The Dorks went to Spain. Lots of interesting foods. I took a vegan tomato-artichoke paella and a real jamon serrano on the hoof.
In reverse order of consumption, minus a couple I didn't catch vintages or accurate names of:
2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Wine #25 and my notes at this point are a little hard to read. But I *think* we found all the charms of aging red LdH here with ample dark red fruits, strawberry compote and spice. It kind of swung in and out of being fleshy and reserved. Where LdH can have a lot of variation, this was an excellent bottle.
2016 Costers del Priorat Clos Alzina Priorat Mazuelo, Carignan
Daniel's. Fruity and volatile--blueberries and varnish. Might clean up with time or more oxygen but this wasn't ready.
2001 Bodegas Franco-Españolas Tempranillo Rioja Baron d'Anglade Reserva
Dark, rich and silky with spice cake, orange peel, dried fruit and leathery--classic aged Rioja and one of my favorites of the night. Beautiful!
2016 Bodegas El Coto Rioja Coto de Imaz Gran Reserva Tempranillo
Loved this. Classic flavors that drink like a Bordeaux even though Tempranillo, bright/big/balanced but not excessive.
2011 Vina Olabarri Rioja Gran Reserva Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Mark's. Light, a little oak, red fruit, slate, soft tannins, medium acidity. Good but not a keeper.
2020 Castro Candaz (Raul Perez & Rodrigo Mendez) Ribeira Sacra Mencía
Liked this a lot. Mildly funky, boysenberry nose and palate, bright and complex.
2004 Bodegas Roda Rioja Roda I Reserva Tempranillo
My bottle, carried home from Spain in 2017. Decanted, filtered and returned to the bottle a few hours before the tasting. Black cherry fruit, chocolate, coffee and oak. Oak on the heavy side in a way that would have been just fine with a big steak but it didn't show well in a parade of more judiciously oaked wines (I was afraid of that). Shows its age.
2006 Dominio de Atauta Ribera del Duero Tinto Fino, Tempranillo
The last reviewer described "a very expressive nose of violets, graphite, smoked meats, and black/blue fruits." I'll match that and add 'cedary', though where that reviewer ended up comparing it to a modern Bordeaux I thought it might be one of Victor La Serna's Spanish syrahs which I've had the '04 of several times.
2021 La Vizcaína Bierzo La Vitoriana Lomas de Valtuille Mencía
Gabe's. Bizarrely, identical to the previous bottle poured except the experience was a total opposite. Instead of being hard and tannic/too young, this one was ready, modern and polished. Someone hilariously threw in "after the manscape" referring to a disgusting commercial some of us had seen during the Masters and just talked about--can't remember the last time I laughed that hard.
2021 La Vizcaína Bierzo La Vitoriana Lomas de Valtuille Mencía
Doran's. Very young with serious tannins. Lots of potential but not ready for prime time.
2010 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Vicki's. Straight from the bottle, fruit showing a lot more black than red right now with dusty earth and some baked tones. Not flawed, just not prepared to enter this world yet so it didn't come across with either Rioja or LdH typicity. Needs rest.
2009 Bodegas Muga Rioja Selección Especial Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Vic's. Cork crumbled to bits but this was sound in spite of that with big body, substantial tannins and ripe blackberry fruit that sent initial guesses into the Ribera del Duoro. Also there: baking spices and herbs. Excellent.
2020 Troon Vineyard Syrah Estate Cowhorn Vineyard Applegate Valley
Immediately apparent as new world, but still a tasty bottle. I've had OPB's of Cowhorn syrah before and they are among the better wines from that part of Southern Oregon.
2009 La Rioja Alta Rioja Gran Reserva 904 Tempranillo Blend, Tempranillo
Erik's. Coconut and dill from the American oak came out first followed by plum, dried spices and earth. Medium bodied, good balance and a long finish, but good as it is it will get better. Leave these alone if you can!
At this point we had a Medianias Listan Negro VV from the Canary Islands. Didn't catch the vintage but I loved it. Funky nose, great palette, spicy fresh red fruit and superb minerality.
2012 R. López de Heredia Rioja Rosado Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia Grenache Blend, Grenache
My bottle. Minerally and dry with rose petal fruit, a tiny bit of orange rind and the light sherryish note typical of so many LdHs--more so than a stunning 2008 opened about two years ago. A good bottle, but not a great one
2017 La Granja Nuestra Señora de Remelluri Rioja Blanco White Blend
Also my bottle. Very rich, bone dry and yet gracefully creamy with notes of fresh saline, fresh coconut, Eureka lemon, mild herbs and sungold cherry tomatoes on a med-full frame. As I'd hoped, even blind it's apparent to all that it's a major step up from the other whites that preceded it. Exceptional.
2022 Thurston Wolfe Albariño Yakima Valley
The only Albarino in a line-up of Spanish wines, and a WA state ringer. Ripe and cheesy nose, sweet and fleshy. There are albarinos made here that could kinda pass, but this ain't one of 'em.
2022 Bodegas Ordoñez Rueda Old Vines Nisia Verdejo
Pale straw color, floral nose, good mouthfeel. Liked it quite a bit.
2014 Lunarossa Quartara Colli di Salerno IGT Fiano
A ringer. Deep neon yellow, and CORKED.
2013 Cellers de Can Suriol del Castell Cava Brut Nature Macabeo-Xarello-Parellada Blend
Erik's. Fresh and frisky for a '13. Good stuff.
2022 Bodega Rezabal Getariako Txakolina Txakoli Rosé Hondarrabi Beltza
Doran's. Light carnation pink and lightly fizzy in the best way possible with a perfect balance between fruit and floral. I'd buy this.
And from two nights prior:
2014 C.V.N.E. (Compañía Vinícola del Norte de España) Rioja Imperial Reserva Tempranillo
This is evolving well. PnP'd, immediately satisfying with dark fruits, tree bark and sasparilla root. Not in a rush or anything, but I have three more bottles and wouldn't hesitate to drink them all over the next year.
2022 Familia Alegre Valgañón Rioja Blanco Viura, Macabeo
Captivating, lightly floral aroma with pear, white nectarine and cinnamon on the medium-bodied palate. An exceptional Spanish white and great QPR at $22. Would have beat all the whites above on Sunday night but for the Remelluri.