We have always enjoyed working with Jose Pastor’s portfolio of Spanish wines, and after returning from a fabulous two-week trip to Spain and Portugal with him, it is even more apparent to me that the work he is doing is some of the most exciting in the world of wine. Through tireless traveling and tasting, Jose has been discovering wines by going to the source: the vignerons themselves. This focus has enabled him to find some of the most cutting edge natural winemakers working in Spain today.
Using Madrid as a pivot point, hitting three coasts, and covering thousands of kilometers from Lisbon to Alicante, it was astounding to see just how much Spain’s wine scene has changed. This growth has been fueled by a renewed respect for terroir and the use of less obtrusive methods in the cellar, a distinct move away from the culture of point scores and consumer-driven private label fodder. This is thrilling for us, to say the least.
It is clear that Jose is attuned to this emerging spirit, and it will be an honor to have him in the store pouring his wines this Friday, the 18th, from 5-7pm. There will be selections from such diverse terroirs as the Atlantic-influenced Canary Islands, the harsh, continental Ribera del Duero, and the supremely Mediterranean Catalonia. Jose’s wines taste like they come from the soil; they’re pure, vibrant, and, most importantly, fun to drink. Don't miss it! cb
Benito Santos 2010 Rias Baixas Albarino Saiar
The Saiar is from mostly younger vines. It is fresh and lively with a lovely mix of subtle fruit and briny saline flavors. A pure honest expression of granite soils and a great value! cb
Rodriguez, Luis 2010 Ribeiro Viña de Martin Blanco
Comprised primarily of Treixadura, the 2010 shows delicate aromatics of pear, chestnut, spearmint and sea shells. The palate is racy, textured, and detailed, with notes of white pepper, nutmeg, and juicy fruit. The finish is long and saline infused. The balance here is incredible, and the acidity more pronounced than any other Rodriguez white in my memory, making it my favorite from Luis that I've tasted. Drink this over the next 4-5 years and pair with ocean creatures, particularly any whole roasted fish with herbs. A beautiful wine. cb
Carballo 2008 La Palma Listan Blanco
Carballo's current vintage Listan Blanco is very different than the 2007, which I loved for it's almost fino-like character. This vintage shows a bit more restraint and nuance. Light-gold in the glass, the aromatics are very lively and more "wine-like" with citrus pith, apple-skin, anise, flowers, and light saline notes. The flavors are lithe and delicate on the palate, silky, and mouth-coating. This delicious Canary Islands white has wonderful purity and reminds me of the Gavis of Cascina degli Ulivi. cb
La Guancha 2009 Ycoden Daute Isora Viña Zanata Listan Blanco
Fermented with wild yeasts in tank. Smells like Muscadet - melon, salt, lime zest. On the palate, it is a bit softer with more salt, some fennel, and lemon. Very dry, long, and crunchy. This was lovely with Flounder in a white wine, cilantro and garlic sauce - a traditional Canary Islands dish from Penelope Casas' Delicioso: The Regional Cooking of Spain. cb
Mengoba (Bodegas Chacón Buelta) 2009 Vdt Cangas Nibias Albarín Blanco
Winemaker Gregory Perez partners with a bodega in Asturias to make this wine. Produced from the native Albarin grape, grown on decomposed slate and raised in barrel, this smells like Jura wine with a touch of voile (flor in Jerez) - deep salty mountain mineral aromas. The palate is rich, nutty, intense and linear. This is not about fruit. It's about minerals - fascinatingly oxidative with waxy texture and packed full of character. One of the wildest white wines from Spain. Pair with aged cheeses. cb
Galgueira 2009 Valdeorras Mencia
New again! We have been out of stock of this vintage for almost a year. It was a smashing wine then, but it's even better now; the divergent parts have to come together to a much greater degree. From old vines on broken slate and fermented in tank, this has a lovely core of ripe raspberry fruit with pretty spice, cola root, and hints of cassis. A Mencia that has the freshness and red fruits of Ribeira Sacra and some of the darker edges of Bierzo. Delicious with the Basque stewed tuna dish Marmitako. - cb
Pedralonga (Alfonso Reboreda, Francisco) 2007 Rias Baixas Do Umia Tinto
From 25 year old and mostly un-grafted Caiño, Mencia, and Espadeiro vines, Do Umia is an Atlantic red with a very developed and complex array of flavors. Notes of crushed raspberries, violets, smoked meat, tobacco, and iodine carry through on the light bodied, juicy, and virtually tannic-less palate. This is the perfect foil for spicy foods, such as a pork stew or blistered padron peppers. cb
Preto 2009 Tierra de Leon Prieto Picudo Tinto
Prieto Picudo is a rustic and characterful native grape that grows around the town of Leon. Gregory Perez uses a fresh and elegant approach in his elaboration - with minimal extraction, natural yeast vinification and reductive wine-making in tank. The 2009 Preto starts off a bit funky from reduction, but with a half hours worth of air, it shows lovely dark bramble fruits, great freshness, savory black pepper notes, with a supple well fruited palate. Also, I think there's a mineral dimension that this wine really interesting and lovely. A great introduction to the new Spain. Pair with roasted birds and meats with a simple sauce - venison, pork, veal, and quail. cb
Tajinaste 2010 Valle de la Orotava Listan Negro
This is fermented carbonic maceration with wild yeasts. The 2010 is my favorite Tajinaste that I have tasted thus far. It shows fresh and very peppery floral aromas with red raspberry and a lovely juicy earthy depth on the palate. Like really good Cru Beaujolais, serve cool and pair with sausages. In this case, chorizos or morcillas would be more appropriate. cb
Fronton de Oro 2009 Gran Canaria Malpais
From vineyards located 1,000 meters above sea-level, this is a blend of Prieto, Listan Negro and Tintilla that has been raised for 4 months in used barrels. The Malpais shows very aromatic with black pepper, sweet black fruit, and pretty woodsy tones. The palate is harmonious, silky and almost pinot-like with a deep spicy finish and excellent finishing vibrancy. A delicious wine and too easy to drink - a Canary delight. cb
San Feliu, Vinya 2010 Vi de taula Garnatxa Peluda (No Sulphur Added)
From certified organic Garnacha Peluda grapes grown in the Costers del Segre region in Catalonia, this is vinified and bottled without sulfur. This wine is alive with pure, fresh, dark and peppery fruit. The fruit here is beautiful - medium bodied, vibrant and delicious. cb
Mendall (Laureano Serres) 2010 Vino de Taula Poc a Poc
Maestro Tejero, Alfredo 2009 Vdt Castilla y Leon Castrillo del Duero
Alfredo Maestro makes all of his wines without added yeasts or SO2 (just a bit at the bottling for cuvees meant for aging). All of his wines are aged in low toast barrels. With the Castrillo bottling, he wants a wine that is more along the lines of a traditional Duero, with a little bit more extraction, color, and oak aging than his other cuvees. The result is a rich Tempranillo with great structure that still manages to maintain vibrancy with black fruits, spicy licorice and cocoa notes. This wine will age gracefully over the next several years and pairs beautifully with lamb prepared simply. On my visit with Alfredo this April, we drank a 2003 of the same wine and it was remarkably intact. cb
Peciña, Hermanos de 2001 Rioja Gran Reserva
