Spanish Reds

[djzouke]

Spanish reds continue to impress my young palate. I used to drink 60% white and 40% red until I encountered my first humble Rioja about 5 five years ago. Actually, I had a 1978 Rioja Grand Reserva in the early 80's and knew not what I was drinking. At $8 or so as I remember.

When I started enjoying Spanish reds with food, I've never turned back. The only whites I buy are Champagne or Cremant de Limoux. I still wonder at the suppleness of Tempranillo. The variety is truly astounding. Decanter had a good feature on it a month or so a go. Long live the reds of Spain!

Rioja, Jumilla, Navarra, La Mancha, Valdepenas, Ribera del Duero, Calatayud, Toro, Yecla, Almansa, Campo de Borja, Utiel-Requena, Cataluna, Castilla Y leon, Cigales and many more.

[melkor]

2002 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud Garnacha (Spain, Aragón, Calatayud) - this is one of those things we buy by the case and never get sick of. It's fresh and fruity, with nicely integrated tannins, for all of $7/bottle.

[Coop]

melkor, are you shilling for name sake Eric Solomon? Just kidding. I agree it's very nice for everyday drinking, another good wine from Soloman is the Bhaltasar old Vine Granacha. Other Spanish wines I love are (please excuse my spelling):

Reds.

Finca Sandoval from egullets own vserna.

Gutrum Bru from Castell Remii

Dehesa Gago and Vina 105 from Telmo Rodruigez

Casa d'Ermita

Numenthia Tores

Hecula

White.

Basa from Telmo Rodruigez

Dessert.

Moscato d'Oro from Ochoa

Edited January 18, 2005 by Coop (log)

[Brad Ballinger]

A few...

Finca Valpiedra Rioja

Barbaranc Priorat

Borsao Tres Picos Campo de Borja

Guelbenzu Azul Navarra

[melkor]

melkor, are you shilling for name sake Eric Solomon? Just kidding. I agree it's very nice for everyday drinking, another good wine from Soloman is the Bhaltasar old Vine Granacha. Other Spanish wines I love are (please excuse my spelling):

←

He even spells his name the same way I do, but so far that hasn't worked to my advantage. I need to work on that.

[djzouke]

2002 Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud Garnacha (Spain, Aragón, Calatayud) - this is one of those things we buy by the case and never get sick of.  It's fresh and fruity, with nicely integrated tannins, for all of $7/bottle.

←

Las Rocas old vine grenache flew out of the wine shop that I work at. A great value at $10 in upstate NY. I think I could drink Spanish reds & Champagne forever. The 2001 Vina Alarba Pago San Miguel is another ambrosia jewel @ about $17 from Tempranillo Imports in upstate NY.

The exclusion of other reds might seem presumptuous to many, but I strongly feel a soul affinity to Spanish red wine. If anyone cares, I have a list of Spanish reds that I have known and loved that I can email you.

The price/value ratio here is still quite good with the wide range of regional climates and indigenous varietals despite the Euro-Dollar devaluation. There's a good deal of investment money pouring into regions other than Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Priorato.

Thanks for the suggestions of all!

[THuRStoN]

If you're into La Rioja & tempranillo, you should look for 2001 Crianzas, nice QPR there. A few more, from modern to a more traditional style:

Roda II.

Valenciso Reserva.

Finca Valpiedra.

Contino Reserva -> 1996, 1995

Contino Viña del Olivo -> 1996, 1982, 1981

Monte Real Gran Reserva/Reserva Especial -> 1994, 1996, 1973, 1964.

LdH Viña Tondonia -> 1982, 1964.

LdH Viña Bosconia -> 1996, 1982, 1954.

Prado Enea Gran Reserva -> 1982.

C.V.N.E. Imperial Gran Reserva

Also interesting but not coming from La Rioja are:

Somontano: Marboré 2001 (18€), Secastilla 2001.

Penedès: Jean Leon Gran Reserva 1979/1983/1994/1998.

Montsant: Les Sorts Vinyes Velles 2001 (12€), Laurona 1999

Alicante: Enrique Mendoza Shiraz 2001/2002 (<11€).

