Rós by Lynne Coyle MW & Bodega Tandem

RÓS

When it comes to rosé wine, I subscribe to the Elizabeth Gabay MW school of thought – it really shouldn’t be considered as a seasonal product, brought out in Spring (though only if the weather is sunny and warm enough!), enjoyed through the Summer, forgotten in Autumn and nought but a distant memory in Winter! No, I like to drink premium rosé all year round, enjoying it with various different, perhaps seasonal, dishes.

That said, I can see Bodegas Tandem’s rosé wine, called Rós, and made in collaboration with Ireland’s Lynne Coyle MW, selling out this Summer in the Emerald Isle! It’s a lovely rosado wine, deserving of its ‘Premium Rosé tag! So, if you are able to, I’d get some in as soon as possible! (www.bodegatandem.es)

I believe this is Lynne’s first wine and she therefore joins a small but growing number of English speaking foreigners who have decided to make wine here in Spain. Indeed, she joins an even smaller number who are also Masters of Wine! It seems to me that it’s already a perfect blend – Spanish climate and grape varieties, with Master of Wine knowledge. Then, when you add a further constituent into the mix, a native Spanish wine maker, working in a young, but established and exciting bodega – well, surely it’s got to be a success.

Bodega Tandem makes its wines under the auspices of DO Navara and their owner/winemaker, Alicia Eyaralar, a friend of Lynne’s was delighted to collaborate with her on a completely new project – creating Rós. They both share the same philosophy and wanted to make a wine with as little intervention as possible, using the buzz-grape these days, Garnacha.

Bodegas Tandem’s Garnacha grows in the Yerri Valley of Navarra, in the foothills of the Pyrenees and not far from the Atlantic – a combination which produces cooling winds, affording the vines some respite from the heat of the Spanish growing season. The vines are low yielding, meaning they are becoming elderly, and they are farmed sustainably, in other words with a view to maintaining healthy soils for future generations.

The winemaking is as naturally as possible. Native yeasts indigenous to the vineyards are used for the fermentation and throughout the process gravity and natural settlement are employed ensuring a gentle crafting of the wines, if also a little nervous nail biting of the winemakers! Wine making technology could have meant less anxiety about this, their first joint project, but it would have meant more intervention than they’d both agreed before the project started.

In case you were wondering where the name Rós comes from (I was – although it obviously is a nice fit, being the first three letters of the wine style, Rosé and of course it’s Spanish equivalent Rosado, it was the accent on the ‘o’ that I found intriguing), it comes from the Gaelic word for rose, as realised by Lynne’s son, Edward. This again is a nice fit – as a nod to their Scottish roots, as well as to Lynne’s role as Wine Director for O’Brien’s Wines, the established Irish wine merchants with over thirty shops in the Irish Republic, plus a couple in the UK too.

And what of the wine, I can almost hear you asking? Well, firstly, it was clear to me that we had to taste this pale, almost Provençal shaded rosé wine with another lovely Ros, this time without the accent, unless you’re counting the rather posh one that our great friend sports (not forgetting that I am but a humble northerner)! So, under cover from the fresh, but warm wind in their pergola, we sat down to taste Rós, with Ros, and Mick. It was a great success!

I was surprised, though delighted, to detect an immediate, though slight aroma of ripe red, slightly fluffy apples, as I brought the glass to my nose. An interesting start! This fleeting first note was joined by a floral presence – you can guess which flower, the rose of course, though a red rose rather than pink, for me at least. Some fruit notes joined the party – a little rhubarb, whose un-sugared acidity followed through to refresh the palate, though soon to be replaced by the overriding blend of pink grapefruit with some slightly under ripe raspberries. Wow, I love it!

My thanks to Lynne Coyle MW and to Bodegas Tandem for supplying the sample – good luck with sales, and your next joint project?!

colin@colinharknessonwine.com Twitter @colinonwine

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Exceptional Village Wine Tasting Event!

III Mostra Internacional de vins singulars i de poble

Part One

Yep, it’s a mouth full, I know – and in Valenciano too, but I think it wholly appropriate that we keep it like it is! This wine tasting in Jesús Probre, open to the public over a recent weekend and to the pros on the Monday morning, was a celebration of all that’s good in the local wine making firmament (plus a little further afield too).

