WTN: Mas La Plana 94, Muga 01, Ondarre 01, Crasto 04, Oremus 83

Notes from Spanish wine dinner at Cirkulo with the usual suspects.

Costa de Oro Estate Chardonnay 2003 - Santa Maria Valley California. Medium gold. Smooth and silky. Very fruity. There's oak but just the right amount. Some orange character as well. Very friendly.

Torres Mas La Plana 1994 - Starts out soft but very tannic in the finish. Pruney. Unbalanced. Definitely in decline. Drink it up fast.

Muga Rioja Crianza 2001 - Cherry. Good fruit. Vibrant, creamy. Real easy to drink. Nice.

Mayor de Ondarre Rioja Reserva 2001 - Menthol, fruity, some spice. Firm structure which makes it a good match for hearty food. Some baking spices like clove, cinammon etc. Very nice.

Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines 2004 - Not Spanish but at least Iberian. Very dark. Slightly oaky. Chocolate on the nose. Sweet, modern, fruity. Could age a bit more but quite drinkable now. A very good wine but somehow lacks a sense of place.

Oremus Tokaji Aszu Essencia 1983 - Obviously not Spanish but owned by Vega Sicilia. Raisins, prunes and Christmas pudding. A bit of caramel and marmalade on the finish. Very fresh, smooth, balanced and complex. Remarkably young tasting. This can age a very long time. Outstanding and unanimous choice as WOTN.

Jay wrote........Quinta do Crasto Reserva Old Vines 2004 - Not Spanish but at least Iberian. Very dark. Slightly oaky. Chocolate on the nose. Sweet, modern, fruity. Could age a bit more but quite drinkable now. A very good wine but somehow lacks a sense of place.

Interesting thought, have some in the cellar plus one `02/`03. I have suggested we think of considering Douro in upcoming Wine Focus??

That Mas La Plana bottle was obviously damaged - this wine is nowhere near decline. And Quinta do Crasto Reserva has a huge sense of place IMHO - a place called the Upper Douro.

I really liked the '04 Crasto Old Vines that I tried this summer. I expect it will be one of my top ten wines for the year. It led me to buy a few of the Maria Teresas but I'm sitting on those.