Txakolina wines by Bodegas Virgen de Lorea, Basque country, Spain

Unusual opportunity to taste some wines from a grape variety, and a wine region, that were not known to Roving Somm until now.  In this post I am going to review some wines from the Bodegas Virgen de Lorea, in the Spanish Basque Country. An estate that goes back at least 300 years but that has recently modernized and updated its production, including to organic certification. Twenty-two hectares surrounding the winery produce wines that belong to the Denominacion de origen Bizkaiko (Biscay).

In the video below I had the privilege of interviewing Gorka Zabalbeitia, wine maker of Bodega Virgen de Lorca. Below follow my tasting notes of three txakolina wines that they provided to me for review.

         

Loreako ama (limited edition) 2024

Hondarrabi Zuri grapes

Artistic bottle representing various scenes from the region of production.

single vineyard, 35+ yo vines

Intense aromas of flowers, fresh attack, slightly tingling on the mouth and a moderately long finish

I paired it by contrast with fatty raw salmon and also with mackerel and crab-filled ravioli

Score 91

Aretxaga 2024
Hondarribi Zerratia grapes

A fresh and lightly sparkling wine, citrusy start evolved into herbaceous notes and ends in rounder banana tones. Moderately long finish.

Score 89

I paired Señorio de Otxaran 2023 and Aretxaga 2024 with a Chinese dish of pork belly ad mushrooms to contrast the wines’ freshness with the food's fat and it worked out very well. A touch of truffle oil from organic producer Biosasun completed the successful experiment of the evening.

Señorio de Otxaran 2023

Hondarribi Zerratia grapes

single vineyard, 35+ yo vines

A more complex and round wine than the predecessors, a more structured body that will probably age well for a couple more years in the bottle although all these wines are meant to be drunk fresh out of production.

Score 92

Pork belly rice and black mushrooms Chinese style

Meet the producer: Baglio Diar, Sicily, Italy

Diar's vineyard makes a strong overall impression because they make organic wines which are remarkably stable and balanced. 

It is well known how difficult it is to produce high quality stable and balanced organic wines, and while the Sicilian climate helps only few manage to achieve Diar's qualitative results.

Each Diar bottle recalls Sicilian culture, an emotional connection between the land and some of the people who made Sicily the trailblazer of Italian culture in recent decades.

Sicilian literature figures prominently on all the labels, and as advertised on their website, for the name of our wines they took inspiration from five female characters who appear in the work of Verga and Pirandello, two giants of the island's literature: Fantasia, Nedda, Selene, Velata and  Dida.

One more original and unique way to underline the fact that wine is part of our culture.

Below are my tasting notes for the samples that were kindly provided to Roving Somm.

They also make extra virgin organic olive oil.

Grillo 2023

Grillo is the archetypal grape from the Marsala region, and it is used for the famous fortified wine. It is born from a cross of Inzolia and Catarratto. This bottle is generous with aromas, fresh and well balanced. A stronger character than your typical Grillo, amplified by a good length.

Score 90

Catarratto 2023

Another signature grape from western Sicily. A gentle mix of floral aromas gives way to a well structured palate with good acidity and balance.

Score 90

Zibibbo 2023

Moscato d'Alessandria from Sicily is known around the world for sweet or almost sweet wines, but not only. Diar has produced a dry but smooth wine with a remarkable structural character that does not prevent the emergence of fruit and floral notes. Excellent balance, a constant of Diar, and good length.

Score 91

Syrah 2023

This bottle is not from an indigenous grape variety but it is well known that Syrah (or Shiraz as it is called in some parts of the world) has established its own tradition in Sicily for some time. I paired this smooth and complex wine with saffron rice.

Score 89

Perricone 2023

Intriguing violet color in the glass for this most Sicilian perricone which exudes delicate red fruit aromas and a gentle acidity that makes for a wine ready to drink now. I would recommend cooling this bottle slightly in order to contain its alcoholic exuberance.

Score 91

Inzolia

A lot of character for this inzolia. Nutty notes do not overpower its lively citrusy overtone that confers a pleasant freshness to the palate. An excellent, versatile wine for Summer dishes in the warm Sicilian climate.

Score 90

Rosé

To complete the range here is a bottle of rosé made with nero d'Avola grapes. This is an easy wine, dry but with a touch of candy flavors that linger in the palate. I can see this for a Summer garden party, served well chilled as aperitif.

Score 80

Meet the producer: Zonin, Veneto and Tuscany

London offers a boundless range of opportunities for the wine trade and we wine writers are lucky to have access to superb opportunities to develop our palates and our skills. It is impossible to attend even a small fraction of all the available events, so I have decided to prioritize those that offer masterclasses. This is always a more structured and educational opportunity to learn than the free pours where even the most meticulous taster can easily become overwhelmed.

