Rioja to the rescue!

Two outstanding examples from Spain's most prestigious wine region

The Voyager has been returning to some old favorites lately in an attempt to ward off the post-holiday doldrums.  Fortunately, many of these classics provide ideal wines for drinking in the dismal winter months that stretch from January through March.  Is it any surprise that some of the best wines I’ve tasted lately hale from Rioja in Spain? 

By now, those of you who have been keeping up with the Voyager on his vinous peregrinations know that the two key attributes for me are balance and elegance.  This is where Rioja excels; few wine-growing regions embody these essential elements of quality with more fidelity. 

Spanish wine laws mandate specific amounts of aging, both in barrels and in bottle, for wines that are to be labeled Reserva or Gran Reserva.  Consequently, when you purchase these wines, they have some of the benefits that age can confer on a fine wine.  Additional bottle age often transforms them into something truly ethereal (see the Voyager’s previous post on the 2001 Faustino I Gran Reserva given as a gift by his dear friend David Brenner), but even the younger Reserva wines have usually taken on some outstanding secondary characteristics. 

With this in mind, and with the cold weather blues nipping at his heels, the Voyager decided to try two slightly younger Reservas from this sterling region.  Were they good?  Suffice it to say that any lingering effects from Seasonal Affective Disorder were promptly banished!

This fairly young Reserva has already blossomed into something gorgeous

 2010 Bodegas Muga Reserva (Rioja, SPAIN):  Fairly deep garnet.  Some typical tempranillo aromas – cherries, leather and violets – but really interesting scents of redcurrant, kirsch and mocha come in with a bit of air.  A bit of vanilla from very subtle oak enters as well.  Delicious red fruit on the palate, with lovely balance.  An excellent example of the finely-tuned edge between elegance and power that is a hallmark of modern Rioja.  ****

Another gem from vineyards close to the Ebro River

2008 Marques de Riscal Reserva (Rioja, SPAIN):  Medium ruby, with some brown on the rim.  Interesting aromas of smoke, leather, cherries, and nutmeg.  Orange rind and sour cherry on the palate.  Nicely integrated; quite fine, if perhaps not as rich or complex as the 2010 Muga Reserva. ***1/2 -

****

Where in the world is Bierzo? And what the heck is Mencia?

It's only fair to begin with answers to the questions posed in the title of this post.  Bierzo is not some foreign place that produces beer; instead, it’s a wine-growing area in the northwestern portion of Spain.  And Mencia is not some organization for Spanish geniuses; it’s a grape that is now gaining attention in the wine press.

In the world of wine, just as in many other fields, there are trends.  In the 1980’s, everyone was drinking Chardonnay.  Then, when red wines became the new hit, lots of people were drinking Merlot, whose (usually) gentle tannins allowed white wine drinkers to make the transition from white wine.

The film Sideways convinced everyone that Merlot was passé, and pointed consumers in the direction of Pinot Noir.  At about the same time, Shiraz from Australia, which had structure but also sweet tannins, took off.  In the last six or seven years, Malbec – with even more structure, but some of the same sweet tannins as Aussie Shiraz, became the wine of the moment. 

Wine critics, of course, are always looking for The Next Big Thing.  Lately, many critics and publications are trumpeting the virtues of Bierzo, and its primary red grape, Mencia.  I tried one from Palacios, one of the early exponents of this area, a couple of years ago, and was intrigued enough to come back and see what was happening lately.  Let’s see if the preliminary hype is justified…

A big and somewhat syrupy red

 2012 Descendientes de J. Palacios Petalos (Bierzo, SP):  Profoundly deep plum.  Cherry cola syrup and blueberry scents come forth at first, with some herbal and menthol notes added as the wine aired.  Blueberry notes persist on the palate, with drying tannins.  Very well-made, and not without interest, but something’s missing.  There doesn’t seem to be much doubt that this is a ripe wine – but the tannins lack the sweetness of modern-style wines.  The attack is full of fruit, but then the wine levels out through the mid-palate and the finish.  Rather than gaining in complexity, it plateaus, and ends up being a bit less interesting than you think it’s going to be.  Not at all bad, and certainly something that an adventurous wine-drinker should try. 

**1/2 - ***

A spoonful of sugar might help the medicine go down...

2010 El Agosto Mencia (Bierzo, SP): Again, profoundly dark plum.  Big iodine on the nose, followed by scents of herbal liqueur.  Later, big walnut aromas emerge, along with a strong component of coffee and tiramisu.  The slightly medicinal quality follows through on the palate.  As with the Palacios, the wine is well-made and seems ripe, but once more, there’s something missing.  Once again, the mid-palate and finish deliver less than the attack promises.  The wine flattens out rather than blossoms.  It starts out as something that seems as if it’s going to be fascinating, and then goes nowhere.  As before, intrepid wine-lovers should give this a try, just so they know what’s going on in this corner of Spain. **1/2 - ***

So these are not negligible wines, but I have to confess that I can’t go along with the critical wave on this one -- at least not yet.  These wines are quite substantial in color and body, and they’re not without some distinctive features.   There is absolutely fruit up front, but then…not much.  There’s a flatness to the palate that leaves me wanting more.  I’ll revisit Bierzo in the future as more examples become available in the USA.  For now, however, although the power and simplicity of these wines has a certain appeal, this varietal still has to show more to win over the Voyager. 

More terrific Barberas to warm up the post-holiday season

a trio of great food wines

I don’t know about you, but a cold winter night always seems like a good time for Italian food.  (One might argue that there is never a night that isn’t a good time for Italian dishes, and the Voyager would offer no rebuttal.)  In any case, I decided that it was a good time to revisit the lovely Barberas from the Piedmont.  Here are three fine examples from noted producers…

Full bodied and elegant

2011 Pelissero Piani Barbera D’Alba (Piedmont, ITALY):  Fairly deep garnet.   Beautiful aromas of sweet cherries and wild flowers.  A little leather tone underneath.  Lovely balance, and great acidity to go with Vyna’s world-class Bolognese pasta.  Very rich for a Barbera; full-bodied and serious wine.  Gorgeous bottle for under $20!  A winner from the Alba region.  ***1/2 - ****

Sophistication in a glass

2010 La Spinetta Ca’ di Pian Barbarea d’Asti (Piedmont, ITALY):  Medium-dark garnet, with just a hint of maturity on the rim.  Sour cherries, faded dried flowers and hints of blueberry and ink on the nose.  Interesting notes of black pepper and beef as the wine opened up.  Long finish.  Sophisticated, but perhaps lacking a bit of body.  Still, quite lovely with stuffed peppers.  ***1/2. 

Juicy and eminently drinkable

2012 Fuso Barbera (Piedmont, ITALY):  Fairly deep plum.  Open, inviting nose with plenty of cherry, leather and orange peel aromas.  With air, some herbal notes join the band.  Juicy, sweet fruit drenches the palate, with more than enough acidity to make this a welcome match for some leftover Bolognese alá Vyna.  Superb value at $16 a bottle.   ***1/2 - ****

My love affair with Barbera has been going on for a very long time now, dating back to some very fine Sonoma releases made by Sebastiani  back in the early 1980’s, but there’s nothing like the wines from the Piedmont, the spiritual home of this fabulous grape.