Showing posts with label Macabeo. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Macabeo. Show all posts

Monday, December 28, 2020

Cava Sparkles, Delights

Vilarnau is a Spanish cava house located outside Barcelona.  I understand they date back to the 1940s, although their parent company goes back much further.  Manuel María González Ángel founded his sherry winery in 1835, then joined up with his English agent Robert Blake Byass.  Importer Gonzalez Byass continues today under the descendents of Señor González.  They sell a large variety of wines, like the cavas of Vilarnau.  The bottles are wrapped in the avant-garde garden design of Antoni Gaudi

The Cava Vilarnau Brut Reserve was made from 50% Macabeo grapes, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel.lo.  Aging in the bottle took place over 15 months.  Alcohol is quite restrained, at 11.5% abv, while the retail price is an easy $15.

This sparkling wine from Spain has as much on the nose as it does in the bubbles.  Peach and Meyer lemon aromas mix with toasty notes, while the bubbles froth up nicely - although they do dissipate quickly.  The palate is fresh and alive, with lemon, minerals and bit of orange peel for a festive flavor.

The Cava Vilarnau Rosé Délicat Réserva combines 85% Garnacha grapes with 15% Pinot Noir.  Alcohol sits at 12% abv and the price tag is $16 .

This sparkler colors up in a beautiful salmon orange.  The nose has a cherry note added to the peach and lemon.  The toasty aspect is gorgeous, the acidity is lively and fresh and the finish is long and vibrant.  This is a great bubbly for the holidays.


Friday, March 30, 2018

The Earth Of Spain, With Bubbles

Vilarnau is a cava House located outside Barcelona.  I understand they date back to the 1940s, although their parent company goes back much further.  Manuel María González Ángel founded his sherry winery in 1835, then joined up with his English agent Robert Blake Byass.  Gonzalez Byass continues today under the descendents of Señor González.  They sell a large variety of wines, like the cavas of Vilarnau.  The wines are crafted by winemakers Damià Deàs and Eva Plazas.

This bottling is the winery's Trencadis Edition.  "Trencadis" is a style of mosaic art that utilizes small fragments of glassware.  You see the style emulated in the wrapper that covers the bottle, the avant-garde design of Antoni Gaudi

This delightful Vilarnau Brut Reserva non-vintage cava is made from  50% Macabeo grapes, 35% Parellada and 15% Xarel-lo.  Wine Enthusiast says you can say "zuh-REL-o" and not embarrass yourself too much.  The trio of Spanish grapes are typically used to make the sparkling treat.  The bubbly is aged from 15 months to two years in the bottle.  Alcohol tips in at a low, low 11.5% abv and it sells for $15.

The bubbles disappear quickly, but they're a blast for the short time they hang around.  Once they go away, the yeasty nose comes on strong and brings tons of citrus and minerals with it.  The mouth is full and dry, with earth and Meyer lemon to flavor the palate.  There are minerals aplenty.  Yeast and dirt linger on the finish for a long time.


Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Cava: Fun In A Bottle

Made from Spanish varieties, the Segura Viudas Brut Réserve Heredad Cava consists of Macabeo (67%) and Parellada (33%) grapes. They are grown at estate vineyards in the Penedès region outside of Barcelona. The estate - or, heredad - dates back an actual millennium. The bubbly wine is light on its feet at 12% abv and comes in a decorative bottle with pewter embellishments. It's a heavy bottle, too, and can stand in as a doorstop when the party’s over. It’s imported by Freixenet, if that makes a difference to you. That's a pretty reliable name for Spanish sparklers.

The wine is made from nine different cuvées, vinified separately then blended. Aging takes place over 30 months, which means it takes three years to make this wine, grape to glass.

It's a fun sparkler that sits pale in the glass and smells of lemons and limes, with none of the toasty notes one gets in a Champagne. That's not the only difference between Cava and Champagne, either. Check the prices. The palate does show some earthiness along with the citrus, apples and minerals, which are dominant.


Monday, August 17, 2015

Backyard BBQ Bubbly

Segura Viudas Gran Cuvée Reserva is a wine made by the folks at Freixenet as an effort to support Spain’s ancient local grapes, Macabeo and Parellada. The cuvée is a blend of nine different base wines.  A bit of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is added, for better acidity. The blend is produced only when all the proper terroir conditions are in alignment.

Gran Cuvée Reserva is aged for 15 months on the lees - in contact with the used yeast cells. Lower than usual dosage - addition of sugar - so the base wines are given a chance to shine, which they do. The grapes are 85% Macabeo and Parellada, 15% Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Alcohol sits at a reasonable 12% abv and the wine sells for less than $10. It’s an amazing value.

