Its time again to tell you on the wines of my dear Spain, As said, this goes back from my beginnings ,and I still go for them everywhere, I coming back at you with my wines news of Spain XXVII . Of course post No 27 for the non Romans, Hope you enjoy the post as I.
The Fernández Rivera family began their activity in 1972 and this is a story linked to the boom and haracter of this area, which in their winery can be felt almost at every step, In 1972, Alejandro Fernández and Esperanza Rivera put all their savings achieved thanks to a business of agricultural machinery at the service of purchase of a 16C hangar located in its Na-Tal village, Pesquera de Duero . And they launched it to make their own wine with the Tempranillo that began to plant in a land where the majority had started vineyard to give way to cereal and beets. Then Ribera del Duero was not what it is today. In fact, when the marriage decided to conquer its dream of creating Tinto Pesquera, there was not even the denomination of origin, which came a decade later from its hand and that of eight other families in the area. The history of Fernández Rivera family, as the conglomerate of companies that the founders shaped, was not exempt from the fluctuations that shake many other families. After a divorce and ink rivers for the future of the company, today there are three of the four daughters of the couple and all their granddaughters who carry out , and continue to grow the business, involved in all processes, areas and levels of responsibility. They have four wineries. In addition to Tinto Pesquera, the first and central base, also in Ribera del Duero they have a Condado de Haza , while Dehesa de la Granja is in Zamora, and the El Vinculo has its foot in Castilla La Mancha. Per year they take 2.2 million liters to the market, and export to 75 countries, with the peculiarity that they do it through a single distributor in each of them. The last project of the second and third generation of Fernández Rivera family is Vindesía,
the new brand under which the wine tourism experiences that make in all their wineries encompass. The routes organized by Fernández Rivera (from 15 and 20 euros per person) can be private, an increasing trend, or in a group, the most common. They are made throughout the year and are designed so that the visitor can know the entire wine production process, from the entrance of the grape to the cellar to parenting in barrels. They also include the tasting of two of the labels that are made and a third of another outstanding wine of the company. Tinto Pesquera, There you can visit the 16C, a piece of stone and wood in very good condition that symbolizes ingenuity and manual work that was then in the area and in the wine in there you can also see the vineyards, among them those that have 900 meters of altitude, with magnificent views of the entire large wine zone. The official Familia Fernàndez Rivera
: https://familiafernandezrivera.com/en/
Let me give some wines that might be able to find in your neck of the woods and these I have drank over the years and still do !! Enjoy them, you won’t go wrong with any of these.
Baron de Ley Semidulce or semi sweet , clean, bright and transparent yellow straw with golden trim. In the nose it is clean and complex, with high intensity and fruit notes of the passion, peppermint and honey. In the mouth it is a unctuous, fresh broth with good balance. vintage 2023 – Denomination: D.O.ca Rioja – Variety: Sauvignon Blanc – Bodega Baron de Ley – Mendavia (Navarra), Bodega Baron de Ley : https://www.barondeley.com/vinos/
Blume Verdejo ,yellow pale with subtle golden reflexes. In the nose it presents elegant aromas to citrus fruits such as tangerines and oranges and white flowers combined with dill and hay notes. In the mouth the wine has well integrated acidity, middle body and a fresh and pleasant ending. vintage: 2023 – Denomination: D.O. Rueda – Variety: Verdejo – Winery Pagos del Rey – Rueda (Valladolid) I am still drinking this one !! superbe ! They told me if you drink Verdejo you won’t get old, so I am lol !!! Bodega Pagos del Rey on Blume : https://blume.com.es/
Finca Montico Gran Vino de Rueda, modern cut, this wine offers varietal complexity and wine with body and fineness. To enjoy relatively soon, but a few years of guardian will provide complexity and additional interest that will surprise. In the mouth it is fatty, fresh, very unctuous and with a long and round ending. Vintage: 2022 Rueda – Variety: Verdejo – Bodegas Marqués de Riscal – Rueda (Valladolid) Bodega Marqués de Riscal on montico : https://www.marquesderiscal.com/finca-montico
Altos de Tamarón Crianza Intense cherry color with violet tones. This tallon tallon fence presents aromas of black fruits, cocoa, tobacco and spices. In a palate it is unctuous and enveloping, with a long and elegant post -election. The perfect complement to accompany cochinillo, lechazo, stews and hunting meats. vintage: 2021 – Denomination: Ribera del Duero – Variety: Tempranillo – Winery Payments of the King – Olmedilla de Roa (Burgos), Another good one indeed, Bodega Pagos del Rey altos de Tamaron : https://www.altosdetamaron.com/
Marqués de Riscal Reserva .Of great versatility and faithful representative of a wine from Rioja. Very expressive and fresh, with very pleasant polished tannins, with good structure but easy to drink. Harmonize well with ham, not very cured cheeses, stews with not very spicy sauces, grilled meats, etc. vintage : 2020 – Denomination: D.O.CA. Rioja – Variety: Tempranillo and Graciano – Bodegas Marqués de Riscal – Elciego (Álava), This was my first bodega ever taste of wine back many decades ago !! Bodega Marqués de Riscal Reserva : https://www.marquesderiscal.com/marques-de-riscal-reserva
Marqués de Cáceres Crianza. Ruby color with cape and medium intensity ribe. Deep nose of black fruit that alternates with a balsamic framework. Buqué of soft fine leather notes and some mentolated note that provides freshness to the tasting. Round tannin, he is sweet to mouth. Perfect to enjoy. Vintage: 2020 – Denomination: D.O.CA. Rioja – Variety: Tempranillo – Bodega Marqués de Cáceres – Cenicero (La Rioja) Bodega Marqués de Càceres Crianza : https://www.marquesdecaceres.com/vinos-wines/vino-crianza-rioja-marques-caceres/
As every year, the first harvest of Spain begins in Lanzarote, Canary islands. The wines that in an island in the plains of volcanic ash has some of the most surprising and unique vineyards in the world, The official Regulatory Council on wines of Lanzarote :https://dolanzarote.com/en/
A bit of wine education for all, The determination of the vintage date is a complex process that goes beyond the simple maturation of the grape, although this is undoubtedly a fundamental factor. There are different types of maturation that winegrowers and winemakers must take into account to decide the optimal moment for collection. The first type of maturation is physiological maturity. This is achieved shortly after the envero, which is when the berries change color and the seeds inside the grapes are capable of germinating in adequate conditions. This is the initial point of the maturation of the plant, but not adequate for the harvest for wine production. Then we have phenolic maturity, another key moment and that is related to grape polyphenols, such as anthocyans and tannins. The anthocyans, responsible for the color in the inks, are mainly found in the skin and its maturation ensures the maximum extraction and stability of the color of the wine. The tannins, located in the skin, evolve to provide body and structure to the wine, protecting it from oxidation without adding green or bitter flavors. Onological maturity is perhaps the most technical and precise of all. This is the ideal point for the harvest, adjusted according to the type of wine you want to produce. The oenological maturation varies according to the characteristics of the wine that the winemaker seeks to create. For cooler, aromatic and light wines, early harvests are preferred. On the other hand, for wines with more body, color and alcoholic graduation, the harvest is delayed. Determining this moment requires constant monitoring of the vineyard, with observations and analysis of grape samples to study the must. Finally, industrial maturity is reached when the sugar content in the grape is the desired for production. This type of maturity is more relevant in mass productions where the objective is to obtain a high performance in kilrado. In this case, it is important to consider that there is a point at which the grapes can continue to increase its sugar content but at the cost of losing weight, which can be counterproductive. Therefore, the grape data must be measured with precision, day by day. Finally, the final maturation, the final decision that winemakers, winemakers or winemakers must make to determine the exact harvest date, depends, in addition to all the technical factors seen above, on external factors and unforeseen contingencies, such as the availability of labor , the state of the terrain and the weather conditions. Only when all these variables are aligned, you can begin the collection of the grape, marking the beginning of the harvest.
The Observatorio Español del Mercado del Vino ( OEMV) or the Spanish Wine Market Observatory has published updated data that offer a detailed vision of the situation of the wine sector both in Spain
and worldwide. In the case of Spain, the consumption of wine in the last twelve months until May 2024 reached 9.83 million hectoliters, which represents an increase of 1.4% compared to the same period of the previous year . The production of wine and must in Spain has shown a remarkable decrease of 21.2% in the May period of 2024, with a total production of 32.1 million hectoliters. As for the surface of vineyards in, Spain reported a slight decrease of 0.3% in 2023, with a total of 928,517 hectares dedicated to the cultivation of the vine. Wine exports in Spain have registered remarkable growth in volume, with an increase of 5.8% to 2,845 million liters in the period May 2024. However, the economic value of these exports grew only 0.6 %, reaching 3,475 million euros. Worldwide, wine trade in 2023 experienced a 6.5% decrease in volume, totaling 9,838 million liters. The economic value of the global wine trade also suffered a 4.7% a drop, standing at 35,957 million euros. According to the situation of the international organization of the vineyard and wine (OIV) published in April 2024, world wine consumption contracted 2.6%, standing at 221 million hectoliters. The world vineyard surface remained relatively stable, with a slight decrease of 0.2%, totaling 7.2 million hectares. World wine production suffered a remarkable 10%reduction, reaching 237 million hectoliters.
Many of the wonderful landscapes that can be found throughout the Valencian Community are linked to the cultivation of the vine, the production of wine and various liquors being part of the Valencian idiosyncrasy since time immemorial, Each of the three Valencian provinces, and, thanks to having different variations of Mediterranean climate, favors that a multitude of wineries are part of up to three protected denominations (D.O.P.), that of Alicante, Valencia and Utiel-Requena , In addition, there is the protected geographical indication (I.G.P.) of Castellón. The province of Alicante, specifically to the regions of the Marina Alta, the Marina Baixa and the Vinalopó region, to test wines made with Moscatel, Monastrell, Garnacha or Merseguera grape, among others, and relax in enviable natural environments. From the province of València , regions of Alto Turia and Valentino, Clarian , tinta Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Pinot Noir, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The native varieties such as Macabeo, Embolicaire and Monastrell, along with other interesting ones that reinforce the personality of the wines such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah are tasted in the province of Castellón, especially in the towns close to the authentic via Augusta, in the regions of the High Plans and the Alcalatén Official consejo regulador DO Valencia : https://www.dovalencia.info/
FEREVIN celebrates the 32nd edition of their wine fair. At a new location: Plaza Albornoz, ,Requena, Ferevin represents the collaboration of 30 independent wineries in the wine region of Utiel-Requena which has led us to be the most extensive and homogeneous vineyard of the Valencian Community, with about 34,000 hectares and a production that exceed 200 million kilos of grapes. The official FEREVIN : https://ferevin.org/
The Historic Winery of Murviedro hides underground, in the middle of the old town of the city of Requena the mystery of the origin of its caves and its relationship with viticulture since the 6C BC; The feeling of having made a trip to the past will be taken. The visitor can also find an urban cellar created to microvinify their wine the Casa de la Seda or silk house, discovering the characteristics that the latest technologies inspired by the most traditional methods that will allow us to reunite us a little more, with the history of Requena. Ever since James Suckling tasted Bodegas Murviedro’s Wines, he has continued to write positive comments about them and award them the highest scores. Among the wines ,Finca El Serrano, made from MonastrelL grapes, increase its rating with the new 2021 vintage and achieves an Excellent 92 Points, Followed by Cañada La Torre Malvasía 2022, With 91 Points. Vallejo Avenas Chardonnay 2022 and Murviedro Passion Monastrell & Garnacha 2022 Are also both considered outstanding, with 90 Points.Know the winery and tried the latest very good job,
