Spanish Wine Month Sampler #1
Classic Spanish Whites
$113 Value for $90
Sampler includes 1 bottle each:
Barcava NV Brut Cava - Cava is Spain's version of Champagne, a sparkling wine with the secondary fermentation that creates the carbonation taking place in the bottle. The best ones can be as good and complex as anything coming out of France, but at a fraction of the cost. Barcava is one of our favorite "bang for the buck" bubblies that is a fantastic glass all on its own but priced to well enough that you don't have to sacrifice quality when making your favorite sparkling wine cocktail.
Brilliant, yellow straw with golden hue. abundant bubble detachment with persistent crown. Clean with good power in his nose, dominating fine aromas of long aging. Well balanced and quite dry on the palate with good presence of carbonation, marked and pleasant acidity, tasty, fairly smooth and long.
Agere Getariako Txakolina Rose - Txakolina is Spain's answer to Portugal's Vinho Verde, slightly spritzy wines that come in both white and rose, but typically taken up a notch with a little more complexity and drier with higher ABV.
This 100% Hondarribi Zuri from Agerre, third-generation wine growers in Getaria, is a classic Txakoli that will have you agreeing that Txakolina is one of the world's most refreshing types of wine. Fermented with native yeasts, so you get salty, earthy, delicate notes without the confected character that pervades Txakolis made with commercial yeasts. Lime blossoms, brine, savory minerals, a hint of sweet smoke and dried herbs, sea salt air, and green apple acidity invigorate the appetite.
Bodegas Pazo Pondal "Leira" Albarino - While not the most widely planted white varietal, Albarino is widely considered Spain's best indegenous white varietal, and this is one of our favorite examples under $20. The color is a pale, green-tinged yellow with a nose that is bright and sharply focused, displaying incisive Meyer lemon, honeysuckle, quinine and mineral scents, along with a hint of ginger in the background. On the palate is it is dry, taut and light on its feet, offering intense, mineral-laced citrus and orchard fruit flavors that show no excess weight. Closes on a spicy note, displaying strong, floral-tinged persistence.
Martinsancho Verdejo - Albarino may be considered the region's "best" varietal and Airen the most widely planted, but the Iberian Penisula is home to hundreds of distinct grape varietals, many of which can make outstanding wines worthy of attention. Verdejo is the main white varietal of the Rueda region, and you can think of Verdejo as a fuller-bodied and more aromatic Sauvignon Blanc.
Aromas of peachy, flowers and passion fruit leading to a palate that yields a very tropical and expressive style. The flavor profile is a stony mineral and juicy yellow grapefruit blend with notes of ginger, white peach, and quince. A little air opens hints of tarragon and other savor herbs with a finis that is mineral-driven and quite refreshing.
La Perla Rioja Blanco - La Perla's vineyards are in the most northern part of the Alta region of Rioja. This northerly positioning, along with the talents of winemakers Luis and Eva, creates tasty wines with complexity and interest. Their Rioja Blanco is a blend of Viura and Malvasia from the estate's 40+ year old vineyard. A bouquet of white flowers, ripe mandarins, banana, orange peel and citrus fruit with a subtle hint of passion fruit lead into a deeply complex palate, layered with chamomile, dried almonds, salted peaches and light caramel.
Vinos del Viento Garnacha Blanca - Vinos del Viento is the brainchild of Michael Cooper, a native of Santa Barbara who made Spain his home in 2002 when he moved to the country to be with his Spanish wife, Rosario. Michael prides himself in being a “vine-hunter”- he has made it his mission to seek out high-altitude, old-vine, dry-farmed vineyards, which of which house century-old indigenous vines. This Garnacha Blanca is from a single vineyard at high altitude, a mountain vineyard, hand-harvested and then vinified in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks to preserve the purity of fruit. Primary aromas of lime and lemon, cut grass, peppery rocket lead into subtle notes of jasmine and hints of cantaloupe melon. The palate is dry and refreshing in the mouth, coursing with fresh stone fruit and citrus flavors with a persistent juicy and slightly creamy finish.
750ml x 6
