*tasting note at the bottom
**Part of the ‘Spanish Value Experiment
For wine #5 I’m drinking a little more locally, specifically Abadal Franc 2016 from Bodega Masies d’Avinyó (known in Spain as Abadal) of DO Pla de Bages. I don’t drink a lot of wine from Pla de Bages, which isn’t entirely surprising as there’s barely 600 hectares planted making it one of the smallest Catalan wine regions, but Abadal are surely the most impressive winery in the region. I’d tried a few of their wines before and had always found them to be very good, but these were typically wines at higher price points. Their simplest and most accessible wine is their Abadal Franc, a simple blend of Cabernet Franc and Tempranillo (I’ve heard there may be some Sumoll blended in for freshness but I can’t confirm as the data sheet for this wine seems to be AWOL). Now, as a Cabernet Franc lover this is quite exciting, as I’ve often had to dig into the corners of wine shops for forgotten Chinon to get my fix. If there’s a good producer of reasonably priced Cabernet Franc in Catalunya, they’ll certainly have my business.
Abadal has been in business since 1983 (DO Pla de Bages didn’t exist until 1995 by comparison) and currently own 127 hectares of vineyards planted with a mixture of Spanish and international varieties. The mixture of climates within the region, cooler and wetter to the north, allow for a variety of wines to be made, from the characteristically sharp and vibrant Picapoll to heavier Bordeaux blends. The grapes for Abadal Franc are grown at around 450m altitude and on predominantly clay and sand based soils (like much of Chinon), then aged for a short period in French oak.
Tasting Note
60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Tempranillo/Sumoll, grown at 450m altitude. Varietals vinified separately and aged in unspecified ages of French oak for 3-4 months. 14% ABV
Slightly deeper in colour than expected with a restrained but appealing nose of ripe cherries, strawberries, black pepper, violets and a sappy, leafy character. Lovely and fresh on the palate, with vibrant acidity giving some edge to an otherwise soft wine, and lifting the flavours; there’s some bite to this! Lively, refreshing and surprisingly varietal in character; the typical graphite and herbal character of Cabernet Franc really came out with a little aeration. A fun but simple wine. 89Pts.
Purchased from Vinissimus for €7.80