Touring Northern Spain

This is a brief account of the wines drunk or tasted on a holiday trip in the Basque country and other northern parts of the nation state Spain in April 2014. It was wonderfully organised by friends who have been travelling in Spain for decades. Some notes are from memory.

We started in Bilbao and had good tapas in El Globo with Rioja crianzas from La Rioja Alta (Viña Alberdi) and CVNE (Viña Real) of which I don't have the vintages. The day after we had a memorable meal in the Guggenheim Bistro and again my notes and/or memory are somewhat insufficient, though we had a very nice txakoli bizkaiko and an Ysios 2009 Rioja of which I don't seem to remember much.
We then left Bilbao to explore the region west of it; the focus here was natural beauty (Cueva del Soplao, Picos de Europa) with the added bonus of the historical village Santillana del Mar. Gastronomy was not, however, the strong point here.

• 2009 Bodegas El Coto Rioja Crianza

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  (4/19/2014)

  (Hotel Garganta del Cares) Somewhat sweet and soft but still quite drinkable.

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• 2011 Zarate Albariño Rías Baixas El Palomar

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  (4/20/2014)

  (Las Redes, San Vicente de la Barquera) The oakish type of Rias Baixas: Well-structured ad nice but and needing air to open up; the following unoaked Fefiñanes was nicer.

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• 2012 Bodegas del Palacio de Fefiñanes Rías Baixas Albariño D Fefiñanes

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  (4/20/2014)

  (Las Redes, San Vicente de la Barquera) Crisp and fresh, this is the classic Rias Baixas, very good.

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The primary aim was to visit the Lopez de Heredia bodega. We had a fine and rustic meal at the Cueva de Doña Isabela in Casalarreina. Unfortunately my wife was sick some of the time so that gatronomy was somewhat limited.

• 2012 Bodegas Tobelos Rioja Tobelos fermentado en barrica

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  (4/21/2014)

  (La Cueva de Doña Isabela) Modernly fruity, this is also somewhat marked by oak and perhaps a bit too light to carry all of it: It seems a little too narrow in the mouth.

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• 2009 Luis Alegre Gran Vino de Guarda PONTAC

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  (4/21/2014)

  (La Cueva de Doña Isabela) This is the modern big and bold type of Rioja (or red wine generally): deep-couloured, intense fruity notes with lots of oak and a big smooth taste with some tannin. I liked this, it seemed to improve with food and to have good balance. Nice to drink now but will surely develop if aged.

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• 2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Viña Gravonia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/22/2014)

  (At the Bodega in Haro) Apples, oak and salt lemons in the nose. A bit narrow in the mouth, especially in the beginning, high acidity, very dry. Needs food and air. One of the few remaining of this unique type.

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• 2002 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Tondonia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/22/2014)

  (At the Bodega in Haro) From memory I couldn't tell the difference from the 2001: It is the usual dry, elegant mid-weight red wine for lovers of oldfashioned Rioja; leaves the mouth full of leathery aromas. Also seems to be marked by the slightly mineral aromas of the penicillin mold growing on the cellar walls in the bodega.

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• 2003 R. López de Heredia Rioja Reserva Viña Bosconia

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/22/2014)

  (At the Bodega in Haro) I have a soft spot for the Bosconia reserva and its more generous and sweet fruit than the Tondonia. This was even kind of juicy in a salt and toasty way. Really very nice.

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• 2013 Marqués de Riscal Verdejo Rueda

  Spain, Castilla y León, Rueda

  (4/22/2014)

  (At the bodega in Elciego) Fresh, light, crisp and delicious, with elderflower, green leaves and a bit of tropical fruit.

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• 2009 Marqués de Riscal Rioja Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  (4/22/2014)

  (At the bodega in Elciego) Given the size of the annual production this is quite a respectable wine with both traditional (oak, earth, a touch of wet dog) and modern aromatic elements (sweet berries, licorice).

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• 2011 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Crianza Ederra

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/23/2014)

  (Tasted at the Bodega in Haro) Soft and juicy with a green vegetal tone. OK but not very interesting.

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• 2011 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Viña Pomal Crianza

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/23/2014)

  (Tasted at the Bodega in Haro) Better than the Ederra crianza: Modern dark licorice fruit in the nose. Light, smooth. Easy to drink on its own.

