First Published in Costa News SL September 2011

 

BARBAROT

VINO D’AUTOR DE LA RIOJA, DE PALACIOS!

Barbara and Antonio Palacio showing me around the Barbarot vineyards

 Last week’s article (www.costa-news.com click Cork Talk) dealt with Señor Antonio Palacios, my good fortune in befriending such a warm family and first class wine educators, plus of course his excellent MdeT La Rioja wine. I also alluded to the wine made by the next generation of this, the most famous wine-making family of Spain.

 Was it destiny that shaped Bárbara Palacios’ life? A typically modest shrug of the shoulders accompanied by her charming smile and the statement that she simply loves making wine, was all the answer I needed. With a wealth of family tradition, knowledge and experience behind her, Bárbara went willingly to Bordeaux to study oenology (including working at Chateau Margaux, et al) and thence to Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Argentina and California seeking out even more wine-making understanding and methodology. The result is almost an encyclopaedic cognition of wine-crafting!

 

Barbara & Merlot - BARBAROT!

Not that there is anything nurdy about Bárbara – look for example at the name of her super first wine, Barbarot. Then look at the back label (you must also visit www.barbarot-wines.com) – there’s a charming hand-drawn picture of a little girl holding onto a lovely dog, Golden Retriever actually, with whom we walked the vineyards, and whose name is Merlot. Yes, you guessed it – Barbarot is a combination of her name and that of her adoring dog!

 Barbarot is a limited production wine, the small quantities mean that at present it is only sold in the La Rioja region. However, with the acclaim it is receiving it surely cannot be long before distributors are forming an orderly queue (oh no, that’s a British thing!) outside her door asking for pallets of the wine to sell on. Watch this space and then watch your local wine shop!

 The vineyards that supply the grapes for Barbarot are located just about as far north that you can go in the DOCa La Rioja. Behind them the Cantabrian mountains (also drawn on the label) rise to touch the sky and in August the sun beats down (mercilessly, even at 6pm when we visited, causing Merlot to seek the shade of the neatly trimmed vines, uncharacteristically ignoring any possibility of a rabbit chase!). About an hour later, almost every night, relief from the grape-ripening sunshine arrives in the form of cooling breezes, covertly adding a touch of acidity to the finished wine.

 The limestone soil, similar to that of St. Emilion, plays host mostly to Tempranillo, Prince of La Rioja, but also to, you guessed it again, Merlot. Special dispensation has been given to the Palacios family to use a little of this, Consejo Regulador unapproved, variety in their wines. It’s addition is crucial.

 Merlot brings colour, aroma, freshness and finesse but also, from these specific vineyards, it arrives with a lower Ph. and this is significant. Sulphur, used in all wine-making, acts much more powerfully when used with a lower Ph. Therefore, using Merlot in the blend also means that less sulphur is needed, hence an altogether different flavour and nose.

 On the back label you will see (you can order via the website above by the way) that the wine is a DOCa La Rioja Cosecha wine. It’s a touch confusing – this is the prosaic, generic term that indicates that the wine is simply a young Rioja wine. As yet the Consejo Regulador hasn’t approved a more pragmatic and informative suggestion that wines such as Barbarot should be called, for example Cosecha Vino D’Autor.

 For that’s what Barbarot is – a wine containing the oenologist’s fingerprint as well as the terroir in and under which the Barbarot’s vines grow. It is an expression of all that’s good in La Rioja, all the Palacios know-how plus all the passion of its creator.

 12 months in American, Spanish and French oak and a further time in bottle have enabled this intense ruby coloured, well structured and balanced wine to mature into a sensual, silky, fruit driven Rioja with plum and damson jam notes and fresh acidity. It’s drinking perfectly now!

COSTA NEWS GROUP AUGUST 2011

 

ALBARIÑO

LIQUID GOLD FROM DO RÍAS BAIXAS!

As you may have read in the Costa News and indeed at the foot of Cork Talk, I’ve recently been to Galicia, North West Spain, invited as one of the 25 panellists charged with the task of judging which wine should be declared the best young Albariño of the 2010 vintage. I can tell you, that’s quite a challenge – Albariño wine is often referred to as the best white wine in Spain, and not without reason!

 Each year the sleepy seaside town of Cambados hosts the most prestigious wine fair in Spain. In Winter wild Atlantic storms can batter the coastline spewing out bedraggled gulls, glad to make land and lubber for a while, but in Summer, fresh breezes cool the air, whilst chilled white wine, made from the Albariño grape variety, refreshes the hordes of visitors who arrive for the first week of August to sample this wonderful wine.

 The Albariño Fiesta turned 59 this year and for the past 23 of those years the festival has, quite naturally, also hosted the Cata-Concurso, the competition that decides which of the many entries shall be given the medals as the top three of the latest vintage. The Consejo Regulador (regulating council) of the Denominación de Origen invited 25 of the best known professionals in the wine sector of Spain and they came from all points of the compass.

 I was flattered to be on an equal footing as such luminaries as: Antonio Palacios, President of the Federacion Española de Asociaciones de Enologos, and his daughter Barbara, of the most famous wine-making family in Spain (watch this space for good news from their hunting ground, La Rioja); Jesus Flores, doyen of Spanish wine writers and author of several wine books, and probably the best wine-taster in Spain – the Spanish equivalent of Hugh Johnson; Pablo Amate, El Pais food and wine writer and broadcaster on all that is gourmet in Spain; David Barco, President of the Sommeliers Association of Galicia; and Cristino Álvarez, one of the most prestigious Spanish food and wine journalists; and many more.

 I have to admit I was also delighted to be fêted along with the other panellists: being taken out to Michelin Starred restaurants; having a wonderful six-hour catamaran cruise including a seafood lunch, the like of which surely couldn’t be beaten; and of course a place of honour at both the procession and ceremony following the final tasting, and the superb gourmet lunch where the medal winners were announced. Who wouldn’t?!

 However, the two wine tasting and judging sessions were taken very seriously. The Consejo Regulador had narrowed down the very large entry to 64 wines, considered to be the best of the vintage. The panel was split into two, with each group privately tasting 32 wines over three sessions. The results were entered into a computer and 12 finalists were determined.

 On the Sunday morning the 25 judges met again as one group judging the final dozen. All the wines were in chillers to keep the wines at the correct temperature and these large professional standard wine coolers had been sealed overnight by the be-suited Notario (appointed to oversee proceedings and ensure that there was no cheating) who cut the seals each morning, signalling the start of the judging.

 And the winning wines? Well please read next week’s column where you’ll be able to learn the results and also a little more about Albariño, the gold from the hills of Galicia!