Spanish Wine Tasting Evening

[TheEngineer]

I was invited by an extremely nice retailer (KC you may know him as this was Warehouse Wines). I appreciated this opportunity as it was a group of friends, many in the trade who decended on his house. Nice cheese served too! Total about 11 people showed up.

So here are people who were 30 year+ veterans of the wine trade sitting down with me. Great Wealth of knowledge and they were a great bunch, learned a lot and also tasted though about $900 worth of wine. Great evening. To be sure, there wasn't a bad bottle except for the single unfortunate corked bottle.

Wine was served in four flights with winning wines determined in each flight. Points were assigned based on first and second place votes per flight. All the flights were so close and well put together. It was hard to chose the best one.

First flight: Newer Wines

Wine #1 Ventus Toro Tinto (100% Tempranillo) (3 points) $21
Deep Dark fruits, powerful, TANNIC, wow. so tannic, great grip chocolate, coffee, but medium+ finish for such a large wine. Definitely FULL BODY

Wine #2 2004 Numanthia Termes (100% tempranillo) (21 points) $65
I was looking forward to this wine as it uses Pre-Phylloxera vines. Flavor profiles was very different, more alive if that means anything. Apparently made from 70 to 100 year-old vines planted at a 2,300 foot elevation. Large but restained nose, seemed a bit tight to me (needed lots of air). Very fresh, intense, concentrated, massive, and rich. Palate of coffee, dark cherries, dark berries, very acidic and tannic, so built for long term, tons of wood though, great complexity and full body. My top pick.

Wine #3 2002 Bodegas Maurodos Vina San Roman (100 Tempranillo) (12 points) $50
Tight nose, more rim variation than the others and approachable, Abundant deep dark fruits but a very nice earthy, minerally, dusty sense. Not as dense and concentrated as the others but still very full body. My second pick

Flight 2 Older Wines (Kinda nice since the first three were SO LARGE)

1996 Ramirez de Ganuza – Rioja Alavesa (90% Tempranillo, 7% Granciano, 3% Garnacha) (14 points) $65
Definite signs of age on a bottle, floral, gamey, some leather and other secondary notes, nice acidity, Wonderful balance and great wine!

1997 Baron de Ona Reserva – Rioja Alavesa (92% Tempranillo, 4% Mazuelo, 4 % Cabernet Sauvignon) (10points) $25
Another very nicely aged rioja reserve. Elegant perfumey nose with some older cedar wood and a little spiciness. Nice fruits still, of cherries and plum, with secondary notes of leather. Medium body personality, a tough of tanginess, layering of flavors. My first choice for this flight.

1995 Alenza Ribera del Duero (8 points) $110

Still very deep garnet in color for an 11 year old bottle, very tannic and acidic and still rather tight so this could definitely use more time….like 5 more years. Predominantly dark fruits, somewhat sweet, spicy pepper, ripe with a nice touch of earth and tobacco. Solidly built wine. My second choice.

Flight #3 Younger Rioja and Ribera del Duero

#7 2001 Pagos de Vina Real – Rioja Alavesa (corked…..) $120.
Leave it to be the most expensive bottle tonight to be corked. I as really looking forward to this one too. Even though it was corked, you could get a sense of just how wonderful this wine would have been if flying full song. Shame…not rated.

#8 2000 Bodegas Alion, Ribera Del Duero (8 points) $65
This was my contribution for the evening. I love Alión as it is a bit more forward than Unico but still very complex and completely enjoyable. This was definitely tight but still very elegant with a herbal nose. Great balance, dense and rich red fruit, spicy and peppery, very complex and full bodied. (My second choice).

#9 2001 Alonso Del Yerro Ribera Del Duero (11 points) $45
Nose was cheerful and pretty, Color (like others) was a deep purple color with a nice nose almost floral. Full bodied but smooth silky texture Brighter cherries and plums still tannic and a great balance.


#10 2001 Torre Muga Rioja – Rioja Alta (75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazuelo, 10% Granciano) (13 points) $95
You can see how good all of these wines were when the Torre Muga gets only 13 points (or for that matter Alion gets 8 points). Very large and very modern, with a deep opaque purple. Nose and taste of blackberry, black cherries, plum, cedar wood, earthiness, leather, Great concentration, density, lively, and full body but still good balance. Wow….. My first choice

Flight four, Party like its 1999

1999 Vina Izadi Expression Rioja Alavesa (16 points) $95
Deep purple opaque with thick dark fruits, dry, solid tannins, very acidic and fresh. Great balance for this large wine. My first pick

1999 Abadia Retuerta Cuvee El Campanario (9 points) $55
Older wood with a meaty nose and taste, dark cherries slightly behind but high alcohol levels. Very tight with a slightly bitter finish.

1999 Artadi Pagos Viejos – Rioja Alavesa
Another deep dark opaque purple wine. The wine is concentrated but very balanced for its size. Still tight, with a nose of dark and red fruits, cherries, berries, some earthy minerals, coffee and spiciness. Medium+ body with a great great long finish, My second choice of the flight only for its impressive size.

Nice evening.