This is interesting straight of the bat. The nose shows bloody salami notes, dark cherry, voilets, gun smoke and hot iron…a little ceadery oak in the background too. Savory and dry, plenty of flaky tannins backed up by tangy acid. Morish. The palate shows plenty of dark red fruits, licorice and herbaceousness. Very tidy, reasonable value and shows plenty of regional character. Drink now and over the next 10 years.  92 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

The standard white peach, jasmine and honeysuckle, crisp pear nose of albarino is in full force here, a touch of talc to go with it. Taught and lean in the mouth, acid behind the fruit driving it along. Plenty of crisp green pear on the palate, mixed up with a bit of lemon and lime rind and sprinkling of rocky minerals. A long  finish that shows of that minerally acid and a hint of apricot that I always seem to find in this wine. Good drinkin’. 90 Pts.

Source: Rathdowne Cellars Price: $38 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.agrodebazansa.es

Other Vintages: 2005

Now I liked the minerally bite of the 04 version of this wine, but the lovely perfume coming off this 05 is magic stuff. Treading the fine line between traditional and modern Rioja, this is very much in the savoury camp, yet full of ripe fruit aromas, violets and roses, a little mocha coffee, and a handful wild herbs. Very appealing on the nose, and this continues in the mouth, firm but ripe tannins, a long lingering finish, and plenty of acid to keep the balance. Slightly sour on the palate, good notes of cherry, a little cola, sage and undergrowth and a little chocolate and spice. A pleasure to drink now, this will only improve over the next 3-5 years and drink for 10 years after that. Very compelling stuff. 93+ Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $60 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.remelluri.com

Other Vintages: 2003, 2004

The noses starts of with lovely black cherry and blackberry fruit, a touch of blueberry and raspberry at times to. Then comes the oak, in all manner of styles: chocolate, espresso, caramel, fresh wood shavings and a touch of vanilla. Dense and brooding in the glass, the colour is very dark and the palate is tight and linear. Plenty to like on the palate, fresh and juicy fruit, bloody meat, iron filings/mineral notes, and a bit of fresh cut wood. Its just a wee pup at the moment, it needs time to evolve, but it is a classic Alion and reminds me a lot of the 1996. Cellar for 5 years, then drink over the following 15.  94+ Pts

Source: Boccaccio Cellars Price: $115 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.bodegasalion.com

Other Vintages: 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1996,  2000, 2001, 2003

A kind of stewy blend of dark cherry and blueberry mixed in with some gamey meat and wild herbs. Some iron/bloody and voilet notes as well. All class in the mouth, tight and fluid in the mouth, but expressive and lively. Refreshing acid and finishes with a lick of supple tannin. The palate is classic Ribera, dark cherry, herbs, game notes, mineral and juicy, juicy fruit. I could drink bottles of the stuff. Good now with a decant, or cellar for 3 years and drink over the following 10. 92+ Pts

Source: Bibendum Wine Co. Price: $52  Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.condadodehaza.com

Other Vintages: 2002, 2003, 2004

First up, Jorge Muga from Rioja:

Winter and spring was humid and cold, ideal warm and extremely dry Summer (very abnormal situation in this latitude), in part compensated by the enormous reserves of water accumulated in the subsoil, thanks to rain in the previous seasons. The nocturnal thermal contrast gave relief to the vines (several mornings with temperatures less than 10ºC) accompanied by refreshing dews. At the moment the vineyard is in stressed situation, the lack of water has held up the ripening for ten days, that maybe reduced if we do not have some rains in the next days (the weather forcast does not indicate it will rain). The vineyards with lots of pebbles are suffering from the most from this situation to the point in which they begin to lose leaf, the same thing occurs with the young vineyards that have a less established root system. The lands with more than 1 meter of topsoil, i.e. clay, those with altitudes over 500m or with North orientation have no problem and they present a fantastic ripening. Especially evolving well are the Garnacha and Graciano. Statistically the dates of grape harvest are the following (Valley of the Rio Oja)

Viura (6 October)
Malvasía (6 October)
Garnacha Blanco (8 October)
Tempranillo (10 October to 5 November)
Garnacha Tinta (15-25 October)
Mazuelo (25 October - 5 November)
Graciano (20 October - 3 November)

For the moment all presents an advancement of some 10 days.
Jorge Muga© (reproduction authorized)

Then this from Pablo at Compania del Vinos de Telmo Rodruigez:

“The year is being good in general, with a rainy spring and a warm and very dry summer but with fresh nights that favor the ripening of the grape. The grape harvest seems that will advance 15 days in Rioja. In Malaga we have already begun with the Molino Real and with the Basa in Rueda. Probably Gaba do Xil will be harvested next week. The grape harvests of Toro, Ribera del Duero and Rioja will be a little further on.”

