Blind tasting dinner notes – Iberian theme:
2005 Estecello Blanco (Catalyud) – this Maccabeo was somewhat darker than expected in colour, had quite a sweet nose, some sweetness in the mouth, and was an unpretentious little wine.
2004 Sogrape Reserva Bianco (Douro) – a Portuguese reserve white made from the equivalent of Albarino in Spain, this wine showed some class along with some oak. Smooth, soft and tasty.
1991 Montecillo Gran Reserva Rioja – nice pure oak and fruit nose, with some black olive, medium bodied with high terminal acidity that worked with food but was bit too much on it’s own. Good.
1998 Fonseca Garraferia ‘FSF’ – this one was a blend of Trincadeira, Syrah and Tannat(!). It showed a very attractive dark fruit and licorice nose, soft entry, good balance, lush and long. Good now and for some years. A winner.
2000 Quinta do Crasto Riserva – perhaps the best vintage made of this wine to that date. 70 year old vines from a single estate, mixed French and American oak, bottled without filtration. Sweet dark nose, vanilla and plum, and smooth on palate with good length. Hitting prime time now.
1996 Muga Prado Enea Rioja Gran Riserva – again, lots of sweet oak in the nose, but it turned to a powdered sugar sort of nose, and would not have been identifiable as Rioja had it been served in another setting. Very un-Rioja-like, I thought.
2003 Niepoort Redoma – Dirk Niepoort has been championing dry reds made in a Port region from Port varietals and it certainly seems to work. Dark wine with an intense sweet nose (all this ‘sweet’, it should be understood, comes from oak, not sugars). Also sweet and hefty on palate with yes, yet more oak presence. Excellent length. This one is just starting to drink well. Nice wine.
1978 Muga Prado Enea Gran Riserva Rioja – a delight to share a well aged bottle of old style Rioja. The nose had white pepper and black olive (the wood was FINALLY integrated) and it was elegant and smooth with great length. The only really traditional Rioja of the night.
1983 Smith Woodhouse Port – warm and oddly minty nose, not quite melded together, seeming young and very tasty. I’d leave this awhile yet. Makes me wonder why I bought the 2000 and when I’ll be able to drink it.
1968 Krone Colheita – this one was a lot of fun. Hot nose, pale colour, and a Sherry like nose made us wonder exactly what we were drinking. Nose of a fino, colour of a tawny Port, an interesting old wine holding up brilliantly.
A night without one dud wine – in fact they were all very interesting.