Wine & Words

From the mountainous Pyrenees border with France to the Straits of Gibraltar, the gateway to the Mediterranean, Spain is a country, literally, of ups and downs. It is the second most mountainous country in Europe, after Switzerland. From a grape growing and winemaking point of view, this up and down nature means there are lots of microclimates. The weather varies depending on altitude and proximity to the ocean, and the soil varies depending on which particular geological wrinkle a specific plot occupies. But the main division from a wine aficionado’s point of view is between the relatively wet and cold continental climate of northern Spain and the relatively dry and warm Mediterranean climate of the south. That’s how we’ll divide our month-long tour of some of Spain’s many wine regions.
 
From the Coast of “Green Spain”
We begin in the greenest of “green Spain” in the autonomous region of Galicia, far to the northwest of the capital Madrid, on the rugged coast of the Bay of Biscay, just north of the border with Portugal. Here is where we find our first wine...
Eidosela Albariño - Rias Baixas Regular Price $16.60/ Feature Price $13.28
I wrote about this wine last March when we introduced it. I had to include it in our Spanish review because, as I wrote on the shelf talker in the store, Albariño “is simply the best Spanish white wine...period.” It’s always worth another look.
According to the Wines of Spain website, the marketing plan of the wine producers of Rias Baixas has led to a 116% increase in exports to the U.S. in the past five years. The region’s marketing manager attributes this success to “a fabulous variety - Albariño- which results in a wine of great versatility that can be served at lunch or dinner and that pairs with all types of food in the American market, from sushi to Mexican and Latin American.” We’ll definitely drink to that!
 
Along the Rio Ebro
Spain has over 2.9 million acres planted in grape vines—making it the most widely planted wine grape producing nation in the world, but it is only the third largest producer of wine, behind Italy and France. This is due, in part, to the very low yields and wide spacing of the old vines planted on the dry, infertile soil found in many Spanish wine regions. It is no surprise, then, that many of Spain’s most well-known winemaking areas are along the main rivers that flow down to the sea from the high plateau known as the Meseta Central that occupies much of the center of the country.
One of the best known of these is the Rio Ebro that originates in the high country of Rioja and flows eastward to the Mediterranean through several Catalan wine regions. Rioja is probably the best known of all Spanish wine regions, and we love the wines from there. But we’ve covered them extensively and will come back to them again and again. This month, we want to feature a wine from lower down the Ebro in a region known as Campo de Borja. This is a transition zone between the mountains of the Sistema Ibérico and the river plains. The climate is continental, with Atlantic influences during the winter, notably a cold, dry wind from the northeast. In the summer, there is a Mediterranean influence. The temperature varies a great deal, both on a daily and on a seasonal basis. Annual rainfall is very low, only about 14 inches in the low-lying areas. The vineyards are planted on a series of plateaus at heights ranging between 1,200 to 2,500 feet above sea level.
Though wine has been made here since the ancient Romans introduced the first vines, the area was only recognised as a Denominación de Origen in 1980. The region has come a long way in the past 20 years. On July 1 of this year, the official organization of DO Campo de Borja showcased twelve wines made from the region’s native grape variety, Garnacha, at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse in Washington, DC. One of those featured was our selection from the region--Borsao Crianza Selección 2007.
Borsao Crianza Selección - Campo de Borja Regular Price $20/ Feature Price $16.00
We’ve had several other wines from Bodegas Borsao, including the very popularly priced Borsao red and the all-Garnacha Viña Borgia red, but this new one is the most upscale and elegant. The wine is a blend of 50% Garnacha, the region’s signature grape, with 25% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. The “selección” in the name means that the grapes were hand-selected from mountain vineyards of 20-40 years of age. Each variety was then vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks and blended to both highlight and balance the varietal characteristics. The “crianza” designation indicates that the wine has spent at least 6 months in oak, in this case 10 months in French Bordeaux (90%) and American (10%) oak barrels. That’s a lot of winemaking finesse, and the resulting product rated a 92 Point score from Wine Spectator magazine (which usually shows a definite preference for California wines).
The website for this wine says to serve it at 17° C. (63° F). Now that’s certainly cooler than “room temperature” at my house in the heat of summer. So I say a fruity red wine like this one should be chilled 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator before serving. You’ll find the coolness very refreshing in your mouth, as well as taming the “hot” sensation of a high alcohol wine like this one (14.5%).
This is a layered, well-balanced red with a very smooth and rich finish. If you haven’t tried Spanish reds before, it would be an excellent introduction.
 
