Terraspania Spanish Wine Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, March 28, 2012 - 07:00 PM
This Event has been read: 1117 times.
Good wine ruins the purse; bad wine ruins the stomach
Spanish saying
Terraspania Spanish Wine Tasting at Wine Watch
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
7:00 PM
When I tasted with this distributor’s wines for the first time, I looked over to the supplier, Antonio Gomez-Orodea, and said "Wines like this are the reason that I get out of bed in the morning"! Antonio is the General Manager of Terraspania an import company that specializes in Spanish wines. I like to do business with small companies that specialize in specific regions as they tend to have really good wines- if they know what they are doing. Well, let’s just say that Antonio knows what he is doing as all 13 wines that I tasted with him on this afternoon were excellent. Tonight we will be sampling a cross section of wines from this portfolio along with the brand Ambassador for Ribera Del Duero Jenny Benzie and of course we have Wine Watch Catering’s Toni Lampasone on hand to bring us few tasty treats to accompany the wines. This tasting will be a walk around tasting in the store and is limited to 25 tasters, the fee for this tasting is $35 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463.
Tasting Line-up:
Penalba Lopez Cava Brut Nature 2008
Price: $16 Sale $14.08 Case $164
One of the oldest estate wineries in Spain. In the middle of Ribera Del Duero, Torremilanos was the name given to the land and it was originally a hunting grounds. Purchased in 1974 Cava is a DO that has many areas of production. Quality sparkling wine methode champenoise Viura, Macabello the same grape old vineyards low yields 4000 kilos per hectare as opposed to 12,000 for most other cava's or Ch8ampagne for that matter. Fresh and fruity bouquet of apples and pear like fruit with notes of wh8ite flowers. A lovely freshness on the tongue with creamy mousse and a touch of sea salt on the finish. 50,000 bottles produced. Finish 35+ Very Good
Nessa Albarino Rias Baixas 2011
Price: $16.25 Sale $14.30 Case $166
This wine is produced from purchased grapes from vineyards average 25 years old. Winemaker, Enrique Pineiro works with around 30 small growers in the Val do Salnes subregion of Rias Baixes, some with holdings as small as half a hectare. This wine is aged for almost 2 months on fine lees. A crisp light-bodied wine with mineral and fresh citrus flavors.
Casa L’Angel Ecológico Valencia 2009
Price: $14.75 Sale $12.98 Case $151
(88 Points) Glass-staining ruby. Intense, spicy aromas of red and black currant, c raked pepper and violet; showing the syrah today. Dense and chewy in the mouth, offering zesty dark berry flavors and picking up a firm edge with air. Lingers nicely on the finish, leaving behind a slightly bitter berry skin quality. Steven Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar Issue sept/oct 2010
Las Colinas del Ebro Syrah/Garnacha Terra Alta 2010
Price: $15 Sale $13.20 Case $153
(87 Points) The 2010 Tinto is composed of 60% Syrah and 40% Garnacha with brief exposure to French oak. Deep purple in color, blue fruits, mineral, and a hint of game inform the nose of this medium-bodied, up-front offering. Ripe, complex, and well-balanced, this tasty effort will drink well over the next 4 years. Wine Advocate #195, May 2011
Pujanza Hado Rioja 2009
Price: $20 Sale $17.60 Case $204
(90 Points) The 2009 Pujanza Hado was sourced from Bodegas Pujanza’s younger vines (20-35 years of age) and aged for 12 months in seasoned French oak. It gives up an alluring nose, particularly at this level, of fragrant spices, cedar, leather, lavender, black cherry, and blackberry. Surprisingly rich (likely as a result of the vintage), deep, and structured, this succulent Rioja is an outstanding value meant for drinking over the next 8-10 years. Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011
Prima Toro 2009
Price: $22.50 Sale $19.80 Case $230
(90 points) The purple-colored 2009 Prima is made up of 90% Tinta de Toro and 10% Garnacha aged for 12 months in seasoned French oak prior to bottling without filtration. Earthy minerals, espresso, truffle, licorice, and blackberry aromas lead to a ripe, dense, sweetly-fruited, layered wine lacking only complexity. Give it 1-2 years to fill out and drink it through 2021. Bodegas Maurodos is owned by renowned vigneron Mariano Garcia and his sons Eduardo and Alberto. Wine Advocate # 195 Jun 2011
Luna Beberide Finca La Cuesta Bierzo 2008
Price: $23.25 Sale $20.46 Case $237
(91 Points) The 2008 Finca la Cuesta is a single vineyard Mencia sourced from 60-year-old vines. It was fermented with native yeasts and aged for 12 months in French and American oak. It exhibits a splendid, nearly kinky bouquet of roasted black fruits, smoke, and herbs. Smooth-textured, already complex, and seriously pleasure-bent, this lengthy effort will evolve for at least another 2 years and drink well through 2018. It is a terrific value. Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010
Vega Escal Priorato 2008
Price: $24 Sale $21.12 Case $245
(91 Points) The fruit for the 2008 Vega Escal was sourced from around the village of Gratallops, a warmer sub-region of Priorat. It is a blend of 60% Carinena, 30% Garnacha, and 10% Syrah aged for 6 months in French oak. Enticing aromas of garrigue, lavender, incense, plum, and black cherry lead to a racy, intense, impeccably balanced, lengthy wine that can be approached now but will provide enjoyment for another 6-8 years. Wine Advocate #194, May 2011
Ribera Del Duero Wines
Montecastrillo Roble Ribera del Duero 2009
Price: $15.75 Sale $13.86 Case $161
(88 Points) Finca Torremilanos’ red wines begin with the 2009 Montecastrillo Roble, a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in oak for 7 months and bottled without filtration (as are all the following wines). Deep purple in color as befits the vintage; it reveals an enticing perfume of Asian spices, incense, lavender, licorice, and blackberry. Dense on the palate with a bit of structure, this succulent, forward effort can be enjoyed now and over the next 6 years. It is an excellent value.
