Variety
Quinta do Vale Meão 2005
I’ve been thinking about my favourite wines of the year over the past couple of weeks, and this features towards the top of the list. Considering that many of these top end portugese wines have only been available in Australia for 12 months or so, they have gained huge popularity and a loyal following with wine drinkers around Australia. This wine is at the top of the heap for me.
Quinta do Vale Meao is the top table wine here, with Meandro de Vale Meao being the ‘entry level’ wine. What really enhances the complexity here is the different soil types on the Quinta, while it is all what would generally called schist, areas of slate, granite and alluvial gravel show very different characters in the resulting fruit. The high percentage of Touriga National (60%) also helps a lot. The remaining 40% is 20% Touriga Franca, 15% Tinta Roriz, 5% Tinta Barroca.
A really engaging nose of gun smoke, violets and wild flowers, blackberry, dark cherry and mulberry, wild herbs and hot tarmac. In the mouth it feels quite rounded at the start, gaining more more focus as it gets more air. Well textured with supple tannins, plenty of them too. Juicy and meaty, but smooth and very complex. Rocky/stoney minerals, cherry, blueberry and plum on the palate with plenty of complexity thanks to some spices, wild herbs and liquorice. An excellent wine, decant it for a bit to sharpen things up. The ageing is a question that is difficult to answer for these douro reds, they have only been around for 10 years or so, but this looks like it will improve over the short term, then go 15 years standing on it’s head. 96+ Pts.
Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $140 Closure: Conventional Cork
Marques de Riscal Reserva 2004
Anthony at Boccaccio Cellars has been raving about this, so I thought I’d better give it a run. The comeback vintage of 2001 was a big hit, and the 2004 is on a similar level. So, I line up the 2004 and 2001, along with the 2004 Roda Reserva after Griff’s call that this is a ‘better’ wine.
I’ve put the note for the 2001 in the ‘From the cellar’ section, but it’s drinking very well at the moment. A few more years in the cellar and it will be a mighty drink. Comparing this wine and Roda Reserva is a bit like comparing a 2005 Burgundy (Roda) to a 2004 Chianti (Marques de Riscal), they are both excellent but different. I favoured the Roda slightly, it is giving a lot more enjoyment at this stage, but I would be very happy to drink either and will put some of both in the cellar. The 04 is the same price as the 01, that’s amazing given what has happened to wine prices in the past 2-3 years.
An almost identical nose to the 2001; cherry and blackberry with brambly herbs, some cigar box and pencil shavings, a touch of mocha. Inviting with rustic charm and complexity. The palate shows plenty of firm tannins and a fine balance between tannin and acid. Savoury cherry and blackberry fruit on the palate with earthy spices: ground liquorice root, cinnamon and nutmeg. Some chocolate and sage shows up on night 2. Gutsy and robust, but also very enjoyable. Very interesting drinking this beside the 2001, they are very similar. Hold for 5 years, then drink over the following 10. 93+ Pts.
Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $44 Closure: Conventional Cork
From the Cellar: Marques de Riscal Reserva 2001
I’ve had a couple of emails and comments asking how this is traveling, so I cracked one open with the 2004 to see what is happening in the bottle. Very prosmising at the moment, with more to come in a couple of years. If I hadn’t seen these side by side, I would have never noticed the new label on the 04.
On the nose things haven’t changed too much. It was actually fairly difficult to tell the two apart, however in the mouth there has been plenty of movement. Very smooth and refined tannins create an excellent mouthfeel and the interplay between the tannins and acid is excellent. That lovely fruit is still firing and the wine fills out further with more air. Still a couple of years away from maturity, I’ll keep my orginional drinking window: hold until 2011 then drink for the following 10. I think I was a bit miserly with the points on this one, its a clear 93 Pts with room for further improvement. I should have bought more.
Faustino Reserva V 2002
I’ve been clearing out a few notes over the weekend, not as successful as I’d hoped but anyway. The reserva and gran reserva level is where Faustino really delivers, and this shows what they can do even in a poor vintage. Very traditional, but also very good.
A nose of vanilla, strawberry and cherry compote and toasty oak. Very smooth with lush tannins and sparkly acid,. Very easy to drink, meaty and enjoyable. Cherry, mulberry and a touch of blackberry with a bit of coconut, vanilla and dark choclate on the plate. A long finish with plenty of herby goodness. Well priced too. 90 Pts
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $37 Closure: Cork
Faustino VII 2006
Work is extremely busy at the moment, hence the lack of posts over the last couple of weeks. I have a backlog of notes to get through, so I’ll post a chunk of them this weekend. On a better note, I’ve finally booked some flights to Spain for Feb next year. I’m planning to do a full week in Rioja with a few side trips here and there, plus some R & R in San Sebastian. Can’t wait.
