Say Hola to Caminante Tempranillo, a serious crowd-pleasing Tempranillo.

Caminante Tempranillo, Vina Albizu (Rioja Alavesa), 13.5% ABV

€21.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

A serious crowd-pleasing style

This is a seriously palate-pleasing Tempranillo that is brimming with fresh ripe red cherry flavours and hints of blackberries, and also a slight touch of pepper. The aromas, too, feature those red and black fruits. And there’s a refreshing acidity to this unoaked wine that also boasts a lengthy finish. Quite “a real find”, as importers Le Caveau put it, and this easy-drinker is also very well priced indeed. Highly Recommended.

Le Caveau tell us it is produced by Viña Albergada, a respected Rioja producer. The fruit for the wine comes from vineyards planted within the Rioja Alavesa appellation. Yet the bottle doesn't carry the Rioja stamp. In fact, all you’ll see is that it is a Product of Spain. All this because, even though it is from Rioja, it is made a little outside the rules of the appellation. Once you take a sip though, you’ll know it’s a good one!

Pairing tips.  

Delicious on its own, served slightly cool, and with barbecued meats and tapas.

Tinedo Cala N.1 Casilla. Embodying the essence of an almost unknown Mancha.

Tinedo Cala N.1 (Vin de la Tierra Castilla) 2018, 14.5% ABV  Price: €15.00 at Matsons (Bandon, Grange, Youghal)

"embodying the essence of an almost unknown Mancha"

The colour of this wine from Castilla, Spain, is a dark ruby, transitioning to a lighter earthy red at the rim. The nose is outstanding and intense, featuring aromatic notes of cherry and strawberry. This impressive and well-rounded wine has a velvety mouthfeel. It is powerful yet well-balanced, making it a gem that is Very Highly Recommended. Incredible value at this price.

This wine is certified organic, as indicated by the Demeter sticker on the back of the bottle. It is crafted from a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 15% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon (according to the producer’s website). They add: “We only use grapes from Finca Tinedo itself. It is a terroir wine, where all the original vines share the same climate, soil, natural nutrients, and care conditions, resulting in unique and stable flavours and nuances from each harvest.”

CALA N.1 “has been aged in concrete tanks, which help retain the grapes’ freshness and preserve the floral and red fruit aromas. This method results in a balanced and well-structured wine, highlighting the qualities of the terroir and showcasing the authenticity of a single-vineyard wine with personality.” I wholeheartedly agree with this assessment.

La Mancha is well known for its association with the famous author Cervantes (1547-1616) and is less recognized for its wines. Finca Tinedo is one of the oldest wineries in La Mancha. Since 1846, this family-owned winery has exclusively produced single-vineyard and single-plot wines, embodying “the essence of an almost unknown Mancha.” 

Pacheco Monastrell Jumilla. Excellent Excellent example of an unoaked Monastrell

Pacheco Monastrell Jumilla (DOP) 2021, 14.5% ABV

€15.00 Matsons Wine Store (Bandon, Grange, Youghal)

Excellent example of an unoaked Monastrell

The organic Monastrell from the lesser-known Spanish wine region of Jumilla features a mid-ruby colour. It offers aromas of red berries and hints of balsamic. A warming wine, it is balanced and full-bodied while remaining soft and fresh all the way through to its super-long finish. 

Pacheco aimed to create a versatile and appealing organic wine, representing an excellent example of an unoaked Monastrell at a reasonable price point. With its easy-drinking nature and well-balanced character, I believe they have hit the mark perfectly with this one. It pairs wonderfully with tapas and paella.

Very Highly Recommended.

Jumilla

Jumilla is a three-hour drive south of Madrid and less than an hour by car from Alicante Airport (gateway to the Costa Blanca). The Jumilla DOP (Denominación de Origen Protegida) extends from the southeastern part of the province of Albacete, through Murcia, down to the border with Alicante province. In this region, Monastrell is celebrated as the “queen grape."

Monastrell

Monastrell is a black-skinned grape variety indigenous to Spain, where it is widely cultivated. It is also found across the border in Southern France, where it is known as Mourvèdre and plays a significant role in the Rhone GSM (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre) blends.

The Producer:

Bodegas Viña Elena produces two main wine ranges: the traditional Familia Pacheco range and the Bruma del Estrecho de Marín collection.

The Familia Pacheco range includes wines like this Monastrell, which was first produced in 2005. These wines are made using grapes from their own vineyards, located near the bodega, and grapes sourced from local farmers who have been supplying them for over 40 years.

For A Few Euro More. Stunning White From The Spanish Badlands. .

Stunning White From The Spanish Badlands

For A Few Euro More You Get Three. 

