Tinto y Blanco

The release of the latest vintage of Alion is always one of my highlights of the year, I have more Alion in the cellar than anything single other wine. It helps that it used to be a third of the price. For some reason, the 2003 is not labelled as Reserva, but the treatment is the same as always. Odd. i can’t keep up with Spanish wine law, it seems to change in odd ways every year.

I think that 2003 is a very good year in Ribera del Douro. This seems to be contrary to popular belief, but every wine I’ve had from this vintage has been top grade. The heat made the vintage in my book. This is an area that can deal with very hot days as at night the temperature plummets to single figures. I think those who put in the vineyard work, reaped the rewards and made great wines. The alcohol is up a little (14.5 in this case), but there is plenty of acid and intense fruit.

Deep purple in colour with a nose of mulberry and cherry with cola, espresso coffee, earth and chai tea that jumps out of the glass. Smooth, silky and dead sexy in mouth, with fine tannins that add texture as the wine builds with air. Perfect balance and concentration. On the palate there is some more mulberry with some currents and blackberry, cola, minerals and pepper. Very long finish with more minerals. Already very complex, I would put this away for at least two years then drink over the following 15. 95+ pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $105 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasalion.com

I really rate this wine, I think its consistently one of the best joven wines available.  There's loads of flavour, savory fruit with good length. 

The 2006 growing season was a bit all over the shop, very cold then very hot, not a lot of rain but at the wrong time.  Plus the earliest harvest on record.  But they've managed to produce something not far off their 05 wine.  The 06 is not as pointed and lean as the 05.

Deep red with a purple tint.  The nose offers up some powerful aromas of red cherry, mulberry with earth, pepper and sarsaparilla. The secret here is balance, with well complex flavours and lush fruit tannins.  Textured and rich. Flavours of perfectly ripe cherry and mulberry with some sars, roast meet and minerals.  The finish is long with a mineral tang.  Again, this wine sets a very high standard.  90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $32 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.com

Its been a bit quiet on the wine front lately, but I've just stocked up with a load of new stuff including a couple of rosados.  Not many roses are made from very old vines, but as I've said before, rosados are a very important section of the wine market in Spain, well most of southern Europe really.  As such they get a lot more attention in the vineyard and winery.  It shows in wines like this.  The label is a bit flashier for this vintage and it gets a synthetic cork.  I'd prefer a screwcap, but its a start.

It sounds like a stupid thing to say, but this is a very wine like rose.  I find many rose wines have an odd quality that is not what I would expect from a red or white wine, an odd palate weight and more suited to food than just drinking.  Not a bad thing, just different. Grab a bottle of something like the Gran Feudo rosado and this and you'll see what I mean.

A radiant pink, petrol colour in the glass with aromas of pink lady apples, strawberry and subtle herbs.  Excellent mouthfeel, silky and smooth but light and highly drinkable.  Tangy and savory, there is no sweetness except for the flavour of perfectly ripe fruit. On the palate it show toffee apple lollies, strawberry with a peach/pear combo.  Really well balanced with great length.  Perfect spring drinking. Get two bottles first will go down very quickly.  91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $28 Closure: Synthetic Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

So on to the 2004.  I often wonder how usefull side by side tastings are, but this one was quite informative.  The problem is that while the wines are not too far apart in age (1 year) how much of a difference does that make compared to the vintage?  Most of the time, not much I think. 

With these two bottles, I think most of the differences are a result of the vintage.  The 03 has pure, powerful fruit and tannins with matching oak treatment and perfect balance.  Where as the 04 shows a herbal edge and more intraverted fruit, loads of acid and more restrained tannins.  Both very good wines and both worthy of the cellar for an extended period.

Restrained on the nose, but opens up really well with earthy mulberry, dark cherry, sage and woody herbs, espresso and cedary oak.  Initially, the acid level is quite high, but evens out as the tannins build to give balance.  As with the 03, there is savory ripe mulberry and dark cherry, its a little bit shy at the moment but you can see the depth.  This added with cola, sage, pepper and liquorice keep more than enough interest going.  A big lick of the liquorice strap on the way out.  Just pipped by the 03 at this stage, only time will tell the full story. 94+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $120 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

I've been lucky enough to have a look at the 03 and 04 vintages of Torresilo side by side over the last couple of days.  I had a bottle of the 03 late last year, but it was corked.  This time around, no cork issues and this bottle certainly lived up to expectations.  As a bonus, the guys at Cillar de Silos now have their website in English as well.

Torresilos is the "super premium/Luxury" wine in the Cillar de Silos range and is made from the fruit off their oldest vines grown in the sandy clay based soils of the eastern most part of Ribera del Duero.  Like most areas of Spain the vines here are grown en vaso or goblet style.  We generally say bush vines here in Australia.  Interestingly they list three different soil types for the vineyards as a source of additional complexity for their wines.  The wine sees 16 months in mostly new French oak.  Some of the free-run juice from this wine also goes into their Rosado for added oomph.

Very dark royal purple in colour with deep ruby edge.  The aroma really barrels out of the decanter with mulberry, mocha coffee, brambly undergrowth, some ripe cherry, pepper and a minerally edge.  A bit of musk pops in now and then.  Really well balanced with just the right amount of acid with loads of soft chalky tannins.  Savoury ripe fruit, mulberry and dark cherry with cola, liquorice and light chocolate.  The finish is very long with a lick of minerals.  This is right up there with Alion and Flor de Pingus for me.  Drinking really well now and should do for at least 10 years.  95 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $120 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.cillardesilos.es

The Pesquera reserva is usually the sweet spot between quality and price.  It's built for aging and generally has a great fruit profile supported by a good wack of oak.  I'm not so sure with the 2003, it is a bit elemental at the moment, but the fruit is right up in the black area with the heat of the 03 vintage.

It started off a bit stinky as poured it into the decanter, a bit of cow pat in the earthy undergrowth.  It cleaned up to show blackberry and black currents with violets, soy sauce, a bit of leather and dusty earth.  Loads of acid here, its balanced by juicy, savory plum and black current fruit.  Dusty tannins on the finish.  This needed a lot of coaxing to come out of its shell, I think I'll put one away to see how it goes in 10 years.  91+ pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $75 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.pesqueraafernandez.com

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

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

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

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