A Taste of Spain's Wonderful Wines

For my third hosted tasting, I wanted to introduce friends and colleagues to the world of Spanish wines. Some came just to drink, others to learn, and some to simply enjoy good conversation over a glass or two.

To begin, a traditional vintage Cava was popped open, followed by a white blend made with Macabeo (also known as Viura), Gewurztraminer, and Chardonnay.

• 2003 Juvé y Camps Cava Brut Nature Reserva de la Familia Gran Reserva 85 Points

  Spain, Cava

  Oak influence and yeasty lemon zest notes are present in this cava, which carries medium-sized bubbles and a good balance of palate-cleansing dryness and a bit of oaky vanilla sweetness from what I presume is new American barrels... Toasty yeast on the palate as well, with a sufficient and balanced finish. Not incredibly complex, but good QPR.

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• 2005 Bodega Pirineos Somontano Mesache Blanco 88 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Somontano

  Upon pouring, the deep apple juice color and velvety vanilla and floral nose hints at a deeply flavorful and appropriately oaky palate to come. Once in the mouth, there is a bright (though not too razor-sharp) attack that carries into a peachy wine, with a touch of light cream (oak) and white flowers - undoubtedly the influence of Gewurztraminer. The finish has a bit of sweetness, but is not by any means over the top. Excellent QPR.

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Next, three Riojas from the same producer, Marques de Caceres, were produced, showcasing the influence of bottle aging and oak aging on wine.

• 2004 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Crianza 84 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  An interesting turn from the typical American oak aged Rioja, this wine, aged in new French oak instead, still has the typical bright and rustic cherry aromas of the tempranillo grape, with some kitchen spices lingering in the background. The palate is a bit lighter than expected, with drying tannins and a slightly off-balance acidity and thinness counteracting some nice cherry and earthy flavors. The finish is around 10 seconds, and dries the palate for the next sip. Not a bad wine by any stretch, and worth trying, but it honestly does smell of mass production and little passion for the winemaking process.

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• 2001 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Reserva 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  Decanted for 2 hours. Balanced and well-structured. The nose on this wine reveals deeply enticing plum and dry cut lumber with some vanilla and tobacco leaf. Interestingly complex on the palate, with a harmonious attack that carries earth, plum, black fruit, tobacco, and spiciness with an exotic flowery component and a tinge of sweet oak influence and medium tannins. The finish goes on longer on this wine than its Gran Reserva cousin from the same vintage. Despite being one point lower than the Gran Reserva in my opinion, this wine was easily the WOTN among the whole group, and I am inclined to agree, given the more reasonable price tag and interesting compilation of flavors.

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• 2001 Marqués de Cáceres Rioja Gran Reserva 91 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, La Rioja Alta, Rioja

  While a tough choice, this wine narrowly edges out its Reserva cousin from the same producer and vintage. The nose carries deep earthy plum and dark cherry components, with some herbaceousness and acidity to balance itself out, along with an unexpected citrus zest component. The palate carries itself well in the mouth, with medium body - lighter than Gran Reservas I've had in the past. The attack comes all at once, again with plumminess, tobacco, red berry, and fantastic earthy body mixing well with oak influence. The finish goes on for 25-30 seconds, and is interesting enough to be memorable, though not life changing. An expensive bottle, and perhaps better values can be found (such as the '96 Bodegas LAN Gran Reserva), but I was pleased with this nice example of a Gran Reserva Rioja. I think Wine Spectator was a bit off in their early drinking window, and believe that this wine could get better over the next 5-10 years.
  
  Of note, the second bottle of this wine opened for the tasting had a cork with a thin red line creeping all the way to the top of the cork; this bottle was vinegary and clearly oxidized. Too bad - I don't think anyone at the tasting would have minded a few more sips of this wine.

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Finally, after the night carried on and many guests left, I decided to share my passion for Sauternes with a few friends who were still around.

• 2004 Château Rieussec Carmes de Rieussec 86 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  At the end of a Spanish wine tasting, this wine might have been a bit out of place, but why not cap the night off with something sweeter? This Sauternes, while not as interesting, complex, spicy, or rich as the premiere and deuxieme crus Sauternes I've had in the past, has a seductively sweet lemon nose; the palate has a dense sweetness to it, with candied and syrupy lemon drops, heavy cream, some anise, and a hint of fennel seed. The finish is a bit flabby, and while this wine teeters on the brink of being cloying, it's nothing to scoff at. I think 10 years or so more in the cellar will bring out some stronger flavors to balance out the syrupy sweetness in this wine. 86+

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All in all, the wines tasted tonight were very well received. In particular, the white blend and the Reserva/Gran Reserva Riojas were exceptionally regarded by nearly everyone. Next month, a new tasting will be done - details to come soon.