This is the ‘estate’ wine, there is also a regional wine from bought in grapes from growers sourounding the estate. These guys are most famous for their Selección de Añada, an aged release that sees about 3 years in tank before it’s bottled, which is quite a rare thing for an Albariño based wine.

Super aromatic nose, loaded with pear, apple, jasmine, a slight lemon twist. Nicely textured, more in the fuller figured camp than the striking acidity crowd, but not flabby though. Pear and white peach in the mouth, long finish, talc and minerals. Tangy white peach leaves a lovely after taste. 92 Pts. $38

Source: Echalon wines RRP: $38 Closure: Screwcap

I did have a short lived affair with Bordeaux and Priorat for a couple of years, before the prices got way out of control. These days I just buy more Alion and Vega Sicilia Valbuena. No it’s not the same, and that the point. I got sick of finding old and tired wines in the cellar after 5 years (Priorat) and spending a month’s pay on a case or two of wine (Boardeaux). Sure these wines aren’t cheap, I’d be lucky to buy a 6 pack of each these days, I do however feel I get better value for money and more enjoyment from the wines of Ribera del Duero.

On this tasting the 2005 is showing more fruit and herby undergrowth than last time, with a grab bag of other notes showing up as the wine gets more air: olives, violets, blackberry, mulberry and some cherry. Oak is in a supporting role, a bit of sawn wood and freshly ground coffee in the background. Long and layered in the mouth, I would almost call this lean at the moment, needs time to develop that lovely texture shich shows up by the last glass. Structured, but enjoyable at the moment. Give it a big sleep to get the most out of it, 10 years is perfect, this will easily go 20+ years in the cellar. 94+ Pts

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $139 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasalion.com

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

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

Again there is 10% Cabernet in this, and it shows. There is a green, herby capsicum note in there that blends in the with the stoney cherry fruit. Fragrant and very fresh smelling, with a bit of varnish, vanilla and spice. The palate on the other hand is initially smooth and gentle but hidden in there are deep, powerful flavours and bold tannins with some cutting acid. All the ingredients for long aging, but don’t be afraid to drink it now, its very approachable now. Substance and style. 93+ Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $65 Closure: Conventional Cork

This is interesting straight of the bat. The nose shows bloody salami notes, dark cherry, voilets, gun smoke and hot iron…a little ceadery oak in the background too. Savory and dry, plenty of flaky tannins backed up by tangy acid. Morish. The palate shows plenty of dark red fruits, licorice and herbaceousness. Very tidy, reasonable value and shows plenty of regional character. Drink now and over the next 10 years.  92 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

The noses starts of with lovely black cherry and blackberry fruit, a touch of blueberry and raspberry at times to. Then comes the oak, in all manner of styles: chocolate, espresso, caramel, fresh wood shavings and a touch of vanilla. Dense and brooding in the glass, the colour is very dark and the palate is tight and linear. Plenty to like on the palate, fresh and juicy fruit, bloody meat, iron filings/mineral notes, and a bit of fresh cut wood. Its just a wee pup at the moment, it needs time to evolve, but it is a classic Alion and reminds me a lot of the 1996. Cellar for 5 years, then drink over the following 15.  94+ Pts

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $115 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasalion.com

Other Vintages: 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1996,  2000, 2001, 2003

A kind of stewy blend of dark cherry and blueberry mixed in with some gamey meat and wild herbs. Some iron/bloody and voilet notes as well. All class in the mouth, tight and fluid in the mouth, but expressive and lively. Refreshing acid and finishes with a lick of supple tannin. The palate is classic Ribera, dark cherry, herbs, game notes, mineral and juicy, juicy fruit. I could drink bottles of the stuff. Good now with a decant, or cellar for 3 years and drink over the following 10. 92+ Pts

Source: Bibendum Wine Co. Price: $52  Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.condadodehaza.com

Other Vintages: 2002, 2003, 2004

This is super young at the moment, but it smells lovely. Primary, wild cherry and sage brush with a bit of vanilla oak and an minerally iron type character on the nose. There is a bit of the animal about it, like a partially tamed horse. Or something like that anyway.  Extra juicy and smooth with streamlined tannins that start to show an edge after 3 or 4 hours. Vibrant and alive. All exceptionally balanced and focused. Licorice and rocky minerals show up on the palate, over some dark cherry and blueberry fruit. A classic vintage for Pesquera. Hold for 3 to 5 years, then drink over the following 10. 92+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $46 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.pesqueraafernandez.com

