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SPAIN:  Table Wines

The table wines from the Rioja region are certainly world famous and in the cellars of connoisseurs around the world. 

We're seeing a dramatic improvement to the wines of Spain and there are still great bargains to be found here.  For many years we've been exploring this delightful area of the wine universe.  You'll find, as a result, we have a substantial stock of Spanish wines.

The Lay of The Land...Backgrounder on Spain

Some Wineries We Like:

VIÑA IZADI
The Izadi winery is a relatively new producer, being founded in 1987.  It's Via Villabuena and Izadi is their brand name.   They're in the Alavesa sub-region of Rioja.   Apparently they made a small change in direction which has had a positive impact on their wines.  They hired "flying winemaker" (that's what they call consulting wine wizards) Mariano García, who had been working with the famous Ribera del Duero estate, Vega Siclia, as a consultant.  

What we especially appreciated about their wines is that they taste like they're from Rioja!  

The 2004 Crianza is a lovely wine.  It's medium-bodied and I found more of a spicy element in it than the normal oak character.  The vintage is said to be a good one and so perhaps the oak is merely soaked up into the background of this wine, rather than being in the spotlight?  It's quite drinkable now and should cellar well for 3-5 years.

Their 2001 Seleccion comes from a parcel of vines which are about 35 years old.   The wine is 80% Tempranillo and 20% Graciano and was matured in brand new French oak for about 16 months.  The wine is a medium-full bodied Rioja...very showy and drinkable now.  We suspect it will cellar nicely for 3-8 more years.

Also impressive is their 2000 vintage of a wine called "Expression."  This is a selection of what the Izadi team thinks is their best wine of the vintage.  As we understand it, this comes from a parcel of vines which are a hundred years old.  All new oak.  Big, deep and impressive.   
 
Currently in stock:
2007 Rioja Blanco (Viura) $19.99
2004 Tinto Crianza (Tempranillo)  $18.99
2001 Seleccion  (List $60)  SALE $49.99
2000 Expression (List $90)  Sale $79.99




 
PAGO FLORENTINO
You might think "Florentino" is an Italian wine, but it's not.  This comes from La Mancha, a vast wine region south of Madrid, a place where loads of everyday, simple wines have been produced.  

Of course, it's possible to make really superior wine in La Mancha, but this takes desire, drive and dedication.  The grapes are already there, but if they're farmed for quantity, you're pretty much out of luck in making something special.

This is an off-shoot of Bodegas Arzuaga and and I prefer this to their Arzuaga wines frankly.  Lavishly oaked, deep in color and teeming with black fruit, it's a delicious, modern style of winemaking.  You can put this on the dinner table in place of good Napa Cabernets or Bordeaux.

We had suggested this to a fellow recently who was dining across the street in the new Italian place, Rocca.  I finally got the doors shut, about 20 minutes later than official closing time on that Monday.  A few moments later there was a frantic tapping on the front door.  This guy had returned.  

They'd just opened their bottle of Pago Florentino and immediately were smitten, realizing one bottle was simply not going to be sufficient.   Another customer had ordered a mixed case of "good value" wines to serve to guests after a special event...he reported back that everyone was thrilled by our selections and he particularly liked the "killer Spanish wine."  He ordered a case to be sent to the office.  Try a bottle for yourself and see why...

Currently in stock:  2007 Pago Florentino  $21.99 (back in stock!)






CODICE
The Eguren family has been making wine since 1870.  They currently have four wine-making facilities: Dominio de Eguren, SEÑORIO de San Vicente, Vega de Toro and  Sierra Cantabria.  They are presently building a fifth and sixth facility, one in Toro and another new one near "headquarters" in Rioja.  We visited their "Sierra Cantabria" installation in Rioja a few years ago and were impressed by the new cellar teeming with American oak barrels.

 I have been more fond of one of their modestly-priced wines than some of their high-roller bottlings.  This comes under the Codice label.  It's made entirely of Tempranillo and spends about 6 months in oak.

