Anciano Tempranillo, Valdepenas, Spain

http://www.ancianowine.com/

courtesy Spaincentre.org

Valdepenas, Spain; known to locals as the Val-de-penas or "The Valley of Rocks". The imagery isn't particularly hospitable. But then, this region has never been gentle... to people or to vines.

Surrounded by the better known, and much larger, region of Castilla-la-Mancha which was made famous by Don Quixote amongst others, I can almost imagine the Don... riding through these sun-baked valleys on his quest. Being a learned man, he would have known that this region had roots. These people had history; with some castles dating back to the 6th, 7th, 8th century BC. Yes, a castle, someone's home at one point - and it's 3000 years old (or thereabouts).

But these castles housed more then just people. For people in this region drink wine; always have and always will. They drink wine with lunch, with dinner, before dinner, after dinner, before bed and perhaps for a midnight snack. Not to say that they're drunks! But different cultures have different habits and to some people, the thought of lunch without wine is just silly. Just silly.

Archaeological sites have revealed wine production here, also dating back to a thousand years before Jesus was born. A drop in the bucket (or barrel, pardon-the-pun) when one compares it to wine-making in the areas surrounding the Black Sea (which have been dated to seven thousand years ago and older). However, when I look at wine-making in the New World - in BC let's say, and one hundred years ago there were only the roughest sort of vines, the barest-type of production, and three hundred years ago Europeans were being sighted for the first time ever sailing their galleons up the coast. Well, then 3000 years of viticulture takes on a degree of intensity!

And today in Valdepenas, the fierce sun blazes on soil, vine and man as it has for millennia. And the people struggle under the sun, working the limestone-rich subsoil, and harvesting Tempranillo. This varietal has plantings not only throughout Spain, but Portugal as well and is responsible for adding depth and dimension to some of the greatest red wines of the region. Even the New World is getting in on the action with wineries in California, South America and even one or two in BC taking a chance.

farm in Valdepenas

These two wines from Bodegas Navalon are absolutely entry-level priced examples of what Tempranillo is capable of, and yet deliver something more then entry-level quality. Remembering that BC has the second-highest liquor tax in the world (thank-you Sweden for being more expensive), these two wines come in at $12.99 and $15.99 respectively. In the UK you can pick them up at just about any major grocery store/wine outlet for about £8.99 or even less. For me, when I purchase a wine in that price-range, I'm just hoping that it's balanced and not much else. But in Spain, because these wines state that they are Gran Reserva, then they must be aged a minimum of 5 years: 2 in cask, 3 in bottle.

This is the difference. This is what pushes the quality of these wines from average to lovely, from "nice" to "Oh my!". Discover for yourself why sommeliers the world over are enjoying Spanish wines more then ever before...

Anciano Gran Reserva 2005

aged 7 years

88 points

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

• visual:   clear;   deep garnet core to slight cherry rim/some signs of age/oxidization
• nose:   clean; medium+ intense and developing aromas that show both the brightness and freshness of youth through cherry blossoms and fresh red berries (raspberries/strawberries/blueberries) but also the more developed nuances of worn leather, drying dark berries... complimented by a generous array of graphite tones and wild savory herbs
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ cranberry acid, medium+ chalky tannin, medium- body, medium alcohol (13% ABV), medium intense flavors that do a solid job of keeping up with the aromas; the wine shows more age on the palate then the nose as the flavors are more of the dried blueberry/Saskatoon nature, layered with that graphite edge and rounded out with the scrub-brush/herbs. Good balance and structure, short length
• conclusion:   whilst it will last for a few more years, this wine is at it's peak and should be enjoyed now. It should be noted that for those not used to "funky" Old World aromas, a quick run through the aerator or a 15 minute decant (just leave the bottle open) will do much to dispel what may be not-to-everyone's-liking
• FOOD PAIRING:   "when in Rome..." and so I paired this cheerful red with grilled chorizo and caramelized sweet onions, capsicum bell peppers and fresh basil; grainy Dijon dipping sauce. The wine loved the bit of fat, hint of spice, and bold fresh garden flavors!

