BODEGAS Y VIÑEDOS VERUM

VINO DE LA TIERRA DE CASTILLA

 

The tripling of the number of Spanish Masters of Wine in one fell swoop recently is a further indication of the Spanish Wine World’s intent. Not only are they making top quality wines that can rub shoulders with the world’s best, but they are also becoming increasingly more prominent in the fields of wine education and wine promotion.

 

Pedro Ballesteros MW was the lone Spanish Master of Wine until recently, having been joined, just a couple of weeks ago, by Fernando Mora MW and Andreas Kubach MW. And, I also hear that there are other Spaniards who are within reach of achieving this coveted title, with either just their final exams to sit, or their theses to complete!

 

However, it was indeed Pedro Ballesteros MW who recommended Bodegas Verum’s Malvasía, to me – albeit indirectly! I was unable this year to attend Fenavin, the excellent biennial Spanish Wine Fair for professionals, held in Ciudad Real, but I read as much about it as I could.

 

I was sad not to be able to go, even more so when I read of Señor Ballesteros’ presentation of Spain’s New Wave white wines. In fact, I’ve been banging on for some time now about the rise and rise in quality in white wines, in this, a country that has always and rightly, until recently, been touted as a classic red wine nation.

 

I contacted Bodegas Verum (www.bodegasverum.com/en/) who were happy to send me, not just their white wine but also two of their red wines – well I could hardly refuse, could I!

 

Located in Tomelloso, a small town I’ve visited in La Mancha, the bodega has clearly set out its stall – it wants to make wines that pay tribute to the winemaking history of the area, that speak of the soils in which the vines are growing, whilst simultaneously striving to  break new ground in terms of styles and varieties.

 

On the palate the Malvasía had plenty, but it really is on the nose where this wine makes its largest impression. It’s an attractive bottle shape with a lovely blue label and foil and when the cork is pulled there is an instant floral fragrance – white rose petals and a touch of magnolia with tantalising wisps of honeysuckle. As the wine is poured and the glass raised to the nose, the aromas develop – you’ll find the zest from citrus peel, that’s lemon, lime and grapefruit, and, curiously, though positively, a slight touch of white pepper (I loved this wine with a Thai Red Curry!).

 

On the palate, there’s also a minerality coming through to join the party – with a good mouth-feel and an understated creamy element from its time spent on its lees. Six months in bottle before release onto the market has added a depth to the wine. Whilst this wine is dangerously easy to drink, it also has a contemplative element too!

 

Verum Roble is one of the new breed of partially oaked red wines, where the winemaker wants some oak influence – some aroma and a little flavour, but not too much!  The balance here is just right, in some ways it could be said that you have go looking for the oak, it’s that integrated.

 

Made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tempranillo (whose names figure loud and clear on the label) which were harvested in the cool of the night, the wine has fruit aromas to the fore. There’s some blackberry and plum with a little strawberry hiding in the background! The French oak is hardly discernable, adding depth and complexity and maybe a little vanilla and a trace of coconut.

 

I’d made a turkey meat casserole, with beer and mushrooms used to make a rich sauce, and thought I’d try this wine as a pairing – I’m glad I did, as it worked rather well! It will also be very good with meat pasta dishes and semi-curado cheese. I enjoyed the 2013 vintage, which I think is drinking perfectly now, though its makers tell us it could last perhaps another three years. Well, why take the risk – drink it now!

 

I’m not surprised that the Verum Tempranillo V Reserva Familiar 2010 carries a sticker proclaiming its Gold Medal at the Tempranillos of the World competition; nor am I shocked that Peñin, the most comprehensive Spanish wine guide, gives it an impressive 90 points!

 

At 20€ a bottle, it’s not cheap, but firstly, wine of this quality is never going to be cheap; and secondly, were it produced under the auspices of a famous Spanish Denominación de Origen, it would be at least 10€ more expensive, minimum!

 

The Tempranillo grapes were growing on the highest part of the estate, and harvested in the cool of the night. It’s clear that only the best fruit was used, and this, at its optimum ripeness. There’s a little liquorice and even tar on the nose, with some big fruit, mostly dark forest fruit, coming in and staying on the palate too.

