Tasting #243 July 26 2022, 12:30 pm – Spanish Mediterranean between Barcelona and Alicante

Capri Ristorante, McLean VA

Please send your reservations to M. Claudia or Clara Estrada

Tasting Overview

The objective of this tasting is to explore and compare lesser-known wines produced on the Mediterranean Coast of Spain, with grapes such as Monastrell (Mourvedre) grown in the Alicante and Valencia regions, and a white wine made with local native grapes (Callet and Premsal) from the Island of Mallorca.

Type of Tasting: Blind

Presenters: Jorge Claro and Cristian Santelices

The wines: 

• Quibia 2020, Ànima Negra
• La Peña de España Tinto 2018, Bodegas El Angosto
• Tarima Hill Old Vines 2017, Bodegas Volver
• El Sequé Alicante Tinto 2019, Bodegas y Viñedos Artadi de Laguardia

Menu: 

1. Seared scallops salad
2. Gazpacho soup
3. Breaded eggplants
4. Lamb and potatoes
5. Dessert

Participants: 

J. Brakarz, J. Claro; R. Connolly; M. Fryer; A. & C. Perazza; J. & L. Redwood; J. Requena; J. Sanchez; C. Santelices; R. Santiago, G. Smart; and G. Zincke.

Wines from Mediterranean Spain

Spain is a country with more than 500,000 square kilometers (some 20% bigger than the State of California). The country enjoys a fascinating and diverse landscape including the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, dry plateaus, and the Pyrenees mountains. All Spain’s 17 administrative regions produce wine, including the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands.

The Valencia Region

One of the regions in the Mediterranean coast is the Comunidad Valenciana, or simply Valencia. Located a few hours south of Barcelona, Valencia is responsible for 5% of Spain’s enological output and is the fourth most widely planted of the country’s 17 autonomous regions.

The Valencia Region is sometimes referred to as the Levant, meaning the “getting up place,” as it stands at the eastern edge of the Iberian Peninsula, where the sun rises first. However, the Mediterranean Sea is a primary influence on the region. The Mediterranean Spain’s enchanting Valencian Community region has long been known for its beaches, seafood, and oranges. Nevertheless, its unique wines haven’t always won the easy notoriety of regions like Rioja or Priorat—but once and for all, moving past its former reputation as a producer of bulk wines, it’s fast becoming a region to watch, for its spicy, uniquely Spanish reds.

Valencia is a complex Comunidad autónoma to summarize, because it is topographically and geologically diverse, and cultivates several varieties, creating various subregions. Climatically, the area is rather hot with low rainfall. However, the heat weather is mitigated by regular sea breezes along the coast and higher elevations in the west. Though the entire region is classified as Mediterranean in climate, the western reaches of the Comunidad skew continental, with less humidity and broader diurnal swings. The soils are generally characterized by varying sand, limestone, and clay combinations.

Valencia’s boundaries encompass three distinct Denominations of Origen (DO): Alicante, Utiel-Requena, and Valencia, with Alicante the furthest south and Utiel-Requena the most inland.

Alicante

Alicante is a port city in southeastern Costa Blanca and a municipality in the Valencian Community. Alicante is historically a land of vineyards and wines with traces of the Phoenicians and Romans since at least 1,100 BC when Phoenicians established themselves in the area of Cadiz. Also, it is the most historically celebrated of Valencia’s Dos, due to the ancient fame of its Fondillón. In addition, the dessert wine Fondillón, based on Monastrell (Mourvèdre), has been exported for centuries and is enjoying its renaissance.

Along the eastern coast of Alicante, one can find La Marina, a subzone known for its perfumed, sweet white wines made from Moscatel de Alejandría; other white grape varieties include Merseguera and Malvasía. The drier, more extreme climate to the west is home to Monastrell, which accounts for 75% of total DO vineyard plantings. Other major red grape varieties include Garnacha Tintorera and Bobal, a thick-skinned black variety native to the Levante (the eastern edge of the Iberian Peninsula).

Alicante has the fewest vines in the ground, but that wasn’t always the case. In 1877, after phylloxera tore through France, a preferential trade arrangement with Spain was signed that ushered in an era of rapid growth for the Spanish wine industry. This was effectively canceled in 1892 when Alicante had 93,000 hectares of vines in the ground. Taking this deal off the table decimated the area viticulturally and financially, and the region retreated to its Fondillón and bulk wine. The first signs of rebirth wouldn’t be seen until 100 years later, in the 1990s, triggered by the rise of the boutique winery model and the sudden popularity of rich, dry Monastrell from the neighboring regions of Yecla and Jumilla. As a result, Alicante DO has gained popularity and respect for its new light, fresh wines, and interesting varietal reds produced by pioneering bodegas.

The Monastrell grape

Monastrell or Murviedro, known in France and the United States as Mourvèdre—and in Australia as Mataró—this full-bodied, spicy, tannic grape shows intense black and red fruit supported by secondary earthy flavors of dried herbs and meat. A popular blending partner of Grenache and Syrah in France’s Rhône valley, Mourvèdre/Monastrell sees one of its most sui generis varietal expressions in Alicante’s Mediterranean terroir, where hot days allow for optimal ripening, dry conditions challenge the vines and concentrate the fruit, and limestone-dominant soils ensure acid structure and ageability, which also balance the grape’s tendency towards muscle and high alcohol.

Mourvedre is a meaty and full-bodied red wine. Mourvedre’s smell is an explosion of dark fruit, flowers like violet, and an herbaceous aroma of black pepper, thyme, and red meat. Mourvedre wine can have a gamey taste in regions such as Bandol, France, and Jumilla, Spain. Some believe the unctuous aroma in many Mourvedre wines is partially due to a wine fault called reduction. Because of this, Mourvedre benefits from decanting and is best enjoyed at around 67-71 °F.

Thought to have been brought to Spain in Ancient times by the seafaring Phoenicians, Monastrell remains one of the country’s most planted grapes, claiming 150,000 of the world’s 190,000 acres of the grape. In Alicante, it can be found in two subregions: La Marina in the north, where the cooling influence of the sea tempers the area’s intense heat, and in Clásico, inland to the southwest, which includes the region’s namesake city. Further away from the Mediterranean, this latter sub-region is marked by minimal rainfall and borderline-arid summers—a situation where Monastrell thrives, especially in its bush vine incarnation.

The name Monastrell suggests that monks may have cultivated and spread the variety. Archaeological evidence put a semi-cultivated vine in Murcia some 5,000 years ago, actual cultivation in the Iberian period (5th-6th centuries BC), and larger-scale development by the Romans. Thankfully it has survived over time and today has been restored, as we will see, to its full splendor.

In general, the Monastrell producing vineyards are not watered, and vines are grown in the traditional vase shape, except for a few areas (at lower altitudes in Yecla and Bullas) with espaliered, irrigated vines. The well-aired stocks are fairly disease-resistant, and their late budding shoots prevent spring frost damage. The medium-size, compact bunches bear small berries, which ripen late and at harvest show a high sugar content, allowing for a volume of 13 to 14.5º. The vines have also adapted very well to different yet consistently poor soils. The sandy soils of Jumilla kept the ubiquitous phylloxera from spreading widely, and as a result, some ungrafted Monastrell vines have survived. However, to carry the specific DO Monastrell label, wines must contain 85% of this variety.