Anciano Gran Reserva 2002

aged 10 years

89+ points

*PREVIOUS VINTAGES SCORED 90 POINTS BY ROBERT PARKER

*NO NEED TO DECANT/AERATE

• visual:   clear; full garnet core to slight cherry rim/only light signs of aging
• nose:   clean; medium+ developing aromas of cherry blossoms and dark rose, warm cherry compote, fresh thyme from the garden, graphite edges and a slight peppery finish
• palate:   clean; dry, medium+ tart raspberry acid, medium chewy/meaty tannin, medium- body, medium alcohol (13% ABV), medium+ intense and developing flavors that mimic well the aromas; generous darker fruit tones give way to a well-placed minerality that cleanses the palate. The end is dark roses drying in my kitchen where I hang the Summer herbs. Good balance and very good structure with medium- length
• conclusion:   also at it's peak, this wine will last for several years but is best consumed within the next 18-24 months
• FOOD PAIRING:   a lighter though robust wine, this needed nothing other then the fireplace, a Sunday evening, and a good movie :) ... if I had paired food, it would have been something like grilled lamb burger with peppercorn-cherry relish, smoked garlic aioli for the frites
  

IMPORTER IN CANADA: www.DiamondEstates.ca 

 As always, I welcome your comments and questions - here, or on Twitter @AStudentofWine

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Cantinian Reserva Malbec - Cab Sauv

"Writing about wine doesn't pay very well, but you have to like the benefit package!"

   A writer who is like a mentor to me said that once, very early in my career, and it's stuck with me. What he failed to mention was the amount of work that this was going to be... who knew that writing about wine would take effort?

   A few days ago a colleague of mine from Patagonia imports (  http://www.patagoniaimports.com/our_wines.php ) dropped off a few sample bottles for me to taste and potentially write about. Well, who I am to refuse a friend?

    Then I opened the first bottle, a $27 Malbec-Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Cantinian vineyards ( http://www.cantinian.com/ )... normally I would be super-charged! I love Malbec, absolutely one of my favorite varietals; I adore the big, juicy red and black fruit notes, the sullen earthiness is can carry and unabashed self-ness when crafted with care.

   I opened the bottle, mouth watering, and poured some into a big Bordeaux glass to allow it a chance to breathe properly before I began guzzling. The glass was sending heady aromas in the air before I even lifted it, and I admit to getting a touch dizzy from the perfume. Then I tasted it.

   What a disappointment.

   Thin, sharp, unbalanced acids were aggressive to say the least and the concentration of flavors couldn't match the puissance of the fine bouquet. Perhaps I just didn't let it breathe enough? So fine, I let the bottle sit open all night, praying that the voracious fruit-flies camped out in my kitchen left my prize alone. They seemed as appalled by the poor vintage as I was... I came back around midnight for a last-effort at redemption but ended up leaving the 95% remaining in the bottle open overnight, more in sorrow then in any effort at further aeration. I had given up, the wine just didn't live up to it's hype.

   Then about 24 hours later I sat down to try and write something redeemable about it, some edge... I searched the Internet, scoured my secret sources for tidbits and even re-read some old notes on wines from the area. A few colleagues were around so I asked them to try it and give me their thoughts...

workers at Cantinian

   "Not bad; good expression of terroir"

   "Brilliant bouquet, lovely bright acids"

    "racy little number, should pair well with some slightly fatty grilled meats"

   Eh? What's this? Are they talking about the same wine?

   I put my nose to the glass again; a plethora of Mendoza trademarks aromas burst forth (with more finesse then the night before). A host of dark red berries, warm earth and savory wood-tones with a light cinnamon-spice finish marched through my olfactory. 

   Trepidatiously I tasted the garnet colored liquid; supple body, brilliantly alive acids, crisp and well-punctuated berry tones... this was a completely different wine.

   What did I learn? Never judge a book by it's cover, or a wine by it's opening notes when it's first poured into the glass. John Schreiner ( http://johnschreiner.blogspot.ca/ ) will always be inspirational to me, not just because he knows more about British Columbia wine then anyone else, but because he is always willing to keep a bottle of wine open for 3-5 days, "just to see what happens".

   Well John, I've truly learnt the lesson. This blend from only minutes outside Mendoza city is brilliantly transparent. If you want to taste a textbook example of "Mendoza-ness", then look no further... just give it a chance to breathe!

2009 Cantinian Reserva Malbec - Cabernet Sauvignon

$27 in BC, SPEC product (only speciality stores)

90 Points

blend:   70% Malbec, 30% Cab-Sauv

harvesting:   manual

organic:   certified organic as of 2012 (this vintage is not certified)

vine age:   up to 90 years; original plantings in 1923, youngest no less then 30 years

soils:   mineral-rich silt and sand with saline deposits

altitude:   950 metres

maceration:   total 39 days; gravity-fed fermentation tanks

maturation:   18 months in new French and American oak

• visual:   clean; fully intense ruby core with slight cherry rim
• nose:   clean; medium+ developing aromas of ripe black strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, dark plums, dark floral notes, wood-tones like cedar,  warm earth, spicy cinnamon finish
• palate:   clean; dry, full (red currant) acids, medium+ (grippy) tannins, medium body, full alcohol (14.5% ABV) is quite hot, medium+ intense and developing flavors akin to the nose with more emphasis on red berry notes and a dark cocoa finish. Good balance and structure, good concentration
• conclusion:   released early, this wine will show best in a few years or with a double decant through your aerator. Enjoy 2014-2020 and best enjoyed with food
• FOOD PAIRINGS:   whilst true that the zippy acids need fat, and a grilled Merguez sausage with eggplant tagine would cosy up to this just fine.. . also consider a Chef Kristof classic: bacon, tomato and aged cheddar sandwich. It has the fat to balance acids, the smokiness to enhance the Argentinian terroir... a lovely way to celebrate the lunch-hour!

the vista at Cantinian

   And so I stand before you, a humbled man.

   I made a snap decision based on literally thousands of wine-tastings, and I was wrong. I actually had the same thing happen with a brilliant Sonoma Pinot Noir  about a year and a half ago, and the sommelier who was with me and I still laugh about it, because we both ended up falling in love with the wine by the end of the night. 

   Wines are living entities; they are born of earth and sweat and sometimes even of love and respect for the place they come from. They sleep in bottles for months, or years, or decades waiting for someone to find them and appreciate them for what they are. Wines have personalities, presence, even the promise of something more... because wine can transport us from one place to another, from one time to another. Wine can ease our burdens, it can lift our sorrows and celebrate our victories. Wine, when it's done well, is a celebration of life.

   You doubt? The proof my friends, is in the glass.

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!     SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Durigutti Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza, Argentina is a desert... it's an extreme continental climate with earth-scorching hot summer days and winds that blow the dry soil to the four winds.

   In Lujan de Coyo DOC, an area within Mendoza, some would say that the most important aspect to their winemaking is not then the terroir, but rather the viticulturist. It is the decision on training, irrigation and canopy management... to the extent that I have hear winemakers talk about the difference in only a few degrees of aspect (the slope of the vineyard) as they calculate down to the minute just how much extra sunlight that few degrees will allow. These winemakers know their land, and they know how to make a rather harsh environment work for them. They know how to work with their land.

   Such is certainly the case with Hector Durigutti, who has spent more then 20 years in the industry, working his way around the world as a consultant. Now he and his brother Pablo have created a world class establishment in what some people would argue is some of the finest winemaking land in Mendoza: Familia Durigutti (www.durigutti.com )

   Hector and Pablo state in their website that their overriding philosophy is that of "young eonologists involved in the joy of incorporating modern variants to the elaboration of wine". I cannot pretend to fully understand what that means, but I can definitely pick out a few key words: joy. Anytime I hear a winemaker talk about their joy, I know that I'm probably in for a treat. I genuinely believe that anyone who works hard at what they do, and do it with real joy, will be successful.

    But don't take my word for it~! Success has already come for the Durigutti brothers as Hector was awarded the oenology award by the Association of Argentinian Sommeliers in June 2009. Wine Spectator (www.WineSpectator.com ) has listed several Durigutti vintages in their top 100 wines, including this 2008 Malbec as #74 and with 90 points. I unfortunately don't have this available in British Columbia, but in the USA this is running $15 USD per bottle and under - a Stunning Value.

