Garnacha Alta wines at the London Wine Fair

Delightful masterclass by Rosana Lisa, winemaker from the Spanish wine academy.

These are the main takeaways from her talk.

Grenache, as it is mostly known outside of Spain, is valued because it is highly resistant to drought, a rustic variety that should adapt well to climate change, ie drier seasons.

It can have high yields but at the expense of quality and recently producers prefer quality over quantity.

It is also quite resistant to pests, including phylloxera, which allows for less use of pesticides.

It is a good "team player", meaning it works well in blends with many other varieties.

Discreet, soft tannins, make for a highly drinkable wine even without long aging.

Here below my tasting notes.

1. Ramon Bilbao

Early harvest rose 2024

60% tempranillo 40% red garnacha

Floral, smooth and long.

Score 88



2. & 3. Ramon Bilbao

90% red garnacha 10% viura

Lalombra finca Lalinde 2015 & 2024

2015: evolved dry fruits dry Apricot, petrol notes,feeks slightly oxydized

Score 88

2024: smooth long




4. Ramon Bilbao by Sebastian Velez from Colombia challenge winner

100 garnacha

Score 86




5. Ramon Bilbao, Limite sur 2020

100% garnacha

20yo avg age of vines

Score 88




6. Ramon Bilbao

100 month concrete 2015

100% garnacha single vineyard, no oak

Liquorice, still evolving,

Score 92



7. Mas Alta

ELS PICS 2021

50% garnacha 40% cariñena 10% syrah

Mas means rural house.

Powerful complex long

Score 93


8. Mas Alta

Artigas 2020

80% garnacha 10%cariñena 10% Cabernet sauvignon

Very long and complex, perfect balance

Score 95

Hidden gems of Iberia

 

Eclectic masterclass at the London Wine Fair 2025 focussed on Iberian wines and led by Mercedes Carbajo of Majuelos Iberia.

Below are my tasting notes.

Rias Baixas

Alvinte As Laxas

Crisp, zesty, green apple,

Score 86

Cariñena

Garnacha 

Vaquerizas, tierra de Cubas

Score 85

Catalayud 

las Martas San Gregorio 

Garnacha 

Smooth elegant long 

Score 92

Ribera del Jucar Ramblilla 2022 

bobal grape 

Vega Maragona 

40yo vines 

Structure length 

Needs a few years in bottle

Score 88

Txakoli Zudugarai rosé

Hondarrabi 60% beltza and 40% zuri 

From Basque country, 

Slight effervescent natural 

Score 85

Rioja selection, Jesus Madrazo 2018

Graciano 28% 2% Maturana 70% tempranillo 

Intense aroma, Elegant, structure still rough, needs time 

Score 86

Ribera del Duero - AØ (zero) Ferratus 2020 

Tempranillo 

12 months French oak 

Perfect balance, long ready 

Score 91

Jumilla 2021 

Alceño 12

From area considered kingdom of monastrell (mourvedre), only grape that grows well in the region 

Pre phylloxera vines, climate too tough even for pests!12 months in French and American oak 

Perfect balance, long, ready 

Score 92

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: 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

Meet the producer: Navarro Lopéz, Ciudad Real, Spain

A family-run enterprise for over one hundred years, Navarro Lopez has blended tradition and innovation and carries forward the best of Rioja wine making through its presence pretty much all over the world. Below are my tasting notes from a selection of wines that I received for review.

Elegancia 2019
Tempranillo 100%
The name says it all, this is an elegant wine
Paired with Chinese bamboo shoots, pork belly and brown rice.
Score 90

Chinese bamboo shoots and brown rice for an "elegant" pairing"

Vina trebolar 2022

Graciano, tempranillo, syrah and garnacha

A wine of stature, with plump structure, perfectly balanced, where the fruit has given space to secondary flavors. I can only imagine tertiary notes would develop in time but this bottle is ready now.

