TWC does Spain

The tasting group convened to sample a range of value wines from Spain with a few higher priced wines thrown in for good measure. Most were very much in the modern style of Spanish winemaking.

I often wonder why more people don't drink Albariño. It is a grape that people seem to forget but when crafted as impeccably as these two wines there is no better wine for seafood. Both were excellent wines with the Pazo de Senorans being a little simpler and fruity but still with plenty of character. The Ferreiro was sublime and a wonderful expression of this aromatic and enticing grape varietal.

• 2004 Pazo de Señoráns Albariño Rías Baixas 90 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  A superb Albariño. Pale straw in color, with a delightful and expressive nose full of honeysuckle and apricot and other ripe stone fruits. Medium bodied with a great vein of acidity the wine delivers lots of fruit in the mouth - pineapple and apricot in a true cacophony of flavors. Crisp and refreshing. Top notch stuff.

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• 2003 Do Ferreiro Albariño Rías Baixas 92 Points

  Spain, Galicia, Rías Baixas

  A superior Albariño. Pale straw but wow, what a nose full of orchard and stone fruits - pears, apples and apricot. Very dry and very Alsatian. Bone dry in the mouth, there isn't much fruit but the texture is sublime with mineral, stone and slate sliding across the palate. Stunning.

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An up and down flight with the clear winner being the much more expensive singularly crafted wine from Chris Ringland (Alto Moncayo). This was a serious Grenache.

• 2003 Bodegas San Alejandro Garnacha Calatayud Las Rocas 80 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Calatayud

  A big disappointment. Dark ruby in color with a nose of oak that blows off a little to reveal cherry liqueur and pepper, but it isn't very expressive. Medium bodied with cherry flavors across the mouth. There is a little earthiness as the wine opens but the wine remains disjointed. Tried from two different bottles with the same aromatic and flavor profile. Sure it is not expensive but there are many better wines on the market in the same price range.

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• 2003 Artazu Navarra Artazuri 87 Points

  Spain, Navarra

  Solid ruby color with a complex and ever evolving nose of black cherry, pepper and herbs. Medium bodied in the mouth with lots of black cherry flavors as well as some red fruits along the way. I detected a slight green streak that came and went over time. The nose was much better than the palate. Overall, it would be a solid purchase.

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• 2002 Bodegas Alto Moncayo Garnacha Campo de Borja 92 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Campo de Borja

  This is more like it! A rich, dark ruby color with a nose of dark chocolate, red and black berries and a strong mineral streak. This has a wonderful texture being concentrated and yet lithe in the mouth. The fruit intermingles with the earthiness to provide terrific balance. Aromatic, seamless and flavorful. One of those wines one loves to visit over and over during an evening of tasting.

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Clearly the flight of the evening with two terrific wines. If this is a good example of what is coming from this grape I can't wait to get my hands of more of these wines. Tons of character and so expressive.

• 2003 Descendientes de José Palacios Bierzo Pétalos 91 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo

  Dark ruby, almost black in color. The nose is wonderfully funky with a strong barnyard/horsey aroma that blows off (to a degree) to reveal ripe blackberry and cherry aromas. The mouthfeel is very fine, with supple tannins, plenty of acidity for the longer haul and plenty of fruit to mingle with the rich earthiness. What an interesting, intriguing and ultimately successful wine. A superb QPR.

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• 2001 Bodegas Estefanía Bierzo Tilenus Pagos de Posada 92 Points

  Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo

  Dark ruby in color with a barnyard nose that intermingles with raspberry and cherry. Very smooth in the mouth with cherry flavors but plenty of loam and earth and a good tannic grip on the finish. The oak is perfectly integrated at this stage and the wine is a point. Excellent.

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Two wines picked almost at random, but both well reviewed by Parker. The Mendoza was a serious wine worthy of cellar time. Not sure about the Sierra Cantabria. Other wines in their portfoloio have impressed me more.

• 2001 Bodegas Sierra Cantabria Rioja Crianza 85 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  I was disappointed in this wine as it came with such glowing reviews. It was a rather four-square and simple Crianza with a simple nose of sweet strawberry and oak followed by more sweet tasting strawberry in the mouth. Certainly not a bad wine but to me on this evidence nothing special.

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• 2001 Bodega Abel Mendoza Rioja Jarrarte 90 Points

  Spain, La Rioja, Rioja

  A serious and beautifully crafted Rioja. Dark ruby with a sublime nose of black currant, kirsch, expresso and chocolate. The flavors of black currant and tobacco are followed by a slight medicinal kick and a slight burn on the way down that some might find off-putting. Complex and satisfying.

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Finished with some cheap and cheerful quaffers that all turned out to be good values.

• 2004 Bodegas Luzon Jumilla 89 Points

  Spain, Murcia, Jumilla

  A wine that impressively improves over time, and for the money a worthwhile case purchase. Dark, spicy fruits, with hints of blackberry and dark chocolate. Very fruit forward in the mouth with black raspberry, leather and blackberry flavors. Not complex but plenty there and a great value.

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• 2003 Bodegas Luan Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Equis Viñas Viejas 86 Points

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

  Dark ruby color with smoky blackberry and pepper aromas leading to a much brighter and fruity palate of cherry. Well delineated sweet and ripe fruits. A good simple honest table wine.

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• 2003 Los Planos Cariñena 89 Points

  Spain, Aragón, Cariñena

  Ruby, almost black in color. A nose of pepper, blackberry and dark chocolate. Very similar profile in the mouth, with a very fruity and forward mouth-feel. A good value.

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A very informative tasting. Clearly there are a lot of solid values coming from Spain with many under $10. You can't ask for much more than that. Go up a few price brackets however and the class begins to shine through with some interesting and nuanced wines that are classy, elegant and worthy wines for the money.