Meet the producer: Penafiel, Ribera del Duero, Spain

Second tasting of Penafiel wines for the Roving Somm, see my previous notes here on this blog. This second lineup is even more impressive than the first, and it is once more led by the exceptional Silencio de Miros. 

Thank you to Onvinum for making the introduction on the occasion of the online wine fair of February 2024.

See tasting notes below.

Alba de Miros 2022

Albarino 100%. A fresh breath of Spring in this wine that offers floral notes and pineapple in the nose and a balanced and moderately complex palate. Good length. I happily paired it with steamed mussels. A wine with no pretensions that stands up very well in its category. Score 88

Miros de Ribera Reserva 2019

Tempranillo 100%

I would call this an upper middle class typical tempranillo with full elegant body, round structure. This 2019 is ready but will still evolve for a few years. I paired it with baked lam. Watch the alcohol content, it is a strong wine indeed!

Score 90

Miros Roble 2022

Complex aromas of red fruits. A powerful expression of the tempranillo variety. Hard sensations prevail, probably needs some smoothening in the bottle for another couple of years.

Score 88

La Casa de las Locas 2022

Albariño 100%

This was an amazing albariño, intense nose, powerful structure, with complex floral notes and good length. I am used to think of this grape as a relatively easy one, but this wine challenged this taster to focus his full attention to discover its many nuances.

Score 93

Silencio de Miros 2019 

Top of the line Penafiel , this harmonious Silencio de Miros 2019. tempranillo 100% from their most prized parcel of land at 1000 meters above sea level. Nine months in French oak, this 15.5%abv comes in a beautiful wooden box.

A perfectly balanced wine with ripe red fruits that dance along with smooth tannins in a complex swirling of nuanced sensations.

I dared to pair it with slightly spicy red mullet and olives and it works out magnificently, another example where red wine does indeed go very well indeed with fish.

Score 96

Meet the producer: Argentinian Malbec by Bodegas Fabre

Time for Argentina at the LWF 2024 and its most iconic grape: malbec. I never get tired of it, it is an endless sequel of great enjoyment and it seems to get better and better with time,

Pioneers in Argentinian Malbec, Bodegas Fabre, brought to life exceptional wines in some of the most extraordinary terroirs in Mendoza. Born from winemaker and owner Hervé Joyaux Fabre, who became the first winemaker to produce a premium single varietal Malbec in Argentina, Bodegas Fabre has since become a global presence with wines such as Viñalba and Alta Yari.

I joined Bodegas Fabre's husband and wife team, Hervé Joyaux Fabre and Diane Joyaux Fabre, alongside Buckingham Schenk's Marketing Director David Tromans to explore the origins, and current trends of Argentinian Malbec with four wines from Viñalba & Alta Yari.

Viñalba started making malbec in the 1990s when it bought a plot of 100-year-old vines. They have grown since, with some parcels up to 1600 masl. The also tried Patagonia, where they grow grapes but then they transport them to Mendoza to vinify. In Argentina latitude and altitude play against one another, so in the far south of Patagonia they grow grapes at lower altitude to compensate for the cooler climate.

Viñalba reserve malbec 2022, Uco valley

Tannins well structured, could benefit from some time in bottle, can't really feel the oak aging. 

Score 88 rrp 12

Viñalba Patagonia reserve 2022

200 masl only because higher is too cold

Violet, licorice, Good balance and length

Score 88, Rrp 15

Viñalba Gran reservado 2019

Mendoza, Uco Valley 

1 year in French oak 

Very intense ripe red fruit, smooth tannins long the best of the flight, superb value.

Score 93, Rrp 19

Alta-Yari Gran Corte 2022

1560masl, extreme wine making 

Blend with malbec 35% cab franc 60%and cab sauvignon 5%

Mineral spicy notes 

Needs a couple of years to smoothen tannins corners

Score 90, Rrp 25

Meet the producer: Fei Tswei, Ningxia Hui, China

Wine in China is not new, as a book I recently reviewed illustrates at length, international appreciation for Chinese wine is, and so is widespread appreciation by Chinese consumers of high quality international wines. China is already among the top 5 or 6 producers of wine in the world, and quality is improving by the day.