The UK Sommelier Association, expertly led by Andrea Rinaldi with a passionate deputy and indefatigable event organizer in Federica Zanghirella is a leader is organizing highly instructive master classes.

Here below my notes about two such pearls that revolved around the production of the Zonin house, originally from Venetia, where they still make the bulk of their wines, but now well established in Tuscany as well.

 

Thanks to Andrea Rinaldi always my mentor at AIS in the UK.

Masterclass 1: Ca' Bolani whites: Opimio Pinot Bianco and Aquilis Sauvignon.

Christopher Burr, Federica Zanghirella presenting with Roberto Marcolini, winemaker of Ca' Bolani

Zonin is based in Venetia, in the heart of the Aquileia DOC region. Here people have made wine for over 3000 years, started well before Romans who however developed viticulture in a systematic way.

There are now 570 hectares of vines, mostly 5,000 vines per hectare.

The area is protected between sea and mountain, and the trademark bora wind regularly dries the air, which is of course good for viticulture. Significant day night temperature variations create good condition for ripening. Very diverse soils over estate.

Flight 1: Optimio, 100% pinot bianco

The names comes from a Roman consul who was well known for the good wines produced under his rule. In Venetia, as in most of Italy and indeed Europe, the Romans were pioneers of viticulture, expanding and developing what they learned from the Greeks and the Phoenicians.

We tasted three vintages of this underrated grape, which I love because it is a versatile wine, unpretentious but always surprisingly well versed to match medium structured food. Besides the obvious fish and white meat dishes you can have these with medium aged cheese and some Indian masala recipes or southern Chinese sweet and sour dishes. I'd like to try it with dim sum from Guangzhou or Honk Kong. 

2020

Pinot bianco, smooth with lingering freshness, moderately long

Ready now might benefit from a couple of further years of evolution in the bottle 

Score 88

2018 

Smoother than 2020 still good freshness. Drink now

Score 89

2016

Unsurprisingly the most evolved, smoothest and most complex and long of the trio.

Score 90

Flight 2. Aquilis sauvignon blanc Friuli Doc 

2018

A surprising sauvignon with nutty and vanilla notes that make it a unique interpretation of this classic grape. Complex and long. 

Score 92

2016 

A more evolved bottle, smoothness is raised to higher levels to the point of making an elegant wine with a mouthful of complex sensations. 

Score 93

2014 

Mature long complex 

Score 94

Thanks to my teacher Federica Zanghirella for introducing the day's food and wine pairing combination and the eccentric exhibition by Christopher Burr 

Masterclass 2: A culinary trip in Tuscany with the most iconic wines of Castello di Albola paired with traditional Tuscan dishes by Executive Chef Giovanni Zagni.

Castello di Albola is owned by the Zonin house since 1979. It now has a substantial 900 hectares of farms, but only 110 of these are vineyards. Mostly work on single vineyard wines. They started organic conversion in 2016, and it is now completed. They claim to fame as pioneers in respecting environmental, social (employment condition) as well as economic sustainability. 

Poggio alle Fate 2022 

Chardonnay 

Strong acidity attack but evolves in the mouth to a perfectly balanced and long wine. 

Paired with pappa al pomodoro. 

Paired by concordance of medium structure and contrast of acidity with sweet tendency of the tomato. 

Score 91

Chianti classico 2023 

sangiovese

Again with pappa al pomodoro 

Still young, tannins need a bit of time in the bottle.

Tannins contrast well with tomatoes but slightly overwhelm their sweet tendency.

Score 88

Chianti classico riserva 2021

sangiovese

A majestic Chianti, ready but with a few years of evolution potential. 

Matched with vegetarian ribollita, good concordance pairing between moderate tannins and moderately structured food with delicate sweet tendency. 

Score 92

Il Solatìo 2019 gran selezione

sangiovese 

Powerful elegant chianti, absolutely ready now with balance and good length. 

Paired with pici alla buttera (homemade pasta with ragoût and black olives) 

Score 91

Acciaiolo 2016

cabernet sauvignon 80% sangiovese 20%

First harvest 1988, one of the original "Super Tuscans"

Ready masterpiece, perfect balance and length 

Paired with pappardelle al cinghiale, concordance of strong structures and contrast of tannins with fatty sauce. A harmonious wine.

Score 95

Vin santo 2010 

Trebbiano and malvasia

Harvested late, in October.

Dried on racks, pressed in December, obviously very little yield. 

Almonds orange peel notes. Sink cantucci biscuits, or similar dry biscuits with nuts, in this wine. 

Score 93

Meet the producer: Clos Mont Blanc, Catalunya, Spain

This post is the result of a meeting with Clos Montblanc of Catalunya at the online fair organized by Onvinum in February 2024 and I am grateful to the producer for the samples received which I tested and paired as noted below.

Unic 2022

Chardonnay 100%
A mellow chardonnay, round and balanced. I paired it with tomato sauce pasta with Spanish tuna and the moderate structure of both food and wine went well even though I would have liked a bit more acidity.
Score 83

Xipella 2023

An eclectic blend, Xipella makes for an honest straightforward wine that will go down well with a wide range of food pairings and consumers. This wine is balanced, moderately long and ticks all the boxes for a pleasant drink that is perfect now with the coming of Spring. It does not strike me for its freshness or for its complexity and this is why the first work that came to mind was straightforward. I paired it with spaghetti and mussels and it was a successful marriage in that both wine and food proposed medium structure and the moderate acidity did not overwhelm the sapid flavor of the seafood.  Enjoy it without thinking too much about it! Score 87

Xipella 2019

Carinena, cab sauvignon and syrah for this well balanced wine with a nore of ripe red fruits, and a palate with notes of chocolate. Well rounded tannins, long finish. I paired with Chinese oily tofu and it worked well, both dishes offering moderate structure and the gentle tannins contrasted amicably with the oiliness of the tofu. Score 90.

Chinese oily tofu with spring onions and asparagus

Inici 2018
garnacha negra 79%, cab sauvignon 21% in organic production

An elegant wine, perfectly balanced, complex and long. A rare gem with less than 3000 bottles produced.

Score 92

G de Gourmand 2021

A fruity and fresh wine despite the old vines (30+ years), almost delicate. I paired it with pizza.

Score 86

Wine from Abruzzo in London

Masterclass on wines from Abruzzo

I think I speak English pretty well, but I confess that when I walked into the building of the Haberdashers Company in London I had no idea what haberdashers do, I will keep your curiosity alive if you are also in the dark and stimulate you to do a little research!

Whatever the original purpose of the hall of the haberdashers, the UK Sommelier Association used it for an instructive and fun event on wines from Abruzzo, on the Adriatic coast of Italy.

I attended a masterclass by Peter McCrombie and spent a little time walking around the tables of the many producers who came all the way from Italy to let us taste some hidden gems.

Peter began by highlighting how Abruzzo is a land that suited to viticulture, and experienced a qualitative jump ahead in recent years. More focus now on local varieties after some attempts at introducing international grapes. There are 2 main production areas: inland mountains and coastal. Lots of parks in Abruzzo some 30% of land, great for the environment but it takes land away from viticulture. Until the renaissance vines were mostly found in the Peligna Valley but now whole region. 

Some 34,000 hectares of vineyard keep about 250 producers busy making wine, two thirds of which is now exported. The Consorzio was founded in 2002 and it now counts 200 members. Chieti is the main winemaking province in Abruzzo, followed by Pescara. Most vineyards use the pergola training to protect the berries from the scorching sun, some cordon.

Montepulciano d'Abruzzo requires 90% Montepulciano grapes and max 10% sangiovese is allowed, it is a tradition that goes back to the 1600s.

Pecorino was almost extinct back in the 90s, it has now enjoyed a great revival for its intense bouquet. After sangiovese montepulciano is the 2nd most planted variety in Italy. Pair with hearty pasta arrosticini, "If it grows together it goes together" as Peter pointed out...

The masterclass was flanked by a guided pairing led by UKSA Course Director Federica Zanghirella who illuminated those of us lucky enough to attend on the tricky pairing of Abruzzo wines with salami, which is difficult because salami is fat (requires acidity) and salty (but salt does not pair well at all with salt). So it is essential to find the right balance in the wine. (Not much we sommelier can do about the salami!)

Tasting notes from the masterclass:

1. I Fauri
Pecorino
A savory wine.
Score 88

2. Fonte fico

Same as above

3. Ficcanaso Rabottini
Trebbiano

Intense aromas complex long
Score 89

4.Masciarelli trebbiano
See above
Score 93

5. Bossanova 

Cerasuolo
Lower tannins, light color typical of this grape.
Fresh, could drink slightly chilled
Could go well with non-spicy Asian food
Score 89

6. Barone Cornacchia
Montepulciano
Smooth perfect balance
Score 89

7.Faraone
Montepulciano
Deep Ruby red. Spicy full bodied
Fruit concentrated maybe a little jammy
Score 85

8. Nicodemi
Moderate intensity
Smooth long
A bit jammy
Score 87

Tasting notes from selected producers I met in my walkaround

Marramieri
Trebbiano base
Fruits, balance, mod complex
Score 88

Anima
30yo vines
Complex and smooth
Score 92

Pecorino
Round mod long
88

Altare trebbiano
Good body, fresh, intense
Score 90

Cerasuolo rosé
Fresh citrussy
85

Montepulciano base
Steel and some used barrique
Fruity a bit on the rough side
83

