Posts Tagged ‘spain’
Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 31 Mar 2009
Pale lemon core with a clear rim. Crisp, fresh aromas of white grapefruit and lime with a hint of honey and ripe honeydew melon. Reminiscent of a Sauvignon Blanc, but with softer melon notes. Surprisingly creamy on the palate entry. Round and full with flavors of kiwi, honeydew and citrus all backed by a wet stone minerality on the finish.
This is a stunning and unique summer wine that is a must, because you’ve probably never tried anything like it. It’s made from the Godello grape, a rare variety local to Valdeorras. Has all the great citrus-crisp intensity of a fresh New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but hits you in the mouth with amazing balance, creaminess and full body. A definite winner for lounging in the sun on a picnic, but it will also stand up impressively well to full-bodied, meaty fish like tuna or shark on the grill.
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Tags: 2007, adega o casal, casal novo, citrus, cream, godello, honey, honeydew melon, kiwi, lemon, lime, mineral, spain, valdeorras, wet stone, white grapefruit, White wine
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
89/B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 29 Jan 2009
Dark purple core with a bright ruby rim that stains the glass. Big aromas of blackberry and blueberry are lifted from the glass by a crushed rose petal note, all surrounded by dark wet stone, game and a touch of smoke. Very floral on the palate with dark charcoal and chocolate notes rushing in around ripe blackberry. Great acid on the mid-palate and a spicy, creamy, nutmeg and vanilla finish.
The acid core of this wine screams for food while the dense, dark, smoky fruit says “whatever you eat, make steak and put it on the grill.” Garnacha (Grenache) is the staple of the Calatayud region in northeast Spain. Recent developments in winemaking (fermenting in steel, aging in new oak) have changed the local style to a more robust, clean and powerful red. The Atteca is a great example of this style, and by using old vines (80-120 years) they get intensity of flavor while maintaining fantastic balance. Grenache of this intensity from just a few miles further northeast (such as Chateauneuf du Pape) would easily cost twice the price.
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Tags: 2007, aragon, atteca old vines garnacha, blackberry, blueberry, bodegas ateca, calatayud, charcoal, Chateauneuf du Pape, chocolate, cream, floral, game, grenache, nutmeg, purple, red wine, rose petal, ruby, smoke, spain, spice, stone, vanilla
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Purple core with a ruby and violet rim. Blueberries leap from the glass, surrounded by wet earth and charcoal with bright crushed flower petals and fresh pencil shavings. Soft and sweet entry on the palate. Honeycomb flavors melt around blueberry and cinnamon spice. Full bodied with a lot of alcohol, but great balance and a long finish.
A blend of 60% Garnacha and 40% Tempranillo. A fantastic, dense blend. Starting to show well now, and will continue to do so for another decade.
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Tags: 2005, alcohol, blueberry, Bodegas, charcoal, cinnamon, comb, crush, earth, flower, fresh, Garnacha, grenache, honey, honeycomb, palacios, pencil, petal, propriedad, purple, red, red wine, remondo, Rioja, ruby, shaving, spain, Tempranillo, Tinto, violet, wet, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
88 / B-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 May 2008
Inky black and purple core with a ruby rim. Prune juice aromas surrounded by black cherries, licorice and earthy notes. High acid on the front leading to a chewy black cherry mid-palate. A little out of balance with the acid, and a touch of alcohol on the back. Lingering sweet black cherries.
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Tags: 2004, alcohol, black, castilla, cherry, comenge, del, Duero, earth, leon, licorice, prune, purple, red, red wine, Ribera, ruby, spain, Tempranillo, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
89 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 15 Dec 2008
Dark ruby core with a bright rim. Sweet, rich aromas of caramel envelop raspberry and red cherry. Very juicy on the front palate with lots of plum and raspberry flavors. Medium bodied with very approachable tannins.
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Tags: 2006, atrium, caramel, cherry, merlot, miguel, penedes, plum, raspberry, red, red wine, ruby, spain, torres, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
86 / A-
Tasted by Mike Supple - 11 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a lighter rim. Brooding, dark aromas of rich, jammy cherries, spicy nutmeg and a hint of wet stones. A little thin on the entry but medium tannins on the mid-palate. Lots of oak and minerals around a core of cherry.