Mallorca Island and its Native Wine Grapes

Mallorca immediately evokes the blue waters and white sands that frame Spain’s largest Balearic Island. Located just 170 km off the eastern Spanish coast, Mallorca is home to roughly 900,000 residents. This number swells each summer when over 10 million vacationers descend on the island.

With such a large market to satisfy and fewer than 2,000 hectares of vineyards, it’s no wonder that little wine leaves the island, and over 80% is consumed locally. This partly explains why you may have never heard of Manto Negro, Callet, or Prensal Blanc (aka Moll).

Mallorca’s wine was once significant. As phylloxera ravaged France in the 1870s, the Mediterranean Sea kept the island’s vines safe for about 20 years. Mallorca had 75,000 acres of vines in 1891 – nearly 2/3 more than Napa County has today. Mallorca’s wine was shipped to France and relabeled as French. Mallorca’s vineyard area today pales in comparison to its past. Devastated vineyards were often replaced with crops such as almonds or apricots, while the rise of tourism in the 1960s delivered another blow to wine production. A new generation was incentivized to turn their back on grape growing and invest in construction or the hotel trade.

Mallorca wines hit all the enophile’s sweet spots. You’ve never heard of Indigenous grapes that aren’t grown anywhere else (Mallorca is like the Galápagos of grapes.) Minerality from the salty air. White wines are made from red grapes. Moderate alcohol. Cooler climate than you realize. In short, good Mallorca wines are delicious and guaranteed to stump your sommelier friends.

Callet grape

This red grape variety comes from the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain); according to a dialect, the name means “black.” Callet clusters are large and relatively compact. The grapes are of a medium/large size, globe shape, bluish-black outer color and inside, with a very weak pigmentation, virtually non-existent. The color is not dark but shooting bright ruby, clean, medium layer. On tasting it, it will look medium-bodied, refined, and elegant.

The late-ripening vine is generally resistant to drought and diseases but susceptible to sour rot. It produces light red, rustic red wines with moderate acidity and alcohol content and an earthy aroma. On the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, the variety is often grown in mixed sets with the Fogoneu variety and blended with the latter and Manto Negro.

DNA analyses carried out in 2011 resulted from a probable natural cross between the Callet Cas Concos x Fogoneu varieties, which also come from Mallorca. Curiously, the Fogoneu, was the most planted grape on the island in the latter part of the 19th century and early 20th century. It was when vineyards in France were attacked by phylloxera, and Mallorca benefited from it, as it produced and exported a lot of wine to the neighboring country. Much of this wine came from the Felanitx area and was shipped from its port, Porto Colom. The name of Porto Colom comes from the Latin Portu Columbi (“dove harbor”), a name the Romans gave for the great abundance of these birds that were raised there.

The ideal is to plant Callet in poor soils of negligible thickness and stony. However, if the soil is very fertile, a lot of vegetative growth will be generated, and the grape’s ripening will be complicated. On average, this variety is more productive in kilograms than the other autochthonous grape. The aromatic potential and color intensity are medium, and the wines obtained will also have a medium layer. On the other hand, although Mallorca is a warm area, the alcohol content is relatively low, around 11.5 / 12 % of alcohol.

In the case of elaboration based on old Callet vines, the wines will be very aromatic and expressive. The predominant aromas will be red fruits, raspberries, cherries, and blackberries, sometimes with floral or anise touches. As we have already mentioned, they do not develop a high degree of alcohol, which is one of the characteristics that does not make this variety very easy to work with. Some compare it to Pinot Noir.

Prensal grape

This white grape variety originates in Spain. Synonyms are Moll, Moll Binisalem, Moll Encin, Pansal Blanco, Pensal, Pensal Blanco, Penzal Blanco, Premsal (second main name), Premsal Blanco, Premsal Blanca, Prensal, Prensal Blanc and Prensal Blanco. The medium-maturing, the high-yielding vine is susceptible to powdery mildew. As a result, it produces fine-acidic, fruity white wines mainly used as blends. The variety is registered on the Balearic Islands in the DO Binissalem (Mallorca).

As the workhorse white grape of the Mallorca Island, the productive Prensal Blanc (aka Moll) dominates the wines from DO Binissalem, making up at least 50% of the blend. It’s also the second most planted grape and is often used to produce easy-drinking wines with lower acidity levels for early consumption. The grape ripens quite early and quickly drops its acidity if harvested too late.

The Wines’ Technical Sheets

Quíbia 2020

	Grapes	60% Callet, 30% Premsal, 10% other local grapes
	Origin	Mallorca, Spain
	Aging	4 months in Stainless steel tanks
	Year harvest	2020
	Alcohol %	11.5 %
	Color	Lemon with greenish highlights
	Soil type	Limestone
	Altitude	100 m
	Climate	Mediterranean
	Harvest time	September-October
	Awards	89 pts., Wilfred Wong

Vineyard Notes

Ànima Negra was founded in 1994 when two self-taught friends — Pere Ignasi Obrador and Miquelàngel Cerdà — decided that the wines of their native Mallorca weren’t reaching full potential. Taking advantage of some unused milk tanks at the dairy farm owned by Pere’s family, they made two barrels of wine from Callet grapes (a native Mallorcan varietal) they’d purchased from local farmers. The initial results were so encouraging that the friends decided to form a partnership and continue pursuing their newfound passion for wine. Situated in the southeast of Mallorca, Ànima Negra winery produces its wines on the old country estate of Son Burguera, close to the town of Felanitx. Ànima Negra sources its grapes from more than 135 carefully selected parcels of land that the partners own or control. Virtually all these parcels are within a six-mile radius of the winery, and most of the vines are 50 to 85 years old. Natural farming is prioritized at Ànima Negra. The vines are dry-farmed and are not fertilized, helping to ensure they produce small, concentrated fruit. Chemical insecticides and herbicides are avoided in favor of biodynamic practices, and indigenous yeasts are used for almost all fermentation. The resulting unique, elegant wines have garnered worldwide praise and earned a loyal following among fine wine enthusiasts worldwide. In 2010, the Slow Food Movement honored Ànima Negra with induction into the Ark of Taste.

Winemaker Notes

Quibia gets its name from an aspirational worry-free state of mind. The wine is the brainchild of Miquelangel Cerda and his partner, Pere Obrador, celebrating the versatility of the indigenous red grape, Callet, the common thread of all their wines. The Callet lends texture and tartness. The Premsal adds roundness while Giro Ros gives the backbone of acidity.

The color is an enticing straw lemon with greenish highlights. Quíbia has white peach, pear, sea brine, and jasmine aromas. The wine is weighty with a silky olive oil texture and concentrated flavors of ripe peach, Anjou pear, and capers on the palate. Crisp, lively, and well-balanced. This wine pairs beautifully with bay scallops, langoustines, mussels in a butter broth, and seafood paella.