V.T. Ribera del Andarax (Almeria): Barjalí 2000 (Bodega Paco Ferre)

As others already have told you, Finca Sandoval its a quite interesting Shiraz from Manchuela.

Cheers,

<strong><font color=#0039b6>T</font><font color=#c41200>H</font><font color=#f3c518>u</font><font color=#0039b6>R</font><font color=#30a72f>S</font><font color=#0039b6>t</font><font color=#c41200>o</font><font color=#f3c518>N</font></strong>^<em>Peña Bilbao</em>

[djzouke]

Many good mentions from brad, thurston, coop. Thank you. Casa del Ermita 2001 is a great wine from the excellent region of Jumilla. I have half a case left in my cellar and 7 more waiting in a wine shop in Westerly, RI. To date in the US, the 2001 crianzas have been slow to appear. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for more from 2001. The Borsao crianza(00 &01) and reserva(98 & 00) are both good value and very good drinking. I've yet to try the Finca Sandoval. I will soon.

As many of you have probably noticed, Spain is getting a lot of press lately.

Mr. Parker had to include Spain as one of six epoch making predictions on wine. You know what that means.

Here's some more that I've known & loved:

Sierra Cantabria 1999 crianza

Condado de Haza 2001

Artadi Vinas de Gain 2001 (if you can find any)

(Artadi also puts out a red from Navarra Artuazi(?) that's goes for about $10)

La Granja from Toro (an A. Fernandez wine) @$20

Los LLanos Crianza & Reserva (Valdepenas)

Tresantos 2002 (Zamora)

Muga Reserva 1998

[food junkie]

Since everyone has already named most of the wines I would have recommended, I only have one to add to the list...

Wrongo Dongo, 2003 Jumilla ...it's mostly Mourvedre with a bit of Cab Sauv. Really quite tasty for $7/bottle.

[djzouke]

Since everyone has already named most of the wines I would have recommended, I only have one to add to the list...

Wrongo Dongo, 2003 Jumilla ...it's mostly Mourvedre with a bit of Cab Sauv.  Really quite tasty for $7/bottle.

←

I haven't tasted it but the owner that I work for hates the name. He has a thing for names & labels. I've heard that it's quite good. "Wrongo Dongo" is supposedly a favorite saying of Jorge Ordonez, purveyor of Spanish wines at Tempranillo Imports. Thanks for the tip.

[vserna]

'Wrongo Dongo' is actually a favorite saying of one of Robert Parker's close friends in Baltimore. Ordóñez took it from him. BTW, Mano a Mano, a tempranillo from La Mancha in the same price bracket as Wrongo Dongo, is quite a mouthful of fine red berries. Like Wrongo Dongo, it's produced by Jorge Ordóñez with his Spanish partners Victor Rodríguez and Javier Alén.

Edited April 23, 2005 by vserna (log)

[djzouke]

Vserna,

Thanks for the interesting origin of the name of the wine. Pope Parker

does loom large even in the naming of wines. I'll have to search out Mano a Mano also. Thanks again.

[zoramargolis]

If you are talking about Spanish wines with "laugh-at-me" labels, what about Mad Dogs and Englishmen, which was going for less than $8 a bottle a few weeks ago?

[djzouke]

Do you know where in Spain Mad Dogs & Englishmen comes from?

Who's the importer? Red?

Wines from Valdepenas are very good. When I'm in NYC I can find some at a place downtown.

Madrilenos drink most of it though.

Luis Megia alone sells 1600 cases a day!

Thanks for another one to look for.

[chromedome]

A couple of years ago when I lived in Halifax, the NSLC picked up a huge quantity of Spanish wines and used them as monthly specials (I think maybe the Spanish Trade Commission cut them a deal, or something...). There was always a decent (if not always inspiring) bottle available for $9.95 CDN, which is pretty damn rare.

Last week I picked up a bottle of the Marques de Murrieta Ygay Reserva 1997, an orphan found buried in a back corner of our sister wine store. Haven't cracked it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm told that, unless it's corked, I'm in for some happy taste buds.