A project by brothers Jacques and Francois Lurton in Rueda. They came to town looking to make outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and decided to stick to Verdejo. They seem a little obsessed with the place actually. They even make a sweet wine from verdejo called ‘de Puta Madre’. Which would be quite rude if you’re from South America. Only a Frenchman could call a wine “fuck that’s good” and get away with it…

Nice and crisp, is the first thing I think of when taking a sniff in the glass. It has the typical lemon and white flowers of verdejo, with a little pear and rocks. Nice oily texture with plenty of acid, it’s refreshing if a little flabby in the middle (like the best of us). Minerally and flinty, with a good finish. Lacks a bit of the herbal edge I like in verdejo, but that might be a good thing depending on your point of view. Still, a tasty drink with plenty to offer. 90 Pts.

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $32 Closure: Screwcap

Web: www.francoislurton.com

This is super young at the moment, but it smells lovely. Primary, wild cherry and sage brush with a bit of vanilla oak and an minerally iron type character on the nose. There is a bit of the animal about it, like a partially tamed horse. Or something like that anyway.  Extra juicy and smooth with streamlined tannins that start to show an edge after 3 or 4 hours. Vibrant and alive. All exceptionally balanced and focused. Licorice and rocky minerals show up on the palate, over some dark cherry and blueberry fruit. A classic vintage for Pesquera. Hold for 3 to 5 years, then drink over the following 10. 92+ Pts.

Source: Boccaccio Cellars RRP: $46 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.pesqueraafernandez.com

Other Vintages: 2004, 2005

Nose is fully of bloody meat, salami, violets, wild herbs, cedery oak and a touch of liquorice. You’ll notice there isn’t one fruit descriptor in there, as its not overly fruity more savoury and secondary. OK there is some cherry and plum in there. Round and lush in the mouth, but there is some spine there, and plenty of acid to give the finish a nice tart note. Savory, complex and spicy in the mouth, small but plentiful tannins lend some pleasing texture. Its a serious, adult wine that you can happily drink now or over the next 8 or 10 years. But be quick, I’m told there is very little stock for this vintage. 92 Pts

Source: Toro Wines Price: Around $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.eguren.com

Full of wood and soot on the nose, a little violet, blackcurrant and dark cherry, some coffee and vanilla. Maybe just a touch of spearmint. More of that really nice wood in the mouth, it’s supporting and high toned, not smothering. Lighter than the nose suggests. Plenty of dark cherry and  blueberry fruit, spice, dusty tannins and a sparkle of acid on the finish. Lovely, and dare I say it, elegant. Lovely stuff, highly drinkable now, but it will hold over the next 5 years. 92 Pts.

Source: Toro Wines Price: Around $55 Closure: Conventional Cork

I’ve got a couple of entry level on the tasting bench at the moment, this is the first. This was a big hit for me last year, a wine from Priorat at this price level and quality was quite rare at the time. But now wines in the $40-$60 price bracket are the must have item for many importers. And who’s complaining, seeing as the top wines from the region are going up again this year? There doesn’t seem to be one style at the price point, some are big rounded, easy drinking things, others are a bit tighter and focused. This falls into the later camp…

Plenty of Priorat character here, sooty, black coal kind of notes up on the nose first off, then a bit of hot tar and violets. After that the fruit: raspberry, plum and light cherry notes. The tannins are a little gritty and grainy, but it’s all nicely balanced and there is acid, enough to keep the finish sparkling clean, tangy and long. A similar profile on the palate, a bit of licorice and wood spice adds a bit extra. Overall, an excellent example of Priorat that doesn’t wander off in to rustic red wine, it looks like fine wine from Priorat.91 Pts

Source: Ce Soir Imports Price: $39 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2004

Now this is one smart little wine. It’s a more traditional version of rioja crianza, but it also made in a moden style using french oak and plenty of fruit flavour. Its a bit tight and young, which for a crianza at 5 years of age is very admirable, give it a quick shake in the decanter to free up the lovely rioja funky herbs. The nose kicks off with some  shaved wood notes, a little coffee and nutmeg, then into the cherry, blueberry fruit. All of that is followed up by a bit of wild herb and some liquorice with more air time. And that’s fairly much the recipe for this wine, the palate is similar but a bit heavier. Nice tannins lead to a bit of structure and edginess, but there is plenty of round, ripe fruit to make this a pleasure to drink. 90 Pts.