References

https://www.winebow.com/our-brands/anima-negra/anima-negra-quibia/2020

https://www.annegra.com/

La Peña de España Tinto 2018

	Grapes	33% Grenache 33% Syrah,  33% Monastrell
	Origin	Valencia, Spain
	Year harvest	2018
	Alcohol %	13.5 %
	Color	Deep ruby color
	Soil type	Limestone
	Altitude	700-1090 m
	Awards	93 pts. James Suckling

Bodegas El Angosto is owned by the Cambra family, located in Santa Rosa. The vineyard is worked in a reasoned way (by limiting any use of chemicals) and harvested by hand. The estate’s vines are spread over two separate properties: Santa Rosa and El Angosto. These are sloping terroirs with sandy soils, poor organic matter, and many limestones. This environment is ideal for developing the vine in depth from the root. As a result, the wines produced are of rare elegance and concentration for such prices. The press around the world embraces the great value of these superb wines. Angosto Cellar is the story of the Cambra family, and now it is the 4^th generation, well known for their effort, perseverance, and know-how. Since 1905 Viveros Cambra has been the leading supplier of grafted grapevines for the region of Valencia in southwest Spain. Their practices of carefully selecting bud wood and rootstock material available and clonal selection, without forgetting the native varieties, closing the cycle of cultivation of the vine. Rhone Blends with bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault, and Counoise often come into play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance in California.

Winemaker Notes:

Deep ruby color with violet reflections. The aromas of fresh red fruit, blue flowers, and spices stand out on the nose. In the mouth, it’s vast, round, and tasty. Hyacinth, violets, and lavender are among the many floral notes of this redolent wine. The palate has a sense of purity, with the tangy acidity highlighting the bright, dark-fruit tones. Medium-long on the finish. This delicious and food-friendly red wine offers versatility while over-delivering on the price. Pair this with sausage on the grill, stewed red meats, and roasted vegetables.

References:

https://www.bodegaelangosto.com/

Tarima Hill Old Vines 2017

	Grapes	100% Monstrell
	Origin	Alicante, Spain
	Aging	14 months in French barrels
	Year harvest	2019
	Alcohol %	15 %
	Color	Red cherry
	Soil type	Limestone
	Altitude	650 -750 m
	Climate	Continental – Mediterranean
	Harvest time	October
	Awards	93 pts. Jeb Dunnuck

Vineyard Notes:

The project of Bodegas Volver was founded in 2004, by Rafael Cañizares, an enologist by training and viticulturist through his family tradition of four generations bound to the vine and wine. The pillars of the bodega are based on the repositioning of quality Spanish wines and recovering old indigenous vineyards, which had been lost, either through low production or lack of generational succession. The vineyards were created using grapes from multiple vineyards in towns throughout the Vinalopo region: Pinoso, Salinas, El Maña, and Monover. Planted between 1935 and 1970 when traditional unirrigated viticulture produced 1.5 kg per plant.

Winemaker Notes:

Cherry color with a hint of intense ruby. The mature nose fruit contains raspberries, blueberries, spices, balsamic hints, and flowers’ notes. Tasty in the mouth, balanced and full-bodied. Long finish. Vintage:  Characterized by extreme drought, with an average rainfall of fewer than 153.6 liters per meter squared and the region’s microclimate with an altitude of 650 to 750 meters and shallow dry soil which is poor in organic material and full of limestone rocks. Humidity from the Mediterranean breezes. Pairing: Recommended with red meat, game, roast meat, rice, cured cheeses, blue cheeses

References:

https://bodegasvolver.com/nuestros-vinos/tarima-hill/?lang=en

https://bodegasvolver.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/TARIMA-HILL-FT-EN.pdf

El Sequé Alicante Tinto 2019

	Grapes	100% Monstrell
	Origin	Alicante, Spain
	Aging	12 months in French barrels
	Year harvest	2019
	Alcohol %	14.5 %
	Color	Red cherry
	Soil type	Sandy quaternary soils
	Altitude	600 m
	Climate	Mediterranean
	Harvest time	October
	Awards	94 pts Peñin – 93pts Parker

Vineyard Notes:

Committed to the quest of producing unique wines with identity, winemaker and owner Juan Carlos López de la Calle believes old vines are the key to accomplishing this difficult pursuit. After achieving success in Rioja and Navarra, Juan Carlos went to Alicante for the extreme climatic conditions, disparate soil types, and the old-vine Monastrell indigenous to the region.

El Sequé has been part of the Artadi Group since 1999, when the Mediterranean and, above all, the undergrowth of the area, with poor land and abundant hours of sunshine, seemed to invite them to create great moments with the Monastrell.

Winemaker Notes:

Powerful balsamic notes, mature fruit, unctuous: a fleshy wine that satisfies the identity of the Monastrell variety from the old vineyards of El Sequé. Fresh and forceful wine from Alicante, typical of the Mediterranean style, results from experienced Rioja winemakers with a great spirit of creating new wines, as awarded as those of the parent company. The fruity sweetness of this Sequé and the balsamic nuances show the best properties of a Monastrell, giving it power and warmth. Tasty, robust, meaty, ripe tannins.

Produced from 100 % estate-grown fruit, this wine has an evident Mediterranean influence, with warm and calm nuances of black fruit, soft aromas, and tastes of balsamic and aromatic plants. This is a wine with an authentic Mediterranean character.

Fresh and forceful wine from Alicante, typical of the Mediterranean style, results from experienced Rioja winemakers with a great spirit of creating new wines, as awarded as those of the parent company. The fruity sweetness of this Sequé and the balsamic nuances show the best properties of a Monastrell, giving it power and warmth.

Club del Vino Members’ Ratings

 The wines evaluations will be published after the meeting
Best Rated Wine  & Best Buy

References

1. https://winefolly.com/wine-regions/spain/
2. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/mourvedre-wine/
3. https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/map-of-spain-wine-regions/
4. https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/whats-new/features/feature-detail/mallorca-native-wine-grapes.html
5. https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/wine/features/feature-detail/alicante-wines-monastrell.html
6. https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/wine/features/feature-detail/monastrell-grape-spain.html
7. https://www.foodswinesfromspain.com/spanishfoodwine/global/whats-new/features/feature-detail/mallorca-native-wine-grapes.html
8. https://winetourismspain.com/wine-regions/
9. https://daily.sevenfifty.com/an-in-depth-guide-to-the-wines-of-valencia/
10. https://www.palatepress.com/2015/06/mallorca-the-galapagos-of-grapes/
11. https://glossary.wein.plus/prensal
12. https://www.wine-searcher.com/regions-spain

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Juan Luis Colaiacovo enviou-me este curtissimo video. Acho que vale a pena ver. O que você acha? É uma pena que não saibamos quem é o autor.

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Tasting N^o 237 – February 1^st, 2022 – Wines from Galicia, Spain

                                                   Capri Ristorante, McLean VA

Tasting Overview

The objective of this tasting is to explore the wines from Galicia, one of the wine regions in Spain. The Galician wine region is situated in the northwest corner of Spain, bordering with the north of Portugal.

There are 5 ‘Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas’ or DOP: Monterrei, Ribeira Sacra, Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, and Valdeorras, with the most well-known being DOP Rías Baixas, famous for its white wines produced from the Albariño grape varietal. We will taste two white and two red wines from the two main DOP in Galicia: Rias Baixas and Ribeira Sacra.