I’ve said it before, and I’ve no doubt I’ll say it again, but perhaps it’s best to let our Swedish friend and colleague, Elisabeth Holmström of Milagro Javea, say it this time – “I am continually amazed at the high quality of the wines that are made on our doorstep, and in the rest of Spain too!”

There surely can be no doubt that Spain has to be one of the most dynamic winemaking countries in the world and foreigners like ourselves, living here, or regularly visiting, are so lucky to be able to enjoy the fruit of their endeavour – well, the fermented fruit! I’ve been writing about Spanish wines since I arrived here, bulky Amstrad computer and printer in tow (no lap tops in those days!), twenty-two years ago.

I clearly remember tasting wines, contacting producers in my stumbling Spanish (oh, ok, hopeless Spanish!), writing about them and then faxing the articles off to Costa News HQ. How technology has changed! But, more importantly in this case, how the wines of Spain have changed in the interim period!

Walking around the 22 bodegas’ stalls in the ‘Riurau’ (itself entirely apt, as this is where Moscatel grapes were sun dried a century and more ago and sold as ‘pasas’, shipped out of Denia) I was taken aback at the diversity of wine styles, methods of production, bottles and labels, each with their own stories! It was a wine, culture, history and art show all rolled tastily into one event! My congratulations to the organisers, and I will be back next time, for sure!

Now, with these wine fairs, there is, for me, the perennial problem – so many wines and so little time! Add this to constraints because of my recent illness and, of course, to driving restrictions, and well you can see my dilemma! I’m thus restricted to mentioning only a few of the wines on offer – for example, I tasted only one red wine, and this a country, a region and area known firstly for its red wines! (Though this also lends weight to my thesis above – there is such a lot going on in winemaking in Spain – there are nowadays so many excellent Spanish whites too!)

The first wine to make a great impression on me was Uvas Cabrera 100% Moscatel, a small concern making just one wine – but what a wine! We all know dry Moscatel – well if you don’t, you have to get out more! But this Moscatel had a different, musky, mineral edge to it, with little of the characteristic raison/grape aroma. Floral, with some slight citrus notes in the palate and perfectly dry.

The packaging is great too – the label sports a vine with five arms. These represent the five generations of the same family, whose business started in 1895, selling pasas; then developing into table grapes sales as well (and it’s this that gives rise to the unusual boxing of the wine, lightweight wooden boxes that would have held 1kg of grapes, now the larger boxes, 5kg of grapes but now three bottles!); then into sweet wine production; and ultimately to the present incumbent making the family’s first ever dry Moscatel! Great story, super wine!

More next week!

colin@colinharknessonwine.com

Celler Alimara, DO Terra Alta

I’m not at all surprised that Celler Alimara, making their wines under the auspices of quality conscious DO Terra Alta, are starting to receive plaudits and medals.

BITTERSWEET

I’m not at all surprised that Celler Alimara, making their wines under the auspices of quality conscious DO Terra Alta, are starting to receive plaudits and medals. You read it first in Cork Talk, folks, and now archived here https://www.colinharknessonwine.com/celler-alimara-terra-alta/#more-‘ !

Indeed, the prestigious International Wine and Spirits Competition, for which I judge (though ill-health kept me away this year) has recently awarded them a clutch of medals. There’s a momentum building around this British owned and largely British worked bodega, that will continue, I’m certain. The philosophy remains in place, the wines continue to represent excellent quality at a correct price. If you see them, buy them!

I’ve recently tasted three samples for the 2017 vintage – two of which were white, one with no oak, indicating that not all Spanish whites need to be drunk when young. This is the vintage after the one when I first tasted their wines, way back in November 2017, when these current wines will have been slowly, and ultimately, rewardingly maturing in the eponymous Alimara Celler! http://celleralimara.com/

Looking back to that bittersweet tasting, I remember only too well that it was during a rather sad and worrying time in, not only our lives, but also in the lives of those of a large number of people in these parts, lucky enough to count themselves friends of Ros and Mick O’Connor. The photo, if you care to look at the above website, shows the range of wines resting on the rather grand oak table in Ros and Mick’s house, where Claire-Marie Soprano and I were ensconced house-sitting for a few weeks, while Mick was very slowly, and ultimately miraculously (with a lot of help from the formidable Ros!), recovering from a life threatening accident. The wines certainly helped to lighten our melancholy mood of the time!

