Ole to Small Spanish wine producers!

Posted by Richard Beaudin on May 8, 2010 in Wineries | 1 comment

I have been to many wine tastings over the years and the ones that I appreciate the most are those where the speaker displays a passion for the wines he/she represents. So it goes without saying that at a tasting sponsored by Yankee Spirits and hosted by Ole Imports USA earlier this week, I found the wine and the speaker very much to my taste. Patrick Mata, Co-Founder, President  provided some much appreciated enthusiasm, wine knowledge and plenty of anecdotes to keep everyone’s attention during the tasting.

Speaking to a packed crowd of about 100 attendees, Patrick provided a feel for the wines and culture of Spain starting in the North with a wine from Bilboa (2009 Berroia from Chacoli de Bizkaia), then tasting South and East to Rioja (2009 Cortijo Blanco, 2007 Bodegas Rugvino Big Band, 2007 Cortijo Calma), then farther South and West to Toro (2007 Cal Blanca)and then a bit to the East to Ribera del Duero (2008 Barca de Piedra). He completed the tour of the country with two more flights. First, comparing a blend of Garnacha, Mazuel0 (Carignane), Cabernet, and Syrah from the Priorat (2008 La Cartuja) with a Tempranillo from the Ribera del Duero (2006 JC Vizcarra). The last flight positioned a very inexpensive wine from Valencia (2007 Bodegas Enguera) that saw no oak, with a  premium priced wine from Toro (2005 Bodegas Matarredonda Libranza) that spent several months in new French oak.

During this wine tour he related several interesting anecdotes to keep the crowd engaged while they tasted different wine varietals and styles. (I appreciated seeing a picture of a castle that I took pictures of while in Ribera del Duero a couple of years ago on my way to a visit to Abadia Retuerta).

One of these anecdotes poked some fun at the aristocracy of Rioja, relating how some local farmers have somewhat turned the table on the well established “chateaus” by offering well made and reasonably priced wines that sometime outmatch the established labels in the region. The example given was two offerings from El Cortijo (Cortijo Blanco and Cortijo Calma). The rub is that El Cortijo in Spanish translates as “the shack”, poking fun at the more established and well funded wineries of the region.

Another anecdote described the origins of the French name for Monastrell, a varietal that originated in Spain, but that is also now well establish in Southern France (very prominent in Bandol in particular). The story goes that in the 16th century wine was shipped from a small town around Valencia called Murviedro. When the wine arrived they were unable to read the name of the varietal, but they could read the name of the town, thus naming the varietal “Mourvedre”.

I was curious to know if this was true. So I did some snooping and low and behold.. some interesting history. Murviedro was the name of the town in the 16th century, but this particular town has a quite a bit of historical importance.

This was actually an ancient city in Eastern Spain by the name of Sagunto (Saguntum in Latin), and the first casualty of the Second Punic Wars falling to the armies of Hannibal in 219, who at the time had set his sights on Rome (that’s why I am fascinated by wine – always something new to learn!).

My favorites for the evening included the 2009 Berroia (90% Hondaribbi Zuri, 6% Folle Blanche, 4% Riesling), the 2008 Cartuja (50% Garnacha, 30% Carinena, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah), and the 2006 J C Vizcarra (100% Tempranillo), although I felt all the wines presented were of good quality and worth tasting.

So if you are looking for “unique, terroir-driven wines of extraordinary value” check out Ole Imports. Don’t forget to download their catalog, which is full of information about Spain, wine making, and details about the winemakers and wines represented. If you happen to be in Massachusetts, you can find many of these wines at Yankee Spirits in Attleboro, Swansea, or Sturbridge.

Salud!

Abadia Retuerta

Posted by Richard Beaudin on Jun 10, 2009 in Wineries | 1 comment

It has been almost 30 years since jumping on an old 1952 Matchless and driving  from Fribourg, Switzerland through southern France and then to Spain. I can remember the motorcycle breaking down constantly (those famous Lucas electrical parts!), swallowing tons of bugs outside of Valencia, crashing during an ice storm in the Sierra Nevada mountains between Granada and Malaga, seeing the Rock of Gibraltar for the fist time, and finally ending up in Madrid.

Since then I have traveled all over Western Europe many times, but I had never returned to Spain – not by choice, simply circumstance.  So it was of particular importance that I ensured I visited some wineries during a trip to Madrid this past year.

Beyond delightful side trips to Toledo and Segovia (of which I would highly recommend – they are short direct train trips from Madrid), we made our way to Sardon de Duero (“the Golden Mile”) for a visit to Abadia Retuerta.

Abadia Retuerta sits on the site of a 12th century abbey (Santa Maria del Retuerta). Currently the winery is transforming part of  the Abbey into a hotel where visitors can come to the area and discover more wineries and destinations along the Golden Mile.

From the website, “The Abadía Retuerta Estate occupies over 700 hectares of terrain, and its name comes from the combination of two words that define and describe the territory: Rívula (river bank) and Torta (twisting, winding).

Over 204 hectares of vineyards are spread out on hillsides ranging in altitude from a maximum 850 metres down to the southern bank of the Duero River. We have a wide variety of soils, with representations of most of the world’s best varieties, and state-of-the-art technology (meteorological stations, anti-frost towers, etc.)”

Abadia Retuerta vineyards

When we arrived we were met at the Abbey and then driven into the vineyards to get a sense of the soil, climate, and a great view back towards the abbey.

After a lengthy discussion we drove back to the main road, turned right and drove a mile or so to where the grapes are processed. Here we were provided an in depth explanation of the methods used at Abadia including their use of gravity

Barrel Room Abadia Retuerta

racking. I am afraid that I likely asked more questions than the rest of the group were comfortable with, since the last stop was back at the Abbey for a tasting!

When we arrived at the Abbey there were three wines opened:  Seleccion Especial and Cuvee Palamar from the Abadia collection, and one estate wine, Pago Negralada.

I can say that without exception, everyone in the group was very happy with each selection. These were all very dark in color, full bodied and complex wines, one building upon the other. My only regret was unlike years past, it is much harder now to bring back wines via plane.

The winery personnel could not have been more gracious or friendly, and I would highly recommend a visit should you find yourself on the Golden Mile in the future.