Type of tasting: Open

Presenters: John Brooks, with Ginger Smart and Ruth Connolly

Wines

1. 2020 Atalier by Raul Perez Albariño,
2. 2018 Do Ferreiro Cephas Velhas Albariño
3. 2020 Guimaro Vino Tinto
4. 2017 Dominio do Bibei Lalama

 Menu

1. Sautéed Calamari with a light sauce
2. Prawns sautéed in a garlic herb oil over a small amount of pasta
3. Roasted lamb accented with black peppercorns with roasted potatoes
4. Dessert

Participants

Ruth Connolly, Clara Estrada, Michelle Fryer, Jorge Garcia-Garcia, Agilson Perazza, Claudia Perazza, John Redwood, Lucia Redwood, Jairo Sanchez, Ricardo Santiago, Ginger Smart, Gabriela Vega (invited guest)

Wines Information

The Albariños from Rias Baixas

The two whites are 100% Albariño grapes from the Rias Baixas DOP. Rias Baixas is an ancient wine region on the coast—in fact the name itself translates to estuary.  Originally, a relatively wide variety of grapes were planted in the region (a dozen). But, over time, most have been pulled up and replaced by Albariño—which now makes up over 90% of production in the DOP. Albariño is native to Galicia and its wines are crisp but often well-textured with peach, citrus and mineral characters that pair perfectly with the local seafood.

2020 Raúl Pérez Atalier ‘a cruz das ánimas’, Rías Baixas Albariño

The Wine

The Atalier is a joint endeavor between Raul Perez – the famous rock star winemaker in northwestern Spain – and his longtime friend, Rodri Méndez of Rias Baixas DOP. The wine comes from the Val do Salnés sub-region within the DOP, where Albariño has always been the principal grape. The sub-region’s sandy soils mean that vines there were resistant to the Phylloxera that ravaged most of Europe’s vineyards in the late 19th century. The result is that there are some very old vines in Val do Salnés. In any given vintage, Atelier comes from either two or three of such vineyards (one managed by Rodri and the others managed by his friends).

The 2020 vintage comes in at 13.0% abv and offers explosive aromatics with stone fruit flavors, hints of salinity and sea breeze, plus savory notes—all on a solid acidic frame.  The 2020 was rated 94 points by Decanter—England’s leading wine publication.  The wine was procured locally at Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean.

The Winery

Rodri Méndez is the proprietor of the Forjas del Solnés estate.  The name Forjas, or “Forge,” was chosen to honor his grandfather, one of the pioneers of the Albariño varietal. His venture partner, Raul Perez, takes several slightly different approaches to his winemaking with Albariño than most.  First, he picks later than perhaps any other winemakers in the region.  Most pick as soon as the sugars rise, to maximize freshness.  But because the wines have strong malic acids, the wines are put through full or partial malolactic fermentation (known colloquially as ML).  Perez approach is instead to wait to harvest when malic acid levels begin to drop.  Then, the ML is blocked during fermentation.  Some might worry that such an approach could lead to overripe grapes and high alcohol wines (because of high sugars).  Nonetheless, his Albariño wines have run 12.8 to 13.0% abv and maintain freshness (abv = alcohol by volume).

Also, most winemakers age their Albariño wines in stainless steel tanks, again to preserve freshness.  However, Perez ages his Albariño in barrel, because he believes that the wines have sufficient freshness and that the micro-oxygenation from barrel aging helps produce a rounder, more complex wine.

2018 Bodegas Gerardo Méndez, Albariño Do Ferreiro ‘Cepas Vellas’

The wine

During many vintages—perhaps most—the grapes from this very old vineyard are processed with grapes from their other old vineyards in their primary wine released as Do Ferreiro Albariño.  But in exceptional vintages, those grapes are processed and bottled separately—a very limited production known as Albariño Do Ferreiro ‘Cepas Vellas’ (Old Vines).  The wines are exceptional.

The 2018 is considered one of the greatest ‘Cepas Vellas’ vintages of ever.  It rings in at a slightly higher abv than the Atelier (13.5 v. 13.0).  Again, the nose is explosive.  On the palate, one critic said the wine feels “electric”—with amazing depth and complexity and racy acidity.  Flavors include meyer lemon, nectarine and other orchard fruits plus waves of savory and mineral notes.  The 2017 was rated 96 points by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.  Our wine was sourced from New York.  The regular Do Ferreiro bottling is available at MacArthur Beverages in DC, but they do not currently have Cepas Vellas).

The winery

Rodri’s grandfather used the name Do Ferreiro for his own winery, now run by his uncle Gerardo Méndez. Do Ferreiro is generally considered the world’s best Albariño producer.  While Atalier does indeed source from pre-phylloxera vineyards, which may be approaching 200 years old, Do Ferreiro owns a ~3-acre vineyard believed to be planted in ~1785— which may well be the world’s oldest vines.  Old, well cared for vines can produce intense, complex wines—though in very limited quantities (production output is small because the energy of the vines is concentrated in a tiny number of grapes).

Do Ferreiro is very much a family operation, with most of the work done by Gerardo, his daughter Encarna, and son, Manuel. The winery is co-located with their home on a lovely slope overlooking the coast.  Unlike Perez, Méndez picks in the normal window, employs partial ML and ages in stainless steel, the more mainstream approach. That aging does include extended time on the lees (or dead yeast cells) for added complexity.  Méndez counts on great grapes and clean winemaking techniques to make his wines stand out.

 The reds of Ribeira Sacra

The two reds are either 100% or 90% Mencia varietal from Ribeira Sacra DOP, which is located about 100 km inland.  The area is better known for its red wines than whites, though both are produced. The most prominent are the dry red wines, mostly using the Mencia grape native to northwest Spain. It produces a medium-weight wine with solid fruit and acidity and medium tannins—perhaps closest to pinot noir among the more familiar grapes.

2020 Guímaro Mencia Vino Tinto, Ribeira Sacra

The Wine

The 2020 Guímaro Vino Tinto is 100% Mencia from Ribeira Sacra DOC. The grapes all come from family-owned vineyards terraced into 50-to-70-degree slopes.  It has intense aromas of red and dark fruit with notes of florals, herbs and balsamic and good acidity and silky tannins.  It was aged in stainless steel to emphasize the freshness and fruit.  Alcohol is moderate at 13.5%.  It was rated 91 points.  Sourced from Chain Bridge Cellars in McLean and also available at shops in DC.

The winery

The family of the Guímaro owner Pedro Rodriguez has been farming in the hills of Ribeira Sacra for many generations—crops and livestock as well as vines.  Most of the wine production was sold off in quantity, though a small amount was bottled and sold locally.  As the estate bottling grew more prominent and needed a name, it was called Guímaro, or “Rebel”, a nickname of Pedro’s grandfather.  In the early 2000s, Pedro was introduced to Raul Perez who helped him see the potential in his old vine vineyards—particularly the Mencia. Perez mentored him on techniques both in the vineyard and in the winery to improve quality, from reducing yields in over-cropped vineyards and eliminating chemical treatments to pigeage (traditional foot-treading), fermentation with native yeasts, minimizing sulfur treatments and the use of neutral barrels.  The result has been expressive, age-worthy wines. While his winery may be an emerging star, it is still very much a family operation with Pedro doing much of the work himself.

2017 Dominio do Bibei ‘Lalama’, Ribeira Sacra

The Wine

The 2017 Dominio do Bibei Lalama is 90% Mencia with 7% Brancellao and traces of Garnacha and Mouraton.  It was aged for 12 months in oak barrels of different sizes—primarily neutral, though it tastes like there’s a bit of new.  The 2017 rings in at 14.0% abv so it may seem a tad fuller than the Guímaro.  The 2017 was an excellent vintage for Lalama—in fact Decanter magazine selected it as one of their Wines of the Year for 2021.  Aromas jump from the glass, with red and black fruit, herbs and peppery elements.  The fruits show again on the palate, with savory notes that emerge on the long finish.  Decanter scored it 94 points.

