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Tag Archives: Spain

Stakes & Stones

16 Thursday May 2019

Posted by juleslewis in Wine

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Angel Rodriguez Vidal, Martinsancho, Rueda, Spain, Spanish wine, Verdejo

Hot weather finds me craving a cold, pale, white that smells gently of pears, grapefruit and white flowers, not aggressively aromatic, but cut through with the kind of razor sharp, refreshing citrus acidity and salty minerality that makes you salivate. 

Chablis? I hear you say. Sort of ‘esque’ but considerably cheaper at around £13 retail.

Rueda is the only white wine DO in Castilla y Leon, and its fennelly freshness comes from a distinctly chilly climate and the austere gravelly soils of the high plateau, where most of the vines for the indigenous Verdejo grape – not to be confused with the Verdelho of Portugal – originate.

Angel Rodriguez Vidal only makes one wine, and this is it! Martinsancho has been in his family since 1784 and his almost single handed resurrection of Verdejo was recognized by King Juan Carlos of Spain. Unlike most of Rueda, his vines are bush trained, rather than wire trained, which keep yields very low, with just a few bunches per vine, giving intense flavour as well as precluding mechanical harvesting. Unusually for Spain, the cellars are deep underground, goose-pimply cold and the wine spends a considerable time on its lees.

The label’s a bit dull I grant you – a funky one would help silence any non believers – but its what’s inside that counts and with only around 2000 bottles per vintage you don’t want everyone getting their grubby little mitts on it!

Stone and orchard fruits, a touch of fennel, herbs and rhubarb, a Chablis-esque pebble sucking dryness and punchy acidity of vivacious purity.

As my wife said, in one of her less eloquent moments, “This beats the c**p out of Oyster Bay”!

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“Wine. Is, Red”

25 Monday Nov 2013

Posted by juleslewis in Wine

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Christopher Hitchens, Mark Bolton, Ribera del Duero, Spain, Spanish wine, Tempranillo, Wine

Bybo wine collection, Berwick Lodge, November 2013

The quote from the late, great, Christopher Hitchens, is a response to one of the dreariest, but necessary, questions bandied about by wine waiters the world over “Red or White?”

Hitch’s retort “Wine. Is, Red” aptly describes this wonderful wine from Pago de los Capellanes in Spain’s Ribera del Duero. A thoroughly deserved winner of the inaugural “Wines from Spain” award 2012, this is low-yield, 100% Tempranillo. of exceptional character and quality.

Quintessentially Spanish, but bigger and chunkier than Rioja, this is a manly wine in every, fashionably bearded, sense of the word. Large hands and firm grips are needed to hold the substantially weighty. flask-shaped bottle, together with a penchant for sleeping outdoors. Women can drink it too – the VOR was extremely fond of it – but were it my last bottle they would have to prise it from my cold, dead, Action Man-esque, grippy hands.

Fruit-forward, packed with plums, damsons, and liquorice and richly enrobed in medium-toast, French oak – this is a fabulously juicy and powerful red wine.

We had it, indoors (it’s winter for Gods sake), with smoked haddock gratin and buttered Cavolo Nero. Red wine with fish – how manly is that!

Thanks to Mark Bolton for making this scrumptious wine look as good as it tasted.

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“Love You Til Tuesday”

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by juleslewis in Wine

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Godello, Malolactic fermentation, Spain, Treixadura, Wine

IMG_2218 (2)

I have been guilty recently of eschewing white wines in favour of autumnal reds, but, would you believe it, along comes a burst of late, lukewarm sunshine and I backtrack. I have to tell you about this delectable little white, its from Spain (please don’t think that all Spanish whites taste like lemon tea aged in oak) and is made from a grape called Treixadura – the dominant vine in Spain’s Ribeiro region.

Hand picked, 100% Treixadura, cold soaked for 8 hours, then cool fermented in stainless steel for around two weeks. The grape is naturally low in acidity, so does not undergo a malolactic fermentation.

It’s forward on the nose, with apricot and citrus notes backed up with a rich, velvety, buttery character. On the palate it is full-bodied, creamy – without vanilla overtones, and shows substantial intensity and concentration. It lacks the nervy acidity of Godello (another great Spanish white grape) but has an underlying minerality which, to my mind at least, makes it more interesting. Finishing full and long, this is a great reflection of modern Spanish winemaking. Ready to drink now – although it may be interesting to check it out in another year – it should come in at between ten and twelve English pounds and is available from Enotria.

“Love you Til Tuesday” is a David Bowie song – in the Austin Powers mode – and I probably will love this wine until Wednesday at the very least.

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September Whites

02 Monday Sep 2013

Posted by juleslewis in Wine

≈ 6 Comments

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Albariño, Marsanne, Portugal, Santa Ynez Valley, Spain, Wine

Its September, the sun is out, and I am still drinking mainly white wines. When being entertained, I am normally handed glasses of; Fizz, Sauvignon Blanc,  un-oaked (or over-oaked) Chardonnay, and over cropped, over priced, Pinot Grigio. As a guest, I often rock up with a couple of bottles that I find interesting and am generally horrified when mein hosts disappear with said bottles and I never see them again! When I bring wine I expect to drink it, and share it. These are a pair of wines with real bling.

The Soalheiro Alvarinho 2010, from Portugal (Spain’s Albarino) is full of citrus fruits of high intensity. It’s not perfumed, as the nose is too creamily complex for that but the aromas do make you want to hastily delve into the glass. The mouthfeel is full and substantial, the flavours follow the nose with hints of peach and almonds. The finish is surprising, lively acidity, beautifully balanced with excellent concentration – scrumdiddlyumtious!

The Qupe Marsanne is a classic. Californian, with a big dollop of true French class. A blend of 75% Marsanne 25% Roussanne, ( principal white varieties of the northern Rhone) organically grown in the heart of the Santa Ynez Valley. The nose is an intense combination of nuts and pears, full and chunky on the palate with an oily richness balanced by classy acidity. It’s a little like a Viognier but without the peachy perfume.

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