The 2007 is remarkably good in this price category.  You'll find a wonderfully sweet fragrance to the nose, the wine displaying lots of cedary notes from the oak.  Importer Jorge Ordoñez credits the enhanced oak to a new cooperage regime.  What a difference!   It's medium-bodied and smooth.  We like serving this cooled to cellar temp, about 55-60 degrees. 

Currently available:  2007 "Codice"   $9.99 

 
 


BORSAO
Borsao comes from a cooperative winery (actually, it's three wineries!) in the Aragn region of Spain.  They have something like 1500 hectares of vineyards, primarily in Garnacha vines.  The official name of the winery is the Sociedad Cooperativa Agricola Limitado de Borja, so you can see their name Borsao is certainly much easier to remember.  

With a price tag of about six bucks-and-change, it's hard to forget!  The wine is made for immediate consumption, being primarily Garnacha with a bit of Tempranillo.  They do a fermentation in the style of Beaujolais....a whole berry fermentation which minimizes the tannin and highlights the red fruit notes (raspberry, strawberry, zesty plums, etc.).  This is best served at cool cellar temp and you will want to drink this in its youth as it's not made with the idea of needing 5 years of bottle aging.

A visitor from Los Angeles was poking around a few years ago, admiring all the interesting and famous California wines and he saw a little sign on this wine.   
"How can this be any good for five bucks?" he asked quizzically.
"Why don't you buy one and find out?" I replied.
He put some money on the counter and departed with a bottle of this. 
About four days later he called from L.A. and arranged to have a dozen bottles shipped to his front door.
Currently available:  2008 Borsao "Campo de Borja"  (list $9.00)  SALE $6.49





LA RIOJA ALTA
riojaalta.gif (10934 bytes)Located in Haro, this is a very traditional, old-time winery.   They grow enough fruit to supply about half of their production, buying grapes from growers to meet the demands of the market.  

A very high percentage of the wines here are Reserva or Gran Reserva designations.  They have more than 30,000 barrels in the cellars!  I have tasted their wines over the years and while I know they are praised for their older wines, I have often preferred their "Viña Alberdi," a Reserva wine with a relatively modest price tag.  The 2001 is probably the best of this bottling in several years, with the wine showing wonderful oak and a silky texture.  

The 1996 Via Ardanza is delightful and "classically-styled" Rioja.  You'll find plenty of oak and the usual woodsy notes of patiently matured Spanish red wine.  It's very drinkable now, though it ought to last for five+ years more.

The 1992 Gran Reserva #904 is a very smooth red.  Medium-bodied, this can be paired with both white or red meats.  It's quite good now.  Lots of woodsy, oaky notes.  The acidity is crisp, giving the wine the ability to cleanse the palate when you're bombarding it with garlic-seasoned grilled lamb chops, por ejemplo.  We suggest opening this and allowing it to blossom in a decanter for an hour or so before dinner.

The Gran Reserva #890 from the 1994 vintage is just being released at the end of 2007.  Here's a remarkable, very traditionally-made Rioja wine.  It comes from old vines which yield few grapes.  It's approximately 85% Tempranillo and the rest is Graciano and Mazuelo.   Six years of aging in wood!!  Imagine that!  Once bottled, the wine was then stored for another 6 years and it's offered to the market in 2007!  The bouquet is lovely, woodsy, cedary and shows a note of cigar box...It's dry on the palate, but not "plush" in the fashion of modern-styled wines.  Pair this with a roast or grilled meats.  Very special.
Currently available:  2003 "Viña Alberdi" Rioja Reserva (List $25) SALE $19.99
1992 Gran Reserva #904 $49.99
1996 Viña Ardanza $32.99
  
1994 Gran Reserva #890  List $160  SALE $149.99






MUGA
torremuga.gif (14767 bytes)Also located in Haro, this family-run producer also has its own cooperage associated with the winery.  They buy wood, season it themselves and there's a cooper on hand to build and repair barrels.  While many wineries in Rioja are using stainless steel for their fermentation, Muga clings to the past, fermenting in wooden vats!  They are using French and American oak for their wines, having more than 10,000 barrels in their impressive cellars. 


prado_enea.gif (3288 bytes)Muga's long-time prestigious bottling of "vino Tinto" is called Prado Enea.  This is predominantly Tempranillo with about 20% split amongst Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo.   Matured for an extended period in oak, the 2000 is just now coming to market!   It is drinkable now and should be in tip-top form for another 5-8 years, maybe longer!