This cava was poured for a small group at a backyard birthday BBQ, and it was a real crowd-pleaser. Aromas of peach and toast lead to flavors of honeysuckle and pineapple. It is light and festive with bubbles which dissipate quickly. The wine is fruity enough, but comes with a very earthy complexity which I find captivating.

This complex bubbly can be paired with all fish, ceviche, avocado and sushi dishes. You can also look to braised meats and aged cheeses for pairing ideas. Or birthday cake.


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Friday, December 13, 2013

The Top Ten (12) Holiday Wines At Whole Foods Market: The Second Four

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for the Whole Foods Market Top Ten (12) list of holiday wines. If you have stopped in to Whole Foods recently, you have probably noticed the display in the wine department and you may have even been tempted to pick up a bottle or two.  Each wine on the list is priced below $25 and each is hand selected by the WFM wine folks as a winner for holiday parties, gift-giving and feasting.  There were so many good wines to choose from, the top ten list became a Top 12 list this year.

WFM also sponsored a pair of Twitter tasting events featuring their holiday wines, which were fun, interesting and informative.  The first one was back before Thanksgiving while the other just happened, just in time for Christmas.  The December lineup featured singer/songwriter/musician Mat Kearney chatting about his Napa red blend, Verse and Chorus.  You can check out the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WFMWine.



Here is a list of the twelve wines.  My thoughts on the first eight wines are given, and I’m including the WFM descriptions on the other four to help steer you in the direction you want to go. “*” indicates a wine available only at Whole Foods Markets.


Here are the four wines were covered in December 2013

*Roger d’Anoia Cava, Spain $9.99
This Cava - the Spanish term for sparkling wine - is produced by Freixenet, who have made more bubbles than Lawrence Welk.  The grapes used for it are exotic for most American eyes: 60% Xarel-lo, 30% Macabeo, 10% Parellada.

Frothy big bubbles dissipate quickly.  A lovely nose shows a fruit spread of apples, nectarines and tangerines.  On the palate, things are fresh and refreshing.  The sparkler is fruity without getting too sweet and there is not a trace of funk in it.  It is a pleasant wine - maybe even a little simple for some - but it should be a hit as a holiday aperitif or with a cheese plate.  With only 11.5% abv, the alcohol won't wear anyone out.

*Skouras Anassa 2012, Greece $11.99
From the large peninsula of Peloponnesos comes a white wine that is breathtaking.  Peloponnesos is connected to the northern part of Greece by only a narrow isthmus and a bridge, so it is very nearly an island.  George Skouras established his winery in Argos in the 1980s and uses grapes grown in his vineyards as well as fruit from neighboring growers.

Anassa is made from 70% Moscofilero and 30% Viognier grapes and is bottled under a screw cap.  Alcohol is quite moderate at only 12.5%.

This straw-yellow wine smells outrageous.  Huge salinity, great citrus, minerals galore - white wines from Greece are simply amazing, this one particularly so.  Some floral notes add complexity to a noise that needs no help in that area.  On the palate, more savory saltiness joins a wide swath of Meyer lemon and a mid-tempo acidity.  It can't miss with fish - the fishier the better - and it turned a handful of roasted, unsalted cashews into a banquet.  Since Kalamata is over on the other side of Peloponnesos from Argos, you might serve it with a olive plate.


*Santa Julia Innovacion Bonarda Cabernet Sauvignon 2013, Argentina $9.99 (1 liter)
This wine is a big ol' bargain.  This one liter bottle gives you an extra glass of wine - two if you are a restaurant.  Three if you are the really cheap, lousy restaurant down the street with the tiny pours.

Bonarda is a great grape.  It should probably be the national grape of Argentina instead of Malbec.  The grapes for this wine come from Mendoza and are sustainable farmed.  The wine is labeled as "vegan friendly."

Dark in color and rather brooding on the nose, this wine shows plummy aromas over a layer of tobacco.  The palate is rich and smooth, with a tart raspberry edge.  It's a great wine to sip, with soft tannins and only 13% abv.

*Mat Kearney Verse & Chorus Napa Valley Red 2012, California $24.99
This rich Bordeaux-style wine is the product of a collaboration of musician Mat Kearney, Peju Winery and the John Anthony family.  It’s a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, all grown in the Napa Valley.  The 15.1% alcohol number sounds high, but doesn't play that way.  Billed on the "record label" which adorns the bottle as "Long Playing, High Fidelity," you'll want two glasses so you can enjoy it in stereo.