Azul y Garanza Naturaleza Salvaje Blanca 2019, 11.5%

R.R.P. €22-23. Stockists: Manning's, Ballylickey/ Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny / Mary Pawle online.

The fruit for this Azul Y Garanza white comes from an amazing area, the Bardenas Reales, a semi-desert or badlands in Navarra. The impoverished and arid clay-calcareous soil, the dry weather and the big contrast of temperature between the day and the night provide grapes with high concentration and a perfect balance and also offer distinctive character and great expression.

It has a yellow-orange colour (10 days of fermentation with skin contact for 5 days) and a hint of haziness (it is unfiltered). There’s an acidic streak in the aromas, reminiscent of cider apples, with herbal and floral hints also. And those orchard notes come through too on the mild palate which is bright, fresh (strikingly so) and pleasant, a harmonious matching of fruit and acidity, and then an excellent dry finish. Off the beaten track, just like the place it comes from. 

Very Highly Recommended.

 

An excellent match for fish, shellfish, vegetable dishes and cured meats, tapas also and fine too as an aperitif. Serve chilled, but not too cold – 8 to 10 degrees is optimum. So take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you crack it open. At 11.5 %, this is dangerously drinkable.

Interestingly, this particular wine is made from a single vineyard, very old bush vines in a very wild parcel. And there’s a low yield from older Garnacha Blanca vines. 

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Check my growing list of top wines for 2023

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The label info sums it up well: Single Vineyard. Made in Amphora. Low Intervention. Unfiltered. Limited Edition.

Here’s a little tip. If you are on the lookout for this, you could easily make an error as they have three wines with very similar labels. Don’t worry though if you the mistake; it will be a happy one, as all three - the Clarete (Garnacha & Garnacha Blanca), the red (Garnacha) and the white (Garnacha Blanca) - are excellent.

Beautiful Garciano Red Wine From The Badlands. “like two souls merged in a single body”.

Beautiful Garciano Red Wine From The Badlands.

 “like two souls merged in a single body”.

Azul y Garanza “Garciano” 2020 Navarra DO, 14%, 

RRP €17. Stockists:The Vintry , Dublin. Connemara Hamper, Clifden. 

Little Green Grocer, Kilkenny. Ardkeen Grocery Store, Waterford. Mannings , Ballylickey. Quay Co-Op, Cork. Wunderkaffee, Farran, Co. Cork. Real Olive Co. Macroom Dairy & Dublin. Taste, Castletownbere. Harrington's, Ardgroom, Beara. 
Sonas, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick. Mary Pawle Wines.

The label is rather spiritual here: In Garciano, delicate Garnacha and indomitable Graciano find perfect harmony, like two souls merged in a single body. That explains the two-headed animal, sheep and predator, on the label. The other line is more down  down to earth then: Fermented in concrete tank.

But, never fear, it is an excellent wine, in keeping with the Azul y Garanza reputation. Importer Mary Pawle: “A great favourite with our customers, this delicious, well balanced wine is a blend of the fruity and spicy Garnacha and the subtle acidity of Graciano grapes. Medium bodied and guaranteed to please.”

It comes from the edge of a desert to the south with the foothills of the Pyrenees to the north. The desert, in Navarra, is the Bardenas Reales. The wine is a blend of 60% Garnacha & 40% Graciano, a blend that has spent six months in French oak.

Aromas of this mid-ruby wine are quite complex with fresh raspberry and blackberry prominent on the nose. The fruity and spicy Garnacha with the “subtle acidity” of the Graciano make a great match as you can sense on the palate where it is quite intense, berry and  plum, spicy but smooth and balanced. The wine is Very Highly Recommended.

It comes from an amazing area, the Bardenas Reales, a semi-desert or badlands. The very poor and arid clay-calcareous soil, the dry weather and the big contrast of temperature between the day and the night provide grapes with high concentration and a perfect balance and also offers distinctive character and great expression.

Azul y Garanza are organic but go further, planting fruit trees and native aromatic plants around the vineyards. “Working this way, we break the monoculture and we create a wider eco-system. Also, we kept the forested areas close to the vines which are important, among other reasons, as a refuge for animals. All of this allows us to configure the mosaic of the landscape, bringing heterogeneity and developing its biodiversity.”

Navarra is neighboured by Rioja to the West and by Aragon to the East with France beyond the Pyrenees to the North and its major red grapes are Tempranillo and Garnacha. Garnacha is also a leading grape in Aragon and, under its French name Grenache, is a key player in the GSM blends ff the Rhone Valley. And it has yet another name in Sardinia where it is widely planted and known as Cannonau.

