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BOXING CLEVER

 

Remember Watneys Part Sevens? The bitter inside was, to be fair, drinkable – that’s if there was ever any left after ‘opening’ the can! The rigmarole one had to go through to extract it, in the absence of that special little opening gadget! Remember the foray into the host’s dad’s garage looking for a suitable tool, whilst praying he wouldn’t come back unexpectedly and find his daughter had ‘invited a few friends around’?

 

Well, there’s many a smart suit that’s been soaked by the geyser that shot out when hammer was applied to nail! And remember how it found its way up your sleeve as you tried to put your thumb over the opening to stem the flow!

 

Move on a decade and whilst some (including me) had graduated to the smaller cans, equipped with an opening pull, others (including me – well, we were partying!) were developing a taste for wine brought to the party – in a box! Bag in Box wine had been invented!

 

The wine inside was drinkable – but only just, and certainly only for the great unknowing (including me, but not for long!). This was nothing at all that resembled quality. In order to shift an excess of wine from the European wine lake of the time, producers had thought of the idea of larger quantities, ideal for parties (for those with fewer taste buds than normal), being vacuum packed in collapsible foil/plastic containers hidden in cardboard boxes.

 

For me it’s rather like the tetra-pack ‘wines’, along with the large plastic bottles sold in supermarkets today – whose wines are exceedingly poor quality, harsh, thin and nasty. Their only ‘endearing’ feature (for some, at least) is the alcohol they contain.

 

Fast forward a further few decades, a couple of years after my arrival in Spain and I was surprised to hear from co-owner Matthew, that a wholesale wine business (which was later to add a retail arm which morphed into one of the best wine merchants on the Costa Blanca, La Casa Del Vino, Javea http://www.casadelvino.biz/) was doing a roaring trade selling BIB wines to various Scandinavian countries. To my mind, Scandinavians are cultured and discerning people – so what did they know, that I didn’t?

 

Clearly, whilst the technology re the actual containers had improved, so too had the quality of the wine. It’s now time to kick out our preconceptions born of yesteryear experiences – Bag in Box wines rock!

 

I hope I’m not leaving readers dizzy here, but let’s again fast forward, in fact to just a few weeks ago. Our great friends, Mick & Ros, had cut out, of no lesser publication than ‘The Times’, do you mind, an article, not just about the resurgence of BIB wines, but about the quite dramatic improvement in the quality of such wines. I read, with a growing thirst.

 

Then, as is often the case (usually following a trade tasting!), another article came to my attention – this time from an equally impressive source, probably the world’s best wine magazine, Decanter. And finally, when talking about the phenomenon on my radio show a couple of weeks ago I received lots of incoming, in favour of BIB, including from my friend and co-IWSC panellist, Paul Young (http://imbibros.co.uk/) .

 

A little research revealed that Sainsbury’s BIB sales increased by just under 9% last year and, almost incredibly, Amazon sales in the UK rose by a staggering 212% this summer when compared to 2016! Waitrose has also reported a spike in sales. The reasons given for this across the trade increase were: convenience, increasing environmental awareness, longevity and, for me, crucially, the improving quality of the wine – dubbed the ‘premiumisation’ of the wines used!

 

‘From pantry to picnic & party’ is the alliteratively pleasing promotional phrase extolling the virtues of BIB wines, but this might also have been said of the predecessors of the current crop. The difference nowadays is of course the quality of the wine. The ‘romance’ of wine will, I think, ensure that the finest of wines will always be in bottles, but it’s certain that quality BIB wines are here to stay, and will continue to develop and improve.

 

One of the BIB wines quoted and praised is produced by my old friends at Bodegas La Pruísima, DOP Yecla. ‘Old Hands’ is an organic red wine made from their beloved Monastrell vines. I’ve tasted the wine already and I’m impressed – and I know I’ll continue to be so for the, perhaps two weeks that it will stay in my fridge!

