Beyond Rioja, Sherry and, to a lesser extent, Cava, the wines of Spain can appear a bit of a mystery.  Yet the world’s third largest wine-producing country, has a good deal more to offer, and tonight we attempted to scratch the surface.

1.       Rueda Montecarto Alvarro Domecq 2004 (Tanners £6.99)
Rueda is a small region south-west of Valladolid, which specialises in white wines.  The principal grape is Verdejo, which is blended with Viura (Maccabeo) and Sauvignon Blanc.

This had fresh, grassy elderflower characters, with sweetness on the mid-palate, but a touch bitter on the finish.  Pleasant, but not great for the price.  (CHP 14+, Bin Ends 4 votes)

2.       Pazo de Senorans Albarino de Rias Baixas 2005 (Wine Society £8.95)
From Galicia in the extreme north-west, just above Portugal, the Albarino grape is Spain’s best-kept secret and, to my mind, is responsible for the country’s finest white wine.  Pazo de Senorans is a top label, but cheaper and more accessible versions, such as Martin Codex, Pazo de Seoarce (£8.99 Waitrose) and Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference (£5.99)

It had loads of structure and length, with lime-zest fruit.  Just a touch of bitterness was evident on the middle-palate, but I’m confident this will quickly fade as the wine matures.  Personally, I  found this very fine, if a little immature.  (CHP 17, Bin Ends 5 votes)

3.       Laderas de El Seque 2004 Alicante (Wine Society £4.95)
The finest tables wines are across the northern part of Spain, but this one just ducked under the radar.  It’s made with Monastrell, which is also known as Mourvedre in the Southern Rhone and Languedoc, and Mataro in Australia.

This was thick textured with tar and sweet damson flavour.  I though this gave terrific value, but lacked complexity.  (CHP 16, Bin Ends 5 votes)

4.       Artazuri Tinto  Navarra 2004 (£3.95 The Wine Society)
Navarre lies very much in the shadow of its more senior neighbour, Rioja, but nonetheless is a wonderful source of great value wines, well worth seeking out.

Garnacha (Grenache in France) is the most widely planted variety, which happens to be ideal for Rosé.  It’s also one of Spain’s great red grapes.  This version, however, was red, unoaked and showed sweet, jammy black cherry fruit, infused with spice.  The finish and concentration were both good and, altogether, showed more dimension than the Monastrell.  Delicious and terrific value (CHP 16+, Bin Ends 4 votes)

5.       Ochoa Tempranillo Navarra 2002 (£6.99 Tanners)
Spain’s other great red variety is Tempranillo, which also assumes all manner of different guises, such as Ull de Llebre in Catalonia, Cencibel in La Mancha, and Tinto Fino in Ribera del Duero.

Here, the Tempranillo has undergone ageing in American oak barrels.  It was quite oaky, with flavours of coconut, vanilla and spice, and a creamy smooth texture.  The length of finish was good and, in spite of the fact that the oak dominated the fruit, I couldn’t help but like it.  (CHP 16, Bin Ends 4 votes)

6.       Guelbenzu Azul Ribera del Quieles 2003 (Tanners £8.80)
Guelbenzu are a well respected family company in Navarre, that was obliged to leave the D.O because they acquired vineyards close by in neighbouring Aragon.
Perhaps the primary difference between Navarre and Rioja is that the former is allowed to play around with international varieties, as there are fewer restrictions.  The Azul (Blue label) is a blend of 39% Tempranillo, 34% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon and made an interesting contrast to the Ochoa, as this was aged in French oak for nine months.

The lighter oak treatment allowed the red fruit to shine through, but it was much rounder, almost flabby.  The heatwave of 2003 had sadly affected the wine’s structure, and I was disappointed, bearing in mind the price. 
(CHP 14+, Bin Ends 3 votes)

7.       Dehesa Gago Toro 2005 (Wine Society £6.50)
Toro is a red wine region, situated west of Rueda, on the River Douro, not too far from the Portuguese border, where it undergoes a name change, to Douro, of Port fame.

Tempranillo is the favoured grape here, and this version is by one of Spain’s leading modern winemakers, Telmo Rodriguez, previously of the top Rioja house, Remelluri.

This had seen little or no oak, and tasted of sweet black-cherry and blackcurrant.  It had spice, ripe tannins and a long finish.  Perhaps a little youthful, this was a well-balanced modern style wine.  (CHP 16, Bin Ends 4 votes).

8.       Cepa Gavilan Ribera del Duero 2004 (£8.25 The Wine Society)
Outside of Rioja, there is little argument, for me, that Ribera del Duero is Spain’s finest red wine region.  At  one time, the iconic Vega Sicilia was a stand-alone winery, but now the region is well and truly established with a host of great producers.

The Gavilan is from a superb vintage, and was matured in both new French and American oak barrels.  The blend is superb, with black-cherry dovetailing woody flavours of vanilla, coconut and coffee grounds.  It had lovely structure and length and, in terms of value, was the wine of the night.
CHP 17+, Bin Ends 10 votes).

9.       Condado del  Haza 2002 Alejandro Fernandez (Tanners £10.60)
Alejandro Fernandez is probably the region’s best-known winemaker, making his reputation with Pesquera.  The  Condado is a sister estate, perhaps a little more forward.  The contrast with the previous wine, the Gavilan was fascinating, as the Condado was more mellow, more aromatic and more integrated.

From a less good vintage, the fruit was not as profound, but it had a lovely smooth structure, with notes of coconut and bitter chocolate.  It was well received.  (CHP 17, Bin Ends 9 votes)

10.     Les Terrasses 2003 Priorat  Alvaro Palacio (£14.60 Tanners)
Within Catalonia, or more specifically Tarragona, south of Barcelona, lies one of Spain’s most exclusive regions, Priorato.  The vines are old, but until 15-20 years ago, most of the wine was made at the local co-operative.

Alvaro Palacio and Rene Barbier, amongst other pioneers, saw the potential and the resulting wines were quickly picked up by the uber-wine critic, Robert Parker.  Prices sky-rocketed, and Priorat is generally very expensive.

At this price level (it has since  increased to £15.90), Les Terrasses is the best in its class.  Full, rich and round, it had wonderful texture and depth, with flavours of black-cherry and menthol.  The best wine of the night, but at a price.
(CHP 18, Bin Ends 12).

Our tour of Spain proved all too brief, but was warmly received.  The spread of marking indicated that none of the wines were poor, but generally, the last three wines gained the most plaudits.  Of particular interest was the contrast between unoaked and oaked Tempranillo in both French and American oak.  The flavours and results were markedly different. 

COMING UP …..

Tuesday, 28th November 2006
A Bordeaux Extravaganza
We’ll be comparing basic quality with Cru Bourgeois
And vintages between 2004 and 1999
A must for any self-respecting Claret fan

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Tuesday, 19th December 2006
A chance to brush up on the various Port styles,
From Ruby and Aged-Tawny to Vintage Port.
We’ll  be enjoying these with Stilton and mince-pies.
Contributions of cheese and mince pies welcome.

*****

Saturday, 27th January 2007
Bin Ends Annual Dinner
At Opus Restaurant, Birmingham
Margaret Hale now requires the balance on deposits,
Please e.mail her on: margaret.hale@tiscali.co.uk
For her address to send her your cheque

Please note my website link:
www.clives-wines.com