And we are in Winter 2022-23, its time to tell you once again on the wines of my dear Spain, As said, this goes back from my beginnings ,and I still go for them everywhere, Therefore, will try the monumental task of telling you about my favorites anecdotes and news of Spanish wines and hope to continue this series as my others with your blessing and likes. Here it is ,again coming back at you my wines news of Spain IV !!
In the interannual period to October 2022 (from November 2021 to October 2022) Spanish wine exports have risen 3.8%, reaching a new turnover record with 2,983 million euros. In volume, however, the downward trend (9.7%) continues, with sales standing at 2,100.2 million liters. It seems that the growth in value is softening and the fall in volume is accentuated, according to the Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino or Spanish Observatory of the Wine Market. In the first ten months of 2022, sales grew in value by 3.9% and 92.6 million euros to 2,483.2 million. In volume they lost 10.3% and 202.3 million liters to 1,756.3 million. In terms of value, it is bulk wines, sparkling wines and bottled still wines that lead the global increase. In volume, it was bulk wines and packaged still wines (68.8 million), which fell the most.webpage : https://www.oemv.es/exportaciones-espanolas-de-vino-octubre-2022
The Denomination of Origin “Jerez-Xérès-Sherry” is considered the oldest in Spain, because it was the pioneer wine region in publishing its Regulations after the creation of the Wine Statute in 1933; The first Wine Law in the country that included the concept of Designation of Origin. And a few years later, in 1964, the D.O. “Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda”, geographically related to said locality. Currently, the Marco de Jerez that produces the wines covered by the Denomination of Origin “Jerez-Xérès-Sherry” is located in southern Spain, between the towns of Jerez de la Frontera, El Puerto de Santa María, Trebujena, Rota, Chipiona, Puerto Real, Chiclana de la Frontera and Lebrija. Among the changes in the Specifications approved by the Regulatory Council, we can highlight as one of the most significant, the expansion of the Aging Zone of the DO “Jerez-Xérès-Sherry” which, as we mentioned before, is equal to the Zone of Production, so now the wineries that are outside the famous “triangle of Jerez” are also welcomed in full right under the conditions of the Denomination of Origin. More info in Spanish webpage : https://www.sherry.wine/es/marco-de-jerez/el-consejo-regulador#
The mastery of the great Spanish sweet wines is unparalleled in the world, with peaks of quality that match them with the greats among the international greats. The Christmas holidays provide an unbeatable opportunity to taste them, accompanying marzipan figurines, almond sweets, shortbreads, polvorones, pestiños, nougats, candied fruits or roscones de reyes that require their presence for the celebration and enjoyment to be complete, to which should be added the use of a range of grape varieties, starting with the consecrated muscatel, malvasía, and Pedro Ximénez, and continuing with the autochthonous treixadura, godello, monastrell, or red and white garnacha. Its production spans numerous wine-growing areas, although it has greater roots and quality are in Andalusia, Alicante, the Canary Islands, Catalonia, and Galicia. Naturally Sweet Wines (VND) in which the sweetness of the fruit becomes a taste-olfactory filigree,
Two of my favorites over the years are :
Noé: Bodega González Byass, Manuel María González, 12. Jerez de la Frontera ( province of Cádiz). The must is from Pedro Ximénez from the Carrascal estate and produced in the Viña Canariera winery, where the grapes are sunbathed. The wine is fortified before entering the Solera de Noé, where it remains for an average of 30 years. The result is a complex and powerful wine, with aromas of raisined fruits, dates, dried figs, coffee and roasted coffee. Delicately pasty, velvety, powerful, concentrated, intense, without being cloying. Webpage :https://www.tiopepe.com/es-es/productos/noe
