Condado de Haza 2004

Condado de Haza is just a short drive from Pesquera, but the two wines are very different in style.  Both show great Ribera fruit characters and see a fair bit of wood, in fact they are made by the same winemaking team.  Trying wines from each bodega side by side you can really see the differences, but the only real difference is the location and age of the vines.  Oh, and winery hygiene. 

This bottle started off a bit reductive and all over the shop, a short spell in the decanter had it opening up with mulberry and current fruit with cherry drops, fennel seeds, humbug boiled lollies and some caramel oak.  More modern in profile than the Pesqurea, powerful but restrained and quite clean. The acid was initially overwhelming, coming into balance with more airtime.  Really nice fruit in the mouth, mulberry and currents with some dark chocolate, tobacco, and liquorice.  Just a pup at the moment and needs some time to come together.  91+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.condadodehaza.com

Pesquera Crianza 2004

I had a rather odd visit to this place last year, we got stuck in a snow storm, climbed up to the roof of the bodega, watched some dude clean barrels for about 30 minutes, tasted some wine and had a great conversation about native stalks and ducks (quite a common topic for discussion in northern Spain it seems).  A very traditional bodega visit by all accounts.

Anyway, Pesquera seems to be back on form with the 2004 Crianza.  It is a classic Pesquera that sees 18 months in American oak and a further 6 months in bottle before it's released. There has been a lot of noise in the past about brett, too much oak and slightly jammy fruit in the wines from Pesquera, but this one looks the goods.  There is just a hint of brett here, nothing a cool cellar can't keep in check.  I always question why people are drinking Spanish wine if they don't like a bit of brett here and there, its part of the style.

A great nose of earthy iron ore, ripe red cherry, mulberry, a bit of oak, vanilla and very slight barnyard characters.  Luscious, concentrated plum, mulberry and cherry fruit, undergrowth, cola  with pepper, spice and salty minerals.  Great fruit tannins, and lots of them.  Savory and balanced with a mid length finish, a little more acid would be welcome.  Showing it's youth at the moment, about 2 years in the cellar will do wonders.  92+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $45 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.pesqueraafernandez.com

Telmo Rodriguez M2 de Matallana 2003

Here is a more detailed look at one of the wines at dinner last week, Telmo Rodriguez's middle tier wine from Ribera del Duero.  Its all Tempranillo with about 13 months in French oak. A serious wine this one, very good drinking now but it will improve with some time in the cellar.

Deep and dark red in the glass, aromas of black current and dark cherry, caramel oak, smoke and woody herbs with some spice.  Great juby fruit in the mouth, savory with solid tannins and good balance.  Blackberry, current and cola with more herbs, spice and a little bit of liquorice.  Really good with food now, it'll improve with a couple of years in the cellar and drink for 10 years after that.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition RRP: $60 Closure: Conventional Cork

El Quintanal 2006

Doesn't time fly?  The 2005 edition of this wine was of the first wines I looked at when I started Tinto y Blanco and the 06 version is just about to be released.  I'm starting to think this wine will become a must buy every year, sure I've only had two vintages but they are compelling wines at a bargain basement price (for an imported wine anyway). 

Deep dark red/purple.  Aromas of dark cherry and blueberry, some spice and earth.  Really nice mouthfeel, lots of lush soft tannins and savory flavours of dark cherry, black current and plum with a touch of pepper and nutmeg.  A strong finish and good balance throughout.  Very classy for the cash.  89 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Aquisition Cost: $25 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

Flor de Pingus 2004

Pingus is one of those wines that many wine people have heard of, but not many have in their cellar or have even had a glass, me included.  It is expensive, around $1000 here in Australia, not a lot is imported and most of it goes to collectors, top end restaurants and wine obsessives.  But, there is a second wine, Flor de Pingus, is apparently not far off the mark and about $850 cheaper.  I’m not sure how much better a wine can get, but I’m willing to be convinced

Pingus is a domain run by Peter Sisseck, who learnt his trade in Bordeaux and seems very much inspired by that style.  That is not to say that the wines are of the dreaded ‘International’ style, the first sniff of this wine said Ribera del Duero loud and clear with mulberry and currents, woody herbs, and smoke. As you would expect, he uses some fairly extreme methods to make Pingus, desteming by hand, surprisingly short maceration and the very old vines have been reworked to produce even lower yields are just a brief glimpse.

Flor de Pingus is all Tempranillo, or Tinta del Pais as its known in Ribera del Duero, from very low yielding vines.  A 14 month say in new French oak, then straight into bottle and released a short time after. The Pingus wines do not follow the Reserva system, so you’ll have to do your own bottle aging.  And this wine is built to age.  If you are going to open one now, give it a quick double decant and drink over an hour or two.  All the action happens in that time, it closes up as tight as…well, you know the line.  Sure you get a look at the tannins after that, but it isn’t very fun to drink.  I left a small bit overnight, its still closed and tight.  At least 5 years in the cellar are needed to show its stuff, then drink over the following 20.

