1. Freixenet Elyssia Gran Cuvée Cava, Waitrose £14.99. 11.5% ABV
Members attending the AGM and Tasting were greeted with a glass of Cava. This sparkling wine from Penedes is made by the traditional method. Blended from Chardonnay harvested in early August to retain crisp, aromatic peach and pineapple flavours, plus Parellada and Macabeo to lend balance and finesse, and a splash of Pinot Noir to add structure and fruit complexity. A smooth and appealing Cava, with honeyed tones and fresh, ripe fruit.
Unfortunately Charles Metcalfe managed to get stuck in traffic on the M25, and when he rang to say that he was running half an hour late the call went out for ‘a doctor in the house’ - or at least someone who could talk with authority about Sherry – to take over the proceedings. As luck would have it, Julian Jeffs (aka the ‘boozy barrister’), a member’s guest for the evening, was able to step into the breach and talk with knowledge and expertise about the wines until Charles arrived. Julian is a QC and retired judge who has worked in the sherry trade in Jerez de la Frontera, regularly hosts tutored tastings on Spanish wines and has written highly acclaimed books on Sherry and Spain.
2. Tio Pepe Fino En Rama, Wine Society £13.95. 15% ABV
Julian explained that flor (Spanish for flower) is a layer of yeast that grows naturally on the surface of fino sherry. It has two ‘seasons’ – in spring when the vines are flowering, and in autumn, at vintage time. En Rama is piped out of the cask from beneath the flor in spring when the yeast layer is at its thickest, and because it is not filtered or chilled it will throw a sediment and should be drunk within 3 months of bottling. Tio Pepe En Rama is a powerfully aromatic fino with a distinctive ‘flor’ character. Aromas of fresh bread and hints of almond are accompanied by savoury flavours and a long, clean citrus finish. It sells out very quickly, and tends to be in short supply in the UK. This wine, bottled on 8th April, was very dry and very fresh, and Julian recommended drinking it straight away. No problem there!
3. Palacios de Bornos Verdejo 2011, Rueda, Waitrose £8.49. 13% ABV
‘A revelation’ declared Julian. Beautifully fragrant, light, delicate and ‘totally new’ (no oak) from a region to the north of the River Douro in north-west Spain (‘bit of a dump’). Unremarkable location notwithstanding, cold fermentation has revolutionised the white wines of the region, which are now fermented under temperature control in stainless steel tanks. Gone are the days - and by implication ‘thank goodness for that!’ - when all the aromas were ‘bubbled out of the wine’. Verdejo is one of the best native grapes, but it oxidises very quickly, and oxygen must therefore be kept out during the fermentation process. This is a fresh white wine with crisp Sauvignon Blanc-like aromas giving an intriguing herbal ‘lift’. Cool fermentation techniques extract the maximum fruit intensity from the flavoursome grapes, and careful handling ensures good acidity levels are retained throughout. The wine showed floral aromas with hints of white peach – although some members noted slightly confected flavours, with a touch or pear drop and candyfloss on the palate.
At this point Charles Metcalfe arrived – breathless and apologetic – with bottles of perfectly chilled Tio Pepe Fino for members to taste and compare with the En Rama (more later). Charles is an alumnus of Christ Church, responsible (amongst other things) for introducing Oz Clarke to wine at Oxford, and has worked variously as a tour guide, security guard, freelance cook, investment analyst and opera singer before co-founding Britain’s second consumer wine magazine (Wine International) and the International Wine Challenge. Today he is one of the best-known, most spontaneous and amusing wine critics in Britain, and members welcomed him on this, his first visit to the OWC. Charles thanked Julian for his timely contribution to the tasting, and launched, without further ado, into the fourth wine of the evening.
4. Valdesil Sobre Lias Godello, Valdeorras 2011, Wine Society £11.95. 13.5% ABV
Another product of Spain’s revolution in viticulture and oenology, this time from the south of Galicia – which, in contrast to Rueda, is ‘rather beautiful’. Godello is a native grape with greater weight and acidity than Verdejo. Aging on the lees (sobre lias) for several months, lends the wine a slightly creamier and fuller texture. Full and fruity on the palate, with a penetrating citrus quality it has an attractive, juicy minerality, good acidity and great balance. Highly recommended for drinking with fish.
5. Palacio de Fefinanes Albariño 2011, Rias Baixas, Waitrose £15.99. 12.5% ABV
From north-west Spain, to the north of Vinho Verde in the coastal region of Galicia. Charles noted that Albariño is slightly redolent of Viognier, and a difficult grape to grow – ‘far more often found on the back labels of bottles than in vineyards’. It is a low-yielding variety with a high ratio of skin and pip to juice, but worth growing for its wonderful fragrance and fresh, exotic fruit – qualities it shares with Viognier. Long skin fermentation produces tropical fruit qualities and fresh acidity. This example showed a lush texture, with aromas of stone fruits and citrus with ripe apple, white fruits and a refreshing minerality on the palate. Recommended both as an aperitif and with fish and seafood.
