Scala Dei Prior 2007

17.0 / 20

Producer: Cellers de Scala Dei

Region: Priorat

Country: Spain

Deep, dark purple to the eye, this red from the Priorat has an intense, warm nose, at first centered on exotic woods and spices and then revealing a strong ripe black fruit backbone.

Full-bodied, intense and structured as usual with the reds from the Priorat, it shows some hard tannins and a fresh acidity that keeps it from being too heavy. Lots of caramel and cocoa notes in the palate, more present than the fruit notes, although there are some juicy dark plums in the intense, long and hot ending.

A really intense wine that will probably age well for a couple more years.

Tasted on 2012-09-01

XII Subirat Parent 2009

15.5 / 20

Producer: Agusti Torello Mata

Region: Penedès

Country: Spain

Subirat Parent is apparently the the name by which Malvasia is known in Catalonia. This is one of the few wines made exclusively with this grape coming from Penedès.

Very pale in color, this has a good, aromatic and filling bouquet where notes of yellow and tropical fruit mingle with flowers, with a mineral background giving it some austerity.

Very mineral in the mouth as well, dry and fresh almost to the point of revealing some lemon skin notes. This is certainly driven by more mineral notes, since the fruit/flowery side comes along as somewhat hidden. Good, fresh and dry ending with an intensity that surpasses the low alcohol mark on it.

This is a delicately flavored wine, to be enjoyed young.

Will probably shine when matched with shellfish or lightly flavored grilled fish.

Tasted on 2012-01-15

Alanda 2010

15.5 / 20

Producer: Quinta da Muradella

Region: Monterrei

Country: Spain

Light green in the glass, the nose on this white from the north of Spain is very flowery at first, with some nice tropical fruits mixed in. A bit later it grows into something more mineral, with some limestone. Fresh and inviting, if not very complex.

The same refreshing feeling continues to come forward in the palate, with the wine showing a distinct acidity, very fresh and dry. Its mineral side is bigger in the palate than in the nose, although this comes along as a light, delicate wine. Average finish with some nice traces of orange blossom.

Tasted on 2011-11-25

Gratavinum GV5 2007

17.5 / 20

Producer: Gratavinum

Region: Priorat

Country: Spain

The few Priorat wines I've had the chance to taste have been really eye openers to that region, all of them being big, full wines that still manage to keep an amazing elegance and poise.

This one is no exception to the rule with a strong, involving nose that shows the usual - for spanish wines - intense vanilla notes, along with some sweet red berries, some kirsch and, to the back, some soft leather notes that give it an added layer of interest.

Big, very structured and dense in the palate, this has some still hard tannins that show the wine's youth. Yet, the sweet red berries are already very well integrated with the pervading oak, resulting in a strong, intense and real well made wine that, in spite of its high alcohol mark - around 15%, manages to retain its elegance. Very strong, long finish leaving behind some elegant leathery notes.

Tasted on 2011-11-19

Absis 2003

17.5 / 20

Producer: Parés Baltà

Region: Penedès

Country: Spain

I had Penedès pinned down as a white wine region, but with relatively unremarkable red wines. Lately, a series of very good red wines from this spanish region has started to change my mind. This, the 2003 vintage for Absis, is probably the most remarkable from the lot.

Beautiful ruby in the glass, showing no signs of evolution whatsoever, the bouquet is very inviting, subtle and sophisticated. Fleshy red fruits join together with high quality toast/oak notes and a slight vegetable scent in the background.

Smooth and rounded in the palate, the taste still shows a good deal of fleshy red fruits. The wine has a very nice presence, with moderate acidity and velvety tannins that are still going strong after 8 years, giving this wine a very nice, solid structure. The finish is very long, smooth and elegant, showing some slight vegetable notes that manage to enhance the whole experience.

A very good wine that will still live for several more years.

Tasted on 2011-11-14

R.D.R. Dominio Romano 2006

16.5 / 20

Producer: Bodegas Parés Baltà

Region: Ribera del Duero

Country: Spain

This wine is made in Ribera del Duero by a producer from the Penedés region (near Barcelona). Made with Tinta del País, which I think is Tempranillo, this is a powerful, concentrated and robust wine.

At first, the nose is dominated by toast notes, along with some dried, sweet prunes. As it sits on the glass, it starts to gain warmer, more diverse aromas. Vanilla and other spices come to the foreground, along with ripe black fruit. Somewhere way back, there's also a hint of bellpeppers.

Very structured in the palate, with surprisingly lively tannins that manage not to overshadow the taste. Coupled with a refreshing acidity, this is a very young wine that has a distinctive growth margin. Black fruits also mark the taste, along with some nicely integrated oak/toast notes. In the long ending, some spicier notes also come into play - It brought to mind star anise at some point.

From the youth and power this wine still shows, I would not hesitate to keep some bottles for some years, as it will definitely grow.