One example is the Fei Tswei winery in northwest China. They were present at the London Wine Fair 2024 and served as the business card for Chinese wines in London.

There are lots of problems Chinese wine has to overcome, including still too much emphasis on quantity and too many fakes that spoil the market, but I came out of this tasting convinced things are moving in the right direction.

Good wines from this producer are available in the UK and the best bottles are not cheap, but definitely worth giving it a try to expand your horizons over Chinese wines.

 
Here below my tasting notes from the wines proposed by Fei Tswei at the London Wine Fair.

Chardonnay 2021
Smooth, soft sensations prevail
Moderately long
Score 86

Chardonnay reserve 2019
Similar to the previous wine but with better balance
Score 88

Viognier 2019
Apricot nose. Good balance
Score 88

Red joyous blend 2019
Red fruit is intense, an easy wine.
Score 85

Marselan 2019
Intense nose red
Complex long
Score 89

Marselan 2020
More balanced and longer
Score 90

Merlot 2019
Intense red fruit
Complex long,mod length
Score 91

Cabernet franc 2021
Intense nose of ripe cherries
Smoother than expected if you think of cab franc from loire, long
Score 92

Syrah reserve 2019
1 year in oak
Smooth, mod complex and long
Score 89

Marselan reserve 2019
Fruit bombshell, good structure tannins still a bit rough
Mod complex, long
Score 91

Cabernet sauvignon reserve 2019
Intense red fruit, balanced, complex and long
Score 91

All these reserves Ready now, some aging potential .

Meet the producer: Alcardet, Toledo, Spain

A family company founded in 1972, Alcardet is an up and coming vineyard that focuses on organic wines. Located in the region  of Toledo, south-west of Madrid, it combines some interesting experiments with more classic production associated with the region.

Cepas Viejas 2019

Almost extinct Moravia and Tinto Velasco grapes, very limited edition aged in oak for 6 months. A rare gem from Castilla.

A fruity, balanced wine with medium body. Smooth tannins. Ready now. I paired with pasta that I had prepared with a sweet tendency sauce. I also tried roasted chicken and peas, and would not recommend a steak as red meat would have too much structure for this delicate wine. 

Score 90

371+52 =323 Correcto

Verdejo 100%

A floral nose with latent white peach and a smooth unpretentious wine. Moderate length. An easy drink to pair with a salade niçoise or mozzarella. Score 86

Correcto red wine

tempranillo 199%

A simple tempranillo, with fruity notes and moderate complexity and length, produced with the same "randomness" philosophy as the previous wine. 

Score 86

Natura Brut

Chardonnay, macabeo and airén

This organic brut presented an intense fruity nose and a moderately complex, balanced palate with fragrant notes. We paired it with a hearty English lamb pie. 

Score 89

Riesling Sescueras

Riesling 100%

This can be considered an interesting experiment, one does not find many riesling in southern Spain. This is an easy entry level wine, perhaps the warm climate prevents the full development of this variety. 

Score 80.

Real Gana brut Reserva 

Airén 100%

Their top of the line bubbly, this traditional method from Alcardet in Spain is very fresh without being aggressive, pleasant lemon zest. Moderate complexity and length. I paired it with mushroom ravioli, the acidity contrasted perfectly with the filling and fatty sauce. Score 89

Meet the producer: Balmoral Maravides, Valencia, Spain

Snow at 1000 meters (photo Balmoral)

A big challenge they put before themselves at Balmoral: produce pinot noir in southern Spain. A grape which is known to give its best at cool latitudes, as in Burgundy. The climate could not be more different, but At Balmoral Maravides they had an ace up their sleeve to cool the environment for pinot noir: altitude. So they planted 150 hectares of organic vineyards at 1000+ meters above sea level, to produce about 500k bottles per year, half sparkling and half still. This are the highest altitude vineyards for sparkling wine in Spain.

