Articles – Page 39 – Colin Harkness on Wine

Christmas Day Wines – There’s Still Time!

And of course, my annual Christmas Day wine recommendations is one of the articles that I enjoy most. It puts me in the mood for Christmas a few weeks before it happens, plus it always makes me think of readers enjoying their Christmas Day Lunch/Dinner, heightened, perhaps by their enjoying one of the wines I’ve recommended!

YOUR CHRISTMAS DAY WINES HERE!

I always enjoy writing Cork Talk. Imparting (hopefully?) some of my passion for Spanish wine, as well as (maybe?) informing, and (perhaps?) to an extent, entertaining, is a weekly uplifting experience for me. So, thank you readers, whether you collect your Costa News from the local ‘Prensa’ on one of the four Costas (Blanca, Del Sol, Levante and Almeria), or if you read online in whichever country you may be (hola Doug, in Canada – for example!).

Celebration is the name of the game on Christmas Day, so one thinks immediately of Sparkling Wine. Cava is going to fit the bill perfectly – however, for such a day, and to accompany all manner of amuse-bouches, it has to be Cava, and some! I’m talking Premium Cava, of course. It would be particularly thrilling for me to be able to recommend one of the new Cava de Paraje Calificada cavas, but at the time of writing, none are yet available.

Premium Cava, ADN Brut Nature Gran Reserva from Canals & Munné is priced, on their online shop, at an incredible 12·50€! It’s a real steal, so much so that I’d recommend you have a look and see if there’s a deal where, for example, there’s no transport cost if you buy a dozen! It’s had 45 months on its lees gathering depth of flavour and complexity, making it idea with food, and yet it retains that essential joie de vivre fizz!

For white wine – well nowadays in Spain there is such a wide and exciting choice of aromas, flavours, varieties and areas of production that you simply cannot go wrong! Now, my guess is that there won’t be many of my fellow UK based wine writers contemplating a white wine from DO Valencia as a recommendation for Christmas – but that’s probably because they haven’t, yet, had the opportunity to taste the wonderfully fragranced and flavoured Versat from Clos Cor Ví.

Made from an eclectic blend of Riesling, Viognier, Verdil and Moscatel which works like a dream, it is really lovely nuanced dry white wine. There’s a minerality which must come from the the plot in which the Riesling is grown, a superb apricot/peach fruitiness, some body and citrus from the often shy Verdil and a slightly exotic aroma emanating from the old Moscatel vines which really have made their home in this part of Spain. Not so easy to find, but you must!

I admit that Rosé isn’t probably the first style that leaps to mind when considering wines for Christmas Day. Yet many of us will have a fish course involved, where perhaps we’d like a change from a white, particularly if the fish chosen has a rosé colour too. Enter the salmon, and enter too, Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro’s Rosae!

Bodegas Arzuaga Navarro, DOP Ribera del Duero, will be know to many readers – for their rich red wines, and if you’re lucky, their luxury hotel and spa! However, with such good black grapes from old vines, in well situated vineyards, which enjoy their own micro-climates, it’s not a quantum leap to realise that they may also make top rosado wines too!

And they do! Rosae is in a rather sexy bottle, and the wine enhances that theme. It’s delicate and yet is full for a rosado. It’s elegant, and yet has power as well. You’ll find raspberries in abundance, with a faint reference to some bigger, black fruit.

Red wine next, of course – but what with? Turkey, trimmings et al; Chicken; Goose; Duck; Beef ? Who knows, so we have to think of a catch-all wine when recommending just one. Now this is a rather difficult task here in Spain, which has been known for its excellent red wines for centuries. There is such an abundance of top reds that we can choose to pair with the main course of the Christmas feast!

I have thought long and hard about this – believe me, and it has been a very difficult choice. Indeed I could have gone for half a dozen different reds and been just as pleased with my choice. However, bearing in mind that the wine has to complement any of the above possibilities for main course, as well as thinking of the cost of the wine – we are most of us on a budget, even if it is Christmas – I’m pleased with my choice.

Condado de Haza is one of those lovely wines from the excellent DO Ribera del Duero area of production, that has not gone crazy, price-wise, and as such is a really good buy – for top drinking, and for special occasions.

