This, our last tasting before the long summer break (back on 2nd October), was a different tasting in several ways. First, Bodegas Almanseñas, as the name suggests, is in DO Almansa just over the Alicante border (readers will be familiar with the Battle of Almansa of 1707 - the tricentennial was earlier this year - which had such severe consequences for Valencia). Second, rather than the boffin winemakers we often get, we had what looked like an indie rock band in front of us, plus suave manager. This turned out to be general manager Daniel Vega, accompanied by a team of Tarragona-based young winemakers. The project was outlined as an undertaking to re-establish fine winemaking in a region that had lost this tradition, through a combination of phylloxera and bulk selling. Alongside this, there was a commitment to the local grapes par excellence, Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera. Both of these are also grown in the Comunidad Valenciana, but Tintorera in particular is associated with this area, though many hectares were torn up, either for different crops or more productive vines (as tends to happen when grapes are bought by the kilo). This new bodega, their wines only came on to the shelves sin 2004, produces three red wines, all crianzas. Pep Aguilar, with a touch of the lead guitarist about him, spoke to us about their commitment to "tierra, clima, variedad, y lo que hace el hombre en el campo" as teh basis for their wines. Given the intensely hot climate of this area, and the tendency to oxidization of the grapes, there is great emphasis on maintaining fruit and freshness: maceration on lees, temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks, batonnage, and the like. The first wine tasted, La Huella de Adaras 2005 (2004 was the first vintage) represents their most concerted attempt to achieve freshness and fruit (un vino más joven, con fruta y nervio", in Pep's words), with a 40% Monastrell, 40% Tintorera and 20% Shiraz blend. Although this is a crianza, in that it is aged before bottling, it has no contact with wood, rather being aged in stainless steel and cement containers. This, combined with the characteristic acidity of the Tintorera, allows for a highly appealing combination of substance and freshness. All the wines are quite high in alcohol at 14%, but have an invigorating sharpness to go with the volume in the mouth. For me this wine was full of mountain herbs, thyme and oregano, and achieved very much what it aspires to - fruit, freshness and individuality and a prolonged aftertaste, and all for around 7 euros.
It was followed by La Vega de Adaras 2004 (70% Tintorera and 30% Monastrell), which spends some time in cask as well as stainless steel tanks. This was presented by floppy-haired Patri, a candidate for lead singer with the group. This is a more intense wine, chewy and minty ("un vino más serio"). Despite its seriousness ("no son vinos de aperitivo") it echoed the freshness of the Huella de Adaras, and has a lot going for it. Some members of the Club thought that the first two wines were a bit pricey (this one costs around 10 euros), but I think they were well worth it. Apparently 6 Club members gave it a 9 out of 10 on their tasting sheets.
The last wine, Adaras 2004, is 100% Tintorera from old vine stock that was never hit by phylloxera, so really the same vines as the Romans were using (Adaras is the Roman name for Almansa). This was the first time it had been tasted in Valencia (the Surgeon-General's warning on the rear label suggested that much of the limited production - just 3,800 bottles - heads over to canny consumers in the USA). This wine was served slightly cooler, and I didn't get all that much on th enose, but I loved its velvety fullness in the mouth, again with a hint of mint for me, and that good Tintorera acidity. This smoothness derives from eighteen months in cask and a further seven months in bottle. The hitherto silent (no doubt bassist and drummer) members of the winemaking team, told us a bit about the wine and were probably behind the wine's smooth rock steady beat. My friend Ernesto, who thought that the first two were a bit expensive, funnily enough thought that this wine was well worth its 19 euro price tag, if you can find a bottle. This Tarragona-based team of winemakers producers wine in different parts of Spain. I like their wines, such as Priorat's Trio Infernal. You can tell from the name that their first CD can't be far awy. Rock on.
