Wine & Words

Just got Issue 175 of Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and am very pleased to find two of the wines we tasted at the Heretat de Taverners winery are highly rated. The 2005 Graciano that we first tried at Canela y Clavo in Xativa is rated 90 Points, with the comment: "Forward, full-flavored, and layered, it is meant for near term gratification." And the 2005 Mallaura got 87 Points. Still working on getting these fine wines to downeast Carolina.

Utiel-Requena DO We visited this region, on the high elevation meseta just on the edge of Castilla-La Mancha. We drove between mountains from Xativa, west then north, into an area of extensive vineyards but left behind the fruit orchards, the olive trees, the cactus and rosemary of the Mediterranean climate. The temperature is Xativa was 15° C., while up in Utiel it never got above 8°, with a heavy, depressing cloud cover. We parked in front of a little workman’s café by the train station, got a quick café con leche, then went to check out the Museu de Vinos, located in an old bodega (winery).
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…being some notes on our wine experiences during our vacation in January.

Upon our arrival at the rented house just outside of Xativa, the owners had left us a bottle of “one of the local wines.” It was Baron de Turis Tinto Garnacha 2006 with a Valencia DO. It was a nice thought, but the wine was rather thin and uninteresting. Turns out we saw it at the local Mercadona for less than €2! Cheap plonk, indeed.
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We had been trying for several days to get El Bodegero (based on “the one who operates the bodega” – my translation of “Wine Guy”) to help us set up a visit in one of the local wineries.He had given me a phone number to call in Moixent, but I demurred, my phone Spanish not having the benefit of gestures, facial expression and written notes. We passed a big winery on the outskirts of Moixent and saw signs for others, but that was the day we had company with us, and we limited our visit to the Iberian village at Les Arcusses.
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Location