 

You’ll find a little more French oak on the nose and palate, bringing with it complexity and a pleasing roundness to the wine as you hold it in your mouth before swallowing. Then comes the pleasure of the long finish – and this is without food! Pair it with steak, turkey – the dark meat particularly, game and casseroles, as well as curado cheese. Lovely wine, great winery!

 

Contact/Follow Colin – www.colinharknessonwine.com colin@colinharknessonwine.com Twitter @colinonwine  Facebook Colin Harkness.

 

THERE’S NOTHING RUSTY ABOUT THE CAVA MAKING AT ROVELLATS!

 

The name “Rovellats” dates back to the 10th century, to an adjective in Latin, robiculu (in English “rust”), probably as a result of the estate being surrounded by the meandering river Foix and with a consequent high degree of humidity.

 

It’s probable that the Romans who were here, initially pillaging and . . .  err, well you know, and then displacing the indigenous Iberians might have become rather tired of continually having to clean their chariots and equipment, and sharpen their weapons for fear of them become rusty and useless.

 

It’s probable, in fact highly likely, that they also made wine here. The Roman army needed plenty of alcoholic refreshment and they, of course, had the knowledge and expertise as well as a plentiful supply of workers to work the land and tend the vines. Thus, wines have been made in this part of Cataluña for centuries.

 

Cavas Rovellats, founded by, Josep Vallés Rovira in the early 20^th Century (the same family that runs the business today) has a somewhat shorter history. Nevertheless they too are playing their part in terms of safeguarding the land for the generations that follow, this, the third generation who are now the incumbents.

 

I first came across this winery when I received the results of the International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC) for which I judge, on the Spanish Panel, every year. Indeed it is possible (though I wouldn’t know it, as judging is blind, of course) that I was one of those whose scores ensured that one of the extremely impressive Rovellats Cavas, won, not just Gold, but the Gold Outstanding Medal!

 

And just to position that correctly, let me advise that this year the IWSC (the oldest, and one of the three most prestigious international wine competitions) awarded only eight Gold Outstnading Medals in the Spanish Wine Section – that’s wines that have achieved 95+ marks out of 100!

 

In fact three of their wines earned distinction in this year’s competition, two silvers and the Gold Outstanding. Plus, if you look at their website (www.cavasrovellats.com/en) you’ll see that they have a list of medal success, plaudits and eulogies as long as both of your arms! And, I’m not at all surprised – these are excellent Cavas. Not just excellent, for Cava (as some, never me, might say, but really top drawer for all Sparkling Wines – and that certainly includes Champagne! Indeed, I Tweeted (@colinonwine) and ‘Facebooked’ about tasting a Champagne against one of the Rovellats Cavas recently, the latter winning hands down!

 

I might have surreptitiously claimed some success in the above comment re judging at the IWSC, above, however, I’m going to temper that now, by adding that I may also have been one of the judges on the panel who agreed to a Silver Medal for GRAN RESERVA MASIA S.XV BRUT NATURE 2008. For me, this wine is solid Gold! It’s the wine that I tasted against the Champagne above, and it has made a big impression on me.

It’s elegant, first and foremost, with brioche and patisserie notes with a hint of toasty smokiness, and, after a huge seven years(!) ‘en rima’ (inverted in bottle resting on its lees in the cellars) it is as vibrant as a puppy – large breed, because this is also a powerful wine. We all delighted in this wine at a recent dinner, initially tasting it first on its own, and then with a baked filo pastry, spinach, cream cheese and feta starter, with which it was outstanding! Honestly, if you see this wine, buy it!

Rovellats Col.Lecció is pale gold in colour, coming probably from the 30% Chardonnay in its blend, with 40% Xarel-lo and the rest Parellada. It’s had 4 years (a youngster really!!) en rima in the cellars located 15 meters underground. You’ll find a little peach fruit with some citrus notes too with a slight reference to orange zest. There are freshly baked brown bread notes on the nose with a little bitter almond and it has a long finish with a faint toffee flavour, though not at all sweet.

The Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2011, winner of the Gold Outstanding Medal is a wonderful wine! The free run juice of the Macabeo, Xarel-lo and Parellada varieties are fermented for the base wine in stainless steel. The second fermentation, in bottle, of course takes place way below ground in the cellars, where the wine stays en rima for 60 months, five years.

Again this aged wine comes out of the bottle with youthful pride – it’s exuberant, delighted to delight the taster, and it does just that! There is elegance, the mark of a truly classy Cava, along with good weight on the palate.

On the nose there is the scent of almond blossom which follows through to blanched almonds, to confirm first impressions! There’s a little smokiness too, with toasty patisserie fragrance and lots of presence in the mouth. A complex wine, with an abundance of flavour and an exceptionally long finish.

I recommend these Cavas to you without any reservation – excellence needs to be acknowledged!

WINE MERCHANTS OR SUPERMARKETS?

 

My final epistle from the UK before our return to the sunshine is largely a reflection on my wine buying experiences here in the UK, but it is still relevant to readers in Spain – in fact, readers all over the world where there are choices regarding where to buy your wine.

 

Put simply, though I’ll expand on this shortly – I don’t just ‘highly recommend’, in fact I implore you to buy your wines from wine merchants whenever you have the opportunity, and if you don’t have it, please make it!

 

I once went to a splendid, celebrated Country House Hotel in the Lake District of the UK some 25 years ago. At dinner I was amazed, and rather disappointed to see that, of the 24 or so white wines listed, about 20 of them were Chardonnay! Variety? Balance?

 

I accepted of course that business was business, and Chardonnay produces were surfing their own products all across Britain in those days – many readers will remember this, I’m sure. Hotels and restaurants had to pander to the demands of the market, but, for me, this was ridiculous.

 

Fast forward a quarter of a century, and yesterday, as indeed it was every time I walked into a supermarket, when I approached the white wine shelves I was confronted with a veritable army of Sauvignon Blanc bottles. Sauvignon Blanc full stop! If looking for variety, there were, I admit, examples of Sauvignon Blanc from several different countries, but it’s still SB (as we heard it referred to a number of times!).

 

So, the grape variety has changed from Chard (I can abbreviate too you know!) to SB, but the principle is the same. There is far too little choice in supermarkets!

 

TBH (To Be Honest – ok, I’ll stop now!), I’m not sure who is driving whom – is it the distributors or the wine commentators who are responsible for this homogenous glut? My wine writing colleagues here in the UK are invited to all of the various press//trade tastings, mostly by the UK based distributors acting on behalf of the producers with whom they work all over the world.

 

I would like to think that most of these trade tastings offer many, or at least, several different wine styles, grape varieties etc, so there should be a variety of articles born of each writer’s own preferences. However, at such tastings, the supermarket buyers will also be present. Enter the dreaded ‘price point’. It is not just the buyer’s palate that makes the decision as to which to buy, it’s all about the base, profit!

 

The waters muddy, and I can’t see through them, except to say that the result is somehow that supermarket shelves are full of whatever the distributors/writers want us to drink – and like lambs to the SB, we do what we are told. And, of course, consumers ‘get a taste’ for Sauvigning, and so the cycle continues.

 

Well, it didn’t with me, anyway!

 

I boldly went to find the lamentably lonely, deserted bottles of: Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Albariño, Godello (I was delighted to see this Spanish variety available in a quiet corner!), etc, albeit occasionally akin to ‘mission impossible’! But, supermarkets please note, these ‘weird’ varieties were invariably well received!

 

On just one occasion in the UK (in fact the town where I grew up, and even more nostalgically, in Majestic Wine Merchants which now occupies the site where my father worked, Tottey’s Garage, 60+ years ago) I was able to enter the Aladin’s Cave of a wine merchant.