Made by Alejandro Fernandez, of legendery Pesquera fame, it’s had a total of eighteen months in oak and has clearly benefited from its time in wood adding some soft vanilla and cedar notes to the overall dark forest fruit and black cherry flavour, as well as extra depth and complexity. It’s supple and generous on the palate – it won’t disappoint!

I didn’t recommend a Pedro Ximenez (PX) Sherry last year for fear of becoming too predictable – I’m not sure that this delicious and luscious style of Sherry can be beaten at this time of year. Take the cork out of the bottle and just pass it under your nose – the tantalizing aroma speaks immediately of Christmas!

Pour a sherry sized glass of Lustau San Emilio PX and it will instantly transport you to a warm kitchen where your Gran is making mince pies, cutting the Christmas Cake and just about to brandy the Christmas Pudding! It’s amazing, and such a fitting final drink for a magnificent Christmas Day feast! And, if you’re too full to eat the dessert, simply pour some of the PX over some vanilla ice cream – fabulous!

Happy Christmas to you all!

NB The Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme on Total FM 91·8 and online www.totalfm.es has three slots in December: Sundays 4^th, 11^th and 18^th.All programmes are from 18:00 – 20:00 hrs. Please get involved and text your wine questions/suggestions to me on (00 34) 629 388 159 during the programmes and I’ll play you a request too!

Contact Colin: colin@colinharknessonwine.com www.colinharknessonwine.com Twitter @colinonwine Facebook Colin Harkness & you can find my Vlogs

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Wine Related Christmas Presents – Some Suggestions!

Many of us love wine and all that’s associated with it, so here are some recommendations for you to buy as stocking fillers and/or full-on Christmas presents . .

RECOMMENDED WINE RELATED CHRISTMAS PRESENTS

Come November, the wine writer becomes rather busy! I’m not complaining, of course, just preparing you with this wine ripple before the wine-al wave hits the shore.

I’m often asked about any wine related presents I might recommend for the lady who wants to surprise the man, and indeed, vice versa for the man who is keen to please his lady. Many of us love wine and all that’s associated with it, so here are some recommendations for you to buy as stocking fillers and/or full-on presents!

Let’s start with the paperwork. You might like to think about buying a year’s subscription to a Spanish Wine Magazine – I have two for you; plus a subscription to Europe’s leading Champagne and Sparkling Wine Magazine.

Firstly, I’m always delighted when my PlanetAVino magazine arrives. Founder, Señor Proensa, is a respected wine journalist, and all writers really know what they are talking about. It’s articulate, well researched and informative. www.proensa.com/planetavino/ .

There is also perhaps the doyen of Spanish wine writers, Victor de la Serna’s online wine ‘magazine’ El Mundo Vino. Again, excellent and informed reading. Victor is always my first port of call when I have a question about Spanish wine. The beauty here is that it’s free! (www.elmundovino.com) .

Then there are the guides. By far the most comprehensive is the Guía Peñín (the Peñin Guide) whose tasting panel tastes around 20,000 wines each year for inclusion in the guide. Originally in Spanish only, it has proved so popular that it is now printed in English and in German and it also has an online version. www.guiapenin.wine . You’ll find that it is well organized with interesting sections extra to the huge list of wines and their marks out of 100. Considered by many to be the ‘bible’ of Spanish wines.

Don’t forget our friend Señor Andres Proensa though – the Proensa Guide is for me indispensable. Los Mejores Vinos de España is always on my office desk – it’s smaller than the above, restricting itself to just those which the panel considers the top 500 wines in Spain. www.proensa.com . It is also online.

I recently enjoyed reading Monty Waldin’s ‘Chateau Monty’ – it’s an interesting story, anyway, and became a UK Channel Four series, so I’d recommend it for that reason alone. However, it greatly added to my knowledge of Biodynamic Winemaking – which could be described as Organic vine growing/wine making, and some! Fascinating – available on Amazon.

Finally for fizz lovers – it’s hard to beat the glossy magazine Glass of Bubbly. Cava is always included of course (and it’s not just me who writes about it!), but you’ll also find other Spanish Sparkling Wines, as well as, of course, Champagne and, well essentially every country in the world that makes sparklers. www.glassofbubbly.com . Also available online.

Now what about wine accessories? I have two possibilities for you. Lazenne, specialises in wine travel accessories; and Avina in wine tools.