Viña Bárbara from Covibex (29-05-07)
I arrived for this tasting early for once. I normally race over from my Russian class at the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas, but we had our end of year exam on Monday, and on Tuesday 29th May there was no class, just the communication that I'd failed and must resit in May - so embarrassing. Still, my spirits were lifted by Amparo Ferriols and Javier Talavera, winemaker and commercial director of the Covibex cooperative in Chiva. I've walked past this cooperative near Chiva train station, where there's a fine old press outside, and this is not just any old co-op, but a "Cooperativa de Segundo Grado", or a cooperative of cooperatives. It produces several million bottles of wine a year, but has no website as yet, so here are its details. Like so many of the small and large wine producers of the Comunidad Valenciana, they are constantly trying things out. For example, they make a very good Semillon, one of the very few in Spain (possibly the only one, they think). This Viña Bárbara Semillon 2006 costs around 4 euros and you wouldn't think it possible to achieve this kind of freshness in this climate, but the grapes are grown at 900 metres (between Chiva and Siete Aguas) and manage to combine sharpness with body (it is harvested very late in mid-October to achieve that fullness) in a really engaging and refreshing wine. However, Amparo and Javier also brought along an unexpected treat, their Campo de Chiva Barrel-fermented Semillon 2006. This wine is fermented on its lees, too, and is more intensely golden in colour than the previous wine. It is still in development phase and they only produce some 2000 bottles from eight barriques. It didn't go down well with some of the traditionalists in the Club, who compared it unfavourably with the first Semillon, but I thought it had a richness and melony voluptuousness that promise great things. This one sells at nine euros, and I really recommend that you buy both and enjoy the different qualities of both wines.
Funnily enough, the two reds evoked similar responses. The cheaper Viña Bárbara Tinto 2003 (Monastrell-Tempranillo) spends six months in barrel and has just been bottled. Though it is a four year-old wine, it has been resting in steel tanks for most of that time to keep its freshness, and it certainly emerges an intensely brilliant violet colour. Again, a highly enjoyable, characterful red wine which is amazingly good value at four euros. Next up came the Viña Bárbara Reserva 2000 (Cabernet Sauvignon-Tempranillo), which spends 13 or 14 months in cask and a year or more in bottle. It is a grander, more developed wine (which came out as top red in the 2007 Els Bodeguers blind-tasting of Comunidad Valenciana wines, with a more complex nose, but for all its qualities, I felt it suffered next to the vitality and exuberance of the earlier red. Maybe if I tried it with a substantial meal, I'd find it working better with the food, but in a tasting such as this, the young peacock took the admiring glances away from the grand old warhorse. Still, Covibex keep on growing and keep on tweaking their wines to excellent effect. If you see Viña Bárbara on a bottle, you can be confident that you're buying value, quality and personality. I'm going to try the four wines in tandem with other people with food around us and see what they have to say about them.
Viñedos y Bodegas Vera de Estenas (22-05-07)
Viñedos y Bodegas Vera de Estenas (Utiel-Requena) is another Valencian bodega that has its nineteenth-century origins in the export of wine from the port of Valencia. The bodega is directed by the latest generation, and the tasting was presented by managing director and winemaker, Félix Martínez Roda - whose youthful appearance and enthusiam are a fine advert for the virtues of wine in general, and his in particular. I was amazed to see that he is a few years older than me, something that no one would ever suggest if they saw us side by side. For further family history and photos of another of Valencia's great wine chateaux, do visit the bodega's website. Turning to the wines, we first tasted the bodega's Viña Lidón Chardonnay Crianza 2004. This wine is made with unstinting care and every modern refinement from vineyard to bottle - late-harvesting, new barrels, fermenting on lees, batonnage - and it shows. This is a delicious and sophisticated Chardonnay, which Felix is rightly proud of, and well worth its 12 euros or so price tag with all that complexity and wood and intensity of honeyed and lemony aromas - it will go very well with food. He suggests that this is a white wine that benefits from being treated almost like a red wine, not serving it too cold, keeping it for a year or so, if you like. He says that the 2003 is at its peak at the moment, and that this 2004 is still improving. Try both the 2003 and 2004, and see what you think (then try them again in a year's time, if you can wait that long).
The next wine was possibly Spain's only single-varietal Malbec, Casa Don Angel Malbec (Casa Don Angel is the name of the main house and estate, and of the bodega's monovarietal wines). Felix got the Malbec bug while studying in London, where Argentine Malbec has been a big success for a good few years now. This grape is originally from Cahors in France, where it's not particularly highly regarded, but achieves wonderful things in Mendoza in Argentina. Another interesting aspect of this wine is that it combines three different vintages (2002-3-4). 2002 was the first wine made from these vines planted in 1999, so was green, the 2003 was fuller and the 2004 had good structure. The 2002 spent two years in barrel to fill it out, the 2003 a year and a bit, and the 2004 just a few months. The result is a distinctly intriguing wine, very floral (violets) on the nose, with a hint of balsam. The blend of vintages has worked remarkably well, and they are to continue in this vein, next up being a combination of the 2005-6 vintages. As someone born in Argentina, I welcome the presence of this Argentine flagship grape in the Comunidad Valenciana. By the way, since Malbec is not one of the designated varieties of the Utiel-Requena Denominacion de Origen, it is being sold as a Vino de Mesa, but don't let that prevent you forking out 9 euros or so for this wine.
We rounded the tasting off with the Vega de Estenas Reserva 2001. This was the name of the bodega's first fine wine (originally a Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon blend, to which they've gradually incorporated Merlot and Bobal). This blend of four grapes involves a complicated balancing act, as they ripen at different times (first Merlot in early September or so, and finally Bobal in mid-to-late Otober) and are vinified separately to develop the different grapes' properties, before the final blend. This is another rich, complex, toffee-nosed (in the best sense of the word) blend. I've forgotten the price, but I remember thinking it was great value, so I urge you to snap it up when you see it. All in all, this tasting showed us a bodega that is both making classic wines and experimenting and innovating all the time.
Mariano Taberner was fated by his surname to have something to do with alcoholic beverages. However, he has trodden an interesting path on the road to becoming a winemaker. Rather than inheriting vineyards or studying winemaking or agriculture, he started out like the rest of us, as an enthusiast and consumer of wine - indeed as a member of this very Club de Enófilos. Unlike most of us, who are happy to buy the stuff and get stuck in with a corkscrew, Mariano's attendance at Club tastings and listening to the bodegas' winemakers, gave him the urge to try his own hand at making wine. He started off in a small way, experimenting, and really began to get the hang of things. He then told us how he stumbled on a small eighteenth-century bodega in La Portera in Requena, which just felt like the right place. Here he and a few friends (Adela, Tomás, Daniel) who participate in the project at every level have undertaken a remarkable journey. They have decided to make organic wine, which requires constant attention and care of the vines, as well as subsequently in the vinification, without the aid of any chemical tricks of the trade. Like all good winemakers, they stress that the real work is with the grapes. Their aim is to keep production low, at a maximum of 20,000 bottles, and to make fresh "tinto joven" with no barrel age, emphasizing the quality of the fruit.
They have immediately made their mark, and at the 2007 Valencian Food and Wine Fair, won first prize in the "tinto joven category" in the blind-tasting competition carried out by Els Bodeguers. They and their wine have the confidence of youth. When I was chatting to them at their stand at the Fair, the colleague of Mariano's I was talking to was very excited when he heard that my wife was Russian and that we'd be going to Moscow this summer. I'm to keep an eye out for export possibilities over there. I think that this brilliant purple wine (Tempranillo, Bobal and "un poquito de" Garnacha) blend will be welcome everywhere. It has freshness, but also plenty of character (and alcohol at 14.5%). This extra weight, Mariano insists, sees the wine having a longer life than other "nouveau" wines, and he feels it is improving in the bottle by the week and should be at its peak for Christmas. It is widely available in Valencia at around 8.50 euros.
The second wine we tasted was the latest experiment from Bodegas Cueva, a late-harvest (the grapes were picked in late October) sweet Monastrell. This wine had an extraordinarily vivid, tropical nose ("guava", according to my neighbour), no doubt doubly intensified by the grapes being left to sit for a month until they were on the way to becoming raisins, and the subsequent reduction of the grape juice by heating. One litre of alcoho was added to the just 250 litres they made of this wine, which is not available for purchase. This is a pity, as it would round off Christmas perfectly after kicking off the festivities with theit "tinto joven". Mariano and his mates are happy to receive visitors to the bodega on Saturdays and Sundays, but be careful, you could end up becoming a winemaker yourself.
Vegalfaro (24-04-07)
It was good to be back at the Club after the hiatus of Semana Santa and a quick trip to London. For this tasting of wines from Vegalfaro Viñedos & Bodegas I had a friend in tow, Gour Saraff, originally from India, but with a varied career in the USA, the Ukraine and elsewhere, during which he acquired a Valencian wife leading to his move here. He stumbled across this website and here we were. On the dais was Rodolfo Valiente, and he explained that, like several other wine producers in the region, his family had long been market gardeners growing cereals, olives, almonds and vines, but decided in the 1980s to make fine wine. They carefully studied the soil and other conditions of the terrain (they have three separate fincas in Utiel-Requena, with further distinctive "parcelas" in these) each with distinctive soil and topography) and planted the vines that best suited the particular conditions - in addition to Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot, they also planted Graciano and Mazuelo from Rioja, and are doing interesting things with the local Garnacha Tintorera, as we'll see.
We kicked off with the 2006 rosado from Finca Capote, made with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, a good strong-coloured rosé, with plenty of fruit and personality (it spends hardly any time in barrel) and alcohol (13%), which Rodolfo recommended as perfect for the regional rice dishes. It would be fine on its own, too. It is available at around 4.80 euros, and should be part of the welcome growth in the popularity of rosés all over the wine-drinking world that I keep hearing about.
Next up we were meant to try the bodega's well-known Pago de los Balagueses red, but a mix-up with the cases meant that we tasted their 2004 Vegalfaro red (from Finca Alfaro). This is a Tempranillo (50%), Merlot (40%) and Syrah (10%) blend, with a lot of fruit and elegance and charm. It spends 9 or 10 months in barrel, and is an easy-drinking wine (in Rodolfo's words: "un vino de paso fácil, que no cansa"), though at 14% you'd feel the effects soon enough. It costs about 7.20 euros.
We finished off with another very different wine Pasamonte (the name comes from the local description for the way that in fileds by hills, what has been planted often spreads up these hills - "pasan al monte"). This wine comes in a distinctive high-shouldered bottle, and is a quite brilliant colour, due to its being mainly Garnacha Tintorera (85%), which is one of the only grapes to have a red flesh. It was often regarded as serving only to add colour in blends, but this is a classically elegant wine, in an international style (the remaining 15% is Merlot), but full of Mediterranean warmth both in the nose and the mouth. Quite a bargain at 10 euros, and I imagine it will set you back a bit more at the Ritz in London, where it stands proudly in the wine list.
Rodolfo Valiente and Vegalfaro are doing interesting things - exploring the different characteristcs and possibilities within Utiel-Requena to make wines that are modern and international in style, but that have a distinct character and regional quality. They made sufficient impression on my friend Gour to have him eagerly sign up for the Club immediately afterwards.
Masía de la Hoya
Having spent hours on Sunday 1 April at the Vins de la Terra de Castelló stand at the Valencia Food and Wine Fair, chatting to the irrepressible Guzmán Orero, I was surprised to walk into the Club's tasting ion 23 April, and see him sitting on the podium about to have us taste his wines from the family's Masía de la Hoya property. These were Masía de la Hoya rosado 2006 and the red Orero Selección 2004. The rosado came first. Guzmán engagingly explained that this was his first attempt at making wine and all the pitfalls into which he'd fallen. For example, the wine had too much residual sugar (fermentation had stopped before this had been turned into alcohol). Nevertheless, the resulting rosado has heaps of charm, not least its colour, rather alarmingly described as "electric strawberry" in the tasting notes, and despite Guzmán's mea culpa received a big thumbs up from the club and an overall rating of 7.2, if memory serves.
