A buying trip to Spain can involve an enormous amount of
driving. Covering off Rueda, Ribera del Duero and Rioja en route from Madrid to
Bilbao you get a real sense of the vastness of the Spanish countryside. Huge
sweeping vistas greet you as you crest a cleft in a hill, on almost empty roads
with arid dry rocky outcrops and fields of yellow wheat gently swaying in the
midday sun.
It is a big country and the third largest wine producing
country in the world, which is a tough stat to swallow when on home soil wine
consumption is at an all-time low. Anecdotally we were told that in fifteen
years average per capita consumption has dropped from around 45 lt/annum to
only 9 lt/annum, a fact many attribute to fashion amongst the younger
generation, as much as the burgeoning current economic crisis.
Well more fool them. And more for us. It really is no surprise that Spanish wines
find great favour abroad. They provide value sound options to consumers at just
about every price point, from entry level everyday wines right up to the very
upper echelons of worldwide production.
Owing to the diversity of wine Spain has to offer, our En Primeur
release comprises a variety of vintages. From 2012 we have the extraordinary
Ossian, a wine that marries minerality and richness to superb effect. Coming
from vines ranging from 140 – 265 years old, surely some of the oldest wine
producing vines on the planet, it’s a wine of nobility and intellect that
transcends the appellation of Rueda.
In 2011, most notably
we have the two new releases from Aalto, fast becoming one of Ribera del Duero’s and indeed Spain’s hottest properties. In Aalto and Aalto PS 2011
Mariano Garcia and Javier Zaccagnini have crafted two utterly seductive wines
that combine richness and generosity with silk textured freshness. It’s a highly compelling combination.
Further north in Senorio de San Vicente in Rioja the Eguren
family poured a selection of wines for us which once again proved just what a
class act this estate is across every level of production. Worth especially
looking out for are the 2010 Riojas which will go down as classics. At lunch
they kindly poured a 1994 San Vicente Rioja which was so gloriously youthful, sweet,
precise and refined it stopped this buyer in his tracks and was an amazing argument
for sticking these wines away, tempting as they are when young.
Also from 2010 we have the amazing wines of Mas Martinet –
2010 being a vintage every bit as serious in Priorat as it is in Rioja. As well
as her best ever Martinet Bru, Sarah Perez’ three highly individual crus offer
power combined with spellbinding delicacy and vibrancy. They are truly not to
be missed.
All in all there is a lot to be excited by in this Spanish
release. We very much look forward to seeing you at the tasting on the 2nd
September.
'Click here to view the 2013 En Primeur offer'
'Click here to view the 2013 En Primeur offer'
