Club Tasting 3: Wines of Spain

Butler College, Princeton University
Tasted Friday, November 14, 2008 - Saturday, November 15, 2008 by RajivAyyangar with 810 views

Introduction

Having tasted a killer row of Spanish wines at the Martin Scott tasting back in September, I wanted to introduce the club to the joys of layered, integrated oak. I can't stand the sawdusty, obvious, fakey-fake oak found so much in CA cabs, zins, and chards. However Martin Scott was an epiphany, and part of me wanted to re-live it. So I got some reccs from JoeG and since I knew that the Corkscrew people hate oak, I sourced the wines from Wine Library (CoolVines had nothing in the way of Spanish wines at the time). I have to say, I love WL, and the service was superb to the Nth degree, but I was disappointed with the group of wines as a whole.

Flight 1 - Pre-Tasting (2 Notes)

After some bad experiences with oxidation, I decided to pre-taste the lineup (like a dutiful somm) to weed out bad bottles. Since this event was being held twice, I figured at least one of the bottles would be good, no? Wrong. Both bottles of each oxidized wine were bad.

Both bottles of the Vinedos Maurodos San Roman (Toro) 2004 were oxidized. Of the two Campos Reales (La Mancha) Gladium Crianza 2006, one was clearly oxidized, the other was just faintly oxidized.
The Cigarral Pago Del Ama Syrah 2002 tasted really off - borderline oxidized, plasticky, but I didn't realize this until the actual tasting.
The Ercavio Roble (La Mancha) 2006, Taja (Jumilla) Reserva 2003, and Castano Hecula (Yecla) 2005 tasted really weird to me and some of the other people - they had this faint pear/honeyed character that I associate more with white wine than reds, they also had plasticky, or otherwise non-fruit-like aromas. But I didn't catch them as oxidized before the tasting.

Flight 2 - Day 1: Friday (7 Notes)

  • 2001 Bodegas Primicia Rioja Reserva 79 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

    (11/14/2008)

    Med ruby.
    A hint of oak, earthy, well-integrated nose.
    Palate: NOT integrated, a bit sawdusty, medium sticky tannins. Med body, med/med+ acid, short finish.

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  • 2003 Baron de Ley Rioja Reserva 60 Points

    Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

    (11/14/2008)

    med red in the glass.
    Major brett plus strong fecal aromas. Med+ body, sawdust, med+ acid, fleshy mouthfeel, med+ alcohol. This is yucky.

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  • 2005 Castell del Remei Costers del Segre Gotim Bru 80 Points

    Spain, Catalunya, Costers del Segre

    (11/14/2008)

    med+ red in the glass.
    Nose of strawberry, cherry jam, and a hint of cream/vanilla.
    In the mouth, blue fruit, bright red fruit, a little sweet, medium alcohol, med+ acid, med/med- tannins. Juicy, not oaky, refreshing.

    Returned to this at the end of the tasting: Hint of pyrazines, herbs, baking spices, bell peppers. Palate: pepper, med+ body, med acid, med- tannins.

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  • 2005 Alonso del Yerro Ribera del Duero Maria 84 Points

    Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero

    (11/14/2008)

    Dark ruby-opaque in the glass.
    Nose of faint black pepper, tight, with hints of rich dark fruit and faint oak.
    High alcohol, high acidity, concentrated blue fruit, but low oak. More fruity. Not as savory as I'd like. 85.

    Returned to this at the end of the tasting: Disjointed oak, sawdusty. 84

    st90, jm95

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  • 2002 Cigarral Santa Maria Pago del Ama Colección

    Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

    (11/14/2008)

    Olive? Oxidized? This legitimately didn't smell like wine to me (or to DGH). I have no idea what's going on.

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  • 2006 Más Que Vinos Tempranillo Ercavio Roble 70 Points

    Spain, Castilla-La Mancha, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla

    (11/14/2008)

    med+ ruby
    Nose of yogurt, mellow red fruit. Not really inspiring me.
    Palate: sawdust, med+ alcohol, med+ acid, not screaming, a little yogurty. Bleah. med- tannins.

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  • 2003 Mähler-Besse Jumilla Taja Reserva

    Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

    (11/14/2008)

    Medium ruby in the glass.
    Smells like a white wine!?!? Honey, apple, pepper, wet seaweed. plastic, maybe a little oxidization?
    Seriously, if I smelled this blind, I think it was white.
    WEIRD. I'm really puzzled (and so was DGH).

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Flight 3 - Day 2: Saturday (5 Notes)

Closing

This tasting left me rather dissatisfied. None of the wines displayed even an intermediate modicum of oak, and certainly none were integrated. Furthermore there were several bottles that just threw completely bizarre aromatics, puzzling both Doug and me. Oh well... next time.

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