The former www.lazenne.com specialises in protective, airline approved luggage to keep your wine bottles safe in the hold of the aircraft. It’s simple but effective – airport security won’t bother you and when you arrive your bottles will be in one piece, ready for you to enjoy them as you did when tasting before you bought, in any of the world’s wineries! There are a number of different fashionable designs to cater for varying numbers of bottles, including sparkling wine bottles.

www.avinawinetools.com makes beautiful corkscrews which really will be ideal presents. Their designs are as sensational as the wines whose bottles they open, effortlessly and with style. There’s also, the Pink Swan, which makes a contribution to Breast Cancer Research for every one sold! You’ll find bottle stoppers, and more, with still more products being developed. The presentation and packaging is excellent too!

Now, wine tourism. Twenty years ago there were very few bodegas which catered for group visits in Spain. When I visited an impressive bodega I remember asking if they might be able to cope with a further visit, this time with ‘some friends’! Having got the green light I’d then tell them that we would be between 30 – 50 people. Wine tourism had started!

It now has a Spanish name, Enoturismo – and from the humble beginnings where I was occasionally aghast to see that the wines to be tasted were being served in plastic cups, it is now very sophisticated. Many wineries have their own boutique accommodation, Casa Rural style, which is of course perfect as there are no drink-driving restrictions.

However, where on earth to start regarding recommendations? There are now so many. So, I’ll mention a few of the more local ones, and then I’ll leave it to readers to ask Mr. Google, according to the areas that you and your partner may wish to visit. Wine related presents are great – both of you enjoy the benefits!

Not really boutique, as it’s a rather grander affair, is the Hacienda Señorio de Nevada (http://www.senoriodenevada.es/EN/hotel.html). I took a group there a couple of years ago – it is excellent, with a super dining room and of course the medal winning wines emanating from the vineyards that surround the hotel are served! There’s a tour available which is very good, and it’s in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, about a 10 minute drive from the centre of Granada!

Hacienda del Carche (www.haciendadelcarche.com/en/home/) has a beautifully restored self-catering boutique ‘Rural Home’ perfectly positioned between the bodega and it’s sister bodega, Casa de la Ermita (www.casadelaermita.com/en/ ) on a quiet country road just out of Jumilla. Visits to both bodegas can be arranged, of course. If looking for peace and quite in quite luxurious surroundings this could be for you!

We’ve stayed in the small boutique Rural Hotel of Bodegas Pago de Tharsys (http://pagodetharsys.com/en/) Utiel-Requena. There’s a lovely lake within the grounds with ducks too – plus their cavas are excellent, with very good still wines as well. It’s also a good base from which to explore other top bodegas nearby.

So, several suggestions for wine related Christmas presents – and I hope you enjoy any that you choose!

NB The Fine Wine & Gourmet Dine Programme has three slots in December on www.totalfm.es Total FM 91·8: Sundays, 4^th December; 11^th December; and 18^th December. I’ll be tasting wines and food with my guests and chatting about all things wine and gourmet. All programmes are from 18:00 – 20:00 hrs (Spain Time) – and there are prizes to be won too; and don’t forget I’ll be playing some top music. Please join me and get involved by texting (00 34) 629 388 159 during the programmes with any questions you may have for me or my guests!

The Still before the Fizz!

All cava producers start out as makers of still wine first . . .

THE STILL BEFORE THE FIZZ!

All cava producers start out as makers of still wine first. Short of buying in still wines made by another producer (a practice that I haven’t actually heard of and one that I’m not sure would be permitted anyway, though I do know of at least one producer who does the reverse – makes the still wines and asks another to finish the fizz) how would they come by their base wines?

It’s the base wines that are the obvious prerequisite of all sparkling wines. The second fermentation, provoked by the addition of sugar and yeast, can only take place if there are already been a first fermentation! This is the making of the still wines that are to form the base for the sparklers to come.

Such wines are generally far too acidic to be be drunk simply as still wines – their purpose has already been decided. It’s this often quite fierce acidity that will eventually mellow sufficiently to provide the freshness of the finished fizz during the sparkling wine process.

So, it’s clear that the principles of still wine making are well known to all Cava producers and if this is the case, then why not adapt the still wine making procedure to make, not harshly acidic wines, but easily drinkable, aromatic, full flavoured still wines? This will of course provide the producer with another market as well as increasing cash flow to tide them over during the long process required to make cava, where the wines are left to develop in the cellars, bringing in nothing to the coffers until their release.

