Recently, my wife & I, and two other couples, hosted a session of our community wine club in which participants sampled seven (7) Spanish wines. Here’s Part I: Favorite Spanish White Wines…
SPANISH WHITE WINES:
2013 Egeo Verdejo, $12.00 – Rueda, in the high landlocked Duero Valley in central Spain, has recently become exceedingly prominent on the U.S. oenological scene. The reason: The indigenous Verdejo grape has combined with modern equipment and winemaking techniques to make Rueda one of Spain’s most cutting edge wine producing regions.
Verdejo produces white wines of great character: freshness and acidity balanced with rich body and beguiling notes of citrus, melon, and minerality. Wine-wise, one normally thinks of Spain as a typical Mediterranean country… but Rueda’s high plateau – between 2,500 and 3,000 feet – is a classic continental climate with long, cold winters, short springs, and hot summers. This allows the late-maturing Verdejo to develop deep aromas and flavors. The result is dry, fresh wines with great character and brightness.
The 2013 Egeo, produced from 100% Verdejo, is an Isaac Fernandez Selection, the newest venture of the famous Spanish winemaker who has spent more than 25 years producing some of the finest wines of the Ribera del Duero region. Fermented in stainless steel tanks with no infusion of oak, it is pale yellow-gold in color with light & lively citrus flavors and a smooth spicy finish… the perfect match for today’s cuisine. And priced at approximately $12.00 per bottle, it’s also guaranteed to be light on your wallet.
2009 Peza do Rei Blanco, $20.00 – Tucked away in the heart of Galicia, in the extreme northwest corner of Spain, The Ribeira Sacra (“Sacred Shore”) and its Sil River Canyon is certainly one of the world’s most spectacular wine regions. Reminiscent of the vineyards situated above German’s Rhine & Mosel Rivers, Peza do Rei is a medieval walled vineyard and woodlands estate taking its name from the Kings of León. Within the extant crumbling walls are eight acres of vertiginous, single-row slate terraces forming a south-facing amphitheater on the Edo River tributary of the Sil. One glance (see photo), and the visitor is easily convinced of this region’s potential to produce supremely expressive and individualistic wines.
The 2009 Peza do Rei Blanco – a medium-bodied blend of 70% Godello, 20% Treixadura, and 10% Albariño – is a truly exceptional wine, exuding more character and complexity than many vintages offered at twice the price. This is an appealingly pungent, smoothly-textured, food-friendly wine rife with melon and citrus notes, and finishing with subtle mineral overtones. A favorite of critics across the board, this beautifully structured wine should continue to provide enjoyment for the next 4 to 5 years.
2010 Quíbia Falanis, $18.00 – The Ànima Negra Winery was founded in 1994 when two self-taught friends – Pere Ignasi Obrador and Miquel Angel Credà – decided that the wines of their native Malloca weren’t reaching full potential. Taking advantage of some unused milk tanks at the dairy farm owned by Pere’s family, they made two barriques of wine from Callet grapes (a native Mallorcan varietal) they’d purchased from local farmers. The initial results were so encouraging, they decided to form a partnership and continue pursuing their newly found passion for wine.
Situated in the southeast corner of the Island of Mallorca, Ànima Negra Winery produces its wines on the old country estate of Son Burguera, close to the town of Felanitx. The grapes are sourced from more than 135 carefully selected parcels of land that the partners either own or control. Virtually all the vineyards are within a six-mile radius of the winery and most of the vines are 50 to 85 years old.
The 2010 Quíbia Falanis is a most original and surprising wine. It is produced from red Callet grapes and white Premsal grapes (both indigenous to Mallorca), a blend rarely used. The grapes are fermented in cement vats and stainless steel tanks, followed by four months of aging on the lees (the heavy, coarse sediment that accumulates during fermentation); this particular type of aging imparts additional flavor to the wine.
There are delicate floral, pleasantly funky notes on the nose. The wine is slightly creamy on the palate with zesty citrus overtones and a vibrant finish. It has been described as “a sort of mid-level Chablis with a touch of tropical fruit”; and I would certainly agree. If you’re looking for a wine that’s a touch out of the ordinary, it’s definitely worth a try.
Bon Appétit!
TAD
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