The wine shows a nice, dark ruby in the glass and displays great aromas of plums and cherries enveloped in vanilla.  The palate has gorgeous red fruit unfolding into layers of pencil lead, eucalyptus, mocha, cinnamon and nutmeg.  It opens up beautifully and shows wonderful hints of tar with a bit of time.  If this wine doesn’t bring the holidays home to you, be ready for a visitation from three ghosts on Christmas Eve.


These four wines were covered in November 2013

*Grace Lane Yakima Valley Riesling 2011, Washington $9.99
Washington state is known for, among other grapes, Riesling, and here is one from Yakima Valley that registers "medium-dry" on the Riesling scale and barely hits 12.1% abv in alcohol.  Yakima Valley was Washington's first American Viticultural Area, and is part of the larger Columbia Valley AVA.  Nearly half the wine grapes in Wahington come from this beautiful region in the southern part of the state and the grow a lot of other fruit there, too.  Not to mention hops - 80% of America's supply of that crucial beer ingredient are grown there.

The Grace Lane Riesling is a very light, clear golden color and features great aromas of Granny Smith apples and peaches with a fairly healthy dose of minerals.  It smells crisp and fresh, and it tastes the same way.  The acidity is nice, but not really razor sharp.  On the finish, the minerals linger long and the "medium" part of that "medium-dry" kicks in.  Riesling is a great wine to put on the Thanksgiving table - or Chistmas, for that matter - due to its versatility.  You can pair Riesling with just about anything successfully, even when it's not bone dry.

*Tablao Navarra 2012, Spain $7.99
Navarra is in the northern part of Spain, between Rioja and France.  In the Navarra region, a tablao is a cafe where they play flamenco music.  Now flamenco is energetic and vibrant enough to grab me all by itself.  Tablao, the wine, brings similar fire and spice.  It is based in 81% Tempranillo grapes with support from 9% Garnacha, 8% Merlot and a 2% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon.  Produced by Bodegas Pagos Dearaiz, Tablao is influenced by French wine, to be sure, but its boots are made of Spanish leather.

Tablao is the kind of red that could make me feel festive any time of year.  Practically black in the glass, the nose is a big rig full of raspberry and black cherry, with a compact car of leathery cigar tobacco anise and nutmeg on its tail.  Lively on the palate, the dark side of cherries is displayed prominently.  There is a spicy element running through it with great tannins structure and lip-smacking acidity.  I'd put this on the table next to the holiday rib roast.  It's pretty awesome with a handful of pistachios, too.  At 13.5% abv, it keeps alcohol in check for what could be a day of over-imbibing.

*H & G Priorat 2008, Spain $13.99
The Spanish wine region of Priorat is in the northeastern part of the country and joins Rioja in the DOCa classification, the highest level of quality in Spanish wine.  Priorat is known for its black slate and quartz soils, a rich terroir of volcanic origin.  Garnacha is the main grape there, and Grenache - as we call it in other parts of the globe - is always a great choice for pairing with food.  Alcohol is fairly high, at 14.2% abv.  H & G is a California-based winery which produces wine from various parts of the world.

The wine is colored very dark purple/black.  The nose shows blackberry, raspberry, licorice and lots of minerals.  The palate is full of spicy cherry and blueberry with a leathery note.  Nice acidity and good tannic structure round out what is a great tasting experience.  A lovely floral aspect on the finish makes for a good memory to take from the sip.

*Les Hauts de Bel Air Bordeaux 2011, France $10.99
The Sichel family bottles this bold red six months after harvest on the right bank of the Garonne River.  The grapes used are two Bordeaux favorites, 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon.  Alcohol is quite reasonable at 13% abv.

The winery says, "Maison Sichel has a longstanding partnership with a number of Grands Crus Classés (classed growths) and takes an active role in the marketing of more than 150 of the most prestigious Bordeaux châteaux."

Les Hauts de Bel Air shows a pure, fruity nose of red berries.  The palate is all fruit, too, youthful and vibrant.  Nice tannic structure and ripping acidity beg for a standing rib roast.  The mouthfeel is light and juicy and it won't weigh down an already full table.  The wine displays the power of a Bordeaux with the freshness of a Beaujolais.  I can taste the turkey already.


Here are the other four wines, to be covered here separately.  The notes are by Whole Foods.

Simonnet-Febvre St. Bris Sauvignon Blanc, France $12.99
“The micro-climate in the Saint-Bris appellation allows for the sauvignon blanc grapes to express their full aromatic character as well as the minerality of the terroir. The exuberant nose is characterized by freshly cut herbs and delicate fruits with a hint of red bell pepper, and the elegant finish has a lovely minerality.”