A blend of 60% Garnacha, 30% Carmenere and 10% Syrah
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Tags: 2006, Agricola, carmenere, cherry, etim, falset, falset-marca, Garnacha, grenache, jam, jammy, marca, mineral, montsant, nutmeg, oak, purple, red, red wine, seleccion, spain, spice, stone, Syrah, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 08 Dec 2008
Dark purple core with a medium purple/ruby rim. Smoky and rich with a core of spicy plum and wet earth minerality. Black cherries are surrounded by toasted nutmeg spice. Fruity entry on the palate with good tannic grip. Lush black cherry and plum fruits are balanced by great acidity. Smoky, stony and a touch of earth. Chewy finish with a touch of coffee on the finish.
Made of 50% Carinena, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Garnacha.
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Tags: 2004, Agricola, black, cabernet, carignan, carinena, castell, cherry, coffee, earth, falset, falset-marca, fruit, Garnacha, grenache, marca, mineral, montsant, nutmeg, plum, purple, red, red wine, ruby, sauvignon, smoke, spain, spice, stone, toast, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
90 / A
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Jan 2008
Rich ruby core, with garnet hints on the rim. The aromas are spicy and rich, with red and black cherries underscored by plum with cinnamon notes in the background. On the palate this tastes and feels stunningly like a beautiful red Burgundy. Lush and ripe, with elegant, smooth tannins. Dark raspberry and cherry flavors are accented by a touch of tea and leather with light black truffle and earth underneath.
I tried this blind the first time, and while distinctly Spanish in aromas, I could swear that I had a well aged Burgundy in my mouth. Stunning little wine. Most likely in its prime now, but should be able to hold its own for several more years.
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Tags: 2001, Add new tag, alta, benito, blakc, Bodega, Bodegas, Burgundy, cherry, cinnamon, earth, especial, garnet, leather, pedro, plum, raspberry, red, red wine, Rioja, ruby, seleccion, spain, spice, tea, Tempranillo, truffle, urbina, wine
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Sunday, February 1st, 2009
91 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 13 Aug 2008
Dark garnet color from the core to the rim. Bold, spicy aromas of licorice, candied cherries, chocolate and sweet tea lead to a more intense wet clay note followed by lingering cinnamon. The wine is lush and full, filling the mouth with caramel covered cherries and spicy cinnamon, with the same hint of clay supporting the fruits and helping the round, approachable tannins give good structure to the wine. Fruit, spices and just a touch of vanilla linger in the finish.
Spicy, fruity and delicious. What more could you want from a red wine? Since it’s a Reserva, it has already been aged for you in their cellars, making it ready to pick up at your wine shop and drink tonight. While it may be a few dollars more than your average every day wine, the extra age put on it in the winery’s cellars makes this much deeper and more complex of a wine, and is more than worth the few extra dollars. A blend of 93% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha and 2% Mazuelo. It is aged for 24 months in large American oak casks, which is what gives the wine its touch of creamy caramel and vanilla flavors. American oak is used rather frequently in Spain and is a nice match for their big powerful reds.
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Tags: 2004, candy, caramel, cherry, chocolate, cinnamon, clay, Garnacha, garnet, grenache, licorice, marques, mazuelo, murrieta, red, red wine, Reserva, Rioja, spain, spice, sweet, tea, Tempranillo, vanilla, wine
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Saturday, January 31st, 2009
86 / B+
Tasted by Mike Supple - 24 Sep 2008
Medium ruby core with a pink rim. There is a touch of Old World earth and barnyard (this is a good thing in moderation) to the aromas around a core of dark fruit. Blackberry and black cherry aromas are accented by a hint of sweet tea and leather. Light and easy drinking on the palate with good acidity. The black cherry flavors are supported by dark roasted coffee and cinnamon.
Spain offers a huge variety of wines and many compelling values. This is a perfect wine to help familiarize yourself with the Spanish style of winemaking, as well as the Tempranillo grape (this wine is 85% Tempranillo, and the rest Garnacha and Graciano). The bold acidity makes this a perfect wine for all kinds of foods, so grab a bottle, call some friends and get a Tapas cookbook. Light enough for hearty fish - think paella with scallops and mussels - yet spicy and rich enough to go with ham, beef and just about any soft sheep milk cheeses. Not a wine to age or use to impress big collectors, but something that is fun, goes with food and friends, and is produced in great quantity, making it easy to find around the world.
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Tags: 2004, barnyard, black, blackberry, caceres, cherry, cinnamon, coffee, Crianza, earth, Garnacha, grenache, leather, marques, red, red wine, Rioja, roast, spain, sweet, tea, Tempranillo, wine
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