Our September blind tasting lunch followed a Spanish theme in both wines and food, and we had what will probably be our last outdoor event this year.
The food, prepared by various participants, was exceptional – crostini with red pepper and white anchovies, an excellent cold octopus based salad, and a paella that was exceptional.
I started it off with a starter wine
2021 Bodegas Muga Rioja Blanco – light colour, a clean citrus nose, and a clean refreshing starter wine.
Honario Rubio Anadas – 100% Viura grapes, made in a solera style and finished in French oak. Medium colour, light oak nose with some pineapple and Earl Grey tea, and a spicy lengthy finish. Very unusual wine! And a good one.
1991 Bodegas Tradicion 30 year Palo Cortado – excellent wine with great length, clean and tasty.
1991 López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Gran Riserva Viña Tondonia – light amber colour, nose of lemon with slight oxidative notes and impeccable balance. These wines bring ridiculous prices today but I have to say that it isn’t entirely unwarranted.
Williams & Humbert Jerez-Xérès-Sherry Jalifa Amontillado Solera Especial 30 Años Jalifa – another quite rare wine made on the solera method, I got both orange peel and a herbal hit in the nose. Fascinating wine that I’d probably have put in the fridge and worked away at for a week or so.
Then we went into the reds:
1996 Bodegas Alejandro Fernández Ribera del Duero Tinto Pesquera – from my cellar – the colour was lightening a bit and it showed a light berry nose, cherry and earthy hints. Smooth, complex and tasty (presented by my wife).
1996 Fernando Remírez de Ganuza Rioja Reserva – my wine, it showed a caramel nose, had a fairly dark colour, was very smooth on palate but seemed tired at the end. Over all not bad, but I’ll open another bottle tonight to see if that was a typical showing. The Pesquera was the clear winner of that duo.
2013 Hammeken Cellars Carignan Priorat Tosalet Vinyes Velles – this carignan based wine was dark, had some nice oaky notes in the nose and sweet fruit on palate. Very good - finished in French oak.
2010 Rioja Cune Gran Reserva- medium bodied elegant wine, almost French in presentation (it used French oak as well). In a blind tasting I might well have thought it to be a Bordeaux.
2008 La Rioja Alta Vina Ardanza - very dark wine with lots of American oak, mint in the nose and some dill. Smooth.
2017 Suertes del Marqués Valle de la Orotava El Esquilon – it seems that the Spanish will never use few words when many will do but this was doubly interesting because it was from the Canary Islands by a winery in Tenerife. It was quite interesting, showing medium colour and a seaside nose. It is made from Listán Negro grapes (also found in Peru) it s a medium to light weight red that was quite interesting, though I’d defy even an experience blind taster to pick it out of the pack. Relatively light weight like a Beaujolais.
The paella main course of duck and olives was made by one of our members (thanks, Jenise!)