A bit of history I like as an introduction to this good bodega ,the Bodegas Schenk were founded in Switzerland in 1893, Bodegas Schenk in 1927 sets up affiliates in Spain. The first of these is in Vilafranca del Penedès, Catalonia, under the name of Schenk Spain ‘in 1929 wineries are opened in Alicante, Utiel and Requena in 1931 Schenk Spain decide to concentrate it activities on the winery in Valencia, which, located next to the port, meant the start of one of the main pillars of the brand: Export. In 1997 Schenk Spain changes Its headquarters to a location at the vary foot of the vines, in Requena at the heart of the Utiel-Requena Denomination of Origin, to produce of excellent quality wines, The company makes the most of its 75th Anniversary celebrations by changing its name to Bodegas Murviedro in 2002 in honor of its wine Cavas Murviedro, one of the most emblematic brands of wine in the Valencian Community , which made Murviedro one of the most renowned wines, The official Bodegas Murviedro on its wines : https://murviedro.es/en/products-wine-cava
Tour of the four most recent vintages of Domaine Fournier that shows the evolution of the winery -in the orbit of the González Byass group, one of the still family group of the Spanish landscape, Knowing that a great wine is linked to a large landscape , and that appreciated in the plots of Domaine Fournier in Berlangas de Roa (Burgos province): 50 hectares that extend in a beautiful alluvial terrace on the riverbank of the Duero River, delimited by a meander between the horra and roa rivers. They are Tempranillo vineyards with an average age of 45 years, half planted in the vide, which grow in floors covered with bred, poor in organic matter and with short water retention capacity, which largely limits their production Crianza and Reserva, from the 2019 harvest (the year González Byass acquires the firm) until the progress of what will be 2021 and 2022. The previous owners followed a Parker style. now their wines have ceased to be ‘Rambo’ to be ‘James Bond’, forceful at the same time as elegant ,the oldest strains of the property date from 1950 or 1951. It is difficult to determine the year because before 1951 there were no viticultural records .The vintage date has been advanced a few days in recent times, but the winery emphasizes that, even so, it usually takes place between October 1 and 10, so the effects of climate change are perceived less in this cold Burgos area. In total, 50 hectares with the support of controlled irrigation, where the Tempranillo is the only protagonist variety. The harvest is done by hand they work with various barrel makers to achieve greater complexity, priority to the French oak, although they include a small percentage of American. In these high quality barrels, wines mature between 12 and 18 months before the Blend phase, when winemakers decide the combination of the different plots. The parenting, with the advance of what will be 2021 and 2022 (in the market is the 2020 brend); and then, a four -vintage trip of the reserva, the last two also as in progress, because they still remain tuning in the winery. Both brands make up the Domaine Fournier catalog Fournier Crianza 2021, 12 months in French oak (90%) and American (10%). The 2021 (qualified as excellent in the D.O. Ribera del Duero) ; the Domaine Fournier Crianza 2022. with 12 months in French oak (90%) and American (10%).The wine has just passed to the bottle. It is a warm profile vintage, marked by low rainfall and high temperatures, which marked the maturation in a heterogeneous way, where the harvest had to be spaced for each plot to reach its polyphenolic maturation point Fournier Reserva 2019. months in French oak (90%) and American (10%). In the market since November 2022. It has a production of 12 625 bottles. In this vintage (qualified as excellent) Fournier Reserva 2020 15 months breeding in French oak (90%) and American (10%). Production: 26 400 bottles. The 2020 was a colder vintage and it shows. A very well armed red, with red fruit notes and resins and a very powerful mouth. Fournier reserva 2021. with 18 months in French oak (90%) and American (10%). 25 850 bottles. Advance of vineyard. In the nose, memories of black fruits, in addition to floral echoes and tertiary notes: smoked, roasted and tofle. It is a very understandable, tasty, fluid wine, with a more marked floral profile. Official Dominio Fournier : https://www.dominiofournier.com/en
Last but not least ,the Madrid City Council and the Madrid Enotourism association are committed to promoting the promotion of the capital as a wine tourism destination.Madrid is the only European capital that has a denomination of own origin –Wines of Madrid, wine tourism in the city of Madrid and the promotion of products D.O. Madrid wines, The Official DO Madrid : https://vinosdemadrid.es/
The official Madrid Enotourism : https://madridenoturismo.org/
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. Again, hope you enjoy the series of wines news of Spain as I.
And remember, happy travels, good health,and many cheers to all !!!
Paris1972-Versailles2003 