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• 2009 Bodegas Bilbainas Rioja Viña Pomal Reserva

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/23/2014)

  (Tasted at the Bodega in Haro) More complex, mineral and oaky than the crianza but still with some modern licorice fruit. High alcohol and a menthol note; good acidity and tannin. Nice sweetness and quite good overall.

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• 2006 R. López de Heredia Rioja Crianza Viña Cubillo

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/23/2014)

  (ETH Hotel, Haro) Drunk the day after visiting the Bodega. The nose reminds me of the penicillin mold in the bodega cellars with some dark fruit added. The taste has cherries and juicy acidity. Really nice. 13,5 %.

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This was the gastronomic strong point of the trip. We had tapas and a number of glasses of the local txakoli of otherwise unknown provenance. The greatest thing was of course the lunch at Akelarre *** but lunch at Les Pyrenées in St Jean Pied de Port and dinner at Kokotxa were also wonderful. In the return route to the airport we had another fine lunch at Prêt à porter, the 'cheaper' lunch option of Azurmendi ***.

• 2010 Raventós i Blanc De La Finca

  Spain, Cava

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) Without doubt the finest cava I have had: Intriguing saline and mineral oyster-like nose; full-bodied complex toasty taste, good balance.

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• 2009 Malus Mama Malus Mama Ice Cider

  Spain, País Vasco

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) Very interesting, this aged apple cider, a bit like the structure of a bual or light malmsey madeira combined with calvados and cider flavours. Very tasty.

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• 2012 Alemany i Corrio Penedès Principia Mathematica

  Spain, Catalunya, Penedès

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) Well-balanced and interesting white that went well with the magnificent lobster salad. Oak is well-integrated.

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• NV Gonzalez-Byass Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Del Duque Aged 30 Years Very Old Amontillado VORS

  Spain, Andalucía, Jerez-Xérès-Sherry

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) This had a nose of marvellous beauty of refined ad aged fruit combined with flor; and a complex, svelte taste with a long aftertaste of the same magnificent purity and depth as the nose.

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• 2011 Ossian Vinas Viejas Blanco

  Spain, Castilla y León, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y León

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) This ripe and oaky white appeared to me to be extremely smooth (a texture like mountain water) and low in acidity but all the same impeccably balanced. Very good and quite unique style.

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• 2007 Bodegas LAN Rioja Reserva Culmen

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) Very modern Rioja with lots of dark fruit and coffee notes and quite a bloody taste. Impressive but perhaps a shade overdone.

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• 2010 Molino Real MR Mountain Wine

  Spain, Andalucía, Málaga

  (4/24/2014)

  (Akelarre) Very nice ripe and juicily sweet moscatel with citrus and a refreshing bitterness rather than acidity.

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• 2009 Bodegas Fernández de Piérola Rioja Crianza

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  (4/24/2014)

  (At a tapas bar in San Sebastian) A rather bland Rioja at a not terribly interesting intersection of the traditionally oaky style and the modernly fruity one. Not bad though.

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• 2012 Domaine Brana Irouléguy Harri Gorri Rosé

  France, Southwest France, Pays Basque, Irouléguy

  (4/25/2014)

  (Arrambide, Les Pyrenées) Versatile food rosé of the more structured and less fruity kind. The structure reminds me of a dry riesling, i.e. cool and acidic with good substance. Excellent.

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• 2011 Adegas Valmiñor Rías Baixas Davíla

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  (4/25/2014)

  (Kokotxa) Although apparently unoaked, it seemed to be more soft than crisp. Nevertheless there is good acidity and body and it worked very well with the flavour-intense food of Kokotxa.

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• 2012 Bodega Gorka Izagirre Bizkaiko Txakolina G22

  Spain, País Vasco, Bizkaiko Txakolina

  (4/26/2014)

  (Azurmendi Prêt à porter) The G22 txakolina is aged on its lees for six months and has a lot more substance than most of its kind, without losing its essential refreshing qualities: Grassy freshness with a whiff of melon. Firm acidic taste, most delicious -- difficult to stop drinking!

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• 2009 Bodegas Baigorri Rioja Crianza

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alavesa, Rioja

  (4/26/2014)

  (Azurmendi Prêt à porter) Thick modern fruit, delicious and straightforward. Very nice modern crianza.

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This was a great trip giving insight into the current state of northern Spanish cuisine and wines.