I learnt about the Buena Vida firm because their representative for Brussels and Wallonia has given several interesting presentations at Rob in Brussels and, amongst other things, has introduced me to the admirable appellation, Bierzo, and its excellent grape, Mencía, through the Palacios heirs’ Pétalos. There is a very wide choice here, a beautifully illustrated and informative catalogue with a brochure on organic and biodynamic production both in Dutch and French, the prices seem fair and the people very competent and nice to deal with.
I was well guided in my choice of wines for tasting. This may partly account for my impression that more of the reds than at some Spanish tastings, e.g. April’s at Ad Bibendum, showed finesse and elegance as well as marked differentiation of character from a block-busting, woody and confected stereotype, though there were one or two like that too. There were a number of first times for me both in appellations and in grapes but, once again, Bierzo seemed to provide the most distinctive reds with their almost Northern Rhône-type elegance. There was, however, no traditionally styled Rioja to compare with that recent revelation, Hermanos Peciña, imported by Gert Claes. Whites are achieving a crisp, fruity freshness which would have been rare a generation ago.
One of the strong points of Spanish wine growing and making is the emphasis on local grape varieties and Victor de la Serna tells us that there are yet more indigenous varieties coming back into commercial production. After a lot of flirtation with international varieties it looks as if the Italians also are now going increasingly the same way.
The white table (no growers)
Penedès Selecció Blanc 2008 – Jané Ventura (€8), from Xarel.lo 65%, Moscatel 15%, Chardonnay 15%, Malvasia de Sitges 5%, was aromatic, flowery and very fresh with citrus and grapey notes on the palate; 15.5/20 QPR!
Rueda Verdejo 2008 – José Pariente (€11), Verdejo 100%, was refreshingly crisp and quite Sauvignon-like with grapefruit and floral notes; 15/20++.
Malaga Ariyanas Moscatel Seco – Bodegas Bentomiz (€16), Moscatel de Alejandría 100%, was deliciously crisp as well as being highly aromatic and spicy; 15.5/20+++.
The red tables (no growers)
Bierzo, Ultreia de St. Jacques 2008 – Viñedos de Raúl Pérez (organic) (€10), Mencía 100%. I loved this for its purity and aromas of tangy, spicy sweet cherry and generous body and mouth-fill combined with freshness; 16/20+ QPR!!
Pià I Llevant (Mallorca) negre 2006 – Jaume Mesquida (€10), from Callet 40%, Mantonegro 30%, CabSauv 30%, was more conventional in its rich fragrant fruit with grilled meat but also caramel touches; 14.5/20.
Monterrei (Galicia) Alanda Tinto 2006 – Quinta da Muradella (organic) (€15), from Mencía, Bastardo and Arauxa, was described as uncommercial but I liked its unusual flavours of steely and tangy cherry with a lively medicinal hint; 15.5/20.
Navarra Artazu 2006 – Santa Cruz de Artado (€22), from 100% Garnacha old vines, showed dark fruity aromas and concentrated substance with complexity and good acid balance; 16/20+
Bierzo Corullón 2006 – Descendientes de J.Palacios (biodynamic) (€36), from Mencía 100%, was my wine of the day. Its aromas were subdued but fragrant with notes of sour cherry, violets and a touch of raspberry and its body was ample and long with fine fruit, minerals and considerable finesse and elegance; the 100% new wood was already well integrated; 17.5/20.
Ribera del Duero 2005 – Alion (€47) was as usual sweet fruited, rich and smooth with good structure and some fine wood still to be fully integrated; 17/20.
Rafael Palacios, DO Valdeorras
Louro 2008 (€15), from Godello 92% and Treixadura 8%, was typically round, creamy and mineral; 15.5/20++.
As Sortes (organic) (€30), 100% Godello, was sadly sold out and no longer on show.
Gramona, DO Penedès
The Cavas from this estate are a revelation. The still whites are pretty good too.
Cava Imperial Gran Reserva Brut 2005 (€20), from Xarel.lo 50%, Macabeu 40% and Chardonnay 10%, had rich aromas with a liqueur touch and round rich body with a pleasing oily touch and great moutn-fill; 16/20.
Cava III Lustros Reserva Brut Nature 2001 (€29), from Xarel.lo 70% and Macbeu 30%, was in a different league of finesse with the profile of the previous considerably refined and a more linear palate and longer finish; 16.5/20++; one of my handful of memorable bubblies from outside Champagne.
Gessamí 2008 (€11), from Moscatel Alejandría and Frontignan 30% each and Sauvignon 40%, was a successful combination of the spicy Muscat aromatics and the bright citrus freshness of Sauvignon; 15.5/20 QPR.
Xarel.lo Font Jui 2004 (W) (€19), from Xael.lo 100%, was fascinating different with an attractive oily spiciness allied to fresh acidity and good mouth-fill; 16/20.
Jiménez Landi, DO Méntrida (near Toledo)
This estate is biodynamic. Altitude of about 400m tempers the torrid summer heat of the Castilian plateau and gives cool nights.
Bajondillo 2008 (€8), from Garnacha 80% and Syrah, CabSauv and Merlot, was a joy with its purity, generous sweet fruit, spicy aromatics and tangy finish; 15.5/20+ QPR!!
Sottorondero 2007 (€15), from Syrah 90% and Granacha 10%, was deep dark and polished with sweet cherry notes, minerals and good length and none of those ripe blackberry notes which diminish (for me) a lot of warm climate Syrah/Shiraz; 16/20+++ QPR.
Bodegas Reyes, DO Ribera del Duero
We are getting closer to the stereotype here. With 30% French and 70% American oak used for extensive maturing (18m for Crianza and 20m for Reserva) dry caramel notes were perceptible towards the finish; but these are young wines and they may integrate well in a few years.
Teófilo Reyes Crianza 2006 (€20) showed plenty of liquorice laced sweet fruit with “bonbon” touches on a full body with firm tannins but also a distinct dry caramel undertow; I wouldn’t want to drink this now – 14.5/20 – but could be much better in a few years.
Teófilo Reyes Reserva 2005 (€30) was better integrated with fruit more prominent, liquorice more backward, “bonbon” replaced by raspberry hints, firmer but rounder tannins and the caramel undertow still too perceptible for my present pleasure but better covered; potentially 16.5/20++ if the wood integrates.
Anima Negra, Vino de la Tierra de Mallorca
Quibía 2008 (W) (€12), from Premsal 60%, Callet à jus blanc 40%), was attractively fleshy with attractive saltiness and mild bitterness towards the finish; 15/20+.
AN/2 2006 (€17), from Callet 65%, Syrah 15% and the rest Mantonegro/Fogoneu, was deep and dark with toasty dark fruit; 15/20.
Anima Nera 2005 (€34), from Callet 95%, rest Mantonegro/Fogoneu, showed greater depth, roundness and richness with a smooth mouth-feel than the previous and some presence of wood; 15.5/20 now with +++ if the wood recedes.
Celler Joan d’Anguera, DO Montsant
Planella 2007 (€12), from Carinyena, Syrah, CabSauv, Garnatxa, showed full and tangy sweet fruit with some sweat saddle and touches of liquorice; style quite Southern Rhône; 15.5/20++ QPR.
El Bugader 2005(€38), from Syrah 90%, Garnatxa 10%, showed complex red and dark fruit with some strawberry and “bonbon” notes together with wet leather and liquorice, depth of body and firm ripe tannins; 16/20+++.
Finca Villacreces/Vetus
The Antón family owns wine estates in Rioja, Ribera de Duero and Rioja.
Rioja Salbide 2008 (€8) is described as semi-crianza because it spends 4 months in American oak. It showed medium weight and nice plummy fruit with no obtrusive wood notes; 14.5/20+++ QPR.
