Salvador Poveda ‘Borrasca’ 2002

A ‘high expression’ wine from Salvador Poveda, who you might know from their Toscar range. Low production from older Monastrell vines that are grown at high altitude. Very sensible use of big 500l french oak barrels too.  Production is limited to 7,000 bottles. Being from the 2002 vintage, its spent a bit of time in bottle which hasn’t hurt either.

The nose is quality monastrell: juicy plum, blue berry and honey with the trademark animal notes, a little dark cherry and nutmeg. Soft and rounded, but a few firm edges give interest as do the dusty tannins that are light and fluffy. It starts off all blueberry and violets on the palate, with some blackberry and plum with a touch of raisin. A bit of chewing tobacco too. Highly enjoyable, this one classy monastrell. Good value too. 91 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Toscar Monastrell 2005

I've saved the best of these Toscar wines as the last post in the set. Before I tasted these 4, I wondered if the wine that the region is best known for, Monastrell, would come out on top. And it did. There is a bit more character with this wine, and if there is one thing I like in a wine, its personality and character. Many of the cheaper monastrells around can be a bit odd, but this is a good, honest wine that shows that a Monastrell that drinks well doesn't have to cost over $20.

As soon as I opened the bottle I could smell the earthy, dark cherry and plum and this built further in the glass show the classic wild animal and a touch of honey. Rustic and friendly, but quiet mouthfilling with bold flavours. Lush, chunky fruit tannin and a touch of acid adds real interest while the palate shows savoury plums, hot cinnamon, and some pen ink. A wine with true personality and rustic charm that is pleasure to drink with good Mediterranean style food. At $20 this would be a bargain, at $14 you'd fell like you've stolen it. 88 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $14 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.salvadorpoveda.com

Bodega Enrique Mendoza ‘Estrecho’ 2004

I went to a very interesting tasting yesterday, had a couple of very good wines and some top tier ports.  So I'm all fired up today, not that it takes much.  As a side note, I should have a couple of Spanish wines under screwcap to review in a couple of weeks, along side their cork closed brothers.  Old news for us Aussies, but not for the Spanish.

Anyway, this is clearly the benchmark Monastrell.  A big call as we only have a dozen or so wines available in Australia, but there you go.  High altitude, old vines, careful oak treatment and smart winemaking all add up to a top end wine.  I'd like to try this against some the top end French mourvedre based wines, I think the quality here would shine though.

A nice cherry red at the edge of the glass, a bit darker towards the centre.  An expressive and rich nose of cherry, mulberry, anise/clove,  pepper, a bit of toasty wood and musk that is really enticing.  The approach is very burgundian, elegant, smooth and supple with attention to detail in all the right places.  Foggy, smooth tannins, great balance and just the right level of acid.  Tart cherry, mulberry and plum with sage and minerals.  Very long finish.  Excellent stuff. 95 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $65 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2003

Bodegas La Purisma Trapio Monastrell 2004

These monastrell wines seem to get better each year, I’m not sure if its vintage conditions or increasing levels of skill and experience. Probably both. If you tried this wine a couple of years ago, give it another shot. I think you’ll be well rewarded for your $40 outlay.

Opens up with aromas of chary wood, earthy dark cherries and violets. A bit of time in the glass adds pepper and a bit of coco. Smells like it should be thick and full bodied, but its medium bodied and smooth. Quite young and fresh, balanced with a drying finish. Plenty of dusty tannins. Juicy, tart cherry and raspberry initially, with a bit of plum later on. A pin prick of acid on the finish with some minerals. Give this a good decant before drinking, or a couple of years in the cellar. 92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork

Bodegas Castano Monastrell 2005

I've been fairly critical of wines made using carbonic maceration. The smell of burnt rubber isn't really something that I want in a wine.  This one gets it right, not a hint of Dunlop's finest here.  The result is a wine with fresh juicy fruit that's very easy to drink.

Bright ruby in colour.  Aromas of grilled meats, blackberry bubble gum and white pepper.  Bright fruit in the mouth, with fuzzy tannins and cranberry like acid.  Juby blackcurrant and blackberry fruit.  Really well done.  89 Pts.

Source: Toro/Woods wines Price: $18 Closure: Synthetic Cork

Web: www.bodegascastano.com

Bodegas Castano Celeccion 2003

I need a wine to with a steak the other day and pulled this out of the tasting pile.  Its a good thing I did, this has everything you want in a good steak wine. Its a blend of 80% Monastrell and 20% Cabernet that sees 15 months in new French and American oak.

Very dark in the glass.  The nose gets things to a cracking start with vanilla and mocha, with earthy, tart cherries and blueberries. Tight, but well structured, plenty of nice dusty tannins and very good balance.  On the palate there is some great fruit: boysenberry, tart cherry, with liquorice, musk, sage.  A really long finish tops of the package.  I like this a lot, good value at $35 too.  91 Pts.

Source: Toro/Woods wines Price:  $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegascastano.com

Bodega Enrique Mendoza Estrecho 2003

I've been in Sydney for the last couple of days and had a look around the "Spanish Quarter".   Hmmm… I can see why it is so confusing for many people to identify quality Spanish food and wine.  Most of the restaurants are reinforcing many of the myths about Spanish food and wine, a bit cheesy with average wine and loads of chili in the food (contrary to popular belief there is not a lot of chili in Spanish food, if it is used it's there for flavour not heat).  Good fun none the less and I found a good deli with excellent Jamon.  Thank god for places like Bodega, its a marvel.

Anyway, here is a very interesting Monatrell from Alicante.  This one is from a magnum, which is about the right size for this wine, it's highly drinkable and evolves constantly over a couple of hours.  The vines are up very high at 2300 ft and are over 50 years old.  The wine sees 14 months in 500 litre French oak barrels.  For the Brett nazi's, there is a bit of barnyard on the nose, but I don't think its brett related.  I decanted half of this into a 750ml bottle and will have another look tonight.

Dark reddish purple with cherry red towards the edge of the glass.  A lot of changes in the glass over the couple of hours I drank this, started off with pink musk sticks and cherry on the nose that built into blackberry, smoke, sage and rosemary, a bit of anise and barnyard and minerally earth.  It hovers in between medium and full bodied. Not rustic at all, rather elegant and refined. It does need a good decant to really show it stuff, but the evolution in the decanter is very interesting to watch.  Soft, chalky tannins build a velvety texture, with the acid to keep you mouth fresh.  On the palate there is tart blackberry and boysenberry with earth, herbs and some minerals.  Good length on the finish.  Well worth tracking down, probably the best monastrell I've had to date.  92 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 (1.5 Ltr) $65 (750mls)

 Closure: Conventional Cork

Telmo Rodriguez Al Muvedre 2005

Each release of this wine has seen great improvement, this is definitely the best so far.  I can't tell if its good vintage conditions in 05, changes in wine making or something else completely. Alicante is in the province of Alicante, a bit closer to the coast than Jumilla and Yecla.  Not a lot of wine seems to make out of the D.O., but I notice that they grow Pinot Noir…

The 05 is a really smooth wine, with very good balance.  A purple/red colour in the glass, dark fruit, rose notes, earth and a few specks of pepper.  The alcohol is in balance with the fruit, the tannins are quite lush.  Medium bodied, but full of flavour. Very well priced too.  This will be great in autumn with a good stew.  87 Pts

Dominio Espinal Rosado 2005

Here is the second Rosado, this one is from the other end of the country.  From southern Spain, Yecla to be exact.  Made from 100% Monastrell.  As you would expect, it is a very different style than the Coto de Hayas.  Deeper red colour, light cherry and spice, but still very drinkable all the same.

This shows up quite dark for a rose, a crimson red colour.  You could almost fool people into thinking your drinking Pinot. The nose oozes light red fruits, fresh cherry and strawberry, with toffee and earth.  Well balanced, savory with sweet fruit.  Full of flavour and fruit in the mouth, red cherry, fresh apple and tangy Toffee Apple lollies (from the Redskin family).  The finish is crisp and is long finish too.  The thing I really like about this wine is that you don't need to chill it to death, the flavours a great with a bit of warmth without getting bitter as some roses do. 88 Pts.

Source: Toro/Woods wines Price:  Around $18 Closure: Synthetic Cork

Web: www.bodegascastano.com

Bodegas La Purisma Trapio Monastrell 2003

I have a couple of Monastrells to have a look in the next few days, 03 and 05 both look great for this style.  I loved the 02 of this wine, but the 03 has really gone up a rung or two.  Its a very clean and fresh style that makes a red that goes well in the warmish weather, as well as the cold.  I've been told a number of times that Monastrell and areas like Yecla and Jumilla aren't well received in Spain.  I'm not sure how true that it is, but wines like this must surely turn the tide?

Deep and dark in colour, the nose is open right from the start: dark cherries, raspberry, earth and a bit of pepper and woody herbs. Very adult on the palate, savory, smooth, with soft tannins and and a prick of acid. The palate is more complex than the 02, still that lip smacking tart cherry fruit with animale, espresso coffee, nutmeg and pepper. Due to the light Oak treatment, there aren't any overt oak notes.  A ripping Monastrell, that would convince many people that great things can be done with this grape.  91 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $40 Closure: Conventional Cork