2008 Durigutti Malbec

Agrelo, Lugan de Coyo DOC, Mendoza Province, Argentina

www.durigutti.com

$15 USD (most states),    **** EXCELLENT VALUE ****

N/A in BC, available in limited quantities in Alberta

• visual:   clean; fully intense black-garnet core with slightest cherry rim
• nose:   clean; moderate+ to fully intense youthful aromas of red cherry, cherry blossom, red raspberry, light red currant, star anise (some will say asian spice) - almost licorice root, some light yet pungent dark florals like irises/dark rose
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ red cherry acids(slightly exuberant), moderate+ slightly chewy tannins, moderate+ alcohol, moderate+ (supple) body, moderate+ to fully intense youthful flavors mimicking the nose with emphasis on the cherry notes, fig compote and leathery end palate. Very good to excellent balance, excellent structure, medium+ length
• conclusion:   drinking well now - I would still cellar for best results. Drink 2012-2015/18. Very good concentration of flavors and rich tannins well integrated
• PAIRINGS:   great Malbec calls for great steak - a bit of acid in this wine so use steak with some fat or else finish with butter. The rich berry notes will play well off venison, as will the asian spice~!

Hector and Pablo Durigutti

As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

CINCIN~!!!    SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!

Abbey Rock Coonawarra "Old Schoolhouse" Riesling

Riesling is one of those varietals that I find people love or hate, which is really odd when one considers the vast diversity of rieslings in the world.

   Riesling can be sweet or dry - it can age well under great circumstances and can easily be enjoyed quite young. Riesling pairs well with traditional German, Swiss and Alsatian foods like schnitzel, seared pork with saurkraut and sour cream, even a raclette of cheese. Riesling is also a dream with a great grilled cheese sandwich. Riesling, in other words, is capable of greatness.

   But nothing in what I've said would make one put the thought Riesling with the thought Australia, but it's a more natural fit then one might think. Many Germans emigrated to Australia in the last 1800's and gravitated to the (by comparison) cooler parts of the country. Granted, snow may be a dream for most Australians, but in South Australia, about 300 km south-east of Adelaide is the wine-growing region known as Coonawarra (which means honeysuckle in aboriginal).

photo courtesy of South Australia

   Coonawarra has only recently become famous for it's wine production. Before the 1950's it was unknown even to Australians, but it was Samuel Wynn who discovered the famous terra rosa soil, which has spawned a whole generation of Australian winemakers who gave up their roots in fortified wines and moved into table wines.

   Jump to 2001 and winemaker Les Sampson, viticulturalist Ted Apted and wine marketer Michael Parkinson.  This group of fine fellows decided to do something brave and make wine. I say brave because I truly believe that anyone who strikes off on their own and blazes their own trail is brave... what was it Robert Frost said: "and I took the path less trodden by". Amen.



photo courtesy South Australia



   Since 2001 the team have garnered awards around the world, taking wine from several sub regions in South Australia that suit the varietals they are making. Coonawarra has become famous for it's Shiraz, but Riesling has been planted here for decades, and this  Riesling is so classical as to be textbook.

Abbey Rock 2004 "Old Schoolhouse" Riesling

Coonawarra, South Australia

http://www.abbeyrock.com.au/

12.8% ABV, $12 CAD   **Very Good Value **

http://tagliquorstores.com/fox-reach/

• visual:   clean; pale straw core with watery rim
• nose:   clean; fully intense and developed aromas of German style aged riesling; petrol, plastic, stark and crisp minerality, soft undertones of dried apples and old hay
• palate:   clean; dry, moderate+ (crabapple) acids, moderate- alcohol, moderate- to light bodied, moderately intense and developed flavors that mimik the nose well; soft chalkiness to the minerality on the palate and a long finish of dried apple and limestone. Very good balance and structure, solid moderate length on the palate
• conclusion:   Completely overdelivers for the price. If I had a class on riesling, I would definitely serve this wine. Drink before the end of 2012 for best results.
• PAIRINGS:   German style wine wants German style food - if you can bread it and fry it then it probably goes great with this wine! German cheese also a natural pairing.

   The lesson in today's wine? Don't be prejudiced by a $12 pricetag - something great might be inside! The folks at Abbey Rock Winery only made 1000 cases of this wine, and that was quite a few years back... if you're lucky enough to see a bottle in your local store, then do yourself a favor and try something new.

As always, your comments and questions are welcome.

CINCIN~!!!      SLAINTE~!!!     CHEERS~!!!