, it opens out to show some cherry and a little herb. Easy to drink, but still kind of serious and savoury at the same time. Meaty with soft tannins, its a little light in the acid department. Very likeable with a nice hunk of goat. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $27 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.vinosherenciaremondo.com

It’s peachy, lemon-limey, herby and a little salty on the nose. A little melon creeps in as it warms up too. Nicely textured, you could be convinced there is a bit of spritz there, but its not really fizz but the fine minerally acid. From what I’ve seen of previous vintages, this will open up and keep deilvering over the next couple of years. Next time you’re heading out for yum cha, grab a couple of bottles of this, loads of friends and fill the table with seafood dumplings. Heaven. 89 Pts

Web: www.quintadoameal.com

Other Vintages: 2005, 2007

Valdeorras is a very striking place too, very hilly and rainy. There are some great photos on the Temlo Rodriguez website. In fact I think they might have the best photos of any wine website I’ve seen…Anyway, hopefully I’ll get a chance to have a quick look around here when I’m back in Spain in February.

This version from Compania del Vinos de Telmo Rodriguez is looking very raw at the moment (this is a good thing), there is some clear power there, but the classic pears, freshly cut hay and a touch of guava and hot wax are all there. Very robust and tight for a white wine, kind of like white burgundy in structure, but nothing like it in flavour. Crunchy minerals and an acid laden finish. A little fleshy, the texture is silky and fine. I’ve not had an aged godello, but this looks like it has the goods to go for at least 5 years…90Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $28 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.telmorodriguez.com

Other Vintages: 2005, 2006

White peach and white flowers get things moving on the nose, followed up by a base of an apple/pear combo. Taught and firm in the mouth, nice menerally acid and a long tangy finish. More of that apple and pear on the palate with some lime and lemon and a very slight herbal note. Good stuff. Get on board S.S. Savignin! 89 Pts

Source: Crittenden Estate Cost: $28 Closure:Screwcap

The nose is almost meaty, with plum and strawberry notes. A bit of toffee and earth round this out nicely. There is a slight texture there in the mouth, balanced out with some good acid. The palate has a tangy red apple note to it, with some light plum juice and earthiness. Savoury and very drinkable, with or without food this is a winner for $14. It’s under screwcap too. How can you go wrong? 88 Pts.

Open and ready to drink, the nose offers up plums and cherries, with some earthy herbs and a rustic mustiness. Open weave on the palate with a bit of edge to keep it interesting. Light tannins and good acid. It drinks like a champ, round and fruity, but not overly sunny and obvious. My neighbour is cooking lamb chops on the BBQ (and they smell fantastic), I might have to go and see if I can pinch one…87 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $11 Closure: Screwcap

This is really bright and vibrant, but with all they savoury, earthy, herby stuff that makes Spanish granache so tasty. Raspberry and black cherry on the nose, hot rocks, sage and rosemary, earthy and musk. It has a core of juicy fruit wound up in a ball of light tannins, minerally acid and good length. It’s smooth and refreshing. Highly enjoyable and drinkable, I’d drink now but there is nothing wrong with keeping it for a couple of years. Excellent value too. And yes, I did buy it for the label… 92 Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition RRP: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cellercapcanes.com

Other Vintages: 2000, 2004, 2005

Anyway, back to the wine. I like the style of this wine, it balances the floral notes with firm acidity very well. There is that trademark minerality that shows up in good vintages in Rias Brixas, along with plenty of green pear, lemon and lime leaf complexity. Its just long enough and has a tangy lemon sherbet/hot rocks thing going on the finish. Very easy to drink, it’s on the firmer side of Albariño which makes it perfect with food. The price is a couple of bucks cheaper than last year too. 91 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $28 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.galiciano.com

Other Vintages: 2007

The photos might be a little wierd for the next couple of posts, I’ve upgraded a much more complicated and capable camera (a Canon 7D). However, my skill level still leaves a lot to be desired!

A good robust nose full of cherries and plums,`earthy notes, a little herb and pepper action. Soft and gentle in terms of texture, but the flavour profile is robust. More of that cherry and plum, a little liqorice, some cola notes and black pepper. It’s an open weave kind of wine, easy to drink but highly enjoyable. Excellent value too. 89 Pts.

Source: Winery Sample Price: $21 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.mountmajura.com.au

Its a bit meat and savoury on the nose, a bit of herb, a bit of earth and plenty of dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit. Tight and fine in the mouth, a back line of acid and slightly raspy tannins. Licorice and spice, cherry fruit and tangy herbs on the palate. Nice drinking now, it will hang around for a while too, say 5 years, at its best. Very tidy for the price too. 89 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork