Wine Wednesday - Spain 2024

For our regular "Wine Wednesday" virtual tasting, we visit Spain and look at some of the classic areas as well as one or two more unusual regions/grape varieties.

As usual, these sessions are delivered via "Zoom" so that you can enjoy the wines from the comfort of your own home, in the (virtual) comapny of some like-minded people.

All sessions are recorded for later viewing, very handy if you happen to miss one!

Week 1: Wednesday 27th March

We start in the Bierzo DO, which is geographically located in Castilla y León, but has much more in common from a wine point of view with neighbouring "Green Spain".

Two lovely wines to enjoy from the same producer showcasing the classic white and red grape varieties of the this DO.

We start with a white, made from the Godello grape, with 4 months' ageing on the lees in French oak.  The wine has a bright yellow colour. A mineral note with aromas of pear and apple. Lively in the mouth. Deep and long.

Next we will sample a red made from the Mencia variety aged in French oak barrels.  The wine has a cherry red colour with notes of fresh strawberry, wild berries, chocolate and coffee with a graphite minerality. Its passage through the mouth is bold and sharp, sweet and long, typical of the variety. A silky mouth, good aftertaste and ripe tannins, increasing the structure and balance of the wine.

• Gancedo Godello, El Bierzo DO, Leon 2022 - Retail Price £16.45
• Gancedo Mencia, El Bierzo DO, Leon 2022 - Retail Price £13.95

Week 2: Wednesday 3rd April

This week we visit two famous regions with very different styles of wine.  We start in Rias Baixas DO in Galicia with what else but an Albariño.  Although this variety is uber chic, with so many low-priced examples in supermarkets, it will be interesting to see what a premium example from a top producer is like.  A fresh, sparky Albariño from rainy Galicia in northern Spain, balancing salt and citrus with tropical fruit, so that the mango, pineapple and lychee soften the lime and greengages, resulting in a pleasing, food-friendly whole.

Next we travel across northern Spain from the NW to the NE and into Catalunya, for a visit to a small but prestigous wine region - Priorat DOQ.  Alongside Rioja, Priorat is the only other Spanish wine region to be awarded the highest classification of DOCa (DOQ in Catalan).  Our Priorat is a blend of 50% Garnacha, 45% Carignan and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, hand harvested with 14 months in 85% French and 15% American oak barrels.  The result is an expressive, juicy and bright wine, with lots of dark berries, red cherries and plums. There is depth too with toasty, spice and pepper notes making this extraordinarily good value. The tannins are so silky, this is beautiful on its own but will pair well with game and lamb. 

• Mar de Frades Albarino, Val do Salnes, Rias Baixas DO 2021 - Retail Price £24.45
• Cal Pla Tinto Crianza, Celler Cal Pla, Priorat DOQ 2019  - Retail Price £17.45

Week 3: Wednesday 24th April

This week we compare two full-bodied red wines from very different traditions and locations.  Our first wine is based on Monastrell, with a little Cabernet Sauvignon, from Yecla DO, near Alicante on the Mediterranean Coast, aged in French Allier oak barrels for a minimum period of 6 months.  This produces a wine of deep cherry red colour. Intense and sweet aroma reminiscent of ripe red fruit, completed with spicy and toasted nuances. Medium bodied, soft tannins, something earthy, that behaves well with acidity and acquires a certain unctuousness in its drink.

Our second wine this week is a powerful Tempranillo (called Tinto Fino here)  wine from Ribera del Duero DO, an area that until recently was relatively undeveloped, but is now one of Spain's most successful and dynamic wine regions.  Hand-picked, destemmed grapes, fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels.

The wine is cherry red colour predominates with purple flashes, with a nose of red fruits, predominately raspberry and cherry, with high aromatic intensity, combine with balsamic tones, coffee and roasted notes typical of its stay in barrel. The fruit still has full prominence.  On the palate this is a fresh and elegant wine, with an easy and balanced entry into the mouth leaving sensations of meatiness and volume. Slightly sweet and toasted notes add a pleasantly balanced after taste where the initial fruity tones can still be enjoyed.

• Demuerte "One" Monastrell/Cabernet Sauvignon, Yecla DO 2021 - Retail Price £13.45
• Arzuaga Laderas del Norte, Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, Ribera del Duero DO 2021 - Retail Price £21.95

Week 4: Wednesday 1st May

We can't visit Spain without Rioja, and this week we have a real treat, not one but two Riojas, and both are very special.

We start with a Crianza, but this is not just any Crianza, it is a 24 year old Seleccion Crianza, made from old vines and aged for longer than Crianza rules require. This wine is 100% Tempranillo, aged for 15 months in used French (5%) & American (95%) oak.  The resulting wine has an intense, dark ruby red colour with a tawny rim. Very concentrated nose of berries, damsons and figs. A full-bodied palate of rich fruit cake and savoury vanilla and coffee flavours. Well structured, mellow, firm tannins, fine elegance. With age, the wine has developed dried fruit and coconut notes.

To compare with a (very) aged Crianza, we have a Gran Reserva from 2018.  This wine is a blend of Tempranillo 90%, Garnacha 5%, Mazuelo and Graciano 5% aged in French oak (a combination of new & used barrels) for 27 months.  This wine shows a deep red colour with shades of ruby on the rim of the glass. To the nose, at the time of release, it revealed a delicate balance between ripe red berry aromas and those of spices and smokiness. Over time, bouquet has grown more complex, showing aromas of leather, coffee beans and raisins. Mouthfeel is as firm, elegant and smooth as one should expect from a Rioja Gran Reserva, with a surprisingly long and fresh finish. 

These two Rioja's should make a fascinating comparison tasting.

• Bodegas Urbina Seleccion Crianza, Rioja DOCa 2000 - Retail Price £19.95
• Cerro Anon Gran Reserva, Bodegas Olarra, Rioja Alta DOCa 2018 - Retail Price £18.45

We have partnered with Frazier's wines to supply these 8 wines.  they can be ordered for the discounted price of £137 including delivery by following the link here.  Please allow a week for delivery.