The red Orero Selección 2004 is made from Tempranillo. It spends twelve months in barrels (in this experimental phase these come from various places in France, America and Rumania) and afurther six months in bottle prior to release. Again Guzmán was absolutely honest and explained that there were terrible hailstorms in 2004 and this wine was made from the undamaged grapes. Even so, he has produced a wine with a distinctive character, and one good enough for El Corte Inglés in Castellón to stock as of the day of the tasting (3-03-07). I had some misgivings about this wine at its price of around 12 euros, finding it rather thin and acidic, but will return to this vintage and future ones.
Perhaps most significant is the fact that we can now very definitely include Castellón in a tour d'horizon of wines in the Comunidad Valenciana. There are now some ten bodegas in Vins de la Terra de Castelló, and I for one am looking forward both to visiting them, especially Guzmán's, and following the progress of their wines.
These are serious wines from a serious bodega - another from Fontanars. They have opted to make increasingly 'modern' wines, from their white Reixiu (meaning dew) blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, to their Heretat de Taverners Crianza, the Reserva Mallaura, and the innovative Graciano. The bodega does have a whimsical side. The Reixiu, for instance, started almost as a "capricho" because they have just a hectare of white grapes, and it is difficult to achieve good acidity in this area. However, they have played around with the blend, getting acidity from the Sauvignon and structure and consistency from the Chardonnay, to achieve a very enjoyable, fresh and yet quite sophisticated white wine, which they sell for about 7 euros.
Next up was the 2004 Crianza, which they make from vineyards where other plants are sown in order absorb some of the nutrients from this rich soil, so that the grapes are not too large (wine grapes need to suffer to achieve intensity, as maybe we all do). It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), Tempranillo (30%) and Monastrell (20%). Again, a lot of thought goes into the vinification, as can be seen from the fact that the grapes spend eight months in barrel, and then the Cabernet sauvignon alone spends a further few months in French barrels for added elegance. The result is interesting, neither a light wine nor a full-bodied one. Perhaps one to go with a lighter meal. It sells at 6.50 euros.
We then tried the Mallaura Reserva , made from the grapes above, though in slightly different proportion (40% Cabernet, 30% Tempranillo. with the rest bein g Monastrell with, for this wine, some Merlot too). Interestingly, they add more Merlot the hotter the summer, to achieve smoothness. This is very much part and parcel of the modernity of the wines - the colour is a brilliant, almost vermilion, red, the taste is clean and fresh, with light French oak. An enjoyable wine, but one that could do with just a bit more distinctiveness for my money. It will cost 9.50 euros of yours.
Finally we tried the Graciano 2004. The Graciano is one of the Rioja grapes, and is not an authorized variety in this area, and is technically an "experimental" variety. As such, it is a mould-breaking wine. It is technically a Reserva, but they don't include that information because they want to let the wine speak for itself. I think it works very well, unusual distinctive and so different from what this grape does in Rioja. A highly worthwhile "experiment" that you can participate in for 11 euros.
Labor del Almadeque
Unfortunately, I arrived some minutes late for the tasting of the wines of Labor del Almadeque (Utiel-Requena) on 20-03-07. However, luckily no wine had been poured as yet. I missed the introduction about the winery, but the website confirms that it was set up in 2000, and is another modern wine project in a traditional setting (the Finca San Blas in which the winery is located was given to the Carmelites in 1629). It is a sophisticated operation, based on the latest techniques in maceration, and indeed the wines had the brilliant colour characteristic of intense maceration. We started with the Tempranillo Crianza 2002, as the label has it, though the wine includes a fair bit of Cabernet Sauvignon that is immediately noticeable, which struck me as confusing. Again, with the emphasis on fruit and lightness, the bodega has opted for ever lighter oak barrels, moving away from American oak to subtler French barrels, and the wine spends about a year in these. It is long and smooth, though packing a punch at 14º and costs 12 euros. It is a good example of an ambitious, hi-tech, modern wine from Utiel-Requena.