Their winemaker from Epernay Hervé Jestin makes sure some French imprint is left on the bubbles, though the final signature is uniquely Maravides. Their wines are organic certified.

I met Carlos Garcia Gomariz at an online fair organized by Onvinum and they graciously agreed to send some samples for review. Here below are my tasting notes. Thank you for allowing me to discover a new reality of southern Spain.

Rosé, pinot noir sparkling

My first impression was of a light, easy  wine to drink over the Summer, in the garden, with some starters. However after I left the bottle, half empty, in the fridge for two days, capped with a vacuvin valve, I found a more complex taste and a rounder finish. The best of the wines we tasted from this creative vineyard.

Score 88

Edoné chardonnay sparkling brut

An easy bottle of traditional method bubbles with medium body and a (slightly puzzling for a brut) touch of sweet at the end. Score 80

Chardonnay

This chard is flowery, fruity even if it is missing some typical chardonnay complexity, body and buttery notes. An easy wine to drink cold in the Summer with some starters. Score 80

Syrah 2021

An easy syrah just in time for the coming Spring grill in the garden. Moderate structure and complexity. To be enjoyed now, do not wait. Score 82

Meet the producer: Valquejigoso, Madrid, Spain

The Valquejigoso estate is located 45 km south of the capital of Madrid. We had a chance to meet the producer at the 2022 online fair brilliantly organized by Onvinum, a new Spanish platform to bring together producers, buyers and educators.

The Valquejigoso Domaine was bought by the Colomo family in February 1986. From 1992 the domain, previously known as a hunting cottage for the European aristocracy, was transformed into a winery. The first vines were planted in 1997. Very well-known French nurseries participate in the project like Renoux - based in Bordeaux - as well as other French teams who came to share their experience in the "fork" vine planting method, an ancient method which requires a painful manual work.

DEHESA DE VALQUEJIGOSO 

Blend of cab sauvignon, merlot, tempranillo, negral and syrah taken from 21 plots, no less!

It is the only wine we tasted of this producer. An intense nose with complexity and length. Also well balanced. I paired it by concordance with with a vegetarian pizza, both food and wine of medium structure. Drink now or wait a year or two.

Score 90

Meet the Producer: Heras Cordon, Rioja, Spain

The Heras Cordón vineyard in Rioja should be better known. I have been introduced to them at an online fair organized by Onvinum in 2022. 

From their website we learn about their history. The family tradition in wine elaboration dates back to the end of the 19th Century, when they built the first cellars in their hometown, Lapuebla de Labarca in Rioja Alavesa.

During the first years, the wine was meant for local consumption; it was not bottled but primarily sold in bulk. The clients were locals and the amounts of production and consumption were rather small.

Wine production came to a halt during the Spanish Civil War from 1936 to 1939. In the 1950’s, the winery was modernized and the production of Crianza wines started, with oak barrels of primarily French origin.

In the 70’s, taking advantage of the country’s modernisation, Heras Cordón Wineries and Vineyards launched its Crianza and Reserva wines into the national market. Its acceptance and growth was spectacular, in fact, the process reached its first peak in the 80’s, when the three siblings, who are currently the owners of the winery, set up a vine plantation company, becoming a national benchmark in that activity. Read more here.

Here below are my reviews of the wines they provided for tasting.

Heras Cordón Reserva 2015

Tempranillo (97%), graciano and mazuelo.
Incredible bottle this RESERVA from Heras Cordon in Rioja. The 2015 is eight-years-old at the time of this tasting and it is a marvelous feast of complex aromas, perfect balance and great length. The tannins are superbly rounded though they still offer structure. I paired it with a "boomerang" steak and it was a match made in heaven.
Score 95.

Expresión Limited Edition

Another great hit by Heras Cordon, this tempranillo is perfectly balanced, complex and long. It is ready now though still lots of fruit to show. ONly 5651 bottles came out of the cellar, grab one if you can! Score 93

Vendimia Seleccionada 2018

Tempranillo, graciano and mazuelo from old vines. Thirteen months in new French and American oak.

