Quick Review: 2009 Muruve Toro by Bodegas Frutos Villar

Today I am reviewing the 2009 Muruve Toro from Bodegas Frutos Villar.

The Basics:  This wine is from the Toro region in the northwest of Spain where the locals refer to the Tempranillo graped used in the wine as Tinta de Toro

In Your Glass:  The wine is deep purple in color

On The Nose:  Dark cherry and blackberry fruit dominate the nose.  Notes of vanilla and some herbs and baking spices round it out. 

On The Palate:  Dark berry and sweet cherry fruit are front and center.  Smooth tannins provide some structure and lead to a rather long finish for a wine in this price range.

Overall:  Toro is always a great region to look to for Tempranillo values, and this one does not disappoint.  It packs a lot of punch for a price tag right around $15.  This Tinta de Toro would pair perfectly with an authentic Spanish Jamon Iberico and aged Spanish cheese. 

2008 Vinarija Dingac Postup

A few weeks ago I tasted an wrote about my first Croatian wine, the Frano Milos Plavac http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2012/11/2008-frano-milos-plavac.html  I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of that wine and wondered if it was just one good wine, or if there was something to the relatively unknown wine regions of Croatia.  Since then, I tried a few more Croatian reds from producers like Bibich and Dingac, and I'm here to say that Croatia wine is the real deal.  The wines are unique and interesting with definite terroir, and there are some winemakers who know what they're doing.  If you want to try some Croatian wine, like the Vinarija Dingac Postup that is today's subject, you can order them online at www.bluedanubewine.com

The 2008 Vinarija Dingac Postup is an almost brownish brick red in your glass.  The nose brings very nice red berry fruit that is dominated by the distinct smell of fresh, homemade strawberry jam.  Underneath the fruit, there is a really nice element of fresh herbs that is reminiscent of the garrigue that comes through in wines from the Rhone Valley.  Smelling the rosemary and thyme made me want to go the garden and cut some fresh herbs to cook with.  In your mouth, some really interesting things happen with this wine that is made from 100% Plavac Mali grapes.  The red berry fruit from the nose still comes through, but it is much more of a background player.  When first opened, the wine is almost overwhelmed by flavors of wet rocks.  There is also a nice spicy element on the mid palate and then the stony tannins and decent acidity give the wine a subtle but rather long finish.  Its also important to note that this wine changed quite a bit over the 90 minutes or so that we drank it.  The gravelly element that was so strong when first opened, really calmed down after about an hour and was replaced with some more spice and subtle notes of sour cherry. 

Overall, this was a really good and very interesting wine that retails in the mid $20s.  Its very food friendly and versatile.  It would be perfect with cured meats and cheese, or with slow cooked meats like braised short ribs.  I also think its medium body and flavors would go well with pork.  If you can find some, give a Croatian Plavac Mali a try.  You won't be disappointed.

Cheers!          

El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Navarra 2008

I may begin to sound like a broken record when I talk about this, but I continue to be amazed by just how many little known wine regions in Spain are producing great wines and amazing values. Slowly but surely, wines from Jumilla, Montsant, Toro, Ribera del Duero, Rias Baixas, Calatayud, and others are starting to find their way onto the shelves of American retailers. Thanks to one of my favorite NYC wine shops, Despana Vinos Y Mas, in Soho I am able to get a wide variety of wines from all these regions as well as some gems from many other Spanish regions. Today's subject is an old vine Garnacha from the Navarra region of North Central Spain. Navarra neighbors the much more well known region of Rioja, and Navarra's fame as a region so far has a lot more to do with bull fighting than it does wine. Pamplona, famous for the festival of San Fermin and the annual running of the bulls, is in the region, although it is just a few miles north of the official D.O. Navarra boundary.

Most of the grapes grown in Navarra are red varietals, and Garnacha and Tempranillo make up over three quarters of the plantings in the region. The D.O. also allows Graciano, Mazuelo, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon as well as a couple white varietals. Historically the region made a lot of rose wines or rosados as the Spanish call them, but in recent years they have moved away from high yield, not so great rosados to lower yield and high quality reds. Like Rioja to the west, Navarra not only has wines that are all Tempranillo or all Garnacha, but also many blends that have both or other blending grapes included. Soils in the region typically have gravel and chalky limestone, but there is a wide range of altitudes that produce very different results in different microclimates within the region.

Unfortunately Navarra wines are still pretty difficult to find, but the few that I have been able to source here in the US have all been quite good. Hopefully as more people discover these hidden gems, more importers and retailers will start bringing these wines to a wine shop near you. For now we will have to live with what we can find, like the outstanding El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Navarra.