Torre Muga is the "reserve-reserve" bottling.  It is a big time red wine and the 2005 is the current release.  It's a three grape blend, 75% Tempranillo, 15% Mazeulo and 10% Graciano.  The juice gets a long period of skin contact and the wine is matured in wood for approximately two years, 18 months being in brand new barrels.  Here's a thoroughly modern wine made by a fairly traditional winery...You can pair this with grilled or roasted red meats...drinkable now, it may cellar well for another 5-10 years...


Currently available:  2003 Muga "Rioja Reserva"  Sold Out

2005 Torre Muga (list $95) SALE $84.99

 





BODEGAS LAN
Logroño, Alava and Navarra contribute their first letters to form "LAN," the name of this enterprising bodega.  These are the three regions intersected by the Rioja region.   The winery was founded in the early 1970s and became the property of a gentleman who made batteries and plastic tubing.  

The winery has been on a mission, after making serious investments in stainless steel tanks, oak barrels and other winemaking tools.  What it lacked was vineyards and grapes.  LAN began its search for better fruit and they've made great investments to assure top quality grapes.  You see, they're paying above-market prices for grapes and the quality of the LAN wines has risen handsomely.

They produce a large quantity of wine and we find some of their vintages to be spot on and price-worthy.

Currently we have a 2005 "Crianza" in the shop.  It's made entirely of Tempranillo and aged about a year in small American oak barrels.  While it's not the most compelling bottle of Rioja we've run across, it is the best buy in good Rioja...it costs a mere ten bucks, unheard of these days.  Try finding an entry level red in Napa for $9.99.  Buena suerte as they say in Spanish.

The 2005 Crianza is a medium-bodied red.  Nice woodsy notes from the oak and some red fruit elements from the Tempranillo.  It's drinkable now and you can cellar it for a few years.  
 
Currently in stock:  BODEGAS LAN 2005 RIOJA "Crianza"  $9.99







MARQUES DE DAROCA
This winery is located in an unknown region of northeastern Spain.  Aragon has an area known as Valle del Jiloca and it's between Rioja and the east coast of Spain.  

This firm seems to be on the right track, making wines which have a bit of soul to them (unlike the schlock you find from California's Central Valley or the big production "coastal" wines from Beringer or Mondavi, for example).  

The 2007 blend of Grenache + Syrah is remarkably good.   You will detect the berryish notes of both varieties and a hint of spice, too.  The tannins are not huge, making this drinkable now.  And you can't beat it for good value!   They changed the label to the less "noble" Daroca and dropped the "Marques de" since maybe nobody there is of noble heritage.  Who knows?

Currently in stock:  2007 Grenache/Syrah  $7.99 (case discounts, too!)




BODEGAS JUAN GIL
There has been a succession of Juan Gils at this winery, which traces its roots back to the early 1900s in south-eastern Spain.  After the first Juan, maybe they should have named these guys by number, Two Gil, Three Gil, etc.  
I think the current owner is Four Gil.

They're located in the Jumilla region, a place where the Monastrell vine is king.  
We were curious to taste a current vintage from this producer, having read an article in a French magazine indicating the Juan Gil wine fared very well in a blind-tasting comparison of Mourvèdre wines, most of which were from France's Bandol appellation.  And you know the French often believe they have exclusive "rights" to all things of culture, whether it's wine, food or art, so when you read a French journal praising a Spanish wine that's a fraction of the price of the Bandols...well...

The 2007 is made entirely of Monastrell and matured for about a year in small French oak barrels.  It's a fairly hefty red wine...robust, but soft and fairly smooth on the palate. Lots of dark fruit notes, some berries and vanillin along with a touch of cedar.   This is best consumed in its youth...the acidity is not terribly high, so it's not a candidate for cellaring.  
 
Currently in stock:  JUAN GIL 2007 Jumilla Red $14.99

 


 


 

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