Bodegas Arrayan- Spain tasting with Export Director Alvaro Garcia de Oteyza

Wine, one sip of this will bathe the drooping spirits in delight beyond the bliss of dreams. Be wise and taste.
~ John Milton

And we will bathe in our fair share of fine wine this week.  We still have a few seats remaining for the Alvaro Palacios event tomorrow night at the Edge Steak and Bar in the Four Seasons Hotel on Brickell.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to drink one of the world's greatest wines with the man who is considered one of the founding fathers of the Priorat DOC.  Check out the menu and list of tasting wines on our Calendar of events on the home page of our website.

The Dal Forno and Quintarelli event is Friday night and we will be showing two of my "Bucket List" wines this evening with both the 1997 Reciots on the table!

Next week we also have a few great events, starting the week with a new producer from Spain.  This is an exciting new project from one of the more obscure regions, Mentrida.

Then we have winemaker Chris Millard, winemaker for Newton Vineyards at the Dutch Restaurant in the W Hotel on South Beach. 

And finally on Friday we are partying like a rock stars here at the store with our LVMH portfolio tasting.

Check out our calendar of event, we have a lot of great wine drinking opportunities listed through the end of the year!

Bodegas Arrayan- Spain tasting with Export Director Alvaro Garcia de Oteyza at Wine Watch
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
7:00 PM

Bodegas Arrayán was founded by entrepreneur José María Entrecanales and his wife, María Marsans, on their estate, La Verdosa, which is located in Santa Cruz de Retamar, Toledo.

Bodegas Arrayán arose from its founders' dream of creating a vineyard that uses innovative viticultural techniques in perfect harmony with the ecosystem of the Mediterranean pasture land (dehesa) to create a high-quality wine with a strong personality.

To this end, renowned Australian viticulturist, Richard Smart, performed an exhaustive study of the terrain, soil, and climate to choose the optimal exposures, orientations and varieties in accordance with the winery's goals.

Planting of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Petit Verdot commenced in 1999, in harmony with the holm oak trees scattered around the estate.

The first vintage went on sale at the end of 2003.Since then, Arrayán has expanded its family of wines and it currently has an excellent brand line comprised of four oak-aged reds (two of them varietal: Arrayán Syrah and Arrayán Petit Verdot), and two coupages of the four varieties (Arrayán Selección and Arrayán Premium), together a fresh and fruity young rosé (Arrayán Rosado).
All Bodegas Arrayán wines are under the Méntrida Designation of Origin.

Tasting Line-up:

Arrayan La Verdosa First Wine Mentrida 2010                      
Price: $16.00       Sale $14.08          Case $163

(89 Points) The 2010 La Verdosa First Wine is a blend of 50% Syrah with the balance Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot fermented and aged in stainless steel. Aromas of game, smoke, violets, incense, blueberry, and blackberry are followed by a rich, dense, savory, easygoing, pleasure-bent offering that will provide enjoyment over the next 5 years. It is an outstanding value.

Bodegas Arrayan, located in the north of La Mancha in a region known as Mentrida, has turned out a pleasant Rose made from a blend of Syrah, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot fermented and aged in stainless steel.  Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011

Arrayan Seleccion Mentrida 2007                                           
Price: $21.00       Sale $18.48          Case $215

(90 Points)  Arrayan’s 2007 Seleccion is a blend of 35% Syrah, 30% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the balance Petit Verdot aged for 8 months in French oak. Purple in color with a nose of spice box, roasted herbs, violets, and assorted black fruits, on the palate it is sweetly-fruited, dense, and layered. It has some underlying structure and should evolve for 1-2 years. This lengthy effort is a very good value that will provide prime drinking from 2012 to 2019. Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010

Arrayan Petit Verdot Mentrida 2007                                         
Price: $28.50       Sale $25.08          Case $291

