Bodegas Carballal Sete Cepas 2008 D.O. Rias Baixas

Bodegas Carballal Sete Cepas 2008 D.O. Rias Baixas

One of the best Albariños I have ever tasted was poured from a cool, ceramic jug and sipped as we watched the summer sun go down over the vines from which the grapes had been picked the year before.
Unfortunately, most holiday wines never have quite the same charm back at home and that Albariño would never have made the journey across Spain, let alone across any borders.
Sete Cepas on the other hand does travel well and transmits both the character of the vines and of the region. In fact, although Sete Cepas is predominantly Albariño, it's backed up with a blend of other local grape varieties; Loureiro and Treixadura. A delightful yellow straw colour, its nose of ripe summer stone fruits is carried through onto the palate, which is apricots, peaches and a hint of almonds. The wine is dry, with a crisp acidity which leaves the palate refreshingly clean. Ideal served chilled to accompany seafood, but especially shellfish.

Price: 8,50€

Carballal is a modern, functional winery which has been built next to the old, stone family farmhouse set amongst the vines just outside the town of Cambados. Now run by two of the seven brothers, it was the father who was one of the founding fathers of the D.O. Rias Baixas.
There are some giant wineries in this demarcated region in the north west of Spain, but traditionally, the area is made up of smallholdings, each grower making a limited production or selling on to one of the big producers. Historically, the Atlantic ocean is the provider of wealth for this isolated region that feels like the end of the earth even in this day and age of motorways and regional airports. The sea also brings the rain for which Galicia is renowned, blessing the seaboard with an average rainfall of 180cm compared to the 65cm of Madrid on the central plateau, or the 60cm of the Empordà on the Mediterannean for example. It's for this reason that the vines are trained on the distinctive high trellises in order to allow maximum ventilation for the ripening grapes.
Almost exclusively white, the main grape varieties are Albariño, Treixadura and Loureiro. The Spanish drink the latest vintage of most of these wines, but they would be wise to keep some of the better wines in their cellars for a couple of years to see just how well the Albariños at least can improve with a little ageing in bottle. Until now the Spanish have tended to be too enthusiastic with oak and some Albariños have been spoiled by coming into contact with it; gentle bottle ageing would seem to work best.
Spanish retail prices for any Albariño worth drinking range from just under 10€ up to 20€. Anything over that is pretty special or overpriced.

Tierras de Luna Crianza 2005 VdeT Castilla y León

Hadn't tried this in a while, in fact since the 2003 vintage when I remember it as being very obviously Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2005 vintage has a Cabernet nose, but not as fresh and herbaceous as the 2003. Much riper and less distinct with chocolatey, woody characteristics. Pretty weighty and rather soupy on the palate. Lots of extraction and despite ripe black fruit flavours, almost all seems lost in the alcohol which I see is 14,5%.
I thought 2005 would be a more balanced vintage, but perhaps this weight is what the winery was looking for and just isn't my taste.

Last night's wines

Session number 2 for the wine course I'm giving and last night was Cava and rosés.

First did a quick resumé of the week before and gave them a bottle to taste blind of Nava Real Verdejo 2008 D.O. Rueda to see if they recognised it from the week before. We analysed it point by point and then decided it could be one of two wines(this or Martin Codax Albariño 2007 which isn't really anything like it, but they were on the right tracks). I thought they did very well and was rather pleased that we could achieve this in such a methodical way.

By the by, found out that one of the class is an archaeologist (originally from the Ukraine?) who is on an emergency team to investigate finds that are made as a result of all the earthworks from the TAV line. Slightly eccentric and speaks good Catalan for a foreigner.

Rimarts Brut Nature Reserva
Good bead with delicate nose of apples and yeast. Dry and reasonable acidity with a crisp and clean finish. Not full of character, but well integrated bead, well-balanced and reasonable value at 8€.

Rexach Baqués Brut Imperial
Darker colour and larger bubble. More obvious toasty nose. Bubbles more apparent and a bit aggressive - all an explosion at the beginning and then taste fizzles at the end. Simple. 5€

Moet Brut Imperial
Good colour, fine, steady bead. Hints of wet wool on the nose as well as lactics and yeast. Good acidity, but not quite dry. Grows on the palate and finishes clean. Frankly not particularly interesting even though it has all the right sort of Champagne characteristics. 27€

Ochoa Rosado Lágrima 2008 D.O. Navarra
50/50 Cabernet/Grenache. Good salmon pink, delicate strawberry nose and good red-fruit flavours on the palate. Pretty light and fresh this vintage. Nicely balanced. 4,50€

Pago del Vicario Petit Verdot Rosado 2007 VdeT de Castilla
Very dark mulberry colour. Rather vegetal or mineral nose. Reasonable fruit on the palate still, with a drying sensation on the finish. Just about intact, but on its way out. An in between sort of wine. 5€

50 and unemployed

What do you do when you've worked at a distillery all your life, ultimately as the head honcho and find yourself out of work in Girona in the middle of a grave economic crisis?

Well, you don't relocate because the journey to an assured job is an hour away by car and that means you wouldn't be able to play tennis after work, or go to English classes. Mmm. Methinks there might be a rude awakening. Only three months on the dole, but he readily admits that none of his many contacts is able to help him out because everyone is too afraid to hire.

On yer bike, matey.

Today's wines, Tuesday 10th Feb

Something changed this morning and there was suddenly some movement and interest again in the product. Boxes sold rather than just bottles. It's always intrigued me how there seems to be some factor which makes people do things at the same time, although I'm blowed if I know what it is. Doubt they do either.

Busy preparing for the Forum in Girona in under two weeks. Lots of winemakers converging as well as the buying public whether professional or private.

Vila's wine salesman turned up this morning as he said he would (not always the case in the Catalan wine biz) and we tried two vacu vin'd wines from his useful shoulder-bag: Brunus 2007 D.O. Montsant and 12 Volts 2007 D.O. Binissalem (? check). Excellent structure on the Brunus, with firm tannins, good cane berry fruit and just a bit warm. Chocolate on the nose of the 12 volts with plenty of vegetal character on the swirl. Quite fresh on the palate and rather interesting, but could be too expensive alongside wines we already have from the region (Miquel Oliver winery).

Tongue in cheek, I reminded him that I still hadn't received my invitation for the Alvaro Palacios tasting at the Bella vista hotel on the Monday of the Forum, since it turns out I can't go because I have to do my job. The invitation is mine for the asking should circumstances change he charmingly tells me, so Cinderalla still might be able to go to the ball.

He finds it difficult to sell in Girona because (as he's been told by locals) he's not from here. We're not talking foreign like me, we're talking from Barcelona. Imagine.

A turned up with a sample bottle of Peña Roble 2007 D.O. Ribera del Duero which I hope we can try by the end of the week. Haven't tried this wine for a couple of years, but always used to think it was very good value for money.

Looks like there'll be a tasting for a group of doctors at the end of March, thanks to a course I gave last year so gradually building back the brand.

Catalan Wine Scene - a series of tastings in Catalonia (not necessarily Catalan wines) as well as more in-depth information about the province itself and its 12 Denominacions d'origen.

Alella
Catalonia
Cava
Conca de Barberà
Costers del Segre
Empordà
Montsant
Penedès
Plà de Bages
Priorat
Tarragona
Terra Alta



Empordà

Valduero crianza 2003 D.O. Ribera del Duero

Tasting date - 13/11/08
Dark red/chestnut. Obvious legs.
Good bouquet of leather, spice with red fruits in the background.
Exactly the same on the palate with a really good finish. Just a little too warm on the finish to be ideal.
Still intact and drinking really well now.