Spanish Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx

With wine and hope, anything is possible.
Spanish Proverb

I remember my first trip to Spain in 1994.  At that time I was working at Cafe Maxx as the wine buyer, the “Wines of Spain” organization held a competition in five major markets in the U.S and the top scorers in each market got an all expenses trip to Spain courtesy of the Spanish government.

I was blown away at the incredible architecture of Barcelona, the historical nature of the wineries in Rioja and the wild party going on in the south of Spain.  And the food was spectacular!! I was not expecting to get the experience that I did and it was no surprise to me when a few short years later “el Bulli” became the world’s top restaurant.

Although I have never met Jorge Ordonez I have been following his wines for a long time.  He started selling Spanish wines in the U.S. in 1987 and brought the first Albariño into the U.S., in 1991.  Being a leader in the industry for so many years you can imagine he has lost some big names with over 80 wineries at one time in his portfolio but he still has around 40 wineries and has been one of the leading figures in the Spanish wine world for over 25 years now.  Jorge is also one of the few importers that can say he has a role in making the wines to the tune of 2/3 of his producers have him involved in some aspect of their winemaking, packaging and of course making sure his wines arrive safely on the U.S. shores.

Every container of his wines leaving Bilbao is refrigerated from March 15 to November 15—in every price category.  For Jorge, all consumers are equal, and everybody has the right to drink a great $8 bottle of wine that’s been properly transported. 

A larger than life personality and I apologize we could not get Jorge here to present these wines in person but instead with have Jessica Vallagrana from Stacole, Jorge's distributor here in Florida and of course I will be there to drink with my Wine Drinking People.  Chef Oliver Saucy will be sending out a few small courses to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this event is $35 + tax, for reservations call 954-782-0606.

Jorge Ordonez Spanish Wine Tasting at Cafe Maxx
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
6:30 PM

Tasting Line-up:

2011 Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli
Price: $26                             Sale $22.88          Case $265

Txomin Etxaniz has 35 hectares of protected, sloped vineyards in Getaria where we grow two native types of grape; Hondarrabi Zuri (90%) and Hondarrabi Beltza (10%), which are harvested at the start of October and then made into txakoli in our wineries.

2004 Leopardi Llopart Brut Nature
Price: $30                             Sale $26.40          Case $306

This is Spain's second oldest sparkling wine producer.  After each harvest, we carry out a special coupage, by selecting the four monovarietal wines most outstanding by their elegance and potential evolution. Strictly limited production of 25.000 annual bottles.  Pale golden colour, highly bright. Fine bubbles, forming a nice rosary. Complex bouquet, with elegant spicy notes. Balanced taste, dry and soft, tasty with prolonged aging tones. Known as an exceptional cava in the most important wine guides and by the most prestigious tasters.

2010 J Ordonez Muscat Botani
Price: $21                             Sale $18.48          Case $214

(91 Points)  Bodegas Botani's 2010 Botani is made from 100% Moscatel de Alejandria sourced from old vines. The wine is fermented in stainless steel (60%) and wood puncheons (40%) with 5 months of aging sur lie. Fragrant aromas of jasmine, honey, and tropical fruits inform the nose of this nicely proportioned, intense, savory, dry white. It is an outstanding value for drinking over the next 1-2 years.   Wine Advocate #195, Jun 2011

2008 O Fournier Centauri Red Blend
Price: $26                             Sale $22.88          Case $265

(93 Points)  The 2008 Alfa Centauri Red Blend is composed of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Merlot aged for 18 months in new French oak. The Cabernet Sauvignon component was sourced from 100-year-old vines and the Cabernet Franc from 120-year-old vines. Purple in color, it surrenders an expressive bouquet of sandalwood, earthy minerals, dried herbs and spices, black currant, and blackberry. This sets the stage for a wine of exceptional volume, succulence, and length. It is likely to evolve for 4-5 years and offers a drinking window extending from 2017 to 2028. It could easily pass for a classified growth Bordeaux from a top vintage.  eRobertParker.com #199, Feb 2012

2008 Muga Reserva Rioja
Price: $29                             Sale $25.52          Case $296

A blend of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo and 3% Graciano. The strong influence of the Atlantic climate on this vintage, notwithstanding that of 2000, could mean that this is the best example of a wine of this style.  In “Atlantic” vintages the fruit fights to impose its character over the floral features, but in this wine, and at this point in its evolution, it hasn’t succeeded.  The first impression on the palate is of slight sharpness giving it freshness, the first sign of a wine which will give us a lot of sensations during its long life. As the wine moves through your mouth hints of dried fruits and spices appear and these are complemented in the aftertaste by balsamic nuances. We are faced with one of those rare exceptions in which the ripe fruit is better expressed in the retronasal phase than directly on the nose. We can find prunes, red berries, a bit of stewed apple and mulled wine. In the gradual fading of the sensations in both the retronasal phase and the aftertaste there remains a faint reminder of the fine spices from the oak.

2007 Teso La Monja Almirez (Toro)
Price: $28                             Sale $24.64          Case $286

(91 Points) The grapes for the 2007 Almirez came from 30-year-old ungrafted head pruned vines. The wine was aged for 12 months in one-year-old French oak. Deep crimson-colored, it displays an expressive nose of spice box, espresso, plum, and blackberry compote. Full-bodied on the palate with layers of savory black fruits, lots of spice, and enough fine-grained tannin to evolve for 1-2 years, it will drink beautifully from 2011 to 2019. It is an excellent value that over-delivers in a big way.

Bodegas Teso La Monja is the Eguren family’s new project in Toro featuring a state of the art winery and old vines of Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo). The sandy soils here meant that phylloxera never took hold so that most of the vines are ungrafted.  Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010

2007 Sierra Cantabria Reserva Unica  (Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano) 
Price: $30                             Sale $26.40          Case $306

Sierra Cantabria Reserva Unica 2007 is made by famed winemaker Marcos Eguren. The wine is a blend of two exceptional varietals,97% Tempranillo and 3% Graciano. Aged for 24 months in French and American oak.

2007 Finca Sandoval (Syrah, Monastrell, Bobal)
Price: $30                             Sale $26.40          Case $306

(93 Points)  The deep crimson-colored 2007 Finca Sandoval is made up of 79% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 8% Bobal made entirely from estate-grown fruit. The wine was aged for 11 months in new and seasoned French and American oak. It offers up a brooding bouquet of underbrush, mineral, spice box, blueberry, and blackberry. Packed and impeccably balanced, this savory, layered effort is surprisingly forward for its size. It can be approached now but will be better with 2-3 years of additional cellaring.

Finca Sandoval is the Manchuela estate of distinguished journalist Victor de la Serna. Some readers may know of Senor de la Serna through his contributions to the Parker Bulletin Board where he often sets the record straight on Spanish wines.  Wine Advocate #188, Apr 2010