Along the Rio Duero
Another of Spain’s great wine region rivers is the Duero, which originates in our next region, Ribera del Duero, then flows through Rueda, from where we get our crisp Verdejo, then on through Toro (home of our Dehesa Gago Tinto de Toro) then changes its name to “Douro” at the Portuguese border, running on to the Atlantic Ocean, where it empties at the town of Porto, the site of Portugal’s famous fortified wine of the same name. This surely makes the Duero valley one the great winemaking regions of the world.
 
Condado de Haza Tinto 2006 - Ribera del Duero Regular Price $34.50/ Feature Price $27.60
Ribera del Duero is located in Castilla-León in north central Spain. The valley is way above sea level but because it is a river valley, its temperature is moderated and, in addition, the thinner air means cool nights. That helps grow grapes that are intense and have wonderfully strong flavor. It also means a much longer growing season than would otherwise be possible. The resulting wines are powerful and currently are giving Rioja a run for its money.
In the mid-1980’s Alejandro Fernandez discovered an abandoned vineyard on a gentle south-facing slope of the Rio Duero. He believed it would be a perfect place to grow Tempranillo, the signature red grape of Spain that is known locally as “Tinto Fino.” It took three years of negotiations to purchase the land and the first wine wasn’t bottled until 1994. Now Alejandro’s flagship wine, this Condado de Haza Tinto, consistently rates point scores in the low 90’s. The wine is 100% estate-grown Tempranillo that is enriched through malolactic fermentation and then resting for 14 months in American oak barrels.
Yvonne and Mary and I tasted this wine against some of our Rioja Reservas, and it was a close call. After we let it breathe and open up a bit, however, there was no contest. We all decided we wanted to show you this wine as a classic example of premium Spanish red. It is rich and powerful, with a long, smooth finish; but it doesn’t call undue attention to itself. Instead, like most Spanish wines, it is proud to serve as an accompaniment to well-prepared foods and well-met friends.
 
Bodegas Shaya Verdejo - Rueda Regular Price $18.25/ Feature Price $14.60
Finally, our Douro River cruise takes us to the high, flat plain of Rueda (roo-AY-duh), about 170 km northwest of Madrid. The climate is Continental (long hot summers, cold winters) with some Atlantic maritime influences. Temperatures vary widely and can drop to just below freezing in winter and can reach 86° F. in summer, which is not as high as similar wine-producing regions in south central Spain. There is a risk of frost, freezing fog, high winds and hailstones in winter/spring. On the other hand there is only a very small possibility of drought.
Rueda is Verdejo (vair-DAY-ho) country. This white grape originated in North Africa and was brought to the Douro valley in the 11th Century. For years it was used to make oxidized, sherry-style wines until in the 1970’s the Marques de Riscal winery started making the crisp, dry whites that are now taking the wine world by storm.
This Bodegas Shaya Verdejo Old Vines (named for the Shaya deer, indigenous to the region) is truly a stunning white wine. It is 100% Verdejo from vines 75-112 years old. The wine is barrel-fermented and aged on the lees to give rich fruit notes to its striking minerality. Robert Parker of the Wine Advocate gave this 2009 vintage 91 Points. I don’t usually quote wine writers here, but Steven Tanzer of the International Wine Cellar had a wonderful description of the 2008 vintage of this wine:

“Intensely perfumed bouquet of Kaffir lime, lemon pith, mint and ginger, along with a subtle peppery undertone. Bracing and sharply focused, offering pure citrus and green apple flavors complemented by succulent herbs and spices. Finishes dry and precise, with the lime and ginger notes repeating."

Does the taste of “lime and ginger” suggest anything to you? That’s right...food! This wine will pair with a wide range of summer cuisine, from seafood to paella. That’s why DO Rueda is the second largest Spanish wine seller to the hospitality industry (after DO Rioja). It is a perfect example of the fact that Spanish wines were made to go with food. This is a fact that a lot of restaurant wine buyers haven’t yet discovered. Aren’t you glad you have the opportunity at Wine & Words and the Back Bay Cafe?
Next:  Wines of Southern and Mediterranean Spain