Day 193 of Lock-Down and we´ve just finished our last bottle of wine. Send help. SEND HELP!
Ahem. Perhaps it isn´t time to panic just yet but after what felt like the longest March of my life, I´m certainly glad to have a bottle or two of wine by my side. I was delighted to see the selection of French wine make such an impact across Barcelona and I feel particularly happy to see people exploring new producers and helping out local business in this time of need. So much so, that I´ve come up with an entirely different boxed set, this time from a place very close to my heart; Bodega Maestrazgo.
For anyone who doesn´t know me well, Bodega Maestrazgo was where I first fell in love with wine. I won´t bore you with the details here but I wrote about it for Jancis Robinson a couple of years ago, and it remains one of Barcelona´s true gem wines. That´s also the disclaimer; I love these guys and consider them good friends. In the last couple of years, largely due to the drive and passion of Misty, Bodega Maestrazgo has also seen a revolution of wine offerings, including a far more dynamic, exciting wine list. Over the last week I´ve been through their selection of available wines and come up with a mixed Spanish case, covering 6 different grapes across various regions of Spain and I hope you´ve got some liver space left, because this is a selection that is definitely going to help you get through April!
The details of the wines are below but if you´d like to order this case, follow this link and it will be in your doorstep in 24 hours!
A Taste of Spain
I´ve put together a mixed case of some outstanding wines from across Spain, all chosen from the broad selection available at Bodega Maestrazgo. Many of these wines have been heavily discounted to fit into a €99 price bracket (delivery included) and include a few wines with very limited availability. As last time, there´s no commercial gain for me in this; if I can get some amazing wines out to peoples doorsteps and help my friends and local business in the process, I´ll be very happy indeed.
Recaredo “Terrers” Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2015
If there´s a better producer of sparkling wine than Recaredo in Spain, I´ve yet to find them. A long time favourite of mine, this had to be the cornerstone of the selection. Recaredo are a family ran producer based in San Sadurni d Anoia and are famous for their fastidious methods and complete commitment to sustainable (biodynamic now) viticulture. I always recommend going to visit them to anyone who wants an idea of just how brilliant sparkling wine can be locally, though for now, the experience will have to be enjoyed via a bottle of their wine! Broad and refreshing, with lovely orchard fruit, bruised apple and pastry notes thanks to the 36+ months of ageing on the lees; if this was a Champagne, you´d struggle to find it for less than €35 a bottle!
Domenech Vidal “Cultivare” Xarel.lo 2016
Xarel.lo is, for me, Catalunya´s most exciting white grape. I´ll have some apologies to make to my friends in Terra Alta and Emporda by saying this, but I believe it to be true. The strength, flavour and weight of the best sparkling wines, but increasingly a source of exciting, refreshing white wine as well and many a lover of white Burgundy has had their head turned by the focus and energy of these wines. This “Cultivare” bottling from Domenech Vidal is one of the best I´ve tried, up there with the likes of Enric Soler and Pardas, and I was delighted to judge it in the 2018 Tranches of the International Wine Competition and give it a gold medal. Crisp, precise and full of the crunchy green fruits and subtle, herbal tinges that make good Xarel.lo such a delight.
VVinyes d’Olivardots Rosa d’àmfora 2018
Vinyes d’Olivardots are one of the leading lights in Emporda; a region often overlooked due to the success of wineries further South. Using indigenous grapes, often from particularly old vineyards, they´re exploring the strength in depth that Catalunya has to offer, often using ancient methods to bring out the true character of their vineyards. Take this gorgeous wine for example; 80 year old Grey Carignan (a white grape with a pink tinge), farmed organically and then allowed to ferment slowly for 4 months, inside clay amphorae. An orange wine in every sense of the term, full of grapefruit, orange peel, rose petals and wild herbs; an evocative, delicious wine.
Vina Ardanza Reserva Seleccio Especial 2010
I´ve been championing this wine for some time, as one of the best value wines in Spain. Despite clocking in at substantially above what you might consider to be good value (€20-22), this is a world beater and has such depth of flavour and elegance, not to mention its ability age for decades. 80% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha and 4 years of slow ageing in old American oak barrels; quintessential Rioja in the classic style, and a wine I drink every single year without fail. As luck would have it, the 2010 vintage was so highly regarded in Rioja, La Rioja Alta decided to declare it as a “Special Vintage”, the 3rd of the century thus far. Complex, elegant and full of red fruits, leather, tobacco and sweet, oak spices. Consistently excellent!
Antoine Graillot and Raul Perez “Encinas” 2016
My favourite producer of Crozes-Hermitage combining with my favourite producer in Bierzo? Dreams do come true! Raul Perez, the eccentric genius of the region, is renowned for his collaborations and delicate touch, whilst the Graillot family are best known for extracting the very best out of an unappreciated region in the Northern Rhone of France. Both have a tendency to get out of the way and let the vineyard shine through, with a tendency for whole-bunch fermentations, older oak and in the case of Graillot, concrete tanks. The result? A savoury, high-toned and spicy Mencia with finely grained tannins and bags of energy. Yes, please!
Bodegas Sommos “Nietro” 2016
It wouldn´t be a Spanish selection without at least one Garnacha! Along with Mencia, one of Spain´s calling-cards of the 21st century and an unbelievable natural resource, with old bush vines scattered across the country. For this final bottle we head to Calatayud in Aragon, arguably the birthplace of this famous grape and a wealth of high quality vineyards. Bodegas Sommos are likely the least famous name in this selection, a privatised co-operative, producing powerful, earthy Garnacha. Their “Nietro” bottling is their young Garnacha, with only 6 months in a mixture of barrel sizes designed to give a little oak influence, without getting in the way of the dark fruited, spicy tones of their old-vine Garnacha.