6. Viña Fuerte Old Vine Garnacha 2011, Waitrose £5.99 (from £7.99). 14.5% ABV
Spain can do some very reasonably priced wines, and at £5.99 this wine is an absolute steal! The best value reds are to be found in Aragón - a very hot region, with a tendency to produce overly alcoholic wines, but where producers have worked to bring alcohol levels down. This wine hails from Calatayud, Aragon’s second largest wine-producing region in the hottest and driest part of the Ebro Valley. For this reason, Calatayud’s quality vineyards tend to be planted at altitude, where it can be a struggle to ensure that grapes attain full polyphenolic ripeness (Garnacha is a late-ripening variety), and the common bush vines are murder to prune and pick. Charles applauded modern winemakers like Scotsman Norrel Robertson who have made the best of the ‘sheer bloody fruitiness’ of Garnacha in this unforgiving climate, and use modern winemaking techniques such as open fermenters and higher fermentation temperatures to evaporate off some of the alcohol. The wine is rich and mouthfilling with soft and velvety tannins and fresh raspberry fruit, and Charles recommended serving it at proper room temperature (i.e. slightly cool), either by itself or with a variety of cheeses.
7. Casa Carmela Monastrell 2011, Yecla, Waitrose £7.79. 13.5% ABV
Yecla is a small, winemaking region in the Spanish province of Murcia in the south-east of Spain, where the semi-arid Mediterranean climate is very dry and temperatures range from minus 4oC in winter to 42oC in the summer. The wine is from a modern 450 ha. estate, and is mellow and elegant with plummy fruits dominating but also with some spicy, peppery notes. With its ripe tannins, fresh, ripe fruit, balanced acidity and complex character, this is a wine of real richness that is refreshingly inexpensive.
8. Coca i Fito Negre 2007, Montsant, Wine Society £19.50. 14.5% ABV
The Montsant DO almost completely surrounds the more famous Priorat (DOQ) in north-east Spain. Vineyards extend along the mountainsides among olive groves, forests and rocky outcrops, and the soil is a local speciality known as ‘llicorella’, which is high in granite and slate components. The main wine style of Montsant is powerful reds, which can be similar to the wines of Priorat when they are made from old vines Garnacha and Cariñena. This is only the second vintage of the wine, made by two brothers who founded their modern winery in 2006. It is a big blockbuster: sensuous, spicy and lush red, a blend of 50% (bought-in) Syrah with Garnacha and Cariñena for added complexity. It has spent 12-14 months in French and American oak, and with its wonderful black cherry, tobacco and vanilla fruit, this is ‘poor man’s Priorat’ – affordable and delicious!
9. O Fournier Spiga 2006, Ribero del Duero, Waitrose £23.99. 14.5% ABV
Ribera del Duero is located in the country's northern plateau and is one of eleven 'quality wine' regions within the autonomous community of Castilla y León. It is also one of several recognised wine-producing regions to be found along the course of the Duero river. This is the heartland of Tempranillo, and at high altitude (500-700 metres), the summers are long and hot but there is always a risk of late frosts in the spring – even as late as May. Tempranillo ripens early, and produces wines with very rich fruit and soft, well-integrated tannins. This wine is made from 100% Tempranillo, eschewing all other international varieties, and spends 13 months in oak (50% new) which imparts subtle vanilla influences and a creamy texture. The Bodega was founded in 2000 by José Manuel Ortega, who also owns a bodega in Argentina and is passionate about the quality of wines produced from his estates. It is a complex, full and rich wine, with flavours of dark cherry and smooth spices.
10. González Byass Tio Pepe Fino, Wine Society £10.95, Sainsbury £8.49. 15% ABV
Generously provided by Charles, this is one of the most famous and still one of the best finos of all. It has a distinctive, clean aroma and is bone dry with a savoury character. Representing the ultimate aperitif, it is the perfect match for a wide variety of dishes, especially seafood and tapas. Compared with the En Rama it was slightly creamier, with greater weight. A touch older, and also fined and filtered, it had slightly less of the immediate freshness of the En Rama, but served ice-cold it was still quite delicious!
Thanks were extended to Julian (‘the right man in the right place’) and to Charles for a most informative tasting that provided fascinating insights into traditional and ‘new’ Spain, and some of its lesser-known regions. Before departing Charles gave a spontaneous rendition of Verdi’s showstopper La Donna e Mobile, which brought the house down and sent members away whistling cheerfully into the night.
CEB/13.06.13.