The next up was their newest wine, Lomalta Crianza 2004, which is just about to hit the shelves. This wine is a blend of every one of the bodega's grape varieties: Bobal, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah). It is a slightly lighter crianza style than the previous wine, spending ten months in barrel and slightly lower in alcohol at 13.5º. It has a subtle, light yet fragrant aroma, and is an interesting exercise in wine-making that costs 7 euros.
This was followed by the premium wine of this bodega, Labor del Almadeque Merlot Crianza 2003, for which the best Merlot is carefully selected and scientifically elaborated. This translates into 25-day maceration, malolactic fermentation in barrel, it spends a year in (always new) oak barrels, and the result is a powerful wine on every level, the winemaker advised decanting and suggested it would keep for a decade. It is the priciest wine in the stable at 14 euros.
The last wine was their 2002 Tempranillo-Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva, like the others it undergoes prolonged macertaion, and is a deep bright red despite being five years old. The more mature tannins give the wine a rounder flavour, with a hint of sweetness. Despite being a Reserva and taking longer to make, at around 12 euros it is cheaper than the Merlot. These are all serious wines, which have won prizes and will win more. They receive excellent point ratings in the Peñín Guide. I'll keep an eye on them, but there's a bit of me that feels that the wines have a bit of the text-book, of being "a project" about them. Maybe they and I need to meet again regularly and see whether the extra bottle age in their case and just age in mine brings us closer together.
After last week's break due to the Club's AGM, the ominous site of a PowerPoint presentation screen was awaiting us at this tasting. Even more unnervingly, standing proprietorially by was a large man in a purple double-breasted jacket and sporting a bald forehead with ultramullet at rear. As patented by the great Bill Bailey, this is a look that can be carried off if you're very funny indeed. Miguel Matthes, for it was he, is a Hispano-German with possibly a more Teutonic than Latin delivery. Nevertheless, he proceeded to give us a masterclass in wine-making in general and his wines in particular, full of graphs showing phenols and sugar levels and such. Miguel has a vision involving producing technically sophisticated yet distinctively Mediterranean wines. His bodega buys in top-quality grapes from various producers and subjects them to the most stringent production criteria. This results in two wines, Vinnó and Concepto, both 2005 (the first vintage produced by the bodega). Vinnó is a Bobal (65%) and Monastrell (35%) blend which undergoes cold maceration and spends just three months in barrel (French, Hungarian and Eastern European). Concepto is Bobal (70%) with Merlot (30%) and spends five months in barrel (French, Hungarian, Russian and Balkan). The intention with both is to establish a perfect harmony of fruit, acidity, aromas and tannins. For me this tasting was undermined by the wines being served rather too cold, which emphasised tannins and acidity at the expense of fruit. However, there was fruit and structure in the mouth, and maybe it was the temperature or the PowerPoint presentation, but I just felt that the wines lacked a certain approachability and human warmth. I think I need to give them another go, which I'm happy to do, particularly as both wines are very reasonably priced (€6.80 Vinnó, €7.90 Concepto), especially given the commitment to quality at every stage of production on the part of the makers. Conceptovinno's publicity also emphasises the high level of resveratrol, so you can do your cardiovascular system good while indulging in (moderate) consumption.
You can find out more about Miguel and his thoughts on food and wine (he is a chef and sommelier) by attending courses he gives on both subjects through his 'workshop of the senses' Cuinare. I guarantee you will learn a lot.
