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More Spanish Table Wines
- LÓPEZ DE HEREDIA
 This
is one of those "old world" producers which is truly "old
world." Though it's in the hands of the 30's-Something
Generation, not much has changed at this venerable Rioja estate since they
got indoor plumbing back in the...well, whenever they got indoor plumbing.
While we live in a hurry-up, fast-paced world, these folks still cling to
something called "tradition." And it's a wonderful
tradition, at that. But I daresay it's not a style of wine that is
easily understood by today's "gobs-of-fruit" or "hedonistic
experience-seeking" wine drinker looking for in-your-face wines with
plenty of extract (and then some) and a forest-full of new wood.
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So this property is one of those rare "keepers of the flame,"
so-to-speak. Old time Rioja wines. Here is it: 2008 and they're
selling a 1981 vintage wine...
That
is : 1981 WHITE WINE!
In this day in age when most 3 year old California Chardonnay is considered
"old," it's amazing to have just received a 27 year old white
from Spain! (I tasted their 1964 white and it is still in tip-top
shape!)
I'd tasted the Viña Tondonia Blanco from 1981 on numerous occasions.
It's a curious wine and, frankly, maybe "practice makes perfect"
because I only recently was able to understand and appreciate this
wine. It's predominantly Viura with a small percentage of
Malvasia. The wine spent some 6 years in barrel and then they give it
another long "rest" in bottle. There's a smoky element I
found quite alluring when I tasted this in the Fall of 2008.
Another new arrival is their 1997 Rosado. Yes. 1997.
Nothing happens quickly at Lopez de Heredia...
The Rosado is made from Tempranillo (30%), Garnacha (60%) and Viura
(10%). In a time when Napa vintners leave a dark, big Cabernet in wood
for 12 months, Lopez de Heredia allows this slumber for four years in
barrel. It's bottled unfiltered, too. The wine has an onion skin
color and, as you might expect of a ten+ year old "pink" wine,
it's not especially fruity.
Their wonderful Viña Tondonia reds are a marvel. If you have an
appreciation for old Barolo or old Burgundy, this is a wine you may find to
be to your taste. The color is brickish, along the lines of old
Barolo. This spends about 6 years in wood and they lay it away for
another 6 in bottle before seeing the light of day. Yet for all that
time in oak, the wines are not woody.
We have some bottles of their 1985 Gran Reserva in stock. These are
best paired with simply-seasoned red meats or a selection of cheeses.
I also recently obtained, directly from the winery, a few bottles of some of
their library wines. They are listed below. These are all mature
wines.
We recently hosted a dinner and opened a 1954 vintage...mighty fine and it
blossomed nicely with airing.
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- Currently in stock: 1981 VIÑA TONDONIA BLANCO $99.99
1985 VIÑA TONDONIA $119.99
1964 VIÑA TONDONIA $249.99
1970 VIÑA TONDONIA $162.99
1978 VIÑA TONDONIA $99.99
- BODEGAS ALTUN
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 In
the course of tasting loads of new Spanish wines, it's clearly apparent that
many vintners on the Iberian Peninsula are making "New World"
wines in hopes of attracting the same scores achieved by many of the
over-ripe bottlings from California and Australia.
Here's a wine that's a bit unusual, since it's not a 'classically' style
Rioja wine and it's also not a wine aimed at wine publications that bestow
"points."
The wine is called Bodegas Altun and it's from a rather young winery.
Since 2001 Jose Antonio Martinez Fernandez (he may have more names but those
are the only ones we're posting here) has been making a fantastic young wine
called "Albiker."
This wine has nothing to do with Harley Davidson or Schwinn
two-wheelers. It's JAMF's son's names combined, Alberto and Iker.
It may seem like a crazy name for a wine, but we think it beats having
another 'critter' label like "Silly Wabbit" or "Pinheaded
Penguin."
The wine won't "score" well because it's intended for immediate
drinking. This is not a wine to stash in the cellar for ten years as
it lacks tannin. Wine critics don't like wines that are drinkable
tonight. For a wine to be really grand, it needs to be so astringent,
you actually wince from the bitter tannins. Or the wine must be
several decades old and on life-support where it's actually drinkable for a
couple of minutes before going totally over the hill.
Albiker 2007 is made from the red grape of Spain, Tempranillo. It's
blended or co-fermented with a bit of the white grape called Viura.
