Clear, deep garnet. Intense nose of blackberry jam seasoned with black pepper, tea and a dash of soy sauce. Medium-bodied and in good balance with black cherry and blueberry flavours. Spicy enough that I enjoyed it with a pepperoni pizza. Drink now.
If you're familiar with most Spanish rosados, this pale orange hued Garnacha rosé from Rueda will surprise. Husband and wife team (Sr. Soto and Sra. Manrique) began a project in 2012 to highlight what their homeland of Castilla y Leon is capable of. They found a small, high altitude (780 m) 12 ha vineyard of poor, limestone rich sandy clay soil, planted to Verdejo, Garnacha and Chardonnay, with vines 20 to 75-years-old. They make only three wines, including this purposeful rosé, all biodynamically farmed, native fermented and using ancient clay amphorae. This wine was whole bunch, gently crushed, immediately pressed off skins and fermented in stainless. Lees-led wild raspberry and wild strawberry is streaked with salted dried herbs and generously twisted with bergamot on the finish. There's a lovely textural mid that makes this wine generous despite its slender 13 degree frame. Salted strawberries linger on the finish. Alive with energy and beautifully knit; if you shy away from Spanish rosés due to their punchy rusticity, try this.
Ripe, round and glycerol-slicked, this youthful Utiel-Requena rosé is filled with fleshy strawberry, cherry jam and raspberry thorn spice. A medium-pink hue, this is entirely Bobal, a native grape to the region and one responsible for over 90% of plantings. This reflects the sun-baked region, with jammy berry fruit, softer sides and moderate, though juicy acidity. Pour this rustic red with grilled root veg or meat pies.
Ruby/garnet. Red fruits notes, tea leaf, integrated oak. Fine taste, half-bodied, supple texture and great balance. The finish is very fruity, nice and elegant. Ready to drink.
Bodegas Baron has tradition of winemaking dating back to the middle of the 17th century. This is a Manzanilla Pasada en Rama, with Rama indicating it was bottled with very light filtration, straight from the cask. Pasada tells us this is a richer, older Manzanilla, in which the flor has faded. This particular wine has an average age of ten years. This still carries ample pre-oxidative freshness, with salted Marcona almonds, tight lemon pith and showers of chamomile. There's a weight here that reflects its extended age, with a layer of worn wood to a bitter nutshell finish, lingering along with salts. This has the oily body to match with oily fish, like sardines, beautifully.
A pierce of piney resin, orange oil, scrubby rosemary on this unctuous golden PX, one that bathes the palate with thick marmalade and auburn maple syrup. Golden raisins and honeysuckle are flecked with walnuts and rancio notes through the exceptionally long finish. Acidity keeps this aloft, even with a staggering 435 g/l RS. This sweet, youthful wine is made with Pedro Ximénez grapes that were sundried on mats before aging in the traditional earthenware “tinajas” for at least 12 months.
Pale straw colour with nutty and saline aromas. Bone dry on the palate with crisp, starchy, dry textured green apple, distinct saltiness and an austerely dry finish. A classic Fino best served well-chilled as an apéritif or with tapas, especially morsels of seafood.