Ribera de Duero 2005 – Finca Villacreces (€25), Tinto Fino 86%, Merlot 4%, CabSauv 10%, showed quite exuberant aromas of red fruit, including strawberry, and good body and structure and certain elegance though vanilla is still perceptible towards the finish; potential 16/20+.
Toro Vetus 2005 (€15) is still somewhat discreet aromatically but some strawberry aromas were peeping through and there was impressive matter and firm tannic structure; 15.5/20++ with potential.
Mas de les Pereres, Priorat
This estate has been owned for 10 years by Belgian, Dirk Hoet. His own production is organic but he also buys in non-organic grapes. He goes in for a much less block-busting style than many in Priorat and his wines have been described by the WA as elegant and feminine, which Dirk wisely takes as a compliment even if it was not intended as such by Jay Miller. Dirk uses small quantities of Merlot, Cab Sauv and CabFranc in his two reds as “boosters” saying that they do not contribute their own taste to the cuvées but somehow boost the other constituents.
Nunci Blanc Abocat 2007 (€16) comes from a cocktail of Macabeu, Garnatxa, Moscatel, Parellada, PX and Xarel.lo and matured on lees for 8 months in a stainless steel tank. I liked it a lot for its spicy aromatic nose and its full, deep yet floral palate; 16/20.
Nunci Negre 2004 (€26), made from Carinyena 20%, Garnatxa 40%, Syrah 30%, CabFranc and Merlot 10% each as boosters, showed medium/full body tangy fruit with pepper and liquorice and a certain elegance; 16/20.
Nunci Costero 2003 (€36), made from Garnatxa 40%, Carinyena 45% with 5% of each of the boosters, was more exuberant in its fruit aromas, fuller bodied, deeper, darker with more liquorice and structure than the previous but retaining elegance; 17/20.
Mas d’En Gil, Priorat
The Priorats here were full bodied and closer to stereotype. I don’t think that my guide approved when I said that I preferred Dirk Hoet’s style.
Como Alta 2007 (W) (€27), from Viogier 70% and Garnatxa Blanca 30%, was barrique aged for 6 months and showed much more exotic fruit, pineapple and vanilla than Dirk’s; 15/20.
Como Vella 2005 (€28), from Garnatxa, CabSauv, Carinyena and Syrah, showed solid dark fruit, good tannic structure and notes of toffee; 15/20.
Como Fontà 2005 (€48), from Garnatxa 55%, Carinyena and CabSauv, had more of everything together with some leather and cedar and the toffee, which I can do without, was better covered than on the previous giving more chance of eventual integration; 16/20+ potentially.
Bodegas Roda, Rioja
Sara Fernadez Bengoa, Export Manager, explained the estate’s philosophy of seeking a non-aggressive style where purity of fruit is privileged and oak (all French) is kept in the background. By and large, they succeed in their aim although I could do with even less oak influence.
Roda Reserva 2005 (€29), Tempranillo 85%, Garnacha 6%, Graciano 9%, illustrates well the commitment to pure fruit with its notes of cherry and there was good depth and tannic structure together with residual but not obtrusive notes of fine vanilla; 16/20+ already with + potential.
Roda I Reserva 2005 (€45), Tempranillo 100%, was more discreet in aroma but deeper and darker in fruit, body and structure but there was also more toffee coming through than I like; ? potentially 16.5/20 if the toffee recedes.
Cirsión 2007 (€174), Tempranillo 100%, had some remarkably exuberant and at the same time caressing fruit and good structure but, in spite of spending only half the time of the other two in wood, toffee notes were more prominent; Ms Fernandez Bengoa puts this down to the wine’s extreme youth and there is no doubt that, if the wood recedes and integrates, it should become remarkable; I wouldn’t want to drink this now but hopefully 17/20 in time.
The cult status Pingus 2006 was available for €40/glass. I passed.