Other Vintages: 2004, 2005

I’ve got a couple of entry level on the tasting bench at the moment, this is the first. This was a big hit for me last year, a wine from Priorat at this price level and quality was quite rare at the time. But now wines in the $40-$60 price bracket are the must have item for many importers. And who’s complaining, seeing as the top wines from the region are going up again this year? There doesn’t seem to be one style at the price point, some are big rounded, easy drinking things, others are a bit tighter and focused. This falls into the later camp…

Plenty of Priorat character here, sooty, black coal kind of notes up on the nose first off, then a bit of hot tar and violets. After that the fruit: raspberry, plum and light cherry notes. The tannins are a little gritty and grainy, but it’s all nicely balanced and there is acid, enough to keep the finish sparkling clean, tangy and long. A similar profile on the palate, a bit of licorice and wood spice adds a bit extra. Overall, an excellent example of Priorat that doesn’t wander off in to rustic red wine, it looks like fine wine from Priorat.91 Pts

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2004

I often wish that there were more wines from Ribera del Duero available in Australia. Relatively cheap and good wines from this region are rare. This one is a case in point. While it’s a good wine, and in the scheme of things it’s reasonably priced when compared to similar wines from the region, you could get something just as impressive from other regions in Spain for about half the price. And there is some of that horrible weed, Cabernet in there as well. While it’s traditional for the region, I’m not a fan of adding Bordeaux varieties with Spanish ones. Obviously there are exceptions to this rule, but they are rare.

Wild, brambly fruit on the nose with plenty of volume and depth. It’s an aromatic puppy, wood and spice, herbs and liqorice, a touch of green capsicum and pencil shavings. Medium to full bodied in the mouth with some lump tannins that should smooth out in time. The balance is good and the length moderate. Plums, cherries and spice on the palate, with a sprinkle of gamey, animal notes and herbs. I tucked into a midweek steak with this, and it worked like a charm. 90+ Pts.

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

Web: www.cruzdealba.es

If you’ve read my ramblings on the Cillar de Silos 2006 wines, you will get a picture that this vintage was a bit of a challenge in the region and it came down to, good vineyard management, picking the fruit at the right time and good sorting. Of course Pingus are at the top of the game and have out together a very convincing 2006 Flor de Pingus.

A very similar nose to the 2005: mocha coffee, earthy, smokey herbs, cola, dark cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant, plus a hint of anise. It is a fairly full on nose and it leads you to expect a very powerfully flavoured and full bodied experience in the mouth, however its all bravado. It’s just into full bodied territory at the moment, but this will mellow out as it ages, the flavours are complex and intense, not overpowering however. Blackcurrant, red cherry, andblueberry with cola and some minerals in the mouth. A big, tangy finish with supple tannins. I like this a lot, and it was excellent with a well aged steak at La Luna. The good thing is that this will be a pleasure to drink over the next 15 years at least, but give it a big decant if you’re going to open one now. 94+ Pts.

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

Javier Ausas gives the low down on Toro

This was actually billed as a master class, so a bit more than a new release tasting. And seeing as the next vintages were also available was a big bonus. Three days after returning from Rioja, a tasting of wines from Ribera del Duero and Toro was a most welcome change of atmosphere. It is great to see the guys from a major Spanish producer coming out to Australia every year or so to show their new release and have a chat to the guys drinking and selling their wines here.

The full range of wines was shown, including the Tokaji wines from Hungry (which I won’t write up here, as far as I know they are not available here at the moment). There was no news of the Vega Sicilia Blanco that has been in the pipeline for a few years now, when I asked after the presentation I got a smile from Javier Ausas (the wine maker) and that was it. Not sure what that means…

Anyway, there are some top vintages here. I am amzaed by Alion 2004 and Valbuena 2004, these are must have wines if you into Spanish wine at all. I was not too fussed with the Unicos from 98 and 99, both fine wines to be sure, but at these price levels ($500+) I would buy back vintages from 94 and 96 or wait for the 2000 if you find the need to buy Unico. On to the notes:

Pintia 2006 - High tone vanilla oak, caramel and coffee grind kick things off on the nose, with some deep, dark cherry, earth and christmas cake.  Highly concerated dark fruit that has plenty of texture thanks to plenty of plump tannins. Good acid tannin balance here.  91 Pts.

Pintia 2005 - More elgant than the 2006 with a little boot polish and VA, not overly fruity or oaky on the nose at this stage, a little olive and black fruit was the main thrust. Quite juicy in the mouth with some peper and spicey fruit. This just didn’t hold my interest on the day, I had suspected a dud glass or bottle at one point, but no such luck…88 Pts.