The Winery

Dominio do Bibei is a project founded high in the hills of Ribeira Sacra in 2000 by a team headed by Javier Dominguez, incorporating vines that are up to 100 years old.  Dominguez also gets expert advice from Raul Perez. In the beginning, Dominguez was also aided by Sara Perez (no relation to Raul) and René Barbier—who lead legendary wineries in Priorat.  Unlike our other three Galician wineries, which are relatively small and largely family operations, Bibei is a little larger and relatively well-funded.  The estate consists of approximately 125 acres, of which about 45 are planted to vines.

The winery, which sits at the top of the steeply sloping vineyard, is stunning in its simplicity.  It’s a five-level gravity flow facility built into the side of the hill—to minimize disruption of the magnificent vistas.  That same respect for nature and history causes Dominguez to employ traditional methods of winemaking—for example, you won’t find any stainless-steel tanks here. Dominio do Bibei produces a white, made from Godello, and a variety of reds, made primarily from Mencia with dashs of other grapes.  They are also experimenting with Albariño, using cuttings from the vines at Do Ferreiro, with small amounts of it blended into their Godello.

Technical Notes

Galicia is in the far northwestern corner of Spain and the Iberian Peninsula.  It is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on the west and north (technically the Cantabrian Sea to the north, which opens to the Atlantic), Portugal to the south and Asturias, Castile and León to the east.

Galicia’s rich history includes periods in which it was part of the Roman Empire, the Visigoth reign, the Islamic Caliphate and the Kingdoms of Asturias, León and—for a considerable period—Castile.  It has at times, been independent and, at other times, autonomous.  At the end of the Franco dictatorship, it again became an autonomous self-governing community within Spain, with its own president and parliament.

Galicia is a dual-language community, with both Spanish and Galician recognized.  Galician is a romance-based language perhaps closer to Portuguese than Spanish…suggesting at least some historical cultural alignment with the Portuguese.

During the 14^th century, Galicia exported vine cuttings to other European wineries eager to try out their indigenous grapes. When the 19th century arrived, the whole Galician region sank into an economic depression, further deteriorated by the emigration of many local people to South America and other richer areas within Spain and Europe.

The climate in Galicia is significantly maritime influenced, with wet weather in the fall, winter and spring and temperatures moderated by the ocean.  Summers are generally warm and dry.  But as you move toward eastern Galicia, the climate begins to shift from maritime to continental, with bigger temperature swings and somewhat drier weather (though definitely not dry).  The coastal region is relatively flat, dominated by estuaries and beaches.  The interior is rugged, with mountains and breath-taking river valleys.

Rias Baixas DOP: like in many wine regions all over Europe, it is believed that vineyards have been first planted there by the Cistercian monks—close to 1000 years ago.  For all intents and purposes, Rias Baixas has become synonymous with Albariño. As the grape began to achieve acclaim about 50 years ago, most Albariño vines in the broader Rias Baixas DOP are ~35-50 years old.

Ampelographers have not reached consensus on the origin of the Albariño grape.  Some suggest it is indigenous to the region.  Some believe it is French in origin.  Still others suggest it might be Germanic. Indeed, looking at the name, it could be broken down into “alba” = white and “rin” = Rhine.  But whatever the roots, it produces a juicy, fresh white wine with both strong fruit flavors and solid acidity.

Rias Baixas is a maritime-dominated climate with both significant off-season rain and sea fog.  Grape production is made possible by the relatively dry, warm summers which generally last through harvest (the same phenomenon that makes places like Oregon and Bordeaux viable for wine).  Because of the moisture, the vines have traditionally been trained overhead on pergolas as opposed to the more common two- and three-wire trellis training above the ground.  Some growers continue to use pergolas today.

There are five sub-zones in the Rias Baixas DOP, but they’re relatively obscure and not particularly relevant to us. The Val do Salnés sub-zone is the ancestral home of Albariño in the region and the source of both our white wines for this event.

In contrast, the Ribeira Sacra DOP is located in a very different topography, beginning perhaps ~100 km inland.  The area is heavily forested and mountainous, with steep slopes leading down to narrow river valleys—perhaps reminiscent of the Mosel Valley in Germany (but maybe even more lovely!).

Just as the topography is different, so is the climate, trending more toward continental, with long, hot summers and relatively cold winters.  Rainfall is a little higher than most continental climates—but again, the rainfall is largely confined to winter.

The origin of wine in the region is believed to date back ~1000 years to monks traveling to the region, likely on pilgrimage.  By the 12^th century, they had established around 18 monasteries and hermitages in the area – thus the name Ribeira Sacra (Sacred Shore or Riverside).

Technically, 14 varieties are authorized to be produced in Ribeira Sacra.  The primary white grape in the region is Godello, which has not reached the level of prominence of Albariño from western Galicia.

Among the red wine grapes, Mencia takes the primary role, sometimes as varietal, sometimes blended with more obscure grapes. The variety thrives in this climate, benefiting from the long ripening season and the marked temperature variability. The Mencia grape, with its somewhat thick-skinned, violet-blue grapes, for a time was thought to be descended from Cabernet Franc, but that has been disproven through modern DNA testing.  It was probably indigenous to Bierzo (northwest Castilla y Leon) and exported to Ribeira Sacra and Valdeorras and to northern Portugal (where it is known as Jaen). Those are the only places in the world where it is grown in quantity.  Mencia likely emigrated across the border with the monks from the Bierzo region.  It produces a medium-weight wine with solid fruit and acidity and medium tannins—perhaps closest to Pinot Noir among the more familiar grapes.

Because of Ribeira Sacra’s extraordinarily steep slopes, the vines are virtually all planted on terraces cut into the hillsides, with most trained on standard trellis systems.

Historically, farmers aimed to maximize vineyard production, resulting in wines that were fragrant but generally pale and light.  In recent years, the renaissance—led by Perez—has reduced over-production, resulting in wines with medium weight, solid dark fruit flavors, spicy, earthy notes and good acidity.  Guímaro’s owner Pedro Rodriguez is capitalizing on that movement—combining his old vines with good winemaking.

The Presenter

John Brooks is a retired Air Force major general.  During his 29-year Air Force career, he had the honor to command seven times—at levels ranging from a flying squadron to a joint task force.  Once retired from the Air Force, he spent 12 years with Northrop Grumman Aerospace, serving as vice president for international and president of the international subsidiary.

Following retirement from Northrop, he followed his passion into wine becoming a wine educator and consultant.  He studied with the Wine & Spirits Education Trust, achieving Advanced Certification—awarded with Distinction.  He also gained hands-on experience, working one harvest cycle and part of another as an intern at a winery in Napa.  He teaches classes, leads several tasting groups and plans and leads trips to wine regions.  But he only does these things with friends and people he likes—and only on subjects and regions that interest him.  In return for the privilege of doing it his way, he provides his services gratis—declining compensation.  This is a passion, not a profession, for him.

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Tasting N^o 236 – December 13, 2021 – 12 pm

Wines from Douro Valley

                                              Capri Ristorante, McLean VA

#236 Tasting  Overview

The objective of this tasting is to expand the knowledge about typical wines from several sub regions along the transnational Douro Valley, which have different eco-climatic characteristics and use different local grapes: We will taste one white blend and three reds (two varietals – Touriga Nacional and Tempranillo – and a blend made with the same two varietals and others). In addition we will taste a Port Wine.