In your glass the wine is deep garnet red in color. It brings great blackberry and raspberry fruit on the nose along with some caramel and a subtle and pleasant earthiness. In your mouth the wine has much less weight than I expected based on the intense color and bouquet. The flavors include some delicious mixed red and black berries along with some sour cherry fruit. This is all balanced against a frame of smooth tannins, great acidity and pleasant minerality. This is a wine that is built for food. It has the tannins to stand up to grilled red meats, but a light enough weight and the right balance to go with a wide variety of food. It would work well with any Spanish tapas and is perfect for a 12 month or older aged Manchego cheese.

Overall this wine is a really food friendly red that is very versatile and can be had for about $15. Go get this one by the case! Its not easy to find this complete and well balanced a wine for this price.

Cheers!

Valdrinal Crianza Ribera Del Duero 2004

Although there are many great regions in Spain for Tempranillo, Tinto Fino, or any of the many names that different parts of Spain call this varietal, I have to say that for my money Ribera del Duero gives me the most bang for my buck. This example from the 2004 vintage is no exception to that rule, and delivers whole lot of bold, juicy flavor with finesse for a mere $14.

Made from 100% Tinto Fino that is aged in French and American oak for 12 months, the Valdrinal Crianza Ribera del Duero 2004 is deep garnet red in color. The nose brings cherry and dark plum fruit with an earthy element that brings an added dimension to the bouquet. On the palate you get a healthy dose of cherry fruit up front with notes of earth, cedar, and spice on the finish. Acidity that is just right and very nice tannins that are clearly present but not overwhelming make this a well balanced, very food friendly wine.

Overall, this is one heck of a bargain that brings a fantastic balance between fruit and finesse for under $15! This wine would work very well with a wide variety of dishes, but like any really good Spanish wine, it leaves me wanting some Jamon Iberico, Manchego and Zamarano cheese, and other delicious hot or cold tapas.

On a side note, I got this from the new Stew Leonard's store in Carle Place, NY where the staff was friendly and helpful and very knowledgeable. The key to any good wine store is a knowledgeable staff.

Cheers!

Pete

Emilio Moro Finca Resalso Ribera del Duero 2008

I've always been a huge fan of Spanish wines, and after drifting away from them for a little bit, I'm back on a Spanish kick again in a big way. In the last few weeks I've looked at a Rioja and a Toro, so it only seems fair that I look at that other great region for Tempranillo, Ribera del Duero.

The Emilio Moro Finca Resalso 2008 is 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) from the Finca Resalso vineyard that was originally planted in 1932, which also happens to be the year of winery founder Emilio Moro's birth. The wine sees 4 months in French oak and shows a medium red color. The nose has some floral elements as well as notes of caramel and leather that add to the bouquet of red and black fruit. On the palate you get beautiful cherry fruit with a hint of strawberry that is balanced by very nice acidity and very well integrated and mild tannins. Overall this is a very easy drinking wine with a decent amount of depth to it.

Like so many Spanish reds, this wine wants tapas to go with it. It would make for some great sipping with Jamon Serrano, Zamarano cheese, and Marcona almonds. For the price of about $14, its also a very good deal.

Cheers!

Pete

Numanthia Termes Toro 2008

Toro. The name is rather appropriate for the wines in this lesser known region of Spanish reds. Toro is Spanish for bull and much like the animal, the wines of Toro are not light and dainty by any means. The red wines of Toro are often big, muscular, and powerful. Although Toro primarily uses the same Tempranillo (although it is often called Tinto de Toro in the region) grape that its more famous neighbors in Rioja have used for centuries, differences in terroir and style generally result in much bigger and bolder wines. The vineyards of Toro generally see altitudes of 2000 to 2500 feet with full sun in the daytime followed by cool nights which gives the vines the ability to produce thicker skinned, riper fruit. Couple that with the touch off the right winemaker, and Toro can produce some delicious, powerhouse reds.

Numanthia Termes Toro 2008 is no exception to the Toro style. It is a big, powerful red that brings just enough balance and depth. The grapes are harvested from 30 year old vines grown in rocky soils, and they see extended maceration on the skins and 16 months in French oak before bottling. The wine is an intense purple-red color in your glass and brings a bouquet of cherry and black plum with notes of leather and pencil shavings. On the palate the cherry and blackberry fruit bring an initial explosion of flavor that lingers quite nicely on the palate in a sneaky long finish. You also get a hint of minerality on the finish which is a nice added dimension. The acidity is pleasant and not overwhelming and the tannins are just about perfect if the wine is given 30 to 45 minutes in a decanter. My favorite pairing for this wine is a glass and my comfy living room chair, but it also pairs rather nicely with Jamon Iberico or other Serrano ham and Mahon cheese. It would also work with grilled red meats.