A Duo Of Excellent Whites From North-West Spain. Monterrei and Rias Baixas

 A Duo Of Excellent Whites From North-West Spain

Via Arxéntea Godello Y Treixadura Monterrei (DO) 2021, 13% ABV, €17.80 MacCurtain Wine Cellar

This is a Spanish white wine with a marked varietal character. Made with Godello and Treixadura, both native Galician varieties, to transmit those aromas and flavours that our land, climate and fruits are capable of producing. 

That’s part of the info on the label of this blend produced by Via Arxéntea in Monterrei in North West Spain.

It has a bright yellow colour and it is certainly aromatic, apple, peach (especially) and mango to the fore; notes of citrus also. The intensity is also evident on the palate where flavours are bold but balanced by an excellent acidity. There is a long and fruity aftertaste, with a faint sweet sensation never too far away. 

Serve at 8-11º degrees and pair with cooked fish, grill, seafood rice, squid a la plancha and vegetable dishes. Very Highly Recommended. 

The DO Monterrei is in the province of Ourense, close to the Portuguese border. Most of its wine is white and most of that is based on Godello (which is also called Verdello); other varieties of white grapes here are the autochthonous Doña Blanca  and Treixadura.

Godello is quite possibly the most scented of the newly fashionable white varieties in Spain’s far north-west, according to Grapes and Wines. “Almost extinct in the 1970s, it is now flourishing in Valdeorras.” Valdeorras is also in Ourense.

Early ripening Treixadura is one of the grapes that blends well with Godello. In Portugal, where it is called Tradajura, it adds crisp, citrus characters to Vinho Verde.

The MacCurtain Wine Cellar, owned by Trudy Ahern and Sean Gargano, is essentially a wine shop where you may select your purchases from a huge wall of wine. Don't worry though, you'll have lots of excellent advice, given with knowledge and a rare enthusiasm, not to mention charm. 

If you wish to drink on the premises, that is no problem in the evenings. And while wine is their priority, they also provide some very tasty small plates and sharing boards as well. Such a poremises is known as a Cave à Manger in France.

There is a the fantastic range, all organic, biodynamic or natural. I picked the Godello and Treixadura blend from Monterrei while Sean suggested the Celler del Roure Cullerot Blanco (toi feature in a later post!). He was very enthusiastic about this winemaker and about the future of wines from the Valencia area.

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Almirante “Vanidade” Albariño Rias Baixas (DO) 2020, 

13% ABV,  €15.95 Bradleys.

Did you know that we Irish are the fourth largest importers of Albariño in the world? It comes from our Celtic cousins in Galicia, in Spain’s Rias Baixas region. It has all happened quickly and relatively recently.  

“It is a young industry,” said Lynne Coyle MW, one of our hosts at a Rias Baixas Tasting in L’Atitude during the summer. “In 1975 there were just 200 hectares of Albariño here, now there are over 4,000, lots of small holdings.

Val de Salnés is the main region. And it is from here and its granite soil that this wine by Vina Almirante comes. That ocean influence is evident in this dry crisp and elegant wine.

The Vanidade has a beautiful and inviting gold colour. Citrus and peach notes in the aromas. Those fruits also feature on the intensely flavoured palate, fresh and zesty, no shortage of acidity,  with a slightly salty tang, plus the starting fruit all the way through to a clean and refreshing finish.  

You don’t get many poor  examples of Albariño but this is outstanding and you are thinking straightaway of matching it with seafood and white fish. See for yourself why Albariño became so popular so quickly. Very Highly Recommended.

Vanidade translates as vanity. I’m very happy with this one and so too are the producers: “Very tasty, very good, wonderful. This is Vanidade, a wine of which we are particularly proud. Both because its organoleptic properties and tasting ratings, and because it’s a champion of cultural change in our time.”

Vain? Proud? Not you? Take a look at the producers site where they have a vanity test ready and waiting. Up for a bit of fun? Click here.”

Importers Findlaters tell us that Vina Almirante is one of the most important wineries in North West Spain. “Its properties are in the borough of Portas in the Caldas de Reis region situated in the northern part of Salnes Valley. These legendary vineyards, which extend over the 35 hectares, are treated with tender loving care and in keeping with state-of-the-art wine growing techniques. The wines.., are distinguished by the faithful reflection of a late autumn harvest, giving rise to a macerated wine endowed with brilliant notes of freshness, elegance and an intense flavour that’s sure to please even the most demanding of palates.”

Found Two Beauties For You. An Italian Verduzzo and A Spanish Garnatxa.