Alvear Pedro Ximénez de Sacristía 2006, Bodega Alvear. Avenida María Auxiliadora, 1. Montilla (province of Córdoba). Alvear is one of the oldest and most prestigious wineries in Montilla. His teaching is based on the excellent old Pedro Ximénez vines planted on albariza soil. Once the grapes have sunbathed, the best Pedro Ximénez vintages are subjected to static aging in American oak barrels from our bodega Sacristía winery. This is a wine of exceptional value for money, full of aromas of raisins, fruit in liqueur, citrus, chocolate and spices. Very tasty, concentrated and thick, without being cloying, it leaves a sweet sensation, as elegant as it is intense. Webpage : https://www.tiendaalvear.es/
The history chained by eleven generations of winegrowers that begins in 1647 and that has completed, therefore, 375 harvests. Time that has served to associate wine with the surname Chivite, to elevate a land, Navarra, in which its vines are rooted and some varieties that have followed the movement of the pendulum marked by each era. This is the opportunity now offered by the winery putting on the market a thousand units of a batch of three bottles that will be sold at eighty euros. It is made up of Chivite Colección 125 Reserva 1994, Chivite Colección 125 Reserva 2002 and Chivite Colección Vino de Guarda 2017. Past, present and evolution of a project summarized in the image that reflects some of its best reds. Sublime follow Chivite for years,,,webpage : http://chivite.com/nuestros-vinos
Another historical bodega and favorite of mine over the years is the Bodegas Faustino, a brand that has received outstanding international recognition from Wine Enthusiast, one of the most influential wine publications in the world (i was a former subscriber back in the USA). The winery has been selected as one of the five finalists in the “European Winery of the Year” category in the publication’s annual Wine Star Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in the world, which recognizes every year the exceptional work of wineries and personalities from the world of wine. The Wine Star Awards jury highlights that after celebrating its 160th anniversary in 2021, Bodegas Faustino, located in Oyón, Rioja Alavesa, is another European winery with a long history that has kept pace with the global market trends and is lauded as one of the ‘First Rioja Families’ The winery is the largest owner of vineyards in the Rioja region, giving it almost half of the total market share of the Rioja Gran Reserva wines and to be a leading Rioja brand in the US market. The Martínez Zabala family is the leader in the production and export of Gran Reserva de Rioja around the world, with a market share of 35% of the most prestigious category of Rioja and has the first park of Rioja barrels (more than 75,000 in which the future great reserves and high-end wines rest) and more than 14 million bottles. Faustino is the Rioja winery that houses more Gran Reserva vintages in its bottle racks, with wines for sale from vintages since 1955. And it even keeps previous vintages On the other hand, Wine Enthusiast has included the Gran Faustino I Gran Reserva 2004 in the group of best wines of the year , giving it a score of 96 out of 100. The publication highlights that this deep garnet-colored wine has aromas blackberry, black currant and olive tapenade. It’s smooth at first on the sip and then harsh tannins build up on the palate, carrying flavors of dark plum, pomegranate, cocoa pod, thyme and orange zest that work their way to a surprisingly bright finish. Indeed sublime, Webpage : https://www.bodegasfaustino.com/faustinoI/index-en.html
For reference Wine Enthusiast magazine wine star awards: https://www.winemag.com/2022/09/13/wsa2022nominees/
Nearly 50% of the wines with DO Valencia tasted in the Peñín Guide 2023 have been rated with 90 points or more. The 33rd edition of the Peñín Guide to Wines of Spain (which I follow since the late 80’s) reaffirms the quality of the wines of the Valencia Denomination of Origin, granting it a total of 81 outstanding. A total of 25 wineries with outstanding scores that show the excellent work that is being done, One good one althought by reference I trust as not taste it yet is the 1771 Casa Los Frailes 2018 by Casa Los Frailes. An intense cherry color with a complex, expressive, spicy, mineral, earthy aroma and an elegant, full, long and persistent palate webpage: http://www.bodegaslosfrailes.com/en/values/
