Wine Tour of Spain
APRIL 2024
Spain is a mountainous, rugged country. Often its vineyards are in the lowlands near the ocean or in river valleys, but many vineyards are on higher-altitude, rugged, harsh, dry lands where the vines are acclimated to dig deep for nutrients and flourish in a continental climate of brutally hot summers and freezing cold winters.
Your April club features a wine grown at sea level, an Albariño from Rías Baixas (Galicia) on the Atlantic Coast, and two higher elevation reds: Bobal (a lesser-known red grape from Valencia) and for our 3-bottle club members, a classic Tempranillo from Ribera del Duero. Interesting, fun club. Enjoy.
2-BOTTLE CLUB
Lagar de Cervera
D.O. Rías Baixas
Rías Baixas is known for seaside vineyards that produce the white grape Albariño, a world-class fish wine. Most Albariño is under $20 and makes for a lovely, refreshing summer sipper. Your club Albariño is a step up – interesting, complex, an absolute show-stopper.
The grapes come from a group of plots in the O Rosal subzone (right on the border to Portugal, adjacent to the ocean) that were purchased in 1988 by high-end Rioja producer, La Rioja Alta. They thought they had spotted some special, high-quality grapes from which their team could make a special Albariño. I agree with them. This is an amazing Albariño.
Lagar de Cervera 2022 Albariño
Rías Baixas, Spain // Reg $31.99 | Mixed Case $25.59
100% Albariño from estate plots in O Rosal and Val do Salnés. Fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.
Aromas of white peach, dried apricot, seashells, and floral notes. Delicate, elegant, excellent structure and great acidity. Flavors include green apples, pears, citrus, white peach and lime zest. Wonderful minerality on the midpalate. Saline (salty sea air) notes on the long, fresh finish. Drink now. Best with all kinds of seafood as well as Asian dishes.
Utiel-Requena & Bobal
Named after the villages of Utiel & Requena, Utiel-Requena DOP is an appellation about an hour inland from Valencia. At 2362 ft above sea level, it's considered a transitional area between the lowlands around Valencia and the higher elevation Central Plateau (yellow on the map). It is rugged and dry with very little organic matter in the soils. Its continental climate is extremely hot in summer and cold (snow & hail) in winter and is considered on of Spain's most brutal growing areas.
The Bobal grape is native to this land and thrives despite the harshness. Bobal makes up 80% of wine production in Utiel-Requena and is known for producing a European-style wine: medium-bodied, dry (but not too dry) with good acidity (made for food) and juicy dark fruit flavors of blackberries with a note of licorice.
Photo: vineyard view from the winery
Vera de Estenas 2021 Bobal
Valencia, Spain // Reg $22.99 | Mixed Case $18.39
100% Bobal from 50-100 year old vines in Utiel-Requena. Aromas of black plums, black cherries and raspberries with mineral notes. Bright, earthy, well-balanced and complex. Medium-bodied with flavors of red & black plums, black cherries. Great acidity on the fresh finish. Drink now. Great with poultry, pork and light enough for fish dishes.
3-BOTTLE CLUB
Bodegas Vizcarra
D.O. Ribera del Duero
Ribera del Duero is a high desert plain, located in greater Castilla y León (a large region in northcentral Spain), and is known for intense, dry, often higher-end, aged Tempranillo.
José Manuel Vizcarra Aguado founded this winery in the 1980's. In 1991, his son, Juan Carlos Vizcarra Ramos, took over as owner and winemaker of the estate. The vineyards are located at almost 3000 ft above sea level and are farmed organically.
Bodgas Vizcarra 2020 Senda del Oro
Ribera del Duero, Spain // Reg $31.99 | Mixed Case $25.59
100% Tinto Fino (= local name for Tempranillo). 15-year old vines from the Senda del Oro (Golden Path) vineyard which has sand, gravel and clay-limestone soils. Aged 6 months in French and American oak barrels.
Aromas of red and black raspberries, cassis and sage. Medium-bodied, somewhat juicy (unexpected for that kind of wine), with flavors of black cherries, red currants, coffee, dark chocolate. Soft notes of dried herbs and spices as well as earthy tones. Smooth tannins on the long finish. Drink now to 5 years.
The classic pairing in this part of Spain would be lamb. Roasted meats across the board would be tasty as would roasted vegetables or smoked ham.
Hope you enjoy this month’s wines. I think they’re an excellent, interesting selection from Spain and perfect for spring!
Cheers,
Jens Strecker, Owner
Portalis Wine Shop