Now, bear in mind my last article (archived here www.colinharknessonwine.com click Articles) about Bodegas Cuscó Berga one of whose cavas, for example (the excellent, gold medal winning, Gran Reserva, rests in the cellars for a full four years, earning precisely nothing, and you’ll see how crucial are still wines for the cava houses!

Bodegas Cuscó Berga’s still wine portfolio is not large, it majors in Cava after all, but it’s good, also earning medals and plaudits too. I tasted three offerings – a white, a rosado and a Crianza red.

Different commentators find different, sometimes contrasting, attributes in wines and indeed in grape varieties. Different aromas, flavours etc – it’s a bit baffling I know, but it’s all part of the mystique of wine! (Incidentally if you’d like to know more about the methodology of wine tasting, the way the professionals do when they are just starting off you might like to go to http://avinawinetools.com/ebook-wine-drinking-tips/ and download the E-Book that I wrote for my pal David of Avina Wine Accessories – you’ll be asked to supply your e-mail aiddress, but don’t worry, I’ve done it and you don’t suddenly become inundated with sales pitches!).

For me, Xarel.lo, the variety of choice for Cuscó Berga’s white still wine, and also, of course, one of the three most commonly used in Cava, provides body, fullness and richness – presence in a wine, in a rather Chardonnay-esque way. This attribute, often found in cavas that have a high proportion of Xarel.lo in the blend, like Champagnes made with more Chardonnay.

This attribute is understated in the Cuscó Berga Xarel.lo Selecció. There’s a slight nutty aroma, blanched rather than roasted, with a little jasmine fragrance. It’s not overly fruity on the nose or the palate, but it does have some body and good acidity. I’d enjoy this wine with some seafood salads and fish dishes, as well as a simple white to serve for a nice drink!

Their Merlot Selecció Rosado 2015 is another monovarietal made with the French variety Merlot, though some distance away from its natural habitat, the great vineyards of Bordeaux! It’s a chameleon of a wine, sending out mixed, and therefore all the more interesting, messages to the taster!

On the palate it has and immediate fruit-sweet quality, as well as some weight. However as one is about to conclude that it’s an off-dry rosado there suddenly arrives an acidic lift which makes one reassess. Then, just as quickly the ripe, soft red fruits that are noticed on the nose, are morphed into, initially, early picked strawberries, the day the local – ‘Pick Your Own’ farm first opens its doors, and then underpinned with a rich raspberry compote!

Add this to the fruit laden finish with another refreshing acidic note as you finally swallow, and you have something of a conundrum! But don’t worry, just enjoy it – particularly, for me, with the sometimes slightly sweet Chinese cuisine, as well as salmon roasted with Indonesian style sauces.

Finally, the Bodegas Cuscó Berga Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend (talking of Bordeaux!) is a Crianza, where the different varieties are fermented separately, aged in oak barrels for 18 months (quite a time for a Crianza, as the minimum by law is 6 months), and then blended before bottling.

There’s a slight menthol note on the edge of the blackcurrant fruit, with a little vanilla and a slight reference to coconut coming from the barrels. The wine is at once easy to drink and yet complex and deeply flavoured enough for it to be complementary to meat dishes, grills, BBQs and for me, super with a casserole, where the wine’s good fruit delivery will enhance the flavour of the sauce. In fact, if you can spare it, why not use a little of the wine when cooking?! (www.cuscoberga.com where they’ll be able to tell you where you can buy their wines as well as give you info about their wine tourism possibilities).

Saturday 19^th November I’m presenting a special pairing event – Japanese Cuisine (hot and cold) with selected Spanish Wines – plus wonderful music from soprano Claire-Marie (www.clairemarie.es [website unfinished but you’ll get the idea!]). Price – just 25€!!

Just e-mail colin@colinharknessonwine.com to reserve!

ROMPESEDAS WINES FROM SPANISH PALATE!

It can be argued, indeed proven, that Tinta de Toro is one of many aliases for perhaps the most famous red wine grape variety in Spain, Tempranillo . . .