Presenters: Lúcia and John Redwood

Participants: M. Averbug, R. Connolly, C. Estrada, M. Fryer, J. Garcia, I. Mirkov, A. Perazza, C. Perazza, J. Redwood, L. Redwood, J. Requena, R. Santiago, G. Smart.

Wines: 

1. Casal Garcia Vinho Verde (White), 9.5% Alcohol
2. 2017 Quinta das Carvalhas – Touriga Nactional, 14% alcohol
3. 2017 Meandro,  Vale Meão, 14% Alcohol
4. 2015 Quintana de Cue, Tempranillo,  14% Alcohol
5. Quinta das Carvalhas 10 Year Tawny Port

Menu 

• Caldo Verde (Portuguese green soup)
• Cod Salad (Portuguese style)
• Cheese and spinach agnolotti with tomato sauce
• Beef Medallions with mushrooms and rosemary sauce
• Dessert

Our Wines

1. Casal Garcia Vinho Verde (White) – 9.5% Alcohol

From the label: Casal Garcia (literally “Garcia Couple”) was first launched in 1939 by Roberto Guedes (1899-1966), father and grandfather of the generations who presently run the winery. The Japanese postal service created a special edition of the stamp with the Casal Garcia label. The first winemaker who produced Casal Garcia was Eugene Helisse, a French winemaker who introduced innovative winemaking techniques to the Vinho Verde Region.

The winery is located in Penafiel municipality. The town with the same name is 41 km to the east Porto and has its own station on the Douro Railway line.

Grapes (Local): Trajadura, Loureiro, Arinto, and Azal (proportions unknown)

• Trajadura is a golden-green grape, commonly combined with Loureiro, Alvarinho, and Arinto. It adds body and alcohol to these wines as well as crisp citrus characters with some stonefruit and apple. It is a vigorous variety that produces compact bunches of grapes (see image below), which must be picked quite early to retain their delicate acidity.

The Atlantic coast is a challenging terroir for growers, particularly in the northwest corner of the Iberian Peninsula. The climate is cool and wet which can often result in high levels of acidity and low levels of alcohol in the grapes that grow there. Trajadura’s main attraction for growers is its fairly low acidity and high levels of alcohol, which help to provide balance to some of the region’s blended wines. 

• Loureiro is a light-skinned variety grown mainly in the north of Portugal used mainly to make Vinho Verde. The name “Loureiro” means “laurel” and refers to the distinctive odor of the berries. Genetic studies suggest that this is an old grape variety and documentary references can be found dating back to the late 18^th Loureiro wines also have aromas of orange and acacia blossom, have excellent acidity and are low in alcohol.
• Arinto is a white grape variety grown in the hot wine regions surrounding Lisbon and on the central coast of Portugal with high acid content which covers the citrus fruit spectrum, led primarily by lemon and grapefruit.
• Azal (Branco) is a green-skinned wine grape variety found predominantly in the Minho region in northwest Portugal, where it is the second most planted grape after Loureiro. It is a high yielding variety that produces medium-sized compact bunches of big berries. It is high in acidity and the crispness of Vinho Verde is often attributed to it.

Soils: granitic and sandy.

Present in more than 70 countries, Casal Grande is today reportedly the world’s best-selling Vinho Verde. The brand has now diversified its portfolio according to market trends and today has a range of wines, sparklings, sangrias. Its motto is “Discover Happiness, Discover Casal Garcia!”

According to James Suckling (European Bureau Chief of Wine Spectator), this wine is a “very typical vinho verde with the green-wine character of tangy and energetic acidity and lots of citrus.” It has a “light-bodied, elegant style with a citrus, lemon taste. Also described as “young and refreshing” and given 90 points by Suckling in December 2020.

2. 2017  Quinta das Carvalhas – Touriga Nactional – 14% alcohol

100%  Touriga Nacional; 12 months in oak barrels. Described as medium bodied and as: “a classic Portuguese varietal makes this wine both rustic and pronounced. Offering aromas of blackberry, coffee, cinnamon, and vanilla, the palate quickly follows with similar flavors, and the addition of fresh blueberry.”

Touriga Nacional is indigenous to Portugal and grows predominantly in the Douro region where it is used as a primary blending grape in Port wines. While the wine is lovely as a dessert wine, it has repeatedly impressed critics as a dry red wine. It is a full-bodied red wine from Portugal with aging potential like Cabernet Sauvignon. According to one description: “For those who love bold red wines, Touriga Nacional offers profound depth of flavor at an obscenely good value.”

It has also been described as: “a variety of red wine grape, considered by many to be Portugal‘s finest. Despite the low yields from its small grapes, it plays a big part in the blends used for ports, and is increasingly being used for table wine in the Douro and Dão. Touriga Nacional provides structure and body to wine, with high tannins and concentrated flavors of black fruit.” It is a dark-skinned grape variety (see image below) which has firm tannins and great aging potential.

When made into a dry wine, Touriga Nacional is resilient to oak aging and takes it very well, offering up aromas of toasted marshmallow, vanilla, and nutmeg. It’s not uncommon to find Touriga Nacional blended with other grapes (like Touriga Franca and Tempranillo) which can help balance the boldness of the wine with cinnamon spice and red-fruit flavors.

Quinta das Carvalhas is considered one of the most emblematic and spectacular properties in the Douro Valley. Written references to this vineyard can be traced back to 1759. It enjoys a prominent position along 3 kilometers of the left bank of the Douro, facing the village of Pinhão in the Cima-Corgo subregion (see the map of the Douro subpregions in the document bellow), the estate covers the entire hillside facing the river and occupies part of the right bank of the tributary Torto river.

Its old vines are a post-phylloxera plantation, which are more than a century old and represent one of the richest selections of ancient indigenous Douro varieties.

The Quinta dates to the beginning of the 18^th century as property of the influential Castro and Sande family from São João da Pesqueira. In the following years, Carvalhas sees an exchange of proprietorship up until 1881 when it is bought by Miguel de Sousa Guedes. As one of the most important Port Bottlers of his time, Sousa Guedes began a rescue program to replant the vineyards and reinstate the Quinta’s reputation after the phylloxera ravages devastated the estate. In 1953, Manuel da Silva Reis acquired Miguel de Sousa Guedes & Irmão Ltda., becoming the owner of Quinta das Carvalhas, one of the largest estates of the Douro and Real Companhia Velha’s most important property.

Quinta das Carvalhas is characterized by very particular edaphoclimatic conditions. Its vines are located at various altitudes, extending from the riverbank to the top of the slope. The largest vine exposure faces a northern sun exposure, but another part of the vineyard on the other side of the hill faces a southern exposure. Most of the parcels are planted in areas of steep inclination at the top of the hill.

The company’s best Ports are made from the oldest and most noble vines at the Quinta. Its potential for great wine production was highly increased in the 1990s with the traceability of all parcels. Following this process, some areas of the vineyard were intended for production of top-quality Douro wines. The vineyard stands out in the landscape for its characteristics of mountain viticulture, as it is planted in terraces, or modern micro-terraces, at 40% to 70% slopes and varying from 80 to 500 meters in altitude over a total area of 134.5 hectares, of which Touriga Nacional occupies the largest single share, 25.2 ha, or 18.7% of the total.

Soils are characterized for their medium texture, a reasonable number of fine elements (limo), low/medium fertility levels, low levels of organic matter (inferior to 1%) and acidic reaction. Despite these shortages, the soil is ideal for the culture of the vine as it cohabits well under these conditions, producing high quality grapes with great oenological potential.