Alion 2005 - Ahhh here we are. Deft oak work, olives and undergrowth, violets and mulberry backed up by some dark cherry. The nose shows very little obvious oak characters, but there is some coffee there if you look hard enough. Well strutured and balanced, the palate shows juicy red and black fruits and with layers of herbs, earth and fruit. Excellent wine, and only just pipped buy the 04 Alion as my favourate in this tasting. 94 Pts

Alion 2004 - Now this is the real deal, the nose opens up all floral with roses and violets, very well intergrated oak  over the top of red and black cherries, mulberry and some blue highlights. More structured in the mouth with simply gourgus tannins and the kind of balance that makes the wine highly drinkable now and in 20 years time. As per the 05, juicy red and dark fruit with layers of flavour and complexity. It just keeps going on and on. A modern classic. 95+ Pts

Valbuena 2004 - A classic Vega Sicilia nose of VA, violets, a little funky barnyard, plums and red berries with some dusty earth. The palate shows structure and is quite tannic for this style. Loads of mulberries and red cherries with a slightly under ripe plum note (this is a good thing). Lip smacking acid and a big ol’ finish complete the picture.  94 Pts.

Valbuena 2003 - Now unlike many, I really rate 2003 in Ribera del Duero, mainly for the purity of the fruit produced. And this is no different. It seems strange to be talking about primary fruit flavours in this wine, but that is what its all about, ripe and fresh cherry, mulberry and plum fruit with a few earthy touches. I think it will many years before really see what this wine really has to give, but I’m betting it will be an excellent long termer in the cellar. 93 Pts.

Unico 1999 -This shows all the classic Vega Sicilia notes: VA, a bit of barnyard, nutmeg, cinnamon and earthy bramble with some mulberry, dark cherry and blackcurrant. Driven by its acid, this does impress in terms of texture: smooth and refined with barely noticable tannins. Plenty of fruit to round out all of that acid. Nice stuff, but not a outstanding vintage. 90+ Pts.

Unico 1998 - Coffee, smoke and touch of green capsicum, with plenty of red cheery and mulberry on the nose. If anything this seems a little reducded, which is crazy for a 11 year old wine! The palate shows some nice plum and berry fruit with some earthy complexity, however the wine seems a bit subdued. Fresh acid and a big tangy finish. 91 Pts.

We had a cava and a rosado to start, then the 2007 and 2003 Jovens (the 2003 is looking great at the moment) and then on to the main game. This was all up stairs at Gertrude Street Enoteca, so of course some lovely food was dished up, including some excellent roast lamb.

1997 -Still kicking along nicely, tannins resolved but still plenty of primary fruit with some leather, wild herbs. 90 Pts.

1998 -Very similar to the 97, however a bit brighter and fresher. Some added minerals and black pepper, but lovely blueberry and cherry fruit. 92 Pts.

1999 -This is looking a bit funky, a fair bit of barnyardy goodness with some drying tannins. Still quite enjoyable, but showing a bit tired on this outing. 88 Pts.

2000 -More funk here too, but showing better than the 99. Very complex, with earthy minerals, barnyard, sage and lavender over some excellent fruit. 91 Pts.

2001 -Unfortunately this was a little clouded by bretty notes as well. Regardless of that, the fruit is still very primary and very juicy, tannins are a bit drying but overall quite convincing. 90 Pts.

2002 -Very clean and very moorish. Savoury with lots of herby and wild animal notes. Juicy cherry and blackberry fruit with great lenght. Perfect for drinking right now. 92 Pts.

2003 -Now this is the stuff, powerful and juicy, but kept on the leash. A few secondary leather and tobacco characters coming through, but mostly great juicy fruit. 93 Pts

2004 -Loads of  tannins here, very well balanced and still fairly primary. Subtle, complex flavors. A long life ahead of it. 92 Pts.

2005 -Drinking really well, as per my note here. I need some magnums of this for the cellar. 93 Pts.

2006 -Just a pup at this stage, a bit closed and in need of more air time but showing plenty of potential. 92 Pts.

A quick taste of the 03 and 06 Torresilo followed, I had a quick taste and had to run for a tram to take me back to the office for an afternoon of meetings. It’s a pity I have to spit at these kinds of tastings, it just feels wrong when you have a great old wine in your glass. But unfortunately it’s very much a necessity during the working week!