 

Plum fruit, and lots of it, with some dried mountain herbs on the nose, the wine is juicy and, during this continued (at the time of writing!) hot spell it’s a pleasure to drink slightly chilled. It’s available across the UK in Lea and Sandeman Wine Merchants (I can send you the full list – just e-mail me), plus you can buy the boxes (as well as the same wine in bottle) from www.bodegaslapurisima.com .

 

Unsurprisingly their DO Yecla neighbours and friends at Bodegas Castaño also sell a lovely BIB wine – in fact made with Monastrell too. I tasted this some weeks ago, posting on Facebook that it was fresh and fruity after more than two weeks! It’s a rich damson fruit driven wine, rounded on the palate with a lovely finish – also, like the above, far too easy to drink!

 

Bodegas Castaño http://www.bodegascastano.com/en are selling their BIB wine mostly in Sweden as well as being available in mainland Spain and of course, you can buy it from Raquel in the Tienda (shop) via the above website!

 

Contact Colin – colin@colinharknessonwine.com ; Facebook Colin Harkness ; Twitter @colinonwine

Castellroig’s Cava de Paraje Calificada

Sunshine gold in colour this excellent Brut Nature is made with Xarel.lo vines which have seen 40 summers planted on their Terroja Estate in soils that were first formed 20 million years ago!

CLOSURE AND A NEW ERA FOR CAVA

Yes, a touch oxymoronic, I agree, but sit back, cava glass (no more than two thirds full) in hand and please read on – it’s all good news for lovers of Cava, like myself.

 

In the couple of years preceding 2014 I had written the occasional article trying to explain to readers why it was that there had been some abandoning of ship by a number of cava producers who were worried about its standing in the world of Sparkling Wine. I suppose the bad news (there’s a word more often used than this phrase!) hit the fan when the current incumbent of one of the most famous Cava houses also decided to cut and run. The Raventos family, in the late 19th Century, had in fact been the founders of cava making in Spain – but would now no longer be involved!

 

What was it all about? Well, like the current crisis in Cataluña, it’s complicated.

 

It all came about because of a concern amongst producers of quality Cava that the original good name of the DO and its produce had been besmirched by the huge supply of cheap Cavas that really aren’t worthy of the name! These cheap-end, tasteless, anorexic Cavas offer the same inviting ‘explosion’ as the pressure inside the bottle pops the cork, but it was an open and shut case of breach of promise! And still is today.

 

Whilst being perfectly honest with neither axe grinding nor hidden agenda in mind I wrote a few related articles which must have come to the notice of the burghers of DO Cava. Hence the expenses paid invitation to interview the president about their plans to combat the negative criticism being made by other commentators as well as myself.

 

Careful not to be seduced by the sumptuous lunch in the gloriously grand, 11th Century, private dining area of Bodegas Segura Viudas, accompanied by really top level cavas, a different style for each different course, I listened to Señor Bonet’s, impelling explanation of plans for the Empire’s Strike Back.

With DO Cava Officials, including Señor Bonet, President of Consejo Regulador, DO Cava.

I agreed that all DOs suffered similar criticism – there will always be those who strive to make the best wine possible under the auspices of whichever DO in which they find themselves. And, sadly, there will also be those who are simply in it for the money. They’ll obey all the rules (probably!) to ensure that they carry the DO’s motif on their labels, but there’ll be little concern about the quality of the product.

 

So, whilst that couldn’t really be circumvented, there were other ideas afoot. Firstly, there was going to be a promotional drive to push what was going to be called ‘Premium Cava’. This certainly included those cavas which qualified for Reserva and Gran Reserva status, but also a number of ‘Joven’, young cavas (as opposed to Reserva and Gran Reserva style which have been aged for long periods) which were displaying classic characteristics of fine cava, though younger in style.

 

In tandem with this promotion, and certainly the most innovative and creative of the ideas was the eventual introduction of a totally new concept, a new designation within DO Cava, the top of the quality pyramid, Cava de Paraje Calificada! Qualifying would be tough!