VARIATIONS ON TWO THEMES

Theme No. 1 – philosophy Theme No. 2 – grape variety

In a Cork Talk a couple of months ago, entitled Botas del Barro, and archived here: https://www.colinharknessonwine.com/articles/page/2/ (scroll down to Botas Del Barro), I alluded to the new wine distribution company, Paladar Español/Spanish Palate. www.spanishpalate.es

Co-founded by Nicola Thornton, a Sheffield lass, who has created quite a storm here in the wine world of Spain, Spanish Palate has an admirable philosophy. They have tasted their way across the length and breadth of Spain seeking out boutique bodegas whose wines, often of a limited production, reflect the terroir of their vineyards, allowing the characteristics of the varieties used to fully express themselves. These are wines with soul, made by passionate winemakers, and are always at a high quality level.

I’ve been lucky enough to receive several samples from a number of the bodegas in the Spanish Palate portfolio and have started the arduous (not!) task of tasting them. First up is the series of wines under the Rompesedas banner, from DO Toro.

I decided to start with Toro wines as this is where Nicola has been based for most of her time in Spain (well, sort of – as a much traveled Export Director, there are few countries of the world where she hasn’t been). Without intending to, she has become probably the best ambassador for Toro wines there could ever be, so it was with absolute confidence that I started tasting these Rompesedas wines, which are all made with the same grape variety – Tinta de Toro.

Yes, the second theme on which there are variations.

It can be argued, indeed proven, that Tinta de Toro is one of many aliases for perhaps the most famous red wine grape variety in Spain, Tempranillo. However, taste a monovarietal Tinta de Toro from, well, Toro, claro; against a Tempranillo from, for example, Rioja, and your senses of smell and taste, for sure, will detect differences. Tinta de Toro is a grape variety that has become distinctly Toro, and, when handled correctly, it will speak of its place, of its terroir.

The Rompesedas wines I tried were all made with Tinta de Toro. First up was Rompesedas 2014 Los Lastros, and a fascinating start to the tasting, as this wine, a joven, gives the taster an opportunity to taste the pure fruit without the, at times lengthy, barrel aging of the following wines. As one would expect, this young red wine is as fruit filled as your grandmother’s pies! It’s a pure pleasure, easy drinking, wine, redolent of light and dark red fruit. I picked out a little light cherry character with some blackberry backup.

Rompesedas 6 Months 2013, as you might have guessed, has had six months in oak, French and American. The vines that contributed to this wine are 100 years old, and yet still produce fruit packed wine. The colour has darkened, the flavour developed, both with the extra year and the integrated oak influence, and the aroma has changed too.

You’ll find a little backbone behind the fruit, a little complexity and, whilst remaining a wine to simply drink and enjoy on its own, it is also moving nicely into the realms of wine with food. Balanced and with a slight creamy note coming from its lees.

Rompesedas 2009 18 months, has the above, but more so! It’s a single vineyard wine, the vines again being centenarians. There’s a greater use of French oak and this seems to make the wine more subtle, more complex. Still juicy, we have cherries again here, but much darker – this goes with the deeper colour too. There’s a touch of spice and a tannic grip on the finish that demands a meat course!

I found the 2008 to be similar in every respect to the 2009, I’m not sure I would have spotted the difference of a year. Perhaps this is because the weather during the growing seasons was similar – certainly the way the wine had been made was the same.

However, the 2007, was even more of a delight, albeit a year older again. This wine has developed brilliantly – in every sense of the word! It’s bright in the glass, defying its nine years of age in looks, and also on the palate. It’s a wonderfully vibrant wine, rich and silky, full and elegant too. There are more dark fruits, black cherry with ripe blackberry and there’s an earthy aroma, flavour and even feel, to the wine. Some faint cinnamon spice, a little vanilla and used leather, with a trail of herbs running through its layers. Lovely.

Having to choose between Messi and Neymar, is not a bad dilemma to have and here I’ve gone with Finca Las Parvas 2006 as probably my favourite of the flight. It’s enjoyed 22 months in French oak following its fermentation in new French 500 litre oak. There’s a difference here – the barrel fermentation seems to have benefited the texture of the wine as well as adding an extra level of flavour and complexity. There’s a noticeable earthy minerality with almost ephemeral whiffs of bay leaf and thyme. More blackberry than black cherry it’s juicy fruity, mellow but with attitude and has a long finish!

NB I’m presenting a super Wine/Tapas/Music Pairing at Palau de Javea on Thurs. 27^th October. For more details and to reserve please e-mail colin@colinharknessonwine.com