They vinify the wine in the manner of Beaujolais (some Southern Rhone wines
used to get this sort of treatment until French producers got wise and
realized they needed to appeal to the critics). That process is called
"Carbonic Maceration" and it's a "whole berry"
fermentation which highlights the raspberry and cherry-like fruit of
Tempranillo.
The color is very intense and dark, with purple or violet hues. You'll
want to pop a bottle of this in the 'fridge for an hour (like you would with
Beaujolais) and enjoy it during the warm summer and fall weather we tend to
have around here. It can be paired with all sorts of foods. Let
you imagination run wild...pair it with red or white meats...picnic fare...a
pizza...
Currently in stock: 2007 ALBIKER Rioja $13.99-
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"TXAKOLINA"
- There's a small town by the Bay of Biscay in Basque
country called Getaria. The only hotel in town has but about four or five rooms.
There are numerous restaurants scattered around town, all serving incredibly fresh
fish. Getaria is a fishing village, well-known, it seems, in the gourmet community.
The small fishing fleet departs every night, returning in the morning with their
catch.
The recipe for preparing the fish is simple: an open wood fire, the fish, salt and
olive oil. The fish is set on the grill, cooked for the appropriate amount of time
before being dished up and topped with a drizzling of olive oil.
We paid something like $60 (this is ten years ago) for a two-pound fish.
The wine to go with this marvelous
seafood is called "Txakolina" or "Chacoli."
Most Txakolina wines are made from a blend of red and white grapes, the red
being vinified as without skin contact so as to make a "white"
wine.
The Spanish drink most of the Txakoli produced in this small Basque
area. Only a few bottles of the million (or so) are
exported.
So...you know the people of this region are Basque. Do you know what their kids are
called?
Basquettes!
We do have some bottles of the Txomin Etxaniz 2007...lovely, crisp, but
seemingly less dry seafood white.
- Currently in stock:
Txomin Etxaniz 2007 Txakolina $22.99
GUELBENZU The name
Guelbenzu may appear to you as similar to the bottom row of the eye chart at the eye
doctor's office, but it is the name of a famous winemaking
family in Spain's Navarra region.
The family history in the wine biz goes back to the mid-1800s when a Guelbenzu
graduated from a French wine school and made wine, amongst other things. He
encountered some success but the next generation was not interested in continuing with
vino. In the late 1980s Don Miguel Guelbenzu's great-grandchildren re-established
some vineyards and in 1989 made their first wines. Located in the
Queiles River Valley, you'll find the winery in the sleepy town of Cascante. The
cellars were converted from an olive oil-producing venture to wine.
The place is exceptionally clean and organized.  Ricardo Guelbenzu (in the photo to the left)
is the head-honcho, assisted by winemaker Yoseba Altuna. We met Seor Guelbenzu at
the winery and he is a most engaging, thoughtful fellow. He pays attention to the
little details and this shows up in his wines.
Especially fine is a wine called "EVO." The name has several
significances. First, it is said to have been shouted by Bacchus at his
"Bacchanalias": "Evohe! Evohe!!" This was a cry to
"let the party continue!" Secondly, the letters "evo" are found
on the Spanish words "nuevo", "medievo" and "longevo."
- Currently in stock: Special order - Please inquire
ALION This is the property adjacent to Vega Sicilia in the Ribera del Duero
region. It's wines are far more modern than Vega Sicilia and anybody with half a
palate is certain to appreciate the wine of this estate. Unfortunately the modest
production is highly-regarded by anybody who knows anything about Spanish wines. We
receive a small allocation each vintage and this is snapped up by savvy wine buyers.
On a recent to Europe, our pal Norbert opened a bottle of the 1992 vintage....a fabulous
wine. This was still deep ruby-red in color and had the woodsy, cedary notes we
found when we first tasted this wine in 1995 at Vega Sicilia. Paired with
pan-roasted lamb, this bottle was quickly emptied by the trio in attendance that fine
evening. Good thing Norbert has another bottle or two in his cellar near Frankfurt!
The 2004 has recently arrived here. We immediately purchased a bottle
from the importer to taste and found this to
be excellent. Woodsy, cedary, deep in color, deep in fruit. It's
probably going to be at its best over the next several years, as it doesn't
seem to be made for extended cellaring.
The only problem here
is with supply. Delicious!
- Currently in stock:
2004 Alion $89.99
There are usually a few older vintages in stock, too...
Please inquire...
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VEGA SICILIA
 - Yes...we have both the Unico and Valbuena.
Please inquire.
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