Señor Per Bonet, President, Consejo Regulador, DO Cava, officially celebrating the Governmental approval of the new concept and designation Cava de Paraje Calificada

Firstly, of course, all the grapes will have to have come from a single vineyard, or indeed a single plot within a vineyard. This will mean that the resulting Cava will be representative of that terroir. This answers very nicely a criticism that has always been leveled at Cava. Now there will be a definite sense of place.

 

Also, the vines have to be a minimum of 10 years old, though most will be many years older, ensuring better quality and richer the grapes. Yields will be strictly controlled. Also these superior grapes must all have been picked by hand and must undergo strict analysis in the bodega.

 

As part of the quality control there will be a panel tasting of both the base wine and, following the second fermentation, a tasting of the Cava straight after disgorgement, with only those which tick both boxes being passed! Disgorgement, by the way, will only be allowed after a minimum of 36 months, that’s three years, ‘en rima’ – which will of course ensure depth and complexity in the finished article. And many will in fact have far longer ‘en rima’.

 

Three years later I really am delighted to say that the first 12 cavas to be elevated to this new category are now available, and it was a real privilege for me to be able to taste one, sent by producers Castellroig – their stunning Sabaté i Coca Reserva Familiar!

 

Sunshine gold in colour this excellent Brut Nature is made with Xarel.lo vines which have seen 40 summers planted on their Terroja Estate in soils that were first formed 20 million years ago! 30% of the base wine was fermented in French Oak and then aged for 3 – 4 months before being blended. The second fermentation occurred in the same bottle (of course) and the wine has been left ‘en rima’ for a minimum of 60 months!

 

I love the fennel and mountain herbs (thyme and laurel, more than rosemary) and the slight toasty notes with blanched almonds, a little hazelnut nuance and some distant pear and apple fruit. It’s rich and full, yet personifies elegance with a long and joyous finish.

 

So, although this superb Sabaté i Coca Cava de Paraje Calificada represents closure, re the long process which I’ve been following for over three years, it is also representative of a new era for Cava! Enjoy!

 

 

Barahonda Wines paired with Musical Dinner!

Over the years I’ve done my best to promote the wines of the whole of Spain, including DOP Yecla, of course, and the comments I receive suggest that English speaking ex-pats (i.e. Cork Talk readers, but not only the British) respond each week, tasting wines of great variety.

MUSICAL DINNER WITH PAIRED WINES

 

Spain has an official population of just under 46·5 million people and an annual Yecla production of just over 6·5 million litres, only 5% of which is sold in Spain. This equates to 14cl of wine per person, per year, approximately one fifth of a bottle! Why?

 

Well it’s a long story which, unfortunately, ends with the parochial nature of the Spanish, those outside of the wine cognoscenti. Bottom line – most Spanish people drink the wine from their area, almost exclusively, occasionally buying from the more famous areas, like Rioja and Ribera del Duero.  But what a shame, if only they knew!

 

Over the years I’ve done my best to promote the wines of the whole of Spain, including DOP Yecla, of course, and the comments I receive suggest that English speaking ex-pats (i.e. Cork Talk readers, but not only the British) respond each week, tasting wines of great variety.

 

We were doing some delicious promotion of DOP Yecla wines recently and to be more specific, four of the super portfolio of those from Bodegas Barahonda (www.barahonda.com/en/) , one of the leading bodegas in the area.

 

When in Yecla a few months ago I was speaking with Señor Antonio Candela, current incumbent and fourth generation of the Candela wine dynasty. Their wine business was started in the 19th Century, making bulk wines for thirsty travellers, and for the local population. The original bodega, which I’ve visited, is still in production today. However, their bottled, quality, and indeed top quality wine is made at their state-of-the-art and stunningly beautiful Bodegas Señorio de Barahonda, complete with an excellent gourmet restaurant atop, and surrounded by vines.

 

Señor Candela was keen to be a part of the Musical Dinner with Paired wines that we were holding at Moraira’s exemplary Restaurante Ca La Ai Ai (www.calaiaia.com/en/). Let’s face it, it’s a perfect fit – excellent cuisine, really fine wines and Classical Music, Popular Opera and hits from the shows all performed with such aplomb by Claire-Marie (www.clairemarie.es).

