A recent incredibly delicious experience with a mencía from Ribeira Sacra imported by José Pastor/Vinos and Gourmet seemed a good excuse as any to head over to a tasting of four of his producers held in the friendly environs of Terroir across the Bay. While waiting for things to get started, a sparkling gamay, the Domaine des Terres Dorées (Jean-Paul Brun) Beaujolais FRV 100, was frothy and sweet with light earth--a great easygoing summer wine with some interest--reminded me of the very interesting lambrusco from a few months back. Starting things off was Rodrigo Méndez's and his 2008 Forja del Salnes Rías Baixas Leirana, an albariño with pear and lime--nicely tart but a bit weighty. For whatever reason, it didn't grab my attention as his other wines did. I think they also produce a albariño barrique-style, but presumably not to be fronted at Terroir's attachment to particular styles of winemaking. It seemed in a more difficult middle ground between light and easygoing and denser and more intellectual. Don't know, didn't grab me. But next up were reds (!) from Rías Baixas, so-called Tintos de Mar--evidently such local grapes are back on the upswing as producers try to reclaim their local varieties and bottle them varietally rather than abandoning them to blends. First up, the 2007 Forja del Salnes Rías Baixas Goliardo Caiño--my first experience with Caiño. Fantastic nose of smoke, cedar and volcano and tasting deliciously of earth and volcano. Nicely tart. Very fresh. If I understood correctly, it spends 12 months in five-year old french oak barrels. Delicious and easy to drink right now. Yum. The 2006 Forja del Salnes Rías Baixas Goliardo Loureiro is evidently a specialty for the Mendez family as Rodrigo's grandfather was responsible for planting the vines back when it was seen as a very eccentric thing to do. It smells of earthy chocolate, and has very firmly drawn lines--soft, elegant, delicious and firm. It felt like it had already integrated significantly, and, assuming I'm not mixing up my grapes, Rodrigo tells me the grape has potential for very long life. Some excellent potential for two grapes I'd never heard of. The family has been growers in the region for a while, but this stab at winemaking is evidently done with the assistance of Raúl Pérez--a driving winemaker of sorts if I understood correctly. Certainly these two reds showed great promise for what they are doing. Great conversation with Rodrigo Méndez--very passionate and interesing guy.
I have very little experience with Rioja, but the wines represented incredibly well and created much more interest for me to explore the region. The wines here were a field blend of about 95 percent tempranillo with 5 percent granciano and garnacha. The 2007 Señorío de P. Peciña Rioja Cosecha was a stainless-steel wine produced to show the fruit--and it showed beautifully. A bit sweaty nose followed by delicious tender fruit, slightly rich but still subtle, and fresh juicy acid--yum! Very drinkable. This for $16? Goodness what a delicious bargain. The 1999 Señorío de P. Peciña Rioja Reserva sees three years in reused American oak barrels and has a more reserved, more high-toned nose followed by fantastic developments--there's some brown sugar in there, but mainly good tannins, great integration, smooth but with great opportunities for reflection on the less perfectly smooth parts. Red wine for aristocrats. What I imagine someone would drink in their library when they want some old-skool red wine. Wine worth drinking as you reflect on the state of the world. Lip-smacking stuff. The 1998 Señorío de P. Peciña Rioja Gran Reserva sees 4 years on American oak and has a soft, nice nose and is even smoother, even more resolved than the Reserva--but beyond the dry chalky resolved tannins, the amount of fruit is pretty amazing. Not overpowering or unpleasant, but fresh and delicious--can't believe it's been developing for 10 years. This was a fascinating experience to compare what different times and treatments do for rioja--this stuff was brilliant and the producer is one I'd eagerly seek out again.
Onto the southern tip of Spain for some fortified wines where my descriptors are so typical, I'm not sure what they contribute. The Herederos de Argüeso Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda San León Clásica averages 6 years old and is fresh and vibrant. Makes me think of roast chicken and certainly is food friendly. The Herederos de Argüeso Manzanilla de Sanlúcar de Barrameda San León Reserva de la Familia averages two years older and is a slightly different selection if I understood things correctly. More tropical and more cheese on the nose and soft integration of cheese and fiery volcano. The finish lasts for what seems like minutes. This may be the best sherry-style wine I've ever had. By the time the tasting finished, it seemed clear that this is an outstanding producer.
Switching to the style where the alcohol is upped and the flor dies off, the Herederos de Argüeso Amontadillo smelled of sweet roasted pecans and tasted fresh but with nuts. Sweet brown sugar, trees, spicy and nutty paprika. Very drinkable--a combination of nuttiness and freshness which worked very well.
Onto Alicante, a region in southeastern Mediterranean Spain, I have litte experience with. The grape here is Monastrell and the 2003 Primitivo Quiles Alicante Raspay smelled like maple syrup--sweet, carmelized, intense. So surprising then, when the taste was thick and dense, but delicious and drinkable. You can really drink this. I really enjoyed it. Not baked, not hot, not alcoholic, but rich and delicious. Something I'd pine to sit down and enjoy. It spends three years in 6-10 year-old barrels, but whatever it does, it does it right. Delicious and drinkable, despite my expectations. A particular treat was the Primitivo Quiles Fondillón Gran Reserva Solera 1948--again a Monastrell, but this one made via a solera system that was launched in 1948. The producer has another solera system dating back to 1892, but produces such small quantities that they don't sell it. But this wine was a treat to sample. Rich, sweet, refined and rounded. The wines within average around 8 to 10 years old. It was certainly a one-of-a-kind kind of wine. Unique, sweet, resolved--some dried fruits, fun and interesting to drink. The producer is the oldest one in Alicante, and evidently pioneered this very unique wine. I've never had a solera-style non-fortified wine like this and there was much about it to appreciate. Very different. Finally, back to the fortifieds for the Herederos de Argüeso Pedro Ximénez which was rich, sweet, complex and delicious--fiery and honeyed, reminiscent of delicious drinkable liqueurs--it confirmed Argüeso as a phenomenal producer for fortified wines. Fantastic opportunity to chat with the producers of these very impressive wines--worth a trip across the Bay!