3.  2017 Meandro  Vale Meão – 14% Alcohol

According to the label, “produced and bottled at Vale Meão, a famous estate contoured by a vast meander of the Douro River from a blend composed of Touriga Nacional (45%), Touriga Franca (33%), Tinta Roriz (15%), Tinta Barroca (5%), and Alicante Bouschet (2%).

Wine Advocate — 92 points – “big flavor and expressive fruit, this also has a fresh feel, reasonable concentration, and a beautiful, long finish. It adds admirable mid-palate finesse too…It looks like a super Meandro, one of the best and a fine bargain.”  Intense, Red Fruit, Black Fruit, Full-bodied.

Wine Enthusiast – 92 points – “the second wine of the great Vale Meão estate in the Douro Superior, this is impressive in itself. A Lifted violet note permeates the rich berry fruit. It is a rich, concentrated wine that should age further.”

Wine Spectator – 90 points – “this wine shows good finesse and density to the boysenberry and ripe currant notes, detailed with savory spice, licorice, and violet accents. Red plum and mocha hints chime in on the velvety finish.”

The Grapes:

• Touriga Nacional – see above
• Touriga Franca (or Touriga Francesa) is an important dark-skinned grape (see image below) variety used in the production of Portand dry red wines from Portugal’s Douro wine region. Even though it is much more widely planted than Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca is the less prestigious of the two grapes. Touriga Franca is more aromatic and lighter bodied than Touriga Nacional, though lacking sufficient intensity and concentration to make it a blockbuster variety as a varietal. Occasionally, Touriga Franca is produced as a fortified Its origins are unclear and its name misleading, for Touriga Franca is not a French grape. It seems most likely that Touriga Franca is either a mutation, or a crossing of Touriga Nacional and an unknown parent, possibly Mourisco Tinto (Marufo). Either way, Touriga Franca’s plentiful yields have made it a favored and integral component of Douro wines.
• Tinta Roriz is the Portuguese name for Tempranillo (see below), together with Touriga Nacional and Touriga Franca, accounts for the majority of red wine grapes grown in the Douro vineyards, as they are among the four most valued ingredients in Port wines. But the modern face of Portuguese wine is looking away from the fortified winestyle with which the nation has been so strongly associated, so these grapes are being used increasingly in dry, red table wines.
• Tinta Barroca is one of the most common red-wine varieties in the Douro Valleyof northern Portugal. It is used most often to make Port, an application to which it is particularly well suited, as the grapes’ naturally high sugar levels (and correspondingly high potential alcohol) make them extremely useful for fortified wine production. Thanks to its generous yields, Tinta Barroca is extremely popular with growers; it is the third most widely planted variety in the Douro. It holds markedly less sway with winemakers, who prefer the quality of Touriga Franca and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), the valley’s most and second-most widely planted varieties.
• Alicante Bouschet is a teinturiergrape variety (see image below) widely planted in Spain, Portugal, and France. It has a long history in the wine world but lost ground in the late 20th Century in favor of more fashionable international varieties. However, it is enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with modern producers making some excellent examples at attractive prices. The variety is a crossing of Petit Bouschet and Grenache, and was first cultivated by viticulturalist Henri Bouschet in 1866. Originally designed as a blending grape to improve the depth of color of such popular 19th Century grapes as Aramon, Alicante Bouschet quickly became popular, not just for its intense coloring but for its generous yields. With its high-yielding, easy-to-grow vines, Alicante Bouschet was used to help rebuild devastated European wine industries following the phylloxera In a blend, Alicante Bouschet contributes soft texture and desirable color. However, its ability to ripen and produce large crops very early in the season can come at the expense of depth and alcoholic strength.

Quinta do Vale Meão was founded in 1877 by the legendary Dona Antònia Adelaide Ferreira and is owned today by her great-great-grandson Francisco “Xito” Olazabal. Vale Meão built its reputation supplying fruit to the famed 250-year-old Port house Ferreira. In 1952, its vineyards were chosen to create a revolutionary wine, which for decades would be the Douro’s only globally recognized table wine.

Vale Meão began a new life in 1998 when Xito realized his dream of making his own wine from his family’s estate. Success came quickly, and in 2011, Portugal’s leading wine publication Revista de Vinhos named Xito Winemaker of the Year. Today Xito is recognized as a leading figure in the Douro table wine revolution, which has captured the attention of the wine world.

Located at Vila Nova de Foz Côa, the estate consists of a sizeable 62 hectares of vines, with three different soil types: slate, granite, and alluvial gravel. These different terroirs are important for the final wine: for example, the Touriga from granite tastes almost like Dão, whereas from schist it is much richer and fuller. The different varieties are planted in blocks, with overall proportions being Touriga Nacional 35%, Tinta Roriz 30%, Touriga Francesa 15%, Tinta Amarela 10%, Tinta Barroca 5% and Tinto Cão 5%.

4. 2015  Quintana de Cue – Ribera del Duero – aged in French oak barrels for 24 months – 14% Alcohol – 100 % Tempranillo

The backbone of some of the best Spanish wines, Tempranillo is a red grape variety grown throughout Spain and Portugal. Tempranillo produces red wines with red fruit and leather aromas, high tannins, moderate to low acidity, and moderate alcohol. In 2020, Tempranillo was the third most-planted grape variety in the world, with the majority of plantings being in the Iberian peninsula.

Tempranillo is a relatively thick-skinned red grape with a high anthocyanin count that makes for deep-colored red wines with moderate tannins. While the variety is often accused of lacking its own idiosyncratic flavor profile, Tempranillo wines can produce a wide range of aromas, ranging from strawberries, blackcurrants, and cherries to prunes, chocolate, leather and tobacco depending on vineyard age and mesoclimate. Moderate to full-bodied, Tempranillo generally shows moderate tannins with moderate to low acidity.

Temperate climates (or those with good diurnal temperature shift) such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero produce long-lived, structured, often elegant wines. In warmer climates, the variety can take on a darker fruit aspect with high alcohol, high tannins, and low acidity. Oak and Tempranillo marry well together. American oak is the traditional choice of winemakers in Rioja, and Tempranillo’s flavor profile integrates well with the vanilla and coconut notes imparted by new American oak barrels. Further west in Ribera del Duero, the fashion is to use higher proportions of French and used-oak barrels to allow Tempranillo’s fruit to shine with a focus on more spiced oak flavors. However, with time, the two styles have been gradually consolidating and the consumer can now find complex wines made with an oak regime combining all these options.

Our wine, according to Total Wine – “aromas of black, ripe fruit with hints of spice offer complexity. Black fruit and ripe tannins linger on the palate with a long finish.” Also described as “red, rich, intense.”

This wine was produced by the Bodega Valdrinal located in Aldehorno in Segovia province, where it has 25 ha of vineyards and, according to the winery “a continental Mediterranean climate characterized by soft and dry summers and cold winters with a huge thermal amplitude during the seasons” and where “rainfall normally takes place at the end of autumn and during winter and spring.” It also states that “our vineyards from Aldehorno…are located in an altitude between 910 and 1050 meters, which make them among the highest vineyards of the A.O. Ribera del Duero,” noting that “this altitude gives our wines a highest acidity produced by the thermal amplitude (difference between the highest and lowest temperature) that is used to be registered. Furthermore, the cluster ripening is slower and more progressive than in lower altitudes.”