Had we been tasting wines without the food, the order that I decided upon wouldn’t have been strictly correct – we tasted Barahonda Rosado Monastrell 2016 first, followed by Barahonda Blanco Verdejo 2016. Usually, the white would come before the rosé. However, as this was a pairing event, with the food we were eating changing our perceptions of the wine, it didn’t matter. The point was, how well did the one complement the other!

Barahonda’s rosado is quite pale, not quite the extremely pale, Provencal style that seems to be all the rage these days, but not many shades darker. I felt that it matched the colour of the very good quality Serrano with which it was served, along with lovely bread and excellent Extra Virgin Olive Oil. The flavours of each blended well on the palate and I thought the pairing worked quite well.

 

For some, this rosado wasn’t their preferred style and that therefore out of the four, they’d marked it just outside the medals! I liked it and for just 5€ a bottle, it takes some beating. However, we all have different tastes and preferences – so nobody is wrong, and nobody is right!

 

I spared my audience a repeat of the story of how Verdejo became the household name that it is now – I’ve often used examples of this fruit driven wine, originally from Rueda and so many had heard it before. However I did point out that here we were tasting a Verdejo, not from its native Rueda, but far further south in Yecla. And, as a further example of how popular Verdejo based wines have become, I did say that it was one of the recently newly permitted varieties in that most conservative of wine producing areas, Rioja!

 

Barahonda Verdejo has the necessary acidity to cut through a ny slight oiliness in the octopus, that was so perfectly cooked, as well as that typical fruit ‘n veg aroma and flavour. Lovely, and again just 5€.

Sandra, Enoturismo de Bodegas Barahonda, pictured here, sitting, just in front of Claire-Marie, introduced us to Bodegas Barahonda and invited us to visit! All 60+ of us would love to, Sandra! Gracias!

HC 2014, standing for Heredad de Candela, is one of the three flagship wines of this bodega and for me, in many ways, typifies everything that’s so great about Spanish wine! 100% Monastrell from 60 yrs old vines of limited production, the wine has that heady mix of oak (500ltr, French barrels) and wonderful fruit – plums and damsons. Long, rich, sumptuous – excellent!

 

The final wine of the evening was really all about the next generation of the Candela family. Lualma 2014 is named after Lucía, Alfredo and Marta and celebrating ‘Our childhood amongst the vines’, as it says on the bottle. Charming, and so is the wine! Retailing at just under 20€ I’d buy this to enjoy now, and to keep for a few years so it develops further. It’s made with Monastrell, Garnacha Tintorera and Syrah, and is a really juicy fruity wine, deeply coloured, with plums on the nose and palate, with maybe a little dark chocolate and some dried mountain herbs lurking with intent.

Charming story; super wine!

The next Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme on Total FM 91.8 and www.totalfm.es is on Sunday 22nd October – I hope you can join me from 18:00hrs – 20:00hrs for some great wine and food tastes, super music and wine chat too!

 

colin@colinharknessonwine.com  www.colinharknessonwine.com

50 GREAT SPARKLING WINES OF THE WORLD!

FIVE GO JUDGING!

 

 

We decided to pass, on Enid Blyton’s ‘lashings of ginger beer’, the Famous Five this time reconvening to judge the annual 50 Great Sparkling Wines of the World competition!

 

At the helm of the 50 Great Cavas Competition, a few months ago, was Anthony Swift, founder of both competitions, who’d asked us if we’d be prepared to make the trek to the mountains above Vilafranca del Penedés, Cataluña, again, for something similar. As one, we accepted with alacrity!

 

*Alberto, Juan Manual, Jenny, Anthony of course, and myself had gelled so well in July, during the three days we’d spent judging the cavas (results out soon, watch this space, and then search for the medallists!), that we were happy to take on another similarly onerous (not!) task. Whilst there will always be occasional disparities between judges’ scoring, with perhaps one out of the group marking so much higher or lower than the rest, we’d found that, mostly, during the 50 Great Cavas competition we were in accord. Therefore we expected it to be largely the same for the competition whose remit had been so extended.

