7 Spanish Wines

Here are some general impressions (less than formal tasting notes) based on a friendly gathering last night at a local restaurant:

Mancuso 2001 - this is an early sample of a wine that has not yet been released in Spain, and indeed has only just been bottled. It’s a 100% Granacha from 100-120 year old vines. I can’t say a lot about this wine because I simply do not have enough experience to judge early bottling or barrel samples of less than fully formed wines. Every time I try, it’s a complete guessing game as to where the wine will end up. I can say that this wine doesn’t act like your typical garnacha as it seems richer and does not now possess the characteristic spice of that grape. The nose promises a lot, but the back end is still in the process of coalescing. Certainly some basis to be optimistic.

Elias Mora crianza & Gran Elias Mora 2001 - I’m quite familiar with the 2000 vintage of both these wines. In a blind horizontal of ’00 wines from DO Toro, the crianza nudged out the significantly more expensive Numanthia in our rankings. The 2001 crianza is markedly better - riper and rounder. One comment heard occasionally about the 2000s, particularly in Spain, was that Gran Elias Mora was not that much better than the good-QPR crianza. As impressive as the 2001 crianza is, I think the gap in quality between these two wines is now very pronounced, with the new Gran E M packing more of everything that the crianza offers into an obviously impressive structure. (If we approached this tasting more seriously and competitively than we did, the Gran Elias Mora might well have been my wine of the night.)

Calvario 2000 - This is a well regarded Rioja. It’s reportedly made from 90% Tempranillo, 8% Grenache, and 2% Graciano. I would not be shocked to have been told that it also has some syrah (but of course no Rioja would ever have any syrah, which is not traditionally been permitted by the DO ). This reminds me of a very ripe modern Chateauneuf du Pape. Parker gave it 93 points. One of the notable things about Parker’s review is that he made no mention of this wine’s phenomenally distinct cola smell and taste. I’ve rarely encountered a wine where this flavor was so in-your-face. The debate around our table at one point focussed on whether the wine best reflected Coke, Pepsi, cola that had gone flat, or diet cola. While all this was a bit disconcerting, it still might be a fun wine to drink at the right occasion, particularly with non-geeks.

Astrales 2001 - This is a new Ribera del Duero project of Mariano Garcia’s sons. I’ve had this once before, a few months ago, immediately upon its arrival in the US when the wine was still a bit shocked. It’s definitely expressing itself much better now. An obviously vigorous wine but, to my mind, one that has not yet burst out of its shell. The powerful fruit is pushing hard against the door of significant tannins and is alreadly seeping through. I suspect it will only be a few years before the fruit breaks the door down completely.

Roda I 1998 - I forgot to check whether this was the reserva to basic Roda I. I suspect it was the reserva. In comparison with most of the other wines this night the Roda appeared a bit chunky and unyielding. You could pick up some blackcurrant, cocao and herbs, but it was more of an effort to get through to this wine compared with the others.

Luna Beberide reserva 1999 - I’ve been drinking the ’98 regularly for a couple of years and am quite fond of it. I believe the ’99 is basically equal parts Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The ’99 is similar to the ’98, and if it runs behind the ’98 in any respect it is only by a half a step. Perhaps not very Spanish, but the wine posseses strong bright fruit, fresh acidity, and overall craftsmanship.