Deep ruby/purple in the glass,  The nose is all Ribera with mulberry, current and blackberry with sage, smoke, espresso and anise.  The first pour show the wine as medium bodied with a silky texture and light tannins, but heads towards full bodied as the fantastic tannins open up to reveal themselves as abundant and perfectly formed. A wine of great structure and perfect balance while it’s on song.  Intense and concentrated in the mouth, the generous, juicy fruit shows through with mulberry, blackberry and blueberry with some liquorice.  I’ve heard people call this wine a fruit bomb, and it might be if you consider Savoury Shapes a sweet biscuit, but for anyone else its savoury all the way.  A huge, long finish with a mineral element to it.  I wonder if I can put off my house repairs to buy some more of this for the cellar? 95+ Pts

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $125 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2005

Telmo Rodriguez Matallana 2003

This  is another birthday wine, it sat in the decanter for a couple of hours while we drank the Unico. First released in 1999, Matallana is Telmo's top wine from Ribera del Duero, 100% Tempranillo that sees time in French oak.

This seems like such a young wine, very powerful, but not over the top.  Its quite closed at the moment, you can see the promise however.

Deep, deep purple/red in the glass with aromas of dark cherry, black current, some coffee, woody herbs and anise.  A powerful, structured wine that isn't allowed to run away on its own, its held in place very gracefully by solid structure, Lush tannins and fine balance.  On the palate there are more of those great dark fruits with added licorice, undergrowth and minerals.  It needs time in the cellar, 7-10 years, but will come out a beautiful showing of Ribera fruit and wine making.  95 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition RRP: $170 Closure: Conventional Cork

Vega Sicilia Unico 1975

It was my birthday earlier in the week, so I pulled out nice bottles to celebrate.  I had heard a couple of knowledgeable people say that the 75 Unico was at the point where it needs to be drunk, so I bought this one at auction to check its progress.  I have another in the cellar that I'm saving for my 35th.

Level still in the neck, a bit of label damage but nothing too bad.  A good punt I thought at the time.  Turns out I was right.  The cork came out in one piece, in really good nick actually.  I'd left the bottle standing up for a day and opened it a couple of hours before drinking.

A deep purple core with light red and orange around the edges.  The nose is a monster with all the aromas you would expect, ripe plums, light cherry, earth, leather  and an anise/licorice combo.  And then some that you wouldn't some ripe apple and wild flowers.  For a 32 year old wine its still very intense, but open and ready for business.  From the start the tannins have lovely texture that is pure velvet and the structure of the wine is amazing, layers of flavour framed by great tannins and perfect balance.  As soon as it hit my mouth, I wanted to drink it very slowly and savour it.  Plums, black currents, ripe cherry,  a bit of dark chocolate are just a few of the flavours on the palate.   Mind blowing wine, drink it by itself.  I don't think anything could make it better. Only the 70 is better for my tastes. Time to drink up?  Pffftt not going on this bottle.  It will do another 10 years standing on its head (or side).  99 Pts.

Source: Auction Price Range: $340-$360 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.vegasiscilia.com

Cillar de Silos Crianza 2004

The 03 vintage of this wine was one of my favorites from last year, great perfume and fruit density.  Like most reds from Ribera del Duero, its 100% Tempranillo.  It sees 40% new french oak for 13 months, the remainder in older barrels.  Many Crianzas are ready to go when they're released, this one is always very tightly coiled on release and needs a few years in the cellar to really show its stuff.

Very dark and brooding, the nose is quite meaty and shows intense black fruit characters such as blackberry and black current with earth, subtle spice and a touch of wood.  Refined in the mouth, great tannins that are soft but with a bit of an edge at the moment, great balance.  Intense dark, sour cherries with dark chocolate, cola and pepper on the palate.  Very adult indeed.  I like it a lot  Long, drying finish with a boat load of tannin.  Didn't move much on day 2, a bit more open and a bit of softening of tannins.  Put this away for 2-3 years.  91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Aquisition Cost: $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

Bodegas y Vinedos Alion Reserva 2000

This seems to be my first look at the 2000 Alion.  I've had a few bottle in the cellar for a while, but it must have been overshadowed by the fantastic 2001.  The 2002 vintage is now available around the traps, I should have a bottle in the next week or two.

The 2000 vintage was a tough one, lots of frost in spring, a very hot and dry summer with some downpours and vigorous growth spurts around vintage.  2000 has been the most productive vintage for Alion to date, around 316,000 bottles were produced, even though over 45% of the fruit was dropped.  2000 also saw the finalisation of the winery infrastructure, large french oak fermenters where used for the first time.

Delightful aromas of cherry, black current, mocha, thyme, earthy spices and tobacco.  Very full on in the mouth, great tannins and structure.  In the mouth its black fruits, currants and blackberry, enhanced by with minerals, licorice and creamy, toasty oak.  The balance is brilliant and the finish long. Not far off the 01, more open at this stage but it will last until at least 2015.  93 Pts.

Source: Cellar RRP: $110 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasalion.com

Cillar de Silos Torresilo 2003

I thought I'd try something big and juicy to start of the tasting notes for the year.  I'd tasted this wine in Spain at the start of last year and remembered the intense sour cherry fruit, balance and restrained power of this wine.  There was none of that in this bottle however, it was acidy, dirty water.  Scalped I'd say, bloody corks. 

Anyway, Torresilo is the top wine from Cillar de Silos in Ribera del Duero.  They use fruit from some gnarly, 80 year vines and 18 months in new French oak to make a very expressive wine.  I'll have to grab another bottle of the 03 soon and re taste.  N/R.

Source: The Spanish Aquisition Cost: $110 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es