A few km from Requena is the Hispano+Suizas vineyard (this one is known and very good ) that has reached a very high level of quality with his four cavas (Spanish sparkling wine) . That’s where it all begins. It is true that the 200 years of history between the two territories invites above all respect, but the challenge was served and the desire to face it was plenty. The first step was to find out the acclimatization capacity of both Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, (you know it) , the two star grapes of Champagne. There are three keys that elevate the four cavas of the Tantum Ergo line to the category of a masterpiece: the fermentation of the base wine (first fermentation) in new 400-litre French oak barrels. Aromatically it provides interesting nuances, but what makes the difference is the creaminess on the palate, a vital issue for the nobility of the final result. Secondly, they are all Brut Nature, the only way in which the wine speaks for itself, without makeup. Finally, the different times of aging in the bottle in which the nuances and greatness of the cava come to light. While the two Tantum Ergo (a white made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and a rosé from the red variety) have been aged for a minimum of 22 months, the Tantum Ergo Vintage (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), which is only made in the best vintages , spends almost four years refining in the bottle with its lees. Lastly, and as an example of exploring the limits of bottle aging (more than 120 months in rhyme), there is Tantum Ergo Exclusive, a cava of which only a very limited number of magnum bottles are produced. Bodegas Hispano+Suizas, Ctra. Nacional 322, Km. 451.7, 46357 El Pontón, Requena (Valencia) webpage : https://bodegashispanosuizas.com/?lang=en
And why not continue with Valencia shall we! The Valencian territory, home to vines since ancient times, attracted different civilizations that promoted the culture of wine and transmitted an incalculable historical legacy. Those vineyards that supplied the Roman Empire with wine are still rocked by the magnetic Mediterranean breeze, caressed by a generous and almost omnipresent sun.
The Castellón Wine Route leads to these charming corners and invites you to discover the interesting proposals of small producers, whose wines are covered by the Vinos de la Tierra de Castelló geographical indication. The benevolent climate of the area is home to autochthonous varieties such as Monastrell, wild Bonicaire or Macabeo, which produce signature wines with a long history, always under the capricious influence of the tides. In Valencia , there are two wine routes that cross the province: the Utiel-Requena route and the D.O. Valencia, with its beautiful contrasts and wines with their own personality made on many occasions with grapes from recovered local varieties. Five subzones make up the D.O. Valencia: Alto Turia, Clariano, Valentino, Muscatel and Terres dels Alforins. The latter is a kind of Valencian Tuscany, a picturesque triangular valley that is home to old towns born from the vineyard with great cultural and environmental value: La Font de la Figuera, Moixent and Fontanars, where you can live very unique experiences that are different from the that the capital offers (urban wineries, tapas with Valencian wines…). The Utiel-Requena marks the border between Levante and La Mancha, and there reigns the Bobal, the star of fun and varied wine tourism options: themed routes, archaeological sites (among them, the oldest winery in Europe), Alicante, with the Monastrell as a banner, it is rich in microclimates and oenological treasures. Like fondillón, a unique wine in the world that is made with Monastrell grapes that are overripe on the vine and aged in old Alicante barrels using the ancestral system of soleras. The Alicante Wine Route reveals the secrets of this eternal wine, and of the rest of elaborations covered by the D.O. Alicante, starring the stoic Monastrell. More info webpage:https://enoturismo.comunitatvalenciana.com/en/enoturismo-comunitat-valenciana