 

It’s true, I did see Sauvignon Blanc (and Chardonnay) – but what a wealth of other grape varieties and blends of! It was a pleasure to roam the aisles and select from such a vast variety. Wine Merchants offer true consumer choice – supermarkets don’t. I rest my case!

WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT SHERRY?

 

Known as ‘Sack’ in Shakespeare’s time and, for reasons of balance (Shakespeare wasn’t the only great writer of his time, and you know that journalists are always strictly impartial!), as Xeres in that of the Bard’s contemporary, Cervantes, Sherry (itself an English corruption of the Arabic name for Jerez, Xeres) was a staple drink in much of the known world.

 

It isn’t today – but it should be!

 

Efforts are being made to put Sherry back to where it was, and where it should be, in terms of market share of the wine world. Although, personally, I shy away from Sherry Cocktails, designed to enfranchise the youth of today and thus dispel once and for all the misconception that Sherry is a drink for Granny and Aunt Maude, I understand the reasoning behind this promotional push.

 

I feel the same about Champagne and Cava Cocktails – for me it’s all wine abuse! Let’s drink Sherry and enjoy it for what it is, a perfectly palatable drink on its own without dressing it up in pretense!

 

Whilst some have deserted Sherry, in favour of more hip drinks, I’ve never left it – there’s always some in my fridge and in my wine cooler. I’m a big fan of Amontillado and Oloroso, which, in their natural state are dry and not sweetened for the so-called British palate, and I very often prepare dinner with a glass of Fino on the go!

 

However, whilst I still really enjoy Fino, that very dry, super-fresh, slightly salty, fortified wine which is the colour of water (be careful, don’t down it in one by mistake!), in the last couple of years it has been taken to the next level! Enter Gonzalez Byass Tío Pepe Fino En Rama’!

 

Translating, roughly, to ‘raw’, ‘En Rama’ is Fino without all the clarification and filtration to which regular sherries are subjected. Extracted from the barrels directly, from between the ‘flor’ (the yeast that forms a thin layer on top of the wine as it ages in cask) and any sediment at the bottom of the barrel, En Rama is bottled almost without filtration at all. Hence En Rama Sherry is in its most natural state, and with a wholly different, soft golden colour!

 

If asked to identify this wine simply by sight, if it were pored into a white wine glass, you’d be forgiven for thinking it to be, perhaps Chardonnay! Take a whiff though, and wow – it’s so good! You’ll find some yeasty, almost patisserie notes, along with a slight whiff of sea breeze, and then some blanched almond aromas and flavour. Hold the wine on your palate and let it work its magic!

 

My friends at Gonzalez Byass also sent me two other bottles of sherry, each absolutely exemplary of their style – Amontillado and Oloroso.

 

Viña AB (in fact the AB are linked together, as in the photo, but my  computer won’t let me do that!) Amontillado is named after Andrés Botaina, the original owner of the vineyard that supplied the grapes for this wonderful sherry.

 

Darker than the above, as it has spent twice as much time in barrel (about 10 years) being slowly oxidized, giving the colour as well as the wholly different aromas and flavours. Traditionalists will tell you that this wine is perfectly paired with ‘Ave’, fowl, in all its forms, and I’d go along with that, but I’d add to it as well. Enjoy this wine with Comté cheese (and others), with artichokes (now that’s unusual!), mushroom risotto, (with a drizzle of truffle oil, even better!) and asparagus.

 

There are hazelnuts on the nose and the palate, plus a smoky yeasty presence too, with dry-fried almonds and under-ripe (and therefore not sweet) figs. It’s lovely, really lovely!

 

Finally (though there is a large range of Sherry at Gonzalez Byass, of course) I just loved their Oloroso – which translates to fragrant, and that’s exactly how you’d describe Gonzalez Byass Alfonso Dry Oloroso! It’s nutty, on the nose, with caramalised notes, endearing it immediately to almonds, fried in a very little olive oil and lightly sprinkled with sea salt – roasted chestnuts too. Also, Jamon Serrano, in all its different styles, is just about perfect with this wine!

 

Sherry rocks!

 

(My thanks to SherryNotes whom I used for research).