Source: Toro Wines Price: Around $35 Closure: Conventional Cork

Web: www.eguren.com

This is a note that has been in draft mode for about 6 months now. Not because the wine is bad or anything like that, its just an increadbly hard wine to describe. Reading an article in the NY Times, I thought it was about time to post it. I bought this bottle after coming back from Rioja and visiting López de Heredia and literaly being overwhelmed by how these people make this crazy wine. By all logic is should be well past it by the time it’s released, I mean who has heard of white wine kept in casks for nine and a half years then in bottle for another 13 or so years before its released?  The people who make it say the secret is the acid, and you can clearly see that when you taste it. It looks oxidized, but tastes like it could do another 10 years standing on it’s head. It sounds like it should be musty and mouldy, but its fresh and floral.

They also make a load of red wines and age them just as long, or longer in some vintages, but for my tastes, its the white wines that are king here. The reds follow some form of noble decay it seems to me, while the whites are on the up and up, dramatically evolving into these highly polished, aromatic wonders that thrill in so many ways: colour, flavour, and scent. They continue to unwrap themselves from years in the dark while in your glass, a touch of orange rind here, some vanilla there, lillies, then lemon, more white flowers, toffee, and on it goes. I’m told they go with rich white meat dishes and fish in heavy saucese, but you’d have to be crazy to drink this wine with food. It demands respect and there is plenty of depth to explore on its own.

A tasting note defeats the purpose here, this is an experiance wine.. There is nothing else like it the world of wine, so what do you rate it against? Other vintages of the same wine, I’d guess. Pitty I’ve only seen 4 vintages and they are all different, but all great, so I couldn’t call one 93 points or the other 99 points. You could pull hundreds of descriptors out too, a bit boring to read really. Your best bet to get any idea of what this wine is about it to buy a bottle, kick back with a book and a nice big glass and drink it over four or five hours. It’s not a difficult wine to like, but more for your wine geek than for your average punter, so why not drink the bottle yourself?

The thing I really like about these wines is that they are actually inovative, but the inovation was done 100 years ago and processes and method have just stayed the same. The family has held fast to the idea and watched many of the other wine trends pass by, and return in some cases. Single vineyard wines are still uncommon in Rioja, but are seen to be a modern thing.  Lopez de Heredia have been doing it for 100 years. There are many modern things going on at the bodega too, but tradition rules.

Source: Toro Wines Price: $180 Closure: Conventional Cork and Wax

Web: www.lopezdeheredia.com

After a couple of weeks of demolishing kitchens, sanding and polishing floorboards, fitting a new kitchen and a few other things, I’m back tasting again. So to kick things off I’ve got this entry level wine from the Douro valley in Portugal. Many of you will know that Dominic Morris is involved in the operations here and he has made a very tasty and highly drinkable wine from the excellent 2007 vintage.

A really refined nose, but it still has that rustic, earthy/sooty edge that is one of the trademarks of the Douro. Plums and blueberries, with a dash of cherry for good measure, a little choclate, violets and wild herbs too. Just about perfect balance in the mouth, the acid is right where you want it and it isn’t overpowered by the fruit at all. Lush, flesh tannins and bit of Tang crystals (the organge concentrate) on the finish. I’d almost call this medium boddied, but it tips the scales just over I think.. Excellent drinking and great value. 90 Pts.

Source: The Spanish Acquisition Price: $30 Closure: Conventional Cork

Other Vintages: 2006

This nose is spicy and full of fruit, thats not to say there isn’t some smokey minerals and orange peel on the nose too. Fluffy, fleshy tannins with the acid in the background for support on the finish. Kind of rounded, and easy to glug down. The palate is more blackberry, blueberry and plum with a nice minerality to it. A touch of coco too. Not a bad little wine, a bit lacking in the mid palate, but finishes convincingly. 90 Pts.

Web: www.quintadovallado.com

Other Vintages: 2005,  2005