This small and young appellation of origin, located between Cuenca and Toledo, that I have visited and tasted their wines over the last several years is up and coming good wine area of my dear Spain, The Uclés Denomination of Origin was clear from the beginning that sustainability would be one of its main axes. For this reason, it was a pioneer in measuring the carbon footprint, beginning in 2013 to calculate and certify it , Born in 2006, the Uclés Denomination of Origin covers 1,700 hectares of vineyards and encompasses 25 towns! in Cuenca province and 3 in Toledo province. Its heritage stands out of old vines in glass of more than 40 years. · Composed of 5 wineries, 3 of them produce and bottle wine with D.O. Uclés: Fontana Wineries and Vineyards, La Estacada Estate (the best of the lot me think) and Soledad Winery. The D.O. works with 6 white varieties (Verdejo, Chardonnay, Small Grain Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Macabeo and Airén) and 5 red varieties (Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and Garnacha Tinta). The towns in the province of Cuenca are Acebrón (El) – Alcázar del Rey – Almendros – Belinchón – Carrascosa del Campo – Fuente de Pedro Naharro – Horcajo de Santiago – Huelves – Huete – Langa – Loranca del Campo, Paredes – Pozorrubio – Rozalén del Monte – Saelices – Tarancón – Torrubia del Campo – Tribaldos – Uclés – Valparaíso de Arriba – Valparaíso de Abajo – Vellisca – Villamayor de Santiago – Villarrubio – Zarza de Tajo. Denomination of Origin Uclés, Calle Maese Nicolás, Business Center. PI. Tarancon Sur 16400 Tarancon (prov of Cuenca) ,webpage : http://www.vinosdeucles.es/
The Revista de Museología or Museology Magazine, which is the dissemination organ of the Association of Spanish Museologists, offers us a special 247-page issue dedicated to the Wine Museums of Spain. Number 60 of this publication is therefore a necessary copy in the library of wine lovers of Spain. Magazine Webpage : https://www.museologia.net/producto/revista-de-museologia-no-60/
The Association of wine museums of Spain : https://www.museosdelvino.es/?lang=en
And as usual by me, let me introduce to you some magnificent Spanish wines to match any and great for the Holiday period of 2022 and New Year 2023. Feliz Navidad para todos.. Merry Christmas to all!! Joyeux Noël à tous; Feliz Natal para todos!
Conde de San Cristóbal debuts its top wine, Oydor On the 25th anniversary of the arrival of the Marqués de Vargas to the Ribera del Duero, to the Pago de Valdestremerade Peñafiel where they are located, the winery launches an exclusive wine, from a pre-phylloxera vineyard located in the Viñalamiel area and divided into two microplots, one from 1860 and the other from 1950. It has an altitude of 850 meters and sandy loam soils with clay and silt. This red is very floral, with notes of cocoa and blackberries, balsamic touches and nice toasties. In the mouth it is very broad, fine, with a perfectly integrated alcohol, with black fruit and elegant tannins. Webpage: https://www.marquesdevargas.com/es/pasion-familiar/
Barco del Corneta in the town of Cubillas de Santa Marta, between Palencia and Valladolid, in the Pisuerga Valley, found a winegrower with a vineyard in an area renowned for its quality, in Pago de Sallana, where they harvest red and white grapes to make a classic claret, Tempranillo is the ink and the whites are traditional varieties of the region: palomino, widow, verdejo or clairet. The result is Tres Navíos, a serious and stately rosé, aromatic, with red fruits and floral notes, ripe, full on the palate, with a soft and comfortable texture. Webpage : https://barcodelcorneta.com/
Ojo Gallo places the accent on a Ribera del Duero winemaking tradition , A blend of Tempranillo, Viura, Garnacha, Albillo or Bobal from farms in the Las Majadillas region, all from organic or biodynamic vineyards, this wine, which rides between the profile of a light red or intense rosé, but always with a cheerful finesse,webpage : https://www.torremilanos.com/en/torremilanos-wines/torremilanos-wines-d-o-ribera-del-duero/ojo-gallo-en/
Montepedriza is the name of this red parcel, which comes from a fifty-year-old vineyard in the Tudelilla area, in the DOCa Rioja. It is made in 500-liter bocoyes to accentuate the roundness and elegance of the Grenache without giving up its fruity expression. a very rich, cheerful, round wine with delicious acidity ,webpage : https://www.hispanobodegas.com/valdelacierva-montepedriza/
Torre Muga is one of those labels with which to match both a winelover mother-in-law and the most recalcitrant brother-in-law, A red made from Tempranillo, Graciano and Mazuelo whose label was born in 1991 with the idea of launching a wine with a Bordeaux air but that did not give up the Rioja character is intense, with notes of balsamic concentrated black fruit, with a silky texture and polished tannins, but with a long journey ahead. A wine that is now beginning to give its best, but a good aging does not go bad either, webpage :https://www.bodegasmuga.com/en/the-winery/