Tasted on 2011-11-10

Marqués de Riscal Reserva 2006

16.0 / 20

Producer: Bodegas de los Herederos del Marqués de Riscal

Region: Rioja

Country: Spain

Bright, lively ruby to the eye, this old vines Rioja - mainly Tempranillo with a dash of Graciano and Mazuelo - has a lot of vanilla in the nose, closely followed by ripe cherries, backed by spices, some balsamic and a touch of smoke.

Medium bodied, showing a lot of fruit in the mouth very well balanced with a strong vanilla/oaky feel. Very good acidity, keeping it lively and fresh, and velvety, solid tannins make this a good, solid spanish red. The end of the taste shows some stronger tannins, a bit of leather and keeps up the acid red cherries, forming a very interesting finale.

Tasted on 2011-11-04

Coma Vella 2006

17.0 / 20

Producer: Mas d'en Gil

Region: Priorat

Country: Spain

Impressive spanish red from the Priorat, the nose is an intense mix of sweet red berries, plums and blackberries, vanilla, spices and very strong notes of chocolate. Very impressive, strong and full without being tiresome.

In the mouth, it shows itself as a full-bodied, heavy wine. Strong and structured, it has chocolate notes which are sustained by a very balanced acidity. Nice, edgy tannins give it an added complexity, but it still manages to convey a sense of elegance and subtlety which is unusual for its weight. Finish is very long, with chocolate notes playfully mingling with red berries.

Tasted on 2011-08-02

Viña Pedrosa Crianza 2007

16.5 / 20

Producer: Bodegas Hnos. Pérez Pascuas

Region: Ribera del Duero

Country: Spain

Made exclusively with tempranillo, this wine has aged for 18 months in oak casks - Crianzas have at least one year in cask. Like in most spanish wines, the oak shines through in the bouquet, conjuring impressions of coffee, vanilla, toast and some chocolate. In this case, a good deal of cherries also come up in the nose, making up an exuberant yet sustained bouquet, that is quite impressive.

Showing also a great deal of oak notes in the mouth, these are quite nicely balanced by some amazing cherries that pervade the taste. Tannins are not yet tamed and there's a freshness to it that makes me believe that this will age well for some more years. Finishes long, with cherry and vanilla notes going for a good while before vanishing.

Definitely worth tasting, this is very good quality for its price range.

Tasted on 2011-06-21

Faustino V 2009

15.0 / 20

Producer: Bodegas Faustino

Region: Rioja

Country: Spain

Made with 100% Viura - which is also known as Macabeo and used for Cava, this is a white from Rioja, widely known for its red wines.

Light green to the eye, the nose brings us peaches, a scent of honey, a herbal hint and a touch of citrus in the background.

In the mouth, this is a light wine, sporting a balanced acidity, dry and with a citrus feel but at the same time revealing some pleasant honey-like notes that make it a bit more filling. Brief persistence but quite pleasant, this makes a really nice wine for starters or very light dishes.

Ideal for some tapas by the beach, for instance.

Tasted on 2011-06-15

Quintaluna 2010

16.5 / 20

Producer: Ossian

Region: Rueda

Country: Spain

A Verdejo from Rueda in Spain, this wine shows a very clean, aromatic nose bearing notes of flowers, peaches and apples, along with citrus notes and a hint of malt on the background. On the whole, a really nice and expressive bouquet.

Fresh and dry in the palate, showing more assertive citrus notes than on the nose, it also has some really nice fruit in a fresh body that also reveals some depth. Nice persistence rounds up a very fresh, lively and pure taste.

Tasted on 2011-06-09

Prima 2008

16.5 / 20

Producer: Bodegas Y Viñedos Maurodos

Region: Toro

Country: Spain

This taste note is our contribution for WBW#70, put together by the kind people at catavino.net, a great source for iberian wine info. The challenge was to taste a spanish wine, preferably from a lesser known region or grape. I admit to utterly failing the challenge, due to my lack of knowledge regarding spanish grapes. Tried to steer away from Rioja and Duero (chose Toro which is kind of ok) and from Tempranillo and Albariño. I was very satisfied when I came across a 95% Tinta de Toro, a grape I had never heard about. Maybe something indigenous to Toro? Well, not really. It's the name of Tempranillo when planted in Toro - something I found out after a quick web search... and after buying the bottle.

Deep dark ruby, the aromas are centered around ripe red fruits - cherries, some kirsch, strawberries even after some time. To the background, a oaky, vanilla impression helps the whole set come together in a consistent, balanced bouquet.

Tasting it, one finds a still very young and vibrant wine. Fresh, clear acidity along with some present (although not very hard) tannins, a stronger oaky feel than in the nose and ripe red fruit combine into a really nice tasting, which finishes with a nice spicy feel (I think I could taste some black pepper) that lingers for quite some time after the taste.

I think it would be rewarding to wait a couple of years for this wine and see how it comes along. The high acidity and the youth of the wine seem to indicate that it will grow.

And Spain just got added to the "Must learn more about" list.

Tasted on 2011-02-16