There were more people than usual at the first tasting in February, lured by the wines produced by this family bodega in Fontanars dels Alforins see page on Manuel Olaechea. The bodega's name ('los Frailes' means 'the Friars') derives from its having been a Jesuit property until the disentailment of Church property in Spain in the eighteenth century saw the Velázquez family buy it at auction in 1771. They are still there, and have been making and exporting wine ever since. However, it is only in the last seven years or so that the current generation decided to change direction and make fine wine, primarily with the classice Mediterranean varieties Monastrell and Garnacha. This has been a resounding success, with international recognition (Robert Parker: "Another superb Spanish 'wine value', the 2004 Casamonfrare Monastrell is ... A big, soft, accessible bistro-style red, it possesses a deep ruby/purple-tinged colour as well as abundant amounts of blackberry and cherry fruit. As the French would say, it is a complete vin de plaisir. Drink it over the next 1-2 years. 87 points"). We in fact tasted the 2005 Casa Mon Frare (100% Monastrell) and then the 2004 (80% Monastrell and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon), both are big and fruity wines which spend only around four months in barrel, retaining a touch of acidity that gives them freshness and bite, the 2004 is given slightly more structure by the Cabernet Sauvignon. They are in popular demand internationally (in the USA, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark, primarily — and Adnams in the UK) and are an absolute bargain here at 3.50 euros (2005) and 4.50 euros (2004).
We then tried the classy 'Bilogía' (50% Monastrell and 50% Tempranillo) 2004, which is technically a 'Crianza' as it spends 12 months in oak, but the winemakers believe that the labels 'Crianza', 'Reserva' and 'Gran Reserva' are not useful in describing the qualities of wine in general and their wines in particular. This 'Bílogía' is a splendid balance of structure, fruit and acidity. The 2004 vintage of the sister wine 'Trilogía' (so-called because it is made with three grapes (70% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Tempranillo) is sold out, but the 2005 is imminent.
There was an unexpected surprise to finish the tasting in the shape of a sweet Monastrell, 'After Tres'. This naturally sweet red wine (the Monastrell ripened so late that the yeasts can't turn all the sugar into alcohol) cost 13 euros for a 50cl bottle and works both before a meal as an aperitif and/or at the end (Miguel suggested with strong cheeses).
The applause raised the roof at the end of the tasting, with cries of 'Bravo' as well. Miguel Velázquez and his family are doing great things.
The last Club tasting of January 2007 was of two wines from Finca Ardal, 'Ocho Cuerdas' and 'Lagar De Lar', both 'Crianza' reds from DO Utiel-Requena. In many ways the Finca and these wines encompass the history of wine in the region over the last century and more. The name 'Ocho Cuerdas' comes from the great-grandfather of the current owner (Luis Gil-Orozco), a concert guitarist who went to America (specifically Brazil) to make his fortune, and succeeded sufficiently to return and buy the property in 1896. He is credited with inventing the eight-string guitar which gives the wine its name. The first grapes were crushed by treading, then by press, until 1942 when the finca and bodega first received electricity. The bodega, passing from father to son, generally made the characteristic 'doble pasta' wines of the area for exporting and blending with other wines. In 1968 the bodega joined a wine cooperative, but in 1996 the current generation of the family decided to make their own wine again and opt for quality rather than bulk. This decision to use only the best of their own grapes alongside modern wine-making methods and technology, finds its expression in the two wines tasted.
'Ocho Cuerdas' is a red Crianza that was launched in 2005 with the 2003 vintage. It is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah (just 10 per cent of the latter). The wine we tasted was in fact the 2004 vintage, which will not reach the shops until later this year. The extra time in bottle will further soften a not unpleasant sinewy bite, though both these 'Crianzas' spend a lengthy 14 months in French and American oak casks (the minimum for a 'Crianza' is six months). It costs 12.40 euros.
The Lagar de Lar Crianza we tasted was from 2003, this time a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo. The extra age was immediately apparent in the wine’s greater roundness and also in the presence of sediment in the bottle — both these wines are subjected to only very light filtration. This is intended as a more 'classic' wine than 'Ocho Cuerdas', with greater body and structure. It is an elegantly demanding wine that sells for slightly more than its sibling at 14.85 euros.
There is more to look forward to from Finca Ardal, as next year they intend to launch their first Bobal red, a further expression of the finca’s blend of tradition and modernity in Utiel-Requena.
Lagar de Lar Crianza from Finca Ardal
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