GIOL Verduzzo Marca Trevigiana (IGT), 12%, 

RRP c. €14.00 Taste, Castletownbere// Little Green Grocer , Kilkenny// Mary Pawle

This organic and vegan wine, part of the vineyard’s 1950 series, is made from a local grape Verduzzo. This off-dry white (15 g/L) has a cork closure, quite a pop when extracted. And quite a lot of bubbles on the surface for a short while. 

Colour is a weak straw yellow with definite green tinges. Aromas are on the shy side, hints of peach just about making it to the fore. Fresh on the palate with peach sweetness and citrus tartness and a bubbly tingle on the tongue. Pleasant indeed and Highly Recommended. Not the longest of finishes but an agreeable one with a nice bit of citrus in attendance.

I can agree with the producer’s suggestions to pair it “with spring herbal dishes, with pizza, it is pleasant between meals, delicious with desserts and sweets. Serve at 10-12 degrees.”

They say: For nearly 600 years, our winery has placed an emphasis on nature, quality and beauty. Our family’s long experience is apparent in our esteemed wines. Since 1987, we have been producing wine from grapes grown in our historic vineyards using organic farming methods, respecting both the environment and the raw ingredients.Vegan wines are intact and pure products of the highest quality. They are preferable for their high digestibility and more natural taste. 

Verduzzo enjoyed considerable fame here in the past, later obscured by the arrival of international vines, it is now almost completely abandoned: very few producers continue the cultivation of this variety. “we vinify it in purity, giving life to a very pleasant product that deserves much more consideration than it has been granted up to now.” 

The late harvest of the grapes is done manually (towards the end of September). The production includes the following phases: crushing and destemming, soft pressing, static decanting of the musts, racking and inoculation with selected yeasts. Then the controlled cold fermentation takes place at 14 °. At the end of fermentation, the wine is decanted and maintained on its noble lees with periodic batonage, to then move on to bottling.

Marca Trevigiana IGT is just one of several IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) titles used in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy. A Marca Trevigiana IGT wine may be made in any one of various styles: red, white or rosé, blend or varietal and still, frizzante or sweet. 

DIT Cellar “Cabirol” Monsant (DO) 2018, 14.5%

RRP €16 Stockists: Lettercollum Kitchen in Clonakilty// The Olive Branch in Clonakilty// Mannings Emporium, Ballylickey// Connemara Hamper, Clifden// Mortons of Galway// Mary Pawle 

From the first certified organic winery in Montsant, comes Cabirol, a tasty and intensely fruity wine. It is a deep colour, more or less purple. Aromas are also intense, a melange of small black and red fruits fruits and a whiff of peppery spice. Spice and vibrant fruit (cherry and blackberry) appear too on an immediately engaging palate and there is a racy acidity; everything is in balance, smooth and elegant with a similar finish. Cabirol, complex and with good length,  is Very Highly Recommended.

It isn’t uncommon to see a Cabirol (a European deer) when you are ascending (or descending) through the vines in the Llaberia mountains where this wine is born. The vineyard, 20 to 75 years old, is located in the natural park, surrounded by forest. Every summer afternoon, a wind coming from the Mediterranean called “Marinada” cools down the temperature and helps give to the wines a special freshness.

DiT Cabirol is made by Danni of the Azul y Garanza trio and is his personal project. It is Garnatxa but with some Syrah, % depending on the year. 

Valleys of wine. Check out this excellent duo from the Loire and the Ebro

From the valleys of wine. Check out this excellent duo from the Loire and the Ebro

Azay le Rideau

Marie Thibault Le Grolleau Vin de France 2019, 13.5%

€26.95  64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Grolleau, often regarded as the workhorse vine of the Loire, is seldom used on its own. 

However, according to Wine-Searcher.com, if yields are kept low, “Grolleau can produce a

light yet vibrant red wine, with herbaceous, 

sour-cherry flavors. Many of these are vinified as natural wines, although this is more to do with modern winemaking trends in the Loire than it is to do with the qualities of the variety itself.”

Le Grolleau comes from Azay le Rideau and this is where Marie Thibault does her stuff. Colour is mid to dark ruby. The rather intense aromas feature cherry and berries. It is light bodied and there’s a clean refreshing acidity on the palate along with much the same fruit flavours and that refreshing theme, along with a little spice, goes right through to the longer than expected finish. 

A delicious vin de soif, which essentially means unpretentious wines that are measured not by their complexity, length or ageeability but by the joy and refreshment they provide. Very Highly Recommended.