Overall, this fantastic Toro is a great value, and I will be buying much more of it for a price tag of around $25. Its drinking beautifully now if decanted, and it should drink nicely for many years. To learn more about Numanthia Termes, see their website at http://www.numanthia.com/ and to see reviews of other Spanish wines see http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/search/label/Spain

Cheers!

Pete

Montebuena Rioja 2009

I'll start this post by apologizing for my lack of activity in 2010. Due to some changes in my real job, 2010 left me very little time and energy for wine writing, but I'm pleased to say that 2011 is a new year that will have me writing regularly about wine once again.

Today's subject is a red wine from Spain's famous Rioja region. La Rioja is in North Central Spain and has been a leading wine region in that country for centuries. In fact wine has been made in the region since the time of the Roman Empire, and Rioja is the one region in Spain that has been known for quality more than quantity for centuries. I often find myself looking to other regions for values since Rioja is so well established, but every once in awhile I'm lucky enough to discover a great value in Rioja.

Many grapes are permitted by the D.O.C. in La Rioja, and you will see wines that range from 100% Tempranillo to wines that have varying amounts of Mazuelo (Carinena to much of the rest of Spain and Carignan in France), Graciano, and Garnacha depending on the winemaker and what part of Rioja the winery is in. There is also varying levels of oak that different Rioja's will see, which can really change the character of the wine. The Montebuena Rioja 2009 is 100% Tempranillo that brings a very nice medium red color in your glass. The nose brings a great combination of red and black fruit with some spice and a very mild floral element. On the palate you get delicious ripe fruit with just the right acidity and mild tannins. This wine brings incredible balance and depth for a bottle that can be easily found for under $10!

Overall this wine is a great value that drinks like a wine that costs two to three times as much. The acidity and the balance make this a very food friendly wine that will be quite versatile for pairing with many different foods. In fact that versatility makes it perfect for traditional Spanish tapas or small plates where you may be eating many different types of foods. This Montebuena Rioja will work beautifully with Paella, Jamon Serrano, Manchego cheese, Marcona almonds, and a nice mix of Spanish olives. With its great flavor, versatitlity and its incredible $10 price, this is a wine that you should buy by the case!

Cheers!

Pete

Castell de Falset Montsant 2004

All week I have been writing about wines from regions that are not necessarily the best known in their respective countries. We have looked at wines from Campania in Italy, Vacqueyras in France, and the Columbia Valley in Washington. Today we’ll be taking a look at a great little region from Spain. Spain is very famous in the wine world for Tempranillo based wines from Rioja, but it has a great variety of different regions and grapes (for more in depth info on the main Spanish red wine regions, see my post on Spanish wine here http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2009/07/intro-to-spanish-wine-part-1.html ). Spain’s second best known region is probably Priorat, which produces some intense, highly sought after collectible wines. Just to the south of Priorat, almost in a horseshoe shape around it on three sides, is the relatively newly formed region of Montsant, which just received its Denominacion de Origen or DO classification in 2001.

Montsant does not have the same elevations and steep hillsides as its neighbor to the north, but it does have the benefit of the same great climate with the combination of hot days and cool nights that can be so good for developing powerful but nicely structured wines. Most of the DO is planted with Garnacha (called Grenache in most of the world) and Carinena (called Carignan in most of the world), which even many experts mistakenly refer to as French grapes; however, the truth is that both of these varietals are native to Spain and have been grown there for wine for centuries. There are also plenty of wineries experimenting with international varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah.

The Montsant we are looking at today is the Castell de Falset Montsant 2004. Consisting of 50% Carinena, 25% Garnacha, and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 12 months in French oak, the wine has an intense purple color in your glass. The nose brings wonderful aromas of black cherry and blackberries with a hint of cedar. In your mouth you get a very nice and very dark black fruit profile with a little bit of earthy minerality. There is enough acidity and very smooth tannins that provide some structure to balance out the fruit. This wine is drinking great now and probably just in the beginning of its prime. You could easily lay this down for a few more years.

Overall this Montsant is a very nice wine that has a great combination of fruit and structure. Retailing for about $27, it gives you much more bang for the buck than similarly priced wines from Priorat. In fact it drinks like a $50 bottle of Priorat.

This would pair well with grilled beef or lamb, or my preferred pairing would be with an appetizer or tapas course of authentic Spanish Serrano ham and Mahon cheese. Yum!

As a final note, if this all sounds great, but you want to start with a less expensive wine from Montsant, check out my review of the Mas Donis Montsant here http://acoupleofwines.blogspot.com/2009/07/mas-donis-barrica-cellar-de-capcanes.html

Cheers!