Fortunately, after a few months in two different hospitals and lots of physiotherapy, driven by his doctors and therapists, though more so by Ros(!), Mick is well again, and we are all delighted – but not so much that I want to share these wines with him! Don’t worry, he’s an avid reader of the Costa News, including Cork Talk, so I know he’ll be laughing as he reads this! Mick, it’s just the way my tasting schedule fell, and anyway, I didn’t want to bring back any bad memories – honestly!

So, what of the 2017 vintage from Celler Alimara? Well, firstly, though this wasn’t the order in which I tasted the wines, I’ve already been tweeting about the red wine, Lllumí Negre 2017.

I wrote an article once entitled, 50 Shades of Black, bemoaning (as my family should, though, loyally doesn’t!) my woeful ineptitude when it comes to BBQing, and the wines I would recommend to pair – with somebody else’s BBQ! As it happens, I’ve improved! Too late, unfortunately, for my stepson, now away at Uni, where it is so ingrained in his pshyche that it is normal to have a slightly (very?) burnt flavour to most food, that his offer to make toast for his student flatmates is rarely taken up!

Nowadays, my BBQ food can perhaps best be described as charred! And, to get, at last, to the point, Celler Alimara Negre 2017 has to be the perfect foil, to not only this, shal we say ‘well done’ flavour, but also to meats properly BBQed (Claire-Marie took over!), and indeed roasted! There is, above all, a rich dark brambly fruit delivery to the wine, coupled with a slight, endearing, burnt caramel note, adding some complexity of aroma and flavour. 68% Syrah (don’t you just love Spanish Syrah?!), blended with Tempranillo and Cariñena – it’s a fruit first wine, with gentle acidity and presence on the palate and a long dark fruit finish, that makes you reach again for the glass! Look . it’s BBQ season – go and buy it now!

We tasted the Blanc 2017, made with Garnacha Blanca 55% and the rest Macabeo, with a fish dish – cooked by yours truly, but this time, thankfully, not BBQed! The grapes are hand harvested into 15kg baskets and then stored in the bodega at a chilly 4ºC to preserve the fruit character. They are then de-stemmed and crushed. Gentle pressing follows with the juice being left to settle for 48 hours. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel and the wine is then left for a year on its lees, accounting for the slight creamy texture on the palate.

Fresh acidity, with a little crisp green apple, slightly dominated by citrus lemon notes on the nose and palate. The same blanched almonds are there on the palate along with a touch of wet stone minerality, Nice wine, well priced!

Finally, Senyal Blanc, the top of the range, is my kind of white wine. Elegant on the nose, with presence on the palate, a depth created by its crafting, lemony fruit first with ripe pears, stone minerality and blanched nuttiness, with an oblique reference to wood too. It’s made with 100% Garnacha grapes from vines up to 35 years old – boy, I hope I’m around when these vines reach the half century!

Twice selected grapes (in the vineyard and later on the selection table) are fermented in concrete tanks and 1500 litre oak foudre. The wine rests on its fine lees, with occasional stirring – for that little added creamy texture. We really enjoyed this wine with triangles of creamy Flor de Esgueva cheese for aperitivos and later with a fish stir-fry, which included cod and prawns, with a little jamón Serrano too! Great match!

colin@colinharknessonwine.com Twitter @colinonwine

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Verdejo and other stories!

Piedra Luenga Verdejo, has a charming label, indicative, I think, of the philosophy of the winery, and indeed, the vineyards used for its production

And I quote:

“Piedra Luenga Verdejo is an organic white wine made with the Verdejo grape that grows in our Casilla del Morcillete vineyard overrun by a layer of lavender, poppies, clover and wildflowers, buzzing with bees and other insects.”