Marie Thibault grew up in the Loire Valley and began in 2002 working with François Chidaine in Montlouis, falling in love with Chenin Blanc there and making wine under her own name in 2004. She purchased her own estate in 2010 and converted to organics immediately. She has been certified with Ecocert since 2014. She works with Côt (Malbec), Gamay, Grolleau, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon blanc. Most of her vines are at least 50 years old.    

Marie also buys some grapes from organic estates close by, which she herself harvests and vinifies in her cellar. Her husband is Frantz Saumon, another fantastic natural grower in the area, his wines also available from Le Caveau and their stockists. Marie’s wines see no additives other than a tiny addition of S02 before bottling, if any is added at all.

Viña Albergada Rioja Alavesa (DOC) 2016, 13%

€11.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Made by the same producers of the Albizu Tempranillo that we had a few weeks ago, this Tempranillo has a dark cherry colour, though maybe not quite as vibrant as it was back in 2018 when I enjoyed this same vintage last.

The red fruit aromas are a little less intense than previously. The palate though may be better.  It is attractively juicy and fruity, with a touch of spice, very good acidity, quite refreshing. And the finish is good and long. 

Highly Recommended.  This easy-drinking style of Rioja offers great value-for-money. Great too, they hint, as an aperitif with tapas. Other suggestions include queen scallops and chorizo or pan-fried garlic chicken with sun-dried tomatoes. And, just like the Albizu, it is one of those versatile reds that may be tried chilled.

Tip: Look out for a more up to date vintage than the 2016.

A White and a Rosé to savour this season

A White and a Rosé to savour this season

Terras Gauda, Abadia de San Campio Albarino, Rías Baixas (DO) 2019, 12.5% abv

€20.95 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

My first introduction to this particular wine came with the 2011 vintage which arrived on the doorstep just as I was heading off to Hendaye on the French/Spanish border. I brought a few bottles with me - talk about bringing coals to Newcastle. I was very impressed and rated it Very Highly Recommended. Lots of Albarino since then, including one in Nerua (in Bilbao) during that holiday!

And, glad to say, this 2019 is up there with the best of them, Very Highly Recommended again! Aromas are intense, tropical fruit (mostly mango and pineapple). And there’s amazing power and balance on the palate, “the intensity of taste of a harvest of well-ripened grapes”, as they say themselves, is balanced by a vibrant acidity. And the finish is persistent and pleasant all the way.

 

Le Caveau are obviously enthusiastic about it: Abadia de San Campio Albarino is such a lovely white..No sign of oak, the wine is therefore as pure and bright as a whistle.. Served with tuna steaks, it works brilliantly. Ideal with seafood, shellfish (Percebes!), fish... or almost anything coming out of the Atlantic.

 

Vintage 2019 all came right in the end as there was an “excellent ripening of the grapes, offering us a broad, concentrated and very lively Albarino”.

Back in 2012, as is the case now, ageing was not recommended. Quite a few experts, such as Hugh Johnson, were giving Albarino the DYA designation, meaning drink youngest available! You’ve been warned!

The producers recommend serving between 10 and 12 degrees with shellfish, oysters, clams, crabs and enjoy with spicy Asian cuisine.

Located in the O Rosal valley, in Galicia, Terras Gauda is notable for owning around 85% of its own vineyards; the remainder of the grapes are provided under strict quality control agreements with local growers.

Antica Enotria Contessa Staffa Rosato Puglia (IGP) 2019, 13% 

€18.25 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

The colour, more a red rose (close to pomegranate) than a pink rose, is what catches the eye with this Italian rosé from Puglia. It is a blend, Nero di Troia (85%) with Montepulciano. Aromas are rather intense - strawberry and cherry. It is light and lively on the palate, with a crisp and refreshing acidity, yet full of flavour with a good balance and a reasonably long finish. It is one of the drier rosés around, also that bit different to the French rosés, and Highly Recommended.

Contessa Staffa Rosato is the Mediterranean wine par excellence, with a strong restorative power on hot summer days. Yet it is liked for its versatility in the kitchen. It should be served cool, usually around 10 ° -12 ° C, so that it can express all its aromas and give soft and round sensations in the mouth.

With what to combine it? Almost with everything! It is an excellent aperitif, an obvious combination with cold cuts; with sushi it is a must; but try it with a soup or fried fish; with any first course, it is the king of summer cold dishes. Perfect for chicken and veal tuna salads; the roundness and softness make it the ideal companion for many spices.

Raffaele di Tuccio bought this run-down farmhouse (dating back to the 1700’s) in 1985 and over the past 30 years has worked tirelessly with his wife, Antonia, and son, Luigi, to bring the property back to life. Sadly Raffaele passed away in late 2020. the care of the farm and vineyards are now in the hands of Antonia and Luigi.