It also observes that “we have different kinds of soils. Limestone with gravel surface: it provides a good alcoholic content, low acidity, and an excellent quality to our wines. Clay soil: it has a better nutrient and water retentive capacity. It gives more structure and elegance to our wines because the grapes’ growth cycles are longer and a higher content of polyphenols during the ripening is reached.” Lastly, it affirms that “the origin of the quality of our wines lies in the care given to our vineyards during the whole year. The best grapes are selected by crop thinning (or “premature harvest”) followed by a “fine harvest.” Once this finishes, the elaboration of the wines in made in temperature-controlled vats in which we do pre-fermentation macerations for 4/6 days. The wines are then aged in French oak barrels. The barrel room has 500 barrels that are renovated every three years.

5. Quinta das Carvalhas 10 Yr Tawny Port

Over a hundred varieties of grapes are sanctioned for port production, although only five (Tinta Barroca, Tinto Cão, Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), Touriga Francesa, and Touriga Nacional) are widely cultivated and used. Touriga Nacional is widely considered the most desirable port grape but the difficulty in growing it and the small yields cause Touriga Francesa to be the most widely planted grape. All Ports commercially available are from a blend of different grapes.

Tawny ports are wines usually made from red grapes that are aged in wooden barrels exposing them to gradual oxidation and evaporation. As a result of this oxidation, they mellow to a golden-brown color. The exposure to oxygen imparts “nutty” flavors to the wine, which is blended to match the house style.

Wine Spectator- Porto, Douro, Portugal – “”Sports a toasty edge, with hazelnut and singed almond notes, while the core of plum cake and cinnamon holds steady through the finish…”” The winery played an integral role in the growth and history of the Port industry, helping regulate and promote trade. Also described as Medium bodied, semi-sweet with a caramel-toffee taste. “Medium in acidity with grippy, medium-plus tannin.” According to the winery, its Ports are aged in oak barrels. It also produces Ruby Ports and 20, 30, and 40 year Tawny Ports at prices around US$ 50, US$ 100, and US$ 150/bottle, respectively.

A complete presentation on the Douro Valey wine productions characteristics is available here as prepared  by John and Lúcia Redwood    2021 12 06 Douro Valley

Tasting Summary Grades of the wines of this event:

Printer friendly version of the table above:

236 TASTING SUMMARY- DOURO WINES

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Does the punishment fit the crime? 

Programa de Degustaciones de 2022

Criterios generales

1. El Programa de Degustaciones de 2022 se enfoca en regiones específicas de un país para enfatizar los vinos, varietales o estilos más característicos de la región seleccionada. Este proceso permitirá un mejor conocimiento de los vinos de esa región y de sus varietales, estilos y mezclas asociados.
2. Los vinos deberían estar preferentemente disponibles en el área de Washington.
3. Las regiones o DOC consideradas serían distintas a las presentadas en los programas de 2019, 2020 y 2021.
4. La calificación de los vinos debería ser de 90 o más puntos según críticos reconocidos o de un promedio de varias calificaciones.
5. El costo total de un juego de cuatro vinos a degustar debe ser de un máximo de $240 dólares.
6. Los presentadores deberán indicar la fecha de la degustación y la región seleccionada antes de noviembre de 2021.
7. Otras actividades, como las visitas a bodegas o durante las presentaciones de cata, se introducirían en el programa a medida que los miembros las propongan.
8. El Programa de degustaciones de 2022 contempla explorar vinos provenientes de un grupo de países con volumen de producción intermedio y un país con alta diversidad de regiones, varietales, estilos, una larga tradición vitivinícola y cercanía cultural con las Américas.
9. El director técnico estará disponible para ayudar a los socios en el proceso de selección de países regiones y vinos.

ANEXO

Este Anexo contiene la información general para ayudar los socios a escoger los países, regiones y DOC que los socios podrían considerar para la selección de sus vinos.
A. España. Un país de alta producción vinícola (3.248,000 litros/año en 2021), se ha seleccionado para profundizar y ampliar el conocimiento de sus regiones en el programa de degustaciones de 2022. Se prevé que tendríamos seis degustaciones de este país durante 2022
1. Regiones de España (en orden de volumen de producción de vino):

Castilla La Mancha
Valencia
Extremadura,
Castilla y León
Cataluña
La Rioja
Aragon
Andalucia
Galicia
Navarra
Pais Vasco
Mallorca
Canarias
Valle del Duero

2. Principales DOC de España
Actualmente, en España existe un total de 96 Denominaciones de Origen Protegidas variadas. Estas se dividen entre diferentes tipos: 67 Denominaciones de Origen (DO); 2 Denominaciones de Origen Calificadas (DOCa); 19 Vinos de Pago (VP); y 8 Vinos de Calidad (VC).

DOP

Supra autónomas 3
Andalucía 8
Aragón 5
Asturias 1
Canarias 11
Cantabria 2
Castilla la Mancha 20
Castilla y León 13
Cataluña 11
Extremadura 1
Galicia 5
Baleares 2
Madrid 1
Murcia 2
Navarra 4
País Vasco 3
C. Valenciana 7
Total 99

B. Otros países. Adicionalmente se han incluido 8 países con un nivel intermedio de producción (250.000 a 750,000 Litros en 2021) para completar las 6 degustaciones restantes del programa de 2022. Estos países son, en orden de producción anual:

Portugal
Rusia
Rumania
Brasil
Hungria
Nueva Zelanda
Grecia
Austria

1. Principales regiones de Portugal: Vinho Verde, Trás-os-Montes, Douro Valley, Távora-Varosa, Beira Interior, Tejo, Alentejo, Algarve, Setúbal, Madeira, Lisboa, Bairrada, Dão.
2. Principales regiones de Hungría: Sopron, Pannonhalma, Etyek-Buda, Matra, Eger, Tokaj, Nagy-Somló, Badacsony, Balatonfüred-Csopak, Balatonboglár, Villány, Szekszárd.
3. Principales regiones de Grecia: Macedonia, (Epirus, Macedonia, Thrace), Central Greece (Attica Thessaly), Southern Greece (Crete Peloponesse, Kefalonia), Aegean Islands (Samos,Santorini, Limnos) .
4. Principales regiones de Austria: Niederosterreich, (lower Austria), Burgenland, Esteiermark, Wien (Viena.)
5. Principales regiones de Rusia: Krasnodar, Dagestan, Stavropol, Rostov, (Crimea?)
6. Principales Regiones de Rumania: Crisana and Muramures, Transyvania, Moldovan Hills, Banat, Dobrogea, Danube Terraces, Oltenia, Multenia.
7. Principales regiones de Brasil: High Sierra Gaucha, Campanha, Vale dos Vinhedos, São Joaquim Plateau, Campos de Cima da Terra, San Francisco Valley.
8. Principales Regiones de Nueva Zelanda: Malborough, Hawke’s Bay, Gisborne, Canterbury Waipara, Central Otago, Wairarapa, Aukland, Nelson.

Referencias:
Wikipedia.com, Winesearcher.com, Winefolly.com, Wine.com, Totalwine.com, McArthur Beverages, Calvertwoodley.com
Wine Folly, The Master Guide, Madeline Puckette
Oxford Companion to Wine, Jancis Robinson Fourth Edition
Wine Bible, Karen McNeil 2nd Edition

First Draft of the 2022 Tasting Program of the Club del Vino:

Club del Vino Tasting Program Calendar for 2022 (first draft) 

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