(91+ Points) The purple-colored 2007 Petit Verdot (100%) spent 12 month in 100% new French oak. It sports an impressive bouquet of roasted herbs, underbrush, brier, blackberry, and plum. Dense, rich, and structured on the palate, it makes up in power what it lacks in elegance. This muscular effort will reward 6-8 years of additional cellaring and should drink well through its 25th birthday.   Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010

Arrayan Syrah Mentrida 2007                                                       
Price: $28.50       Sale $25.08          Case $291

(91+ Points) The 2007 Syrah (100%) also spent 12 months in French oak. It surrenders a brooding bouquet of meat, game, violets, incense, blueberry, and black cherry. Layered on the palate and impeccably balanced, it is considerably more approachable than the Petit Verdot and should be at its best from 2013 to 2022.

Arrayan Premium Mentrida 2005                                              .
Price: $48.00       Sale $42.24          Case $490

(93 Points) The 2005 Premium is a blend of 55% Syrah, 20% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Petit Verdot aged 14 months in new French oak. This cuvee has a bit more complexity than its mono-varietal siblings as well as greater complexity, structure, and aging potential. On the palate, the powerful black and blue fruit flavors are remarkably persistent and lead eventually to a finish that lasts for nearly a minute. It will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring and will have a drinking window extending from 2012 to 2020.  Wine Advocate #183, Jun 2009
 

Menu

Selection of Cheese: Manchego, Beemster Gouda and Reggiano Parmesan.  Jamon De Serrano and Spanish Olives

Asado of Skirt Steak and Chicken offered with basil chimichurri and ancho Honey BBQ served with potatoes Anna

The Vineyard

The vineyard was planted in 1999 in the south-west end of the estate, at an altitude of between 470 and 510 metres above sea level, after a meticulous survey and soil analysis. There are 26 hectares under vine, with the following varieties: Shiraz (13.25 hectares), Merlot (4.76 ha), Cabernet Sauvignon (4.1 ha) and Petit Verdot (2.57 ha). Each variety was planted in the soil found to be most suited for good grape development.

The plantation density—3,968 plants per hectare—is unusually high for Spain. Row spacing is 2.8 metres and vines are planted 1.6 metres apart in pairs to force deep rooting while maintaining the possibility of mechanisation.

CLIMATE

The continental-Mediterranean climate is characterised by extreme temperature variations, from harsh winters to hot summers. The risk of frost is minimal during the growing season.

Average annual precipitation is 300 mm, confined to the winter months. Since there is very little rain during the growing season, irrigation is required.

This is the perfect microclimate for a relatively sparse crop of healthy grapes. The vines are tended in an environmentally-friendly way; no chemical herbicides or fertilisers are used and the land is worked using natural fertilisers only when needed.

SOIL

The soil is alluvial, from the erosion of the granite massifs in Spain's central plateau, and is basically sandy loam in the gullies, with an acid pH and a high silicate content.

It is uniform to a considerable depth and has an intermediate structure allowing for perfect drainage and deep rooting.
The soil is a poor substrate, containing low levels of carbonate and organic materials, and suffers partial dehydration during the ripening period, between veraison and the harvest, which attenuates growth and favours maturation of the berries, bringing out their full personality.

No chemical herbicides or fertilisers are used; manure is applied as a soil improver.

Watering is by drip irrigation controlled by vertical electrical probes that relay data by radio to the central computer. This system makes it possible to fine-tune the plants' level of water stress during the dry season.

WINEMAKING AND AGING

The grapes are harvested by hand and carried in 20 kg. crates to the winery, which adjoins the vineyard. Bunches are hand sorted and vetted for health, then destemmed and transferred in small fermentation vats. The existing vats are of stainless steel but small French oak vats are to be added shortly.

Fermentation and maceration take place at controlled temperatures over a period of 20 – 30 days, during which the cap of grape skins and other solids is punched down and pumped frequently.

The wine is then is transferred to stainless steel vats, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation. At the beginning of winter, it is transferred to French oak casks to age.