Highly-rated Spanish wine-tasting
Watson's, Hong Kong
Tasted Thursday, October 4, 2012 by DonalOB with 406 views
Introduction
Conducted by Victor Quinson and Jordi Carre.
Spain is number one in vineyard hectares (1.3M Ha) but number three in production. I think this implies good density and low yield but compared to what? Obviously, there are some great low-yield regions and huge areas of mass production. French winemakers were a big influence after they emigrated to Spain from regions like Bordeaux after the Phylloxera outbreak.
By the way, the net on the 'classic' bottle of Rioja was originally to stop theft of small amounts of wine, now just marketing.
1964 is supposedly the best Rioja year - hmmm, might be tricky!
2007 Perelada Cava Gran Claustro 90 Points
Spain, Cava
No chaptalisation on this. All 'methode traditionelle'.
Lemon, brioche, slight burnt character, nutty. Fine mousse. Not great intensity.
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1991 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 94 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Spent 5 hours in contact with the skins to get some tannin and extract; later, spent 10 years in old barrels so is already slowly partially-oxidised. This gives it a long aging potential.
Only 12% alcohol. Wonderful nose of butter and nuts, mandarin and peel, mineral, slight mushroom. Very smooth, medium acidity. Long. Like a sherry - 'on the edge'.
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2001 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia 93 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Brown tinge. Complex nose - plum, cherry, earth, spice; some oak evident but well integrated. Medium acid and body. Good food wine.
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1994 R. López de Heredia Rioja Gran Reserva Viña Tondonia 95 Points
Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja
Much more complex than the '01 Reserva. Unlike many Gran Reserva's, this is not made from stock wines that have reached the legal minimum age; rather it is only made in suitable years and chosen for Gran Reserva from the beginning. Spent 10 years in old barrels.
This is balanced and fresh, plenty of red-berry fruit and some earthiness to it. Medium+ body - quite glycerol and long. Quite open after 30 minutes - seemed little need to decant.
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2007 Perelada Empordà Finca La Garriga 90 Points
Spain, Catalunya, Empordà
A single-vineyard wine. Apparently, this was the first region in Spain to grow vines. Spent 16 months in new barrels.
Rich fruit nose, blackberry and violet, with a lot of oak. Very dark and full bodied, quite intense (old vines). Alcohol on the finish (15.5%). Typical Carignan bitterness. Not my thing.
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2007 Bodegas Cepa 21 Ribera del Duero 89 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
100% Tinto Fino. 14% Alcohol.
Huge diurnal temperatures in these vineyards: ~25 degrees Celsius.
Spice, pepper, bit oaky for me.
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2008 Bodegas Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero Malleolus 92 Points
Spain, Castilla y León, Ribera del Duero
100 Tinto Fino. 13.5% alcohol.
Very old vines - spends 16-18 months in new oak.
Thick, rich, almost Balsamic. Quite intense fruit. Needs a few years to allow the coarse tannins to drop out and get balance with the oak. Good finish.
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2006 Cims de Porrera Priorat Solanes 88 Points
Spain, Catalunya, Priorat
Origins from 11th C. monks. In the '70s this was a bulk wine but now it takes 4 vines to make a bottle.
Spicy blackberry nose, similar on palate but short and a bit flabby. Simple.
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