Spanish sun

Posted by Andrew Chapman in News and Comments, 1:08pm 01/09/2009. Leave a comment

A bank holiday week-end AND a week off in sunny (well, mostly) Devon and I was back in the office with a huge spring in my step this morning, itching to put to work the ideas I'd dreamed up while drinking Doom Bar, drinking some fab S4W wines and eating fish down in Brixham.

Top of the list was to stop thinking about keeping the blog up-to-date, and start getting on with it...

I hadn't even read the zillions of emails waiting for me -and this was after keeping on topof them while away via my iPhone - and one of our favourite Spanish importers had arrived, laden down with various samples to try. As we're looking to develop our Spanish selection, the timing was perfect. Some of this will hopefully make the grade for S4W list in the coming months, once we've all chipped in with our views and tasting notes.

Highlights were the Naire white (100% Verdejo) and red (100% Tempranillo) pair which would be stunning value at £5.95 if we can do the right deal and get them down to that price. The euro not withstanding...

We tasted the amazing dry Botani Moscatel made by Jorge Ordóñez & Co in Malaga . Expensive, but very good - aromatic, but with a lovely spice and mandarin/lime zing to it too. Nice breadth and even richness for a Muscat, coming from being partly barrel fermented - and unusual winemaking technique for Muscat. Lots of aromatic wines are often spoken of as being great with Asian-inspired food - this wine really would work brilliantly. Very striking love it/loath it wine label too- it won a trophy for design at the recent Spanish New Wave wine awards.

Next up, the barrel fermented Cantocuerdas Albillo from Bodega Bernabeleva - although it looks like their web site is currently under construction. Albillo is a pretty much unknown (well, certainly in the UK) indigenous Spanish variety: lots of Burgundy-like flavours with minerality and zest to boot. A tad expensive at £18-19, but interesting and very good quality. In a sea of Sauvignon and Chardonnay it is wines like this that make Spain so interesting - especially as it is mostly red wines that we associate Spain with. In fact, we're not the only ones as the wine was recommended by Spanish wine guide Penin in a recent article in Decanter on white wines from Spain.

Of the reds the 100% Graciano from Vina Zorzal from Navarra was scented, plummy and rich while the Vina Marro Rioja from 100% Tempranillo was softly fruity and easy to drink, but with a core of firm tannins and minerality and just the right amount of oak.

The two stand out reds for me were Bajondillo - a blend of Tempranillo, Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet with a cherry/damson nose and lots of ripe, dark fruits on the palate (se VERY gaudy label on bottom right of pic above), and  Paisajes V Rioja - cassis on the nose and a warm, spicy, curranty palate.

All in all, not a bad way to start the first day back to work after the holidays!

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