Finca Torremilanos is the only estate in Ribera del Duero permitted to produce Cava which they have now been doing for 30 years. The climate is cooler than Penedes where 95% of Spain’s Cava is made. It is made from 90% Viura (vine age 60-180 years) and 10% Chardonnay with 25 months on the lees and zero dosage with residual sugar less than 1%. Finca Torremilanos is to be commended for its effort to expand the winemaking envelope. Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011
Finca La Mata Ribera del Duero 2009
Price: $18 Sale $15.84 Case $184
Single vineyard wine Finca indicated that it is a single vineyard and La Mata signifies an area covered in bushes has a meaty character to the cherry and plum like fruit on the nose has a light smoky character. Nice zesty spicy finish tobacco and light red berry fruit nice freshness. Finish 40+ Very Good +
Arrocal Ribera del Duero 2008
Price: $18.50 Sale $16.28 Case $189
(90 Points) Bodegas Arrocal’s purple-colored 2008 Arrocal is 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) aged for 8 months in French and American oak before bottling without filtration. Aromas of cedar, spice box, mineral, leather, and black fruits gives way to a surprisingly dense, intense, and savory wine that over-delivers for its humble price. It is a great value for drinking over the next 5 years. Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010
Los Cantos Ribera del Duero 2009
Price: $22.50 Sale $19.80 Case $230
(90 Points) The 2009 Cantos de Torremilanos is 100% Tempranillo sourced from organically farmed vineyards. It was fermented with native yeasts and aged in 33% new French oak. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it emits a captivating nose of cedar, cinnamon, clove, incense, tapenade, and blackberry. In the glass it displays a smooth texture, excellent volume, succulent, layered fruit, plenty of spice, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will benefit from 1-2 years of additional bottle age and drink well through 2021. It is an outstanding value. Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011
Torremilanos Ribera del Duero 2009
Price: $27 Sale $23.79 Case $275
Arrocal Selección Ribera del Duero 2004
Price: $39.50 Sale $34.76 Case $403
(91 Points) The 2004 Arrocal Seleccion is 100% Tempranillo aged for 15 months in French and American oak and bottled without filtration. The wine has a very expressive nose of pain grille, spice box, black currants, and blackberry liqueur. This is followed by a youthful, slightly reticent, tightly knit wine encapsulated in a full-bodied personality. The wine is well structured for the long-term and merits 2-4 years of cellaring. It should provide pleasure through 2020. Wine Advocate #169, Feb 2007
Menu
Jamon de Serrano
Gougers cheese puff
Lamb meat balls with yogurt Dipping sauce
Honey Walnut Stuffed dates with three cheeses
Braised Mushroom Flatbread with mascarpone Cheese
A bit about Ribera Del Duero:
Officially, the Denominación de Origen (D.O.) of Ribera del Duero was founded on July 21, 1982 by an organization of wine producers and growers who were determined to promote the quality of their wines and enforce regulatory standards.
In practice, winemaking in Ribera dates back over 2,000 years to the Roman era, as evidenced by a recent find, a 66-meter mosaic of Bacchus, the god of wine, unearthed at Baños de Valdearados. In the middle ages, new plantings by monasteries such as the Cistercians in Valbuena de Duero (first to arrive in the 12th Century) and the Benedictines from Cluny in Burgundy spurred a revival in local winemaking. Ribera’s earliest underground cellars with their distinctive chimneys were built in the thirteenth century in towns across the region, and still serve to protect wines from the extreme climate.
Wine became an essential aspect of Ribera’s cultural and economic development facilitating trade with other areas of Spain and resulting in the first quality regulations, the "Ordinances of Castilla y León," in the fifteenth century. Ribera wines were highly regarded for export at the height of the Spanish Empire in the 17th and 18th centuries, and in more recent times the founding of Bodega Vega Sicilia in 1864 heralded the quality credentials of the region prior to the formal establishment of the D.O.
Today, new technology and modern techniques as well as a respect for tradition have driven the quality of Ribera del Duero to its highest accomplishments in over two millennia of winemaking history. Ribera wines have received international acclaim and enjoy widespread distribution.
The climate of Ribera del Duero is unique and ideally suited to growing quality red grapes. Mediterranean with Continental influences, the Ribera climate is characterized by extremes; the region has the highest average elevation in Europe for growing red wine grapes, hot summers, cold winters, a short growing season, minimal rainfall, and a diversity of soils. Combined, these conditions favor the highest quality winemaking.
Summers are short and hot with temperatures ranging from 50 to 60 °F (10 to 15.5 °C) at night to over 100 °F (38 °C) during the day. Rapid daily temperature changes during the growing season facilitate healthy ripening of the grapes by day, and promote balanced acidity and aromatic complexity at night. Moderate to low rainfall, with an average of approximately sixteen inches per year, and extremely limited summer rainfall, also contributes to a perfect, consistent ripening of the vine.
On average, the vineyards of Ribera are planted between approximately 2,500 to 2,800 feet (760 to 850 meters) above sea level (with some vineyards as high as 3,100 feet or 945 meters), resulting in considerable differential between night and daytime temperatures.
Soil conditions in Ribera are near-perfect, with a great diversity of soils extending from the banks of the Duero to the steepest slopes. Closest to the river, soils are alluvial with sand and reddish clay. At higher elevations, alternating layers of limestone, marl and even chalk are a notable feature, even with many outstanding plantings on limestone sites.
The main grape variety of the Ribera region is Tempranillo, known locally as Tinto Fino or Tinta del País. Tempranillo, an early-ripening variety, (from "temprano" meaning "early"), is ideally suited to Ribera’s shorter growing season and extreme conditions.
Widely planted and cherished throughout Spain, Tempranillo produces red wines that are well-balanced in sweetness, color and acidity and yields fresh and fruity characteristics with appealing aromas such as black plums, cherry, and licorice. In Ribera del Duero Tempranillo yields smaller berries, loose clusters and tougher skin, which encourages more skin-to-juice contact and promotes full-bodied, powerful wines that still retain the grape’s renowned elegance. The combination of power and elegance represents Tempranillo’s signature in Ribera del Duero, and the region’s singular contribution to winemaking today.
D.O. Ribera del Duero adheres to and closely monitors strict quality controls. During harvest each winery is assigned a surveyor by the Consejo Regulador of D.O. Ribera del Duero, the governing body that oversees all aspects of the viticultural and winemaking process. The Consejo regulates where the grapes come from, the varieties used, the percentages allowed, vineyard practices including pruning, density, and yields, winemaking procedures, alcohol levels and labeling. In practice, the wineries consistently outperform the high standards set by the Consejo in order to maximize quality production.
There are several designations for wines that are produced in the Ribera del Duero: Joven, Crianza, Reserva, Gran Reserva, and Rosado.
* Joven: Joven wines have no oak at all. "Joven Roble" and "Joven Barrica" are interchangeable terms that refer to wines aged for a short period of three to six months in oak, released soon after harvest. All wines with a Joven classification are fruity and vibrant, and meant to be consumed quite young.
* Crianza: Aged two years, a minimum of twelve months in oak barrels. They can be released after the first of October, two years after the harvest. These wines have well balanced tannins with a full-bodied and velvety mouthfeel.
* Reserva: Aged three years, a minimum of twelve months in oak barrels; can only be placed on the market after the first of October of the third year after the harvest. After twelve months in oak barrels, Reserva wines are then bottled and laid down in winery cellars, producing wines that are ready to drink once they enter the market. Reserva wines are elegant and intense, with a rich aftertaste that is long and persistent.
* Gran Reserva: Wines of outstanding quality, made in select vintage years only. Aged a minimum of sixty months, with twenty-four months in oak barrels minimum followed by additional bottle aging. First release is allowed after the first of October, five years after the harvest. After twenty-four months in oak barrels, Gran Reserva wines are then bottled and laid down in winery cellars, producing wines ready that are ready to drink at the time of release. Gran Reserva wines are complex and structured, with great balance and vitality.
* Rosado: Rosé wines are fermented without the skin of the grape and are available shortly after the harvest. Easy to enjoy, with refreshing wild-berry flavors.
The use of oak is closely regulated by type and classification. In addition, oak barrels are changed every four years on average.
Maximum Yields are limited to 7,000 kilograms per hectare (3.1 tons per acre). In practice, the average yields for the past twenty-two years have rarely exceeded 3,600 kilograms per hectare (1.6 tons per acre), as grape-growers reduce quantity, driven by a pursuit of quality.
