Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rioja. Show all posts

Sunday, October 24, 2010

MARTIN CODAX ERGO RIOJA 2007 AT THE LOBSTER


Martin Codax Rioja

The Lobster in Santa Monica is one of those restaurants where I expect to order white wine.  On my last visit to the seafood-with-an-ocean-view mainstay at the entance to the Santa Monica Pier I was seeing red.  Even though it was a brilliantly sunny day and we were seated right by the window, the ocean breeze blowing in through the open window actually gave me a bit of a chill.  I opted for a little warmup in the form of Martin Codax Rioja Tempranillo.  I certainly wasn't giving up the window seat!

The Spanish Tempranillo, at $7 per glass, is one of the more affordable offerings on The Lobster's extensive - and pricey - wine list.  It also served as a wonderful pre-lunch drink for folks like me who don't particularly go for Bloody Marys.  Looking around the restaurant, it seemed I was of the minority opinion on that issue.  There were a lot of celery stalks bringing in the noon hour.

This dark wine is very fruit forward on the nose with minerals apparent.  Cherry aromas mingle with an earthiness that makes me anxious to taste.

The lean and elegant palate shows earth and leathery blackberry and cherry, quite a dark flavor profile.  It's very dry with smooth tannins and a great acidity.

It's almost a shame I had no skirt steak or ribs to pair with it, but I was happy to sip it while dragging a slice of bread through the olive oil.  The fabulous pairing would come later. when my scallops would meet an Oregon Pinot Gris.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Marques de Caceres Rosado 2007

Temperatures are warming up in Los Angeles - again - this week, and this afternoon's "Sunny and 81" has me in mind of a Spanish rosado I tried a while back, Marques de Caceres.

This Rioja rosado is either a light strawberry color or a darker salmon.  Either way, it makes a beautiful statement in the glass.  13.5% abv, it's a dry rosé made from 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha.  Let's smell it.

Aromas of raspberry dominate the nose for me, but there's a very nice floral layer underneath it.  I wanted to say hibiscus, but I don't know how accurate that is.  I'll just say it's a beautiful fragrance without any further