Ribera Del Duero, Rioja and Toro Tempranillo Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx

“With bread and wine you can walk your road”
Spanish Proverb quotes

We have a focus on Spanish wines this week here at Wine Watch with two GREAT Spanish tastings.  The first one is this Wednesday night and features a study in Tempranillo from three distinct wine growing regions of Northern Spain.  All Tempranillo is not created equal and the wines of Rioja, Ribera Del Duero and Toro are very different.  Come out and see what Tempranillo from Spain is all about this evening.

Then on Saturday night we have our vintage Spanish tasting back to the 1954 vintage including 10 wines that are at least 20 years old.  This is a serious study in vintage Rioja with a few other classic old vintage wines from all over Spain like the 1978 Torres Gran Coronas from the Penedes and the Pesquera 1994 Janus from Ribera Del Duero, check out the complete line-up of wines on our calendar of events on our web page.

These tastings at the Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time- a great way to spend happy hour.  For reservations call 954-782-0606.

Ribera Del Duero, Rioja and Toro Tempranillo Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
6:30 PM

Artadi Vinas de LaGuardia 2014
Price: $45             Sale $39.60          Case $459.00

This new Village Series insures that each wine, which bares the name of its origin, is a unique representation of village where the grapes are grown. They are wines of personality and character, and Artadi's new Vinas de Laguardia is the standard for fruit-forward wines with complex flavors and delicate tannins. Made with 100% Tempranillo

Artadi Valdegines Laguardia 2012
Price: $67.50       Sale $59.40          Case $689

These two vineyards are within 50 meters of each other this one is facing east (Morning Sun) and the other is facing west (afternoon sun), the soils are the same and this is the only difference. This wine has a beautiful bouquet with fresh flowers, strawberry jam like fruit very intense and has a forward and appealing nature right after opening. Rich and concentrated on the tongue with a good deal of red berry fruit, a nice hand of spice and that pretty floral nuance from the nose lasting through the finish. Finish 50+ Most Excellent

Finca Villacreces Pruno Ribera Del Duero 2013   
Price: $21.25       Sale $18.70          Case $217

(92 points) I’ve loved this wine in the past and the 2013, a blend of 90% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 12 months in French oak, is stunning, simply over-delivering in so many different ways. This wine, which offers up copious quantities, of blueberry, black raspberry and black currant fruit, licorice, graphite and meaty notes, offers fabulous aromatics, medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, beautiful, pure texture and a long, heady finish with subtle oak. What’s amazing is the French oak is all two-year-old, super-expensive Darnajou barrels. For $20 this is another amazing offering from Spain and from importer Eric Solomon. (7/2015) Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Hacienda Monasterio Ribera Del Duero 2011    
Price: $48.25       Sale $42.46          Case $493

(93 Points) "I tasted three breathtaking wines, starting with the 2011 Crianza which is, year in, year out, one of the best crianzas from Ribera del Duero. It is a blend of mostly Tempranillo with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot and 2% Malbec, and I wonder if the combination of grapes has something to do with the extra dimension and complexity that I often find in this wine. The vineyards are planted on the chalky slopes of this chateau-style winery which is surrounded by vineyards outside the village of Pesquera de Duero. The same time as some 6% of the whole cluster began going into the fermentation vats, also started using around 10% 500-liter barrels for the aging of the wine. For Sisseck, 2011 marks the end of an era, the end of high alcohol, but it all comes from the work in the vineyards improving on the balance, adapting yields to the character of the vintage. It has an explosive nose, with ripe, hedonistic aromas and the wood perfectly integrated into the wine. The palate is only medium to full-bodied, dense, glyceric, with polished tannins, and clean, with delineated flavors, not heavy and with the alcohol perfectly integrated and unnoticable. This is a big Ribera which feels light on its feet; a gentle giant, a triumph for the vintage. A curious 166,600 bottles were produced in 2011. Drink now-2019. " The Wine Advocate

Convento San Francisco Ribera Del Duero 2006
Price: $33.00       Sale $29.04          Case $337

(91 points)  The 2006 Convento San Francisco is a blend of 92% Tempranillo and 8% Merlot with much of the Tempranillo sourced from old-vine (86-102 years of age) pre-phylloxera sites. It was aged for 12 months in French and American oak. Dark ruby-colored, it displays an enticing perfume of cedar, spice box, violets, mineral, and black cherry. Savory on the palate with good grip and balance, it has the structure to evolve for 2-3 years and should be at its best from 2012 to 2021.  (Jun 2010)  Wine Advocate

Las Claras Ribera del Duero Heritage 2011          
Price: $25.25       Sale $22.22          Case $258

(93 Points) "Another knock-out offering from a winery founded in 2010, with some vineyards dating back to 1900, the 2011 Las Claras was aged in French oak, most of it new, for eight months prior to bottling. This fabulous bargain over-delivers in every sense. Its dense ruby/purple color is accompanied by abundant notes of lead pencil shavings, white chocolate, espresso roast and creme de cassis. This modern-styled Spanish, super-rich, intense red takes ripeness to the limit." The Wine Advocate

2012 Numanthia Termes Toro
Price: $22.50       Sale $19.80          Case $230

(89 points)  The 2011 Termes has a reticent, shy nose showing aromas of ripe blackberries and peat with mineral hints and very ripe fruit, verging on the over extraction, which diminishes the pleasure adding a blurry layer between you and the wine. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with round, fatty tannins and good balance. The spiciness turns into dried flowers and makes it quite attractive. The finish is slightly warm with the alcohol making an appearance toward the end. A bit contradictory, I know. Drink now-2016.  Wine Advocate #214, Aug 2014

2011 Numanthia Toro
Price: $45.00    Sale : $39.60          Case $459
Quantity in Stock: 6

“The 2011 Numanthia is a powerful and concentrated Tempranillo with abundant aromas of peat, tar, shoe polish and ripe dark fruit with hints of minerality and a marked earthiness. The palate is warm, with noticeable alcohol that seems to coat the tannins while the acidity is barely enough to provide freshness for such an amount of glycerol. With time, the aromas are clearly from the barrel: dark chocolate, espresso coffee and toasted bread. XXL for sure, for fans of the style. Drink 2015-2019.” -Wine Advocate

These tastings at the Cafe Maxx for $35 are the best value of any event that we do. You get to try 8 different wines at the same time, pre-poured so they have a chance to open up and so you can go back through the line-up to get a second and third look at everything. This is how you learn about wine and with master chef Oliver Saucy sending out a few small courses to accompany the wines, you get a taste of Cafe Maxx and an education in wine all at the same time- a great way to spend happy hour.  For reservations call 954-782-0606.