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Various Spanish Wines - |
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Notes and impressions from a tasting of various Spanish wines - Saturday, February 16, 2002, at the Wine Exchange in Orange, CA. Twenty wines were poured for a tasting fee of $19. |
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Overall impressions: this was an interesting selection of some curent offerings from Spain. The one Priorat in the flight, the '97 Rotllan Toro, was just beautiful, with the Pingus a close runner-up. Though quite different from each other, the noses on both of these were fabulous. Biggest bargain in the bunch appears to be the Emilio Moro. At $20, it's a lot of wine for the money. The two Jumillas in the flight were both very good. The Casa Castillo gets a slight nod over the Casa de la Ermita with its added complexity. Both of these wines are enjoyable now, but have very good potential for mid-term aging. On the other side of things, the Jean Leon was a mild disappointment. Rustic in style, and '...still tannic after all these years,' to paraphrase Paul Simon, I wonder if this wine will ever smooth out and get friendly. Also, the Finca and the Ramirez seemed to be the least attractive of the Riojas in the flight. |
2000 Vinas
Godeval - Valdeorras. $9.99. Nearly clear in color. Smells like
a Santa Barbara Chardonnay in the nose, with floral, slightly oaky
and tropical citrus aromas. Although fairly light on the palate,
the fruit is crisp and tasty, with a very long finish. 2000 Finca
Luzon Merlot - Jumilla. $6.99. Dark ruby color. Effusive
black raspberry, with some raw wood, licorice and shoe polish. Fleshy
and slightly grapey, obvious oak, young, and still a bit rough on
the palate, with a long partially bitter and tannic finish. 1999 Casa
de la Ermita - Jumilla. $9.99. Dark ruby color. Very toasty
nose of smoky cassis, blackberry, and new oak. Smooth and very tasty
mouthfeel, slightly sweet fruit through long finish. Blend of Merlot,
Tempranillo, and Cab. 1999 Casa
Castillo Las Gravas - Jumilla. $15.99. Nose of smoke,
licorice and blackberry. Very clingy mouthfeel, with flavors of
newly pressed grape must, licorice, and delicious fruit. Similar
to the La Ermita, but more complex. 2000 Joan
d'Anguera La Planella - Tarragona. $9.99. Medium dark
ruby color. Nice nose of cassis, oak, floral aromas and a touch
of toasted grain. Moderately chewy mouthfeel, good fruity flavors,
very tasty medium-long finish. Grenache and Cabernet based. 1999 Joan
d'Anguera Finca l'Argata - Tarragona. $15.99. Medium
dark ruby color. Fragrant, slightly minty nose, with a nice spicy
background note. Fresh grape skins, toasted grains across palate,
with a very long tannic finish. Shiraz based blend. 1999 Laurona
Seleccio de 6 Vinyes - Tarragona. $23.99. Medium dark
ruby color. Toasty floral cassis nose, with smooth cake spice aromas.
Moderate-full mouthfeel, very long tannic finish. Lots of oak, but
seems like deft usage. 1997 Rotllan
Torra Tirant - Priorat. $59.99. Dark ruby color. Absolutely
killer nose of toast, oak, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa.
Full bodied, with a massive grip on the palate that turns loose
slowly, and smooths out through the very long finish. 1991 Torre
Oria Grand Reserva - Utiel-Requnea. $9.99. Medium dark
ruby color. Nose of sweet cassis and toast. Slightly soft in mouthfeel,
but has obvious fruit and good palate coverage throughout, with
a medium-long finish. 1994 Jean
Leon Cabernet Sauvignon Gran Reserva - Penedes. $19.99.
Medium garnet ruby color. Lots of shoe polish, and toast, with a
touch of spearmint in the nose. Decent enough flavors, though a
bit rough on the palate, and it gets somewhat bitter and acidic
on the finish. For a '94, it still seems kind of tight. Makes me
wonder if this guy ever going to smooth out. 1998 Vina
San Roman - Toro. $26.99. Very dark ruby color. Big effusive
and toasty nose, with cassis and malt notes. Big fruity and chewy
mouthfeel, very tasty, but the fruit seems to quit a tad too early
in the otherwise long finish. 1998 Pago
de los Capellanes Crianza - Ribera del Duero. $15.99. Medium-dark
ruby color. Very fragrant and floral nose, with lots of ripe fruit
and vanilla. Full mouthfeel, lightly chalky on the palate, with
nice toasty fruit and long fruit-filled finish.
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1999 Emilio
Moro - Ribera del Duero. $19.99. Medium-dark ruby color. Very
nice complex, almost Cab-like fruit in the nose, with cassis, toasty
oak, spices, and shoe polish. Somewhat chewy mouthfeel, with excellent
balance, very tasty fruit, a dose of new oak, and a very long seamless
finish. Solid bottle of wine for $20. 1999 Dominio
de Pingus Flor de Pingus - Ribera del Duero. $35.99.
Dark garnet ruby color. Nose of toast, casis, roasted nuts and grains
- just fabulous! Full and chewy mouthfeel, lots of cassis, toast
and vanilla flavors, great balance and long finish. Stunning nose;
just a little less so in the mouth. 1999 Sierra
Cantabria - Rioja. $6.99. Medium ruby garnet color.
Fruity, floral, and slightly sweet in the nose. Moderate mouthfeel,
good flavors, long finish. This is a nice wine - better than wines
in the quaffer category, but at a quaffer price. 1998 Solabal
Crianza - Rioja. $9.99. Medium ruby garnet color. Toasty nose,
that seems to carry a slight tart-sour quality. Toasty and fruity
mouthfeel, off-sweet fruit, very good balance, despite an obvious
acid backbone, and very long finish. 1998 Finca
Allende - Rioja. $13.99. Dark ruby color. Nose of cassis, shoe
polish, and toasty oak. Full mouthfeel, off-sweet and somewhat tight
fruit, with a touch of bitterness to the acid-influenced finish.
Seems to be a bit more rustic than the previous two Riojas. 1996 Bodegas
Lan Reserva Vina Lanciano - Rioja. $23.99. Medium-dark
ruby color. Slightly sweet cassis and raspberry, with a hint of
leaf in the nose. A bit sour in mouthfeel, with a pushy acidity
throughout its long finish. Seems to be well-made, and a definite
step up from the prvious wine. But, the fruit is just a little more
tart than I like. 1994 Ramirez
de la Piscina Gran Reserva - Rioja. $21.99. Medium garnet
ruby color. Somewhat funky in the nose with its obvious bottle bouquet.
Aromas of raspberry tea, leather, and a touch of tobacco. Medium
mouthfeel, with a long slightly oaky finish. Still has some interesting
qualities, but it also seems lean and tired. 1995 Roda
I - Rioja. $44.99. Dark garnet ruby color. A bit of bottle
bouquet and funk in the nose, but still has lots of raspberry/cassis
fruit as well. Slightly sweet and chalky mouthfeel, excellent balance,
long finish. Nice complex wine, and not the least bit tired! |
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Mail & Comments - Eric Anderson