La Fillaboa 1898 2016, That Albariño is one of the great white grapes in the world almost goes without saying, but it goes without saying that yes, it is raw material for long-lived wines, which survive in time beyond the year after your harvest, even if they were not made for that purpose. This wine, in particular, has spent six years in steel tanks on its lees, so it is made to last, although now is a good time to open it and share it, or give it as a gift and see how it evolves after a few years. Webpage : https://bodegasfillaboa.com/our-wines/?lang=en
The winery founded by Alejandro Fernández and Esperanza Rivera, who are now run by their daughters, has packaged a selection of its most emblematic wines for those faithful to the brand born in Ribera del Duero: Tinto Pesquera, Condado de Haza, Dehesa La Granja and El Vínculo, in a packaging that is the result of the Desperdicio 0 contest, which the winery organizes together with the Training Degree at the Valladolid Superior School of Design and is made with recycled products. A selection of reds to uncork with the family , and yes have all except Dehesa, wonderful wines over the years indeed, webpage : https://familiafernandezrivera.com/en/pesquera-3/
Cara norte, Bodegas Montebaco calls its red wine from the plot that gives it its name, with seven hectares of calcareous clay soil, at an altitude of 900 meters and oriented, of course, to the north, so it suffers the lash of the winds that sweep across the moor where it is located. These circumstances mean that the organically grown grapes have an excellent ripeness and the right balance between fruit character, freshness and structure. It is made with its own yeasts and without additives, which accentuates its pure profile, of black fruit and blue flowers, and its opulent mouthfeel.webpage: https://clubdevinos.tienda/product/montebaco-cara-norte-2019/
Bembibre was one of the first red wines from the town to have the name of the town where the vineyard is located appear on its label. Dominio de Tares continues to bet on this red, which comes from eighty-year-old vineyards from six different estates with slate floors and accumulates 15 months of aging in barrels and two more years in the bottle, so it comes out ready to uncork it and discover its floral notes of violets and black fruits and chocolates and a silky texture; wide, tasty, intense, long, wonderful company of the most forceful passes on the men, webpage : https://www.dominiodetares.com/en/
Rompecepas ,It is not usual to find Madrid wines made with different varieties such as Malvar, Airén, Torrontés de Madrid or Jaén. Madrid vineyard that continues to explore from Cinco Leguas, a personal project, after having spearheaded more than notable productions in Bernabeleva and Comando G. The soil of the estate from which the Rompecepas grapes come is calcareous and clayey; It is harvested by hand, the must is fermented with skins and stems and the wine is then transferred to used 300-litre French oak barrels to preserve the fruity and mineral expression. A wonderful corkage for appetizers, salads, white meats or simply to quench your thirst. A project of Marc Isart webpage : https://www.mas-bodega.com/catalogue/categorie/21-d-o-vinos-de-madrid
Viña Albina Dulce Blanco Reserva is bottled in half a liter format and is sold for around 10 euros !. It is not only a top gift with a fantastic price for a late-harvest wine made with Viura and Malvasia, it is also a wine to bring to surprise to everyone in the aperitif or dessert, thanks to its magnificent acidity and a sweet and opulent fruit, which feels the sea of good in winter season. it can also be stored for a few years and enjoy its evolution, towards nuts and toasted and spicy notes. In short, there is no excuse for not getting a bottle, webpage : https://www.bodegasriojanas.shop/vina-albina/vina-albina-blanco-reserva-dulce-50cl
There you go folks, another wonderful post on my dear Spanish wines, Hoping for a long lasting memories of my dear Spain and its wine news, An area already shining for several years, and getting better me think, Hope you enjoy the new series of wines news from Spain as I
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 