Close your eyes and picture the vineyard – beautiful, isn’t it? (www.bodegasrobles.es)

I was kindly sent three wines from their portfolio, by current incumbent, Francisco Robles, third generation of a family that has toiled relentlessly to make the best wines possible from the soils of this less well known area of production adjacent to Jerez, with its centuries of history and tradition.

Firstly, some clarification – ‘less well known’, is accurate, but, whilst ‘burgeoning’ may be slightly overstepping the mark, there are increasing signs that DO Montilla-Moriles is tired of the shadow, and wants to come out to play! They have two particular champions, in terms of promoting the area, my Twitter friends @LauraWBurgess & @TheWineKiwi, and it’s largely down to them that my interest has grown, along with that of many other commentators and consumers.

I was down there several years ago visiting a large concern, making very good wine, (I wish I’d known of Bodegas Robles then, too!) and was fascinated to learn a little about the area, whilst tasting, admittedly a limited number of wines, due to time restraints. I was impressed, and continue to be so.

Piedra Luenga Verdejo, has a charming label, indicative, I think, of the philosophy of the winery, and indeed, the vineyards used for its production. Regular readers will know, from, perhaps 15 years ago(?), when I first started writing about the variety, that I’m a fan of Verdejo. I won’t bore you again with the details of how this practically unheard of variety suddenly hit the Spanish Wine World headlines, and of its subsequent rise from rags to riches. Suffice to say that it is now considered one of the most famous white wine varieties in Spain and is seen in restaurants and shops throughout the country.

In some ways, and I’m sure my Twitter friend, @VictordelaSerna, will agree here, Verdejo has become something of a victim of its own success. It’s been too heavily planted in its original home, DO Rueda, often by those interested in making a quick buck, rather than those whose concern is quality first. But let’s not denigrate the variety – those who do care about its quality are making really good wines from this variety, Spanish, but sharing some of the characteristics of France’s, Sauvignon Blanc.

Francisco Robles is obviously in the latter group, and a distance away from Rueda! I really enjoyed the wine – there’s a little Honeysuckle blending with wisps of fennel on the nose, plus a faint gooseberry nod, nicely fused with some red apple notes too. Fermentation is provoked using wild yeasts found in the vineyard and transported to the winery on the backs of the grape skins, grapes which are certified as organic (Best Organic Production in Spain in 2014 and the Agriculture and Fisheries Awards 2017!).

Stirring of the lees is also employed and I think it’s this that contributed significantly to the creamy mouth-feel, adding presence to the wine. It paired perfectly with my step daughter’s Feta Cheese and Spinach Filo Pastry Slice, with the creaminess blending so well with the salty cheese, and a lemon acidity to keep it all so fresh!

Bodegas Robles also makes a dessert wine, this time coupled with a carrot cake (same chef, you don’t buy a dog and bark yourself, do you?). [Don’t worry, she’ll laugh at that – eventually!]. It’s an interesting wine as well as being really enjoyable.

Caprichoso Dulce, also organic, of course, is made with dried PX grapes, which have gained greater sweetness because of their loss of water content, but blended with zesty, young Verdejo wine, balancing the sweetness to avoid a cloying wine, with, unusually, a little Carbon Dioxide added to add bubbles, freshness, and hey – some fun too! Floral, honeyed with a citrus lick, and, like the previous sentence, it’s a mouthful, with an intense, yet light finish, courtesy of the slight fizz!

I’m sure it’d not just me who’s noted a rise in Vermouth production and promotion here in Spain. VRMT Robles is one that really pleased my wife, who particularly loves the style! Oloroso wine is aged for 8 years in oak barrels, a little Pedro Ximénez wine is added. The Vermouth is also macerated with ten different herbs/plants grown on their land, adding a sense of place to the honeyed, though dry, finished product.

You’ll fine vanilla, cinnamon, a touch of cloves, a little nutmeg along with a certain Christmas aroma too! @clairemariesoprano advises – drink it as an aperitif or/and as a digestif at the end of dinner!

Once again, I am reminded how lucky we are to live in such a dynamic wine orientated country with a huge variety from which to choose, and at such good prices: both wines are a touch over 7€ and the Vermut, just 13€!

colin@colinharknessonwine.com @colinonwine

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