This is the entry level ‘traditional’ wine from Faustino, 95% Tempranillo with 5% Mazuelo that makes a home in American oak for 10 months.
Sour cherry and strawberries on the nose, a touch of coconut and wild herbs. Gutsy and fresh in the mouth with some subtle tannins and good acid from front to back. More of the same on the palate, it’s well structured and firm, but easy to drink and enjoyable. I’m surprised at how good this is, highly enjoyable, plenty of savour fruit and a long finish. It would do well in the cellar for a couple of years too. 88+ Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $20 Closure: Cork
Pintia 2004
I had a bottle of this about 3 months ago, unfortunately it was corked. Here is the replacement. This is a big, beautiful monster. Its also very young and needs to banished to the cellar for at least 5 years to sort itself out. The price is starting to get up there, I would personally go for Numanthia or Pago la Jara at this price point.
The book is The Spanish Cockpit by Franz Borkenau. Its a first person account of the Spanish civil. It’s more of a diary of his travels around Spain in ‘36 and ‘37 with the Government forces (the revolutionaries and ultimate loosers in the war) . An interesting read, but heavy going if you’re not familiar with the topic.
Deep and dark in glass with a powerful nose of coffee beans, coco, lashings of blackberry and dark cherry with nutmeg, sage and earth. This is a very serious wine, concentrated and powerful, rich and youthful. The palate shows a similar profile, but adds some hot tarmac and a few leafy herbs. A very long finish with a touch of minerals. It shut down about 3 hours in, this is one for the cellar. 92+ Pts.
Source: Retail Price: $104 Closure: Conventional Cork
Toscar Monastrell 2006
The QPR (Quality to Price Ratio) winner from earlier this year is back with the 2006 edition. And if anything it’s more convincing. We didn’t do much on cup day, I had a heap of work to do, but I cracked this open with some albóndigas con tomates about 6 o’clock.
A very classic Monastrell nose of earthy, animally plum and cherry, with a touch of honey and spice. In the mouth there is a rustic feel to it, the tannins and well defined and soft with a longish finish. Well balanced and fresh, with plenty of fruit, the palate shows more plum and cherry, herby undergrowth and black pepper, ink and gamey highlights. Maybe it was the food, but this looks more complete than the 2005. Still a hands down bargain. 89 Pts.
Faustino V Rosado 2007
I think the slightly frosted bottle works best on this rosado, the wine is a brilliant colour and it’s good rose. 100% Tempranillo on skins for 18 hours. The numbers (i.e. Faustino V, VII and I) refer to the quality level as far as I can tell…
Oh and don’t do the usual rose thing and chill the crap out of it, this bottle shows much better if you take it out of the fridge half and hour before drinking.
A bit of the ol’ toffee apple on the nose with strawberry and light cherry. It’s a bit smoky and rocky too. Traditional rose style in the mouth (as opposed to the more white wine like roses), well balanced. Robust flavours of apple and cherry, a few strawberries and a touch of lemon and bitter herbs on the generous finish. 87 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $20 Closure: Cork
Faustino Crianza 2005
Along with their traditional wines, Faustino have a range of ‘modern’ wines. The more wines I drink from Rioja, the more and more variations I see on what ‘modern’ means. In this case, it means 100% tempranillo, french and american oak, riper and more fruit forward wine. This is a cracking wine for the price, the updated label goes a long way too.
Bright red cherry and plum on the nose, with some cinnamon and spice, just a touch of herby undergrowth. Open for business in the mouth, some up market tannins and a excellent balance. More cherry on the palate with a touch of strawberry and mulberry, some cola and pepper. It’s medium bodied, not too demanding on the palate and balanced. Everything you want in a Rioja crianza. Well priced too. 90 Pts.
Source: Broadway Liquor Distributors Price: $27 Closure: Cork
Pleno Viura 2007
In contrast to the Faustino from yesterday, there is this little number from just across the boarder in Navarra. It’s Viura again with a more Gen Y style (Fun and modern, not sure if it has an iPhone tho).
Spicy and toasty lees character is the first thing I get here, then some lemon and pear, a shake of white pepper. It’s sweet smelling and summery. Like me, it’s a little flabby and sweet in the middle, but overall it’s savoury with more lees characters, pear and tangy baking apples, a bit of talc. Fun and funky, it’s a bit quirky and I like that. A BBQ crowd pleaser. 87 Pts.
Source: Heart and Soil Price: $15 Closure: Screwcap
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