Now this wine doesn’t show too much of that herbal/vegetative character I mentioned in the last review. I drink a fair bit of verdejo when I’m in northern Spain, most bars have a good one on stand by when you’ve had an overload of vino tinto over the past week. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve been, I’m dying to get back but I keep buying wine when I should be saving for a plane ticket…

This opens up nice and fresh, with some pear and fennel buld, a bit of apple and lemon with a touch of cut grass. There is a touch of sweetness at first, but it’s mostly savoury with a little texture. It motors along nicely, nothing poking out, with good balance between texture and acid. The plate has generous flavours of pear and apple, lemon towards the finish and a touch of minerally goodness. A good drink, I’d buy a glass if I walked into a bar and saw it on the list. 88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $23 Closure: Conventional Cork

The nose opens up with a stong note of wild herbs, fennel bulb and green apple and pear. Slightly textured with a bite of acid and subtle fruit characters. That herby note is a bit more subduded here, some nice crunchy acid and it seems well balanced. The plate is a bit subdued in terms of flavour, a bit of pear and lemon but the acid drives it along nicely. Out of the two this drinks a notch below the Mocen, but still worth a look if you see it buy the glass somewhere. 87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Cost: $23 Closure: Screwcap

Anyway, we got stuck in to this verdejo from Bodegas Angel Rodriguez over the weekend. This to me looks to be a classic Martinsancho: fresh and lively but a definitely a grown up’s wine. Taught and linar with a nose of pear and fennel bulb with some grassy passion fruit and a green rosemary note. Textured, long and tangy in the mouth, pear and apple with a bit of kiwi and lemon peel. A very classy Verdejo that is good with food and on it’s own. Good value too. 90 Pts.

Source: Bibendum Wine Co. Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other vintages: 2004, 2006

A classy nose of citrus, lemon and grapefruit, with fennel bulb and herb notes. The real show here is the texture, length, and complexity on the palate. Very classy. Apples, lemons and pears with a touch of mineraly goodness.  A bit higher in cost than most Verdejos, but it is the most interesting I’ve had. 91 Pts.

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

This is another of the Vintage Cellars imports and personally, I’m very impressed. I get to taste a load of stuff with some of the importers, a lot of it is in search of a cheap white like this. Unfortunately not many reach this standard, and at this price. For sure, it’s not the best wine on earth, but it really over delivers and offers a real alternative to the cheaper NZ Sauv Blanc that seems to be the big seller in bottle shops.

Up front and fresh on the nose, pears and a little peach with some white flowers. A bit more air shows the classic fennel bulb. The palate show some guava, pear and passionfruit plus some musk stick. Its not that textured, which is something I look for in good verdejo, it’s lean with acid drive. Excellent for the price, I’ve tasted quite a few ‘inexpensive’ wines from Rueda and this has to be one of the best cheapies around. 87 Pts.

Source: Vintage Cellars Price: $12 Closure: Screwcap

Bright golden hay in colour, with a classic verdejo nose of apples and pears with some fennel bulb and a touch of fresh green peas. Nicely textured with a very subtle bit of sweetness on the mid palate that works with the driving acid. The palate shows apple and lemon, a touch a tropical fruit and finishes off with a long clean finish that shows some bitter sage. I could drink this wine all day on a warm day. 88 Pts.

This is my first look at a wine from 2007, I've heard that it was a difficult vintage but this wine doesn't show it.  Its a bit more textured than last year, but other wise its good all the qualities we're used to from Basa.  It kicks of with fresh apple and pear, fennel bulb, a touch of white melon and nuts. The texture gives it a rich, middle weight feel in the mouth, but is kept in balance by a hit of acid toward the finish.  On the palate its fairly much a mirror of the nose with some added minerals.  Another good Basa, it seems that a very handy white gets turned out here every year.  88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Pale straw in colour and shows fennel bulb, lemon, pear and peach highlight on the nose.  Don't chill this too much or you'll be missing out on the lightly oily texture to go with the crisp acid.  In the mouth flavours of pear, lemon, pineapple and a touch of honey.  The finish is a bit short, but shows a some tangy bitter herbs.  88 Pts.

Source: Toro/Wood Wines Price: Around $20 Closure: Synthetic Cork

A fresh straw colour, the nose shows passion fruit, melon, fresh fennel, pear and light lemon rind.  The oiliness that I love in verdejo is there, with some crisp acid to provide balance.  In the mouth there is melon, apple, and lemon with a quick shake of minerals. A handy wine for the growing "Anything but Sav Blanc from New Zealand" set.  I'd love to see this under screwcap.  88 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $20 Closure: Conventional Cork

Its very attractive, vibrant pale straw colour that makes me want to pour it into a glass.  The nose is fresh and full of summer fruit, passion fruit, grassy herbs, a bit of apricot and cooked fennel.  But where this wine really makes an impact is in the mouth: silky, oily texture with a pin prick of acid and apple fruit.  A bit of lime and herb as well.  A very handy food wine I think, but just as good on its own. 89 Pts

Source:  Toro/Woods Wines Price: Around $24  Closure: Conventional Cork 

Web:  www.marquesderiscal.com

A fresh straw colour, with aromas of cut grass and herbs with some green pear and a lemon/lime combo.  There is enough acid to freshen up the mouth and there is a slight oiliness to it.  More tart apple and lemon on the palate with raw fennel bulb on the finish.  It dealt with the chili and spice of the squid very well, its perfect with this kind of food. Check it out next time you're at your local Asian eatery. 87 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $22 Closure: Conventional Cork

Great story, now let me tell you about cork.  I've only had a couple of corked wines so far, perhaps I've had a good run.  This one wasn't so lucky, and it was the worst kind.  Scalped.  It was very subtle, where the wine should have been fresh and fragrant the wine had a very slight nose, still quite viscus, but an overwhelming sense of blandness.  Buggar.  I'll take this back for anther bottle.  NR

Source: Retail Cost: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Rueda is one of the few white wine regions of Spain, Rias Baixas being another notable one.  The primary grape here is Verdejo, rumored to be an ancient clone of the great Portuguese grape Verdelho.  Of course given a couple hundred years of evolution it is a very different beast now days.

Bright hay with a greenish tinge.  The nose is full of tropical fruit, passion fruit and mango, with something like raw fennel bulb.  Fresh and lively palate with a very pleasing oily consistency.  More tropical fruits in the mouth and a long finish with a nice bit of bitterness.  Very satisfying on a warm afternoon and would go very well with dishes with a bit of heat like fried peppers or Vietnamese chili and lemongrass dishes.  A bargain too.  88 Pts.

Source: Importer Sample Price: Around $20 Closure: Synthetic Cork

Importer: Toro Wines/Wood Wines