This  is a great wine, and looking at the main online retailers can be had for less than 20 euro. Intense ripe cherries to start, followed by smooth tannins and a complex and long profusion of secondary (prunes, mature wild berries) and tertiary (leather, chocolate) notes. Paired with aged beef. Score 94

Meet the producer: Lajas, Finca "El Peñiscal", Calatayud, Spain

A Calatayud wine region map leads us to the north of Spain, in mountainous Aragon. It is in the province of Zaragoza, in the Ebro river valley. The history of the Calatayud Spain wine region dates back to ancient times. It was the 2nd century BC when viticulture first emerged in the area. In Roman times, vines were planted all over Spain. Later, the Moors inhibited wine production. The Christians restarted it in the 12th century, the monks of Monasterio de Piedra actively encouraged vineyard planting. The monastery's cellars testify to the vital role of wine throughout the region. 

Calatayud shown in dark purple

Since the region earned the appellation status and became an authorised DO (denominación de origen) in 1990, it has never ceased the production of high-quality wine, making the appellation prestigious and attracting winegrowers from Europe and all over the world. (Winetourism.com)

Samples received from the producer in the context of the 2022 Onvinum wine fair. 

rare bottle, n. 430 of 4313!

Intense aromas, complexity and moderate balance for this rare Garnacha, it is ready now but may benefit from a few more years in the bottle. I found it best several hours after opening the bottle, in fact the next day. 

I paired it with a mouth watering steak on the bone cooked medium rare. The tannins matched the succulence by contrast and the strong structure of wine and food married by concordance. Strongly recommended with any kind of steak.

Score 89

What was supposed to be a simple garnacha revealed surprising complexity and perfect balance. Kudos to Aris by Peñiscal! Watch out its 15%abv! I paired it with a plate of hearty lasagne.

Score 92

Meet the producer: Las Cepas, Rioja, Spain

An organic vineyard in Rioja, third generation of the family business. Overall Las Cepas plant 52 hectares in deep limestone soils. We had a chance to meet the producer at the 2022 online fair brilliantly organized by Onvinum, a new Spanish platform to bring together producers, buyers and educators. Here below my tasting notes for some of their wines.

Costalarbol white 2021
100% white Maturana

A not-so-common grape produced a fresh wine with apple notes that reveals a finely balanced finish. Moderately complex and long.

I paired it with raw spinach and seared sea bass.

Score 86

Salad of spinach and seared sea bass

Chinese-style fish head

Costalarbol red

100% Graciano grapes. 

It is a vigorous, I would say impetuous wine, it feels like an impatient teenager in the mouth. Young tannins next to red fruit, with moderate length. 

Good quality/price ratio. I paired with Chinese-style fish head, the slight spiciness might have called for a smoother wine but if fact it went pretty well with the lively Graciano, perhaps because the tannins matched the succulent sauce of the fish. I then killed off my glass with French Camembert cheese. 

Score 86

1921

Garnacha 100%

Vines that are up to  one-hundred-year-old for this wine of great character made with garnacha grapes. A smooth velvety wine, with good complexity, and considerable length.

Score 92

Egg noodles with peppers and pakchoi

Boca Chancla Crianza 2019

Tempranillo 100%

These vines are the oldest, they go from 40 all the way up to 100-year-old.

A smooth wine with elegance and moderate complexity. Ready with limited potential in the bottle. Paired with fresh egg noodles stirred with peppers and pakchoi.

Score 90

Rebuzno 2020

Maturana 100% (in Spanish it means "donkey")

Made with Maturana grapes, an old grape variety that was an icon of the Rioja countryside in olden days. It was later almost forgotten to the point it came close to risk of extinction, like donkeys! And now resurrected for an organic wine that is full bodied, big, almost opulent I would say. Can be paired with meat, of course, but also with a rich pasta sauce and, why not, stir-fried or baked fish.

Score 92

Here is a map in case you are in the region and want to visit Las Cepas, click to enlarge.