Incanto
Montepulciano
Acciaio and 1 yr bottle
Mod complex and long
Might benefit from bottle aging
Score 87

Inferi
Barrique nuova
Intense complex and long
Still needs more time
92

Masciarelli

Pecorino
Intense mod complex and long
88

Blend pecorino trebbiano cococciola
Intense complex full bodied
93

Trebbiano
45yo vines
Complex nutty flavors and good bite some grip fragrance, complex and long
93

Montepulciano di base
Round, velvety
mod complex long
89


Marina cvetic 2020
Long complex majestic
Cd benefit from longer aging
92

Fontefico

see brochure my wapp
Pecorino
SMOOTH balanced waxy
88

Montepulciano glou glou
Easy does it, fresh suggested to drink chilled
85

Cocca di casa
Montepulciano
Natural fermentation
Then split wood cement and steel and then mix again
Fresh, intense, very long
A little more bottle aging

Score 86

Nicodemi
LE MURATE Trebbiano
Immensely aromatic
Smooth long 

Score 90

Pecorino
Aromatic smooth long
88

Rose
Montepulciano
Few hours of skin contact
Again aromatic, smooth and ling
89

Amarone Calling in London

Amarone masterclass

Sponsorship of the  consorzio Valpolicella for today's event in London organized by the UK Sommelier Association with a masterclass led by James Goode. 2200 growers, 300 bottlers, 6 cooperatives make up the exclusive landscape of Valpolicella where amarone in produced. James argued that because of the reputation of this wine we think we know it but in fact recent developments are generous with surprises.

Amarone is one of 4 styles of wine produced in the area near Verona: Valpolicella Doc, Classic, Valpantena and amarone. Moderate continental climate moderated by Lake Garda which plays a fundamental role in the vineyards. 

Of the main varieties produced, corvina is the queen with 56%, followed by rondinella with 20% and corvinone with 16%. Smaller amounts of molinara.

Amarone must have between 45% and 95%of corvina or Corvinone also between 45% and 95%, while Rondinella can be used between 5% and 30% of the wine. It is used to give color. Molinara is the least used, between nothing and 10% and it is known to confer acidity and sapidity to amarone.

Pergola training mainly, with some 25% guyot.

Appassimento is the famous method used to make amarone: drying grapes on straw or hanging in dry rooms. Mostly but not always it avoid botrytis.

After a few months the grapes lose up to 60% of the water and this results in concentrated polyphenols, sugar and aromas.

 

Some producers these days use controlled humidity and temperature, traditionalists don't and argue that the true nature of amarone lies in the unpredictability of the uncontrolled process.

Grapes are dried until December at least and then pressed to start fermentation. 30 to 40 days of maceration  and finally aging for at least 2 years (4 for riserva) in wood.

Below my personal scores of the wines. IMHO most of these are way too young, but some lovers of more robust taste might like them now.

La Romiglia, amarone Valpolicella 2021

Powerful aromas for this robust wine, tannins need more time in bottle. Give it 5 years at least.

Score 88

International WIne Group, amarone Valpolicella "vivunt", 2021

A well balanced, long amarone, would benefit from at least 5 years in the bottle.

Azienda agricola Giampiero Borghetti, amarone Valpolicella classico 2020

Underipe, drink now if you like your tongue to be grated a bit, or else wait...

Score 86

Massimago, amarone Valpolicella "Conte Gastone 2020“

A sharp wine, quite un-amaronish, powerful tannins yet to be tamed.

Score 86

Corte Figaretto, amarone Valpantena "Brolo del Figaretto" 2020

A fruity amarone, fresh and long. An unusual style but an interesting one.

Score 90

Montezovo, amarone Valpolicella 2019

Oak confers a spicy taste, but good acidity moderates the sweet ending for this wine from an exceptionally good year.

Score 91

Colle Cerè, amarone Valpolicella classico 2019

A solid wine, well built, a "big" amarone, powerful, complex and long.

Score 93

Monteci amarone Valppolicella classico, 2018

This was a difficult year andmade for a fresher wine, red fruits are evident, a youthful amarone that will benefit from more bottle aging.

Score 87

Zymè di Celestino Gaspari, amarone Valpolicella classico 2018

A ready amarone, with a perfect balance good length and complexity.

Score 93

Falezze di Luca Anselmi, amarone Valpolicella 2018

A bit jammy, a mature wine, drink now.

Score 86

Cantina Colle Archi, amarone valpolicella riserva "IS", 2018

An austere amarone with a perfect balance.
Score 92

Pieropan amarone Valpolicella riserva "Vigna Garzon" 2018

An intense, long perfectly balanced wine.

Score 92

Camerani Corte S. Anna, amarone Valpolicella Valzzane 2017

Amazingly fresh, a bit rough.

Score 86