Score 94

Imperio Gran Seleccion 2019

Tempranillo 100%

This is a delicate tempranillo, this seems to be a recurring feature in Navarro Lopéz wines, a wine that tiptoes to your palate rather than exploding in your mouth. It is elegant and at its peak now. I think that its perfect structure could only suffer from prolonged bottle aging.

I paired it with braised duck legs and soya bean sprouts.

Score 91

Viña Valoria 2013

tempranillo 100%

A truly top notch tempranillo, with all you might expect from that and more. An intense aroma of ripe red fruits leaves you ready for enjoying a perfectly balanced and complex mix of secondary and tertiary flavors. 36 months in American oak confer a smooth elegance to this majestic wine. Great length. 

I paired it with shredded slow cooked pork accompanied by red peppers and a touch of spring onions for freshness.

Score 95

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

Old vine wines with Sarah Abbott

Sarah Abbott, co-founder of the Old Vine Conference,  led a unique presentation of wines from old vines at the London Wine Fair 2024.

Old Vine Conference is a London based non-profit dedicated to the promotion of wines made from vines with decades of history behind them.

This is hopefully a good thing in many ways. First of all, of course, old vines usually make harmonious, complex wines with great aging potential. 

Also, it is environmentally useful to maintain the genetic diversity of vines, and maintaining old vines reduces the chance that some varieties might get lost forever.

So what is "old"? for the OVC a vine is "old" when it is at least 35 years old, a rule apparently developed in Barossa, in Australia.

Here are my tasting notes:

1. Villa Bogdano 185 bianco, Veneto Italy, 2018

81yo vines of friulano

This vineyard was originally planted in 1943, and it is now farmed according to EU organic rules (bio).

Moderately intense and still good freshness. Good complexity and length. 

Www.villabogdano1880.it

Rrp £ 23, score 89

2. Garage wine sauzal lot 95, Maule valley Chile 2018, 

No recorded age, monastrell 

Origins shrouded in mystery but these vines were were already old when Nivaldo the owner was a child and HE is now old... 

Ripe cherries, good balance, complex, delicate, fragile, not concentrated as expected, mature now, don't wait any longer.

Www.garagewine.company

Rrp £ 19, score 88

3. Plaimont Manseng Noir, côtes de Gascogne 

Manseng noir variety, young vines re-planted from old vines material.

Vibrant light perfumed wine, floral notes, delicate tannins, might be best enjoyed cool.

Www.plaimont.com

Rrp £12 score 87

4. Marchelle Wines Cinsaut, Bechtold Winery, Mokelumne River, California, USA 2020 

Vines are a whopping 138-year-old!

Intense, elegant, perfect balance, complex, ready now with some aging potential.

Only 77 cases made grab one fast!

Www.marchelleswines.com

Rrp usd 54, score 92

5. Louis Martini, Gnarly vine, Monte Rosso Sonoma valley, 2018

100% Zinfandel

Like the previous wine, this also comes from a 138yo vineyard.

Intense ripe cherries, elegant, complex, perfect balance, long. An exceptional, harmonious wine.

Ready now could yet evolve some in bottle. 

Www.louismartini.com

Rrp £ 61 score 96

6. Once and future, Teldeschi vineyard "Frank's Block" in Creek Valley, Sonoma, 2019

Zinfandel

120yo vines for this fruity, balanced very long wine. Ready now but tannins could perhaps become a bit rounder with a couple of years in the bottle.

www.onceandfuturewine.com

Rrp usd 50, score 89

7. Catena Zapata Malbec, m mendoza, Argentina 

Vines 94yo and 28 yo

Www.catenazapata.com

Plump mature red fruit and also complex long 

Rrp £75 score 92

8. Feudi di San Gregorio, Serpico, aglianico, Campania Italy 2016 

Vines 100+ yo ungrafted

Www.feudi.it

Fruit, alcohol, tannins still very much alive. Hopefully time in the bottle will help harmonize this wine. 

Rrp £60,score 86

Join the Old Vine Conference if you agree old vines often make great wines!

https://www.oldvines.org/membership

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