Novellum Chardonnay, France $10.99
“This zesty white has honeysuckle and white peach aromas, and anise, fennel and a hint of oak show in the lengthy finish.”

Allan Scott Marlborough Pinot Noir, New Zealand $14.99
“This wine is rich and dark with black cherries, violets and a pleasant earthiness on the nose. It has a velvety, harmonious finish with smoky oak, subtle spice and raspberry flavors.”

Cercius Côtes du Rhône, France $14.99
“This blend of 85 percent grenache and 15 percent syrah is beautifully textured, lush and decadent with an aroma of smoky eucalyptus and berry and deep notes of kirsch, plum and stewed fruits and plum and a hint of leather in the long finish.”


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Monday, August 29, 2011

ITALIAN WINE TASTING AT ENOTECA DRAGO


Enoteca Drago

In Los Angeles, the Drago family is to Italian food and wine as the Rockefeller family is to money.  They know it, they live it, they breathe it.  Wine importer V.E.D.I. Wines brought some of the wines they represent to Enoteca Drago in Beverly Hills recently for an afternoon trade tasting, and I had the good fortune of an invitation.

Here are some of the tasty Italian treats I discovered from Veneto, Lombardia and Abruzzo, along with some sparkling wines from Valencia, Spain.

Cava Pago de Tharsys:

Pago de Tharsys poured those extremely nice sparkling wines produced in Valencia.  There were a lot of earthy notes in these Cavas, and some very interesting grapes.

Rosado Brut 2008:  100% Garnacha; strawberries and earth
Brut Nature 2008:   80% Macabeo, 20% Chardonnay; yeasty and earthy with notes of guava
Tharsys Unico:  100% Bobal; yeasty and crisp with a nutty edge
Dominio de Tharsys Brut:  75% Macabeo, 25% Parellada;  very fruity and fresh
Dominio de Tharsys Rosado:  Bobal; earthy cherry nose, cherry syrup flavor with a hint of banana

Marcato had a couple of notable sparklers from Italy's Lessini Hills of Verona, in the Veneto region.

Durello Spumante Brut:  85% Durella with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as well; multi-vintage; steel fermented, Charmat method; nutty nose; light and fruity, with a citrus/tropical play
Durello 36 Mesi:  Durella, Pinot Noir & Chardonnay again; creamier, yet still vibrant and fresh; traditional method

Cavalchina is from Veneto.

Cavalchina is the name of the district where this winery is located, on the southeastern border of the Garda amphitheatre.

Bianco di Custoza:  40% Garganega, 30% Fernanda, 15% Trebbiano, 15% Trebbianello; very nutty with a light acidity
Amedeo Biano di Custoza Superiore:  40% Garganega, 30% Fernanda, 15% Trebbiano, 15%Trebbianello:  more acidity than in the Bianco di Custoza
Chiaretto Bardolino:  Rose harvested and vinified separately from the rosso, not as a bleed-off; very light pink with strawberries and flowers
Bardolino:  the red bardolino; gorgeous nose, black cherry and chocolate, unusual for a steel fermented wine; flavor is fruity and floral
Santa Lucia Bardolino Superiore:  60% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 15% Marzemino e Barbera; nice tannic structure, the wood aging doesn't overwhelm

Vigneti Prendina is from Lombardia.

Merlot Garda:  85% Merlot, 15% Rondinella; the grapes are harvested at different times, so separate vinification is required; neutral oak barriques, smokey fruit
Pinot Grigio Alto Mincio: oakless Pinot Grigio with a lovely aroma
Falcone Cabernet Sauvignon:  85%  Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot; dark and smokey; 12 months in barriques

Contesa is in Abruzzo, centrally located in Italy, but considered part of the south.  The region borders the Adriatic Sea.

Nerone:  Montepulciano d'Abruzzo; great drak nose showing tar, tasting of smokey plums
Contesa Montepulciano d'Abruzzo:  great acidity, very smooth; 24 months in large barrels
Vigna Corvino Montepulciano:  very smooth; dusty cherry notes
Vigna Corvino Trebbiano:  stainless steel fermentation; rather like a new world Sauvignon Blanc; grassy and earthy; grape dates back to Roman times in Abruzzo
Vigna Corvino Cerasuolo:  dry rose with a lovely nose; one day skin contact gives a lovely cherry color
Pecorino:  citrus and a nutty quality
Sorab Pecorino:  four weeks barrique fermentation; weightier with delicious use of wood; aged on its lees for 6 months


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