 

This competition (as it says on the tin!) was open to all styles of Sparkling Wine – Cava of course (we were, after all, in the centre of Cava Country) but all others too. Champagnes can be entered, Proseccos, Sekts (yes, you have to be careful how you say that last one!) and Sparkling Wines that don’t have a particular handle, but come from countries as diverse and physically far apart as Portugal, Australia, South Africa, Slovenia and New Zealand. In short we were to taste and judge a whole world of fizz!

 

Well, not quite, actually – no Champagnes were entered!

 

This can’t have been because of my recent article (though I’m sure the burghers of Champagne are avid Cork Talk readers!) as the competition’s closing date for entries was way before its publication! (Privately, and writing as a features journalist and wine taster, I believe that the lack of entries from Champagne, is because they’re running scared!).

 

For me, it’s all part of this nebulous notion of ‘prestige’ – ‘We are Champagne, not just Sparkling Wine!’ Well I think it’s a shame, here was an opportunity for them to prove their worth, by competing and knocking all the others for six – or not?! And this, I’m sure will also have been on the minds of those members of the Champagne fraternity who decided not to enter – what if, sacre bleu, we were defeated by an ‘inferior’ sparkling wine!?

 

No matter – we were there to judge those sparklers that had been entered – so we simply got on with the job!

 

*We? Anthony Swift (www.winepleasures.com), a Cornish-man, resettled in Cataluña, who loves Great Sparkling Wines and, rather like Robert Parker, has amassed his impressive knowledge of the subject, mostly by simply tasting and asking for information from producers. Lengthy academic study and exams aren’t always necessary – right Mr. Parker?

 

Also present the night before the event and arriving by car like myself, though from La Rioja, was Jenny Siddall, founder of the very impressive wine tourism company, Taste Rioja (www.tasterioja.com). Jenny is soon, no doubt, to be holder of the Wines and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma, which is just one step away from achieving the much coveted Master of Wine (MW) title!

 

After breakfast, as with the previous competition, our two remaining judging colleagues arrived – Juan Manuel Gonzalvo and Albert López Gálvez (both of www.uvinum.es). It was clear to me from our early discussions that the former, Juan Manuel, would be our point of reference should we have any questions about Sparkling Wine production during the judging. Juan Manuel’s knowledge of all things Cava is phenomenal – and no wonder, he makes Cava, and is regularly employed as a consultant by various different producers, still wines too!

 

Albert is Co-founder of Uvinum.com – the outstanding on-line wine merchants, which in 2016 won the International Wine Challenge (IWC) ‘On-Line Retailer of the Year Award’. A finely developed palate and technological expertise are the tools of his trade and I found his comments also invaluable!

 

Cork Talk readers will know that there are two main methods employed in making sparkling wine – the traditional method, where the second fermentation occurs in the bottle in which the wine will be kept until it is consumed; and the Charmat method, where the second fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks, specially designed to withstand the pressure.

 

To judge the wines made by one method against the other would not be judging like for like. Therefore our lengthy morning session was spent judging traditional method wines; with the afternoon taken up with Charmat wines.

 

One of the most difficult tasks of a wine judge is to judge impartially wines that are not particularly to his/her taste. Generally, I prefer sparkling wines made by the traditional method, however, like my fellow judges I had to be objective, and certainly not judge the afternoon’s wines against those of the morning.

 

The results of this competition are still kept under wraps, with Anthony virtually issuing a ‘D Notice’ and insisting on our signing the Official Secrets Act’. Therefore, please watch this space for further information on the 50 Great Sparkling Wines of the World Competition!

 

The next Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme, Total FM 91.8 & www.totalfm.es is on Sunday 22nd October. Starts 18:00 hrs – 20:00 hrs! Wine & Food Pairing; Wine Chat; Great Music including requests from around the world!