Spanish education session

Ben Moechtar very kindly organised and impromptu Spanish tasting for me and my fellow students...Ben took us through the wines, discussed the soils (including providing soil samples) and climate/topography and weather for the regions that we tasted from.

• 2010 Bodega Castro Martin Albariño Family Estate Selection

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  Colour: Lemon green, clear, slight tears
  Nose: Youthful, medium intensity, clean. Aromas of peach, stone fruit, nashi pear, floral notes – touches of honeysuckle and slight minerality (wet stone)
  Mouth: Dry, medium plus acid, slight phenolic grip, medium alcohol, medium plus flavour intensity, medium body, flavours of wet stone, tart green pear which carries on the Medium plus finish

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• 2011 Javier Sanz Rueda Orden Tercera

  Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda

  Colour: Bright, clear, lemon green with slight tears
  Nose: Youthful, medium intensity and clean. Aromas of gooseberry, cars pee, green capsicum and slight passion fruit
  Mouth Medium acid, body, flavour intensity, alcohol. The wine is dry but has slight residual sugar. The flavours are of passion fruit, gooseberry, and it is bitter and slightly astringent on the finish. The fruit drops off quickly. The lack of acidity is the only indicator that this is not sav blanc for me.

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• 2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Viña Gravonia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  Lopez de Heredia vina gravonia 2001
  Colour: medium intensity gold, clear with considerable tearing
  Nose: Fully developed, medium intensity and clean. Oxidative notes, honey, hazelnut, almonds, slight citrus notes, cheese, toast biscuit and bready/yeasty/aldehydic notes
  Mouth: medium plus acid, body and flavour intensity, medium alcohol, dry with low tannin – front of mouth phenolic grip and tongue coating leesy mouth feel. There are flavours of citric tang, slight sherry/aldehydic notes and nuts that carry on the long finish.
  Very old school and very nice.

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• 2010 Artazu Garnacha Navarra Artazuri Rosado

  Spain, Navarra

  Colour: Pink
  Nose: Clean, medium intensity, youthful, raspberry, strawberry, slight herbaceousness, slight bbq meatiness…toast and touches of blood
  Mouth: Dry, medium plus crisp acid, medium minus body, medium alcohol and flavour intensity, no tannin, dry. Flavours of strawberry and raspberry, slight spice notes, medium finish.
  Simple but good

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• 2009 Bodegas Castaño Monastrell Yecla Ecológico

  Spain, Murcia, Yecla

  Colour: medium ruby, clear and some tears
  Nose: Clean, medium plus intensity, developing, leather, prune plum, sweet spice – cedar and meaty notes
  Mouth: medium plus acid, tannin, body, alcohol and flavour intensity, dry. Flavours of plum and leather. Sinewy tough and slightly green tannin, Medium plus finish.
  Big, balanced but lacking a little complexity and the tannins are a touch unripe. Very good.

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• 2009 Alvaro Palacios Priorat Camins del Priorat

  Spain, Catalunya, Priorat

  Colour: medium ruby, clear, evident legs
  Nose: Clean, medium intensity, developing, aromas of cherry, strawberry, slight menthol and herbal notes, cream and vanilla
  Mouth; Medium plus acid, generous alcohol and body, medium tanning, medium flavour intensity, dry. Flavours of strawberry, red currant but also slightly burnt notes. Under this are some hints of bitter chocolate on the medium finish.

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• 2011 Cillar de Silos Ribera del Duero El Quintanal

  Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

  Colour: deep ruby, clear
  Nose: Medium minus intensity, clean, developing with aromas of jammy strawberry and plum, chocolate, vanilla and slight leather notes
  Mouth: Dry, medium plus tannin, alcohol, acid and body, medium flavour intensity. Chewy, firm and ripe tannin, leather, chocolate and red fruit that carries on the medium plus finish

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• 2011 Telmo Rodríguez Rioja Cuvée Philipson Compañía De Vinos Telmo Rodríguez

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Colour: medium ruby, clear
  Nose: medium intensity, developing, clear, strawberry, tobacco, cream and slightly perfumed top notes
  Mouth: Medium plus alcohol, acid and tannin, medium body and flavour intensity. Dry. Flavours of strawberry, cherry and vanilla and a little bitter on the finish

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• 2004 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza Flawed

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Oxidised, sulphur and leather on the nose. In the mouth it is tart, bitter and astringent. FLAW

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• 2004 Felix Solis Valdepeñas Viña Albali Arium Reserva

  Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Valdepeñas

  Colour: medium garnet, clear, legs
  Nose: Medium plus intensity, clean, developing, cream, red fruit – strawberries, vanilla, slight herbaceousness and hints of toast
  Mouth: Dry, medium plus juicy acid, medium plus chewy, supple, tannin, medium body, flavour intensity and alcohol. Flavours of leather, tobacco, black plum and red berry fruit, long finish carries fruit and introduces some chocolate notes…jolly nice

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Alas I had a prior after work so couldn't stay for supper (and to tidy up the bottles that we'd been tasting - another kind gesture of Ben to allow us to plough through the remainders)...A lovely night with a knowledgeable, kind and entertaining host. And the wines were pretty sharp as well...the Lopex de Heredia old school was probably my wine of the night...oh, and that punchy monastrell...mmm...marvellous...