June 25, 2016
Portland Wine Tasting Group SPANISH Wine Dinner
1. 2013 Bodegas Vizcarra Senda del Oro Ribera del Duero (Tempranillo grape)
"Bright purple. Spice-accented black and blue fruit aromas show good clarity and a slight medicinal quality. Dry and focused on the palate, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors and a touch of mintiness. Dusty tannins give shape and grip to the incisive finish, with the cherry note strongly repeating." Rated 90 Vinous/ Antonio Galloni
2. 2012 Bernabeleva "Camino de Navaherreros" Vinos de Madrid (Garnacha grape)
Vivid ruby-red. Sexy, highly perfumed aromas of raspberry, potpourri and Asian spices. Silky, penetrating red fruit and rose pastille flavors pick up a mineral nuance with air. Clings with excellent tenacity on the vibrant finish, which features fine-grained tannins and a touch of blood orange. Rated 91 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar
3. 2013 Orto Vins 'Orto', Montsant (55% Samso, 29% Garnacha, 10% Ull de Libre, aka Tempranillo and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes)
Aged for six months in stainless steel tanks and then for six more months in small four-year-old French oak barrels): Brilliant ruby. High-pitched red berry and floral aromas are complicated by Asian spice and mineral nuances. Lively, focused and fruity, offering juicy raspberry and cherry flavors and a touch of white pepper. Shows very good energy and lift on the finish, which is firmed by silky, late-arriving tannins. Rated 91 Josh Raynolds, Vinous Media
4. 2012 Doniene Gorrondona Tinto Txakolina (Hondarribi Beltza grape) Basque Region
Deep ruby. Pungent aromas of black and blue fruits and espresso are complemented by black pepper and licorice. Dense, sweet and smoky, showing very good definition to its cassis, bitter cherry and violet pastille flavors. Displays impressive energy and finishes firm, spicy and long, with lingering smokiness. Vinous Review: Rated 90
5. 2013 Bodegas Castano Solanera Vinas Viejas Yecla (70% Monastrell, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 % Grenache grapes)
Even better is the 2013 Solanera is a “Vinas Viejas” that differs from the Castano (100% Monastrell), as this blend is 70% Monastrell, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 % Grenache, aged 10 months in French and American oak. Another difference from the Hecula is that it was aged equal parts in tank and the other half in French oak. The Solanera, which comes from relatively high-altitude limestone soils at 900 meters, has a dense purple color, a big sweet kiss of blueberry and blackberry fruit mixed with crushed chalk, a full-bodied mouthfeel, beautiful purity, density and richness. The oak is well concealed by the lavish fruit–the wine just amazing. Drink it over the next 2-3 years, as these powerhouses are best consumed in their exuberant and extroverted youth. Robert Parker 92 Points
6. 2004 Ondarre Reserva Rioja (Tempranillo 75%, Garnacha 10%, Mazuelo 15% grapes)
Black cherry, licorice, smoke, tobacco and tar notes mingle in this firm, lively red. Maturing now, but shows balance and length. Still fresh, this brings you back for another sip. Drink now through 2016. Rated 91 Wine Spectator
7. 2012 Mas d'en Compte "Black Slate - Porrera" Priorat (60% Grenache and 40% Carignan grapes)
From one of Priorat’s coolest micro-climates, this 2012 Black Slate is composed of 60% old vine Grenache (60+ years) and 40% old Carignan (80 years), and aged 12 months in concrete tanks, old wood foudres, and two-year-old barrels. It reveals lots of licorice, crushed wet rock, sweet blueberry and black raspberry fruit characteristics along with a full-bodied, moderately tannic mouthfeel. The tannins are sweet and well-integrated, and the wine is drinking beautifully already. For a relatively expensive Spanish appellation, this is an outright steal! Consume it over the next 3-6 years. Rated 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
8. 2004 La Rioja Alta "904" Gran Reserva Rioja (90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano grapes)
This 2004, from a superb vintage shows a beautiful light red color with a brick rim and a superb nose redolent of balsamic woods, spices, leather, well-hung meat, incense and truffles. The light to medium-bodied palate shows fully resolved tannins, great acidity and pure, pungent flavors that linger in the mouth forever and that can only be Rioja. This is a wine to smell over and over again. It might sound like an exaggeration, but this wine is still too young and you should wait a little bit and drink the superb 2001 vintage which should still be available on the market while this one matures in bottle. At this quality level the price is superb especially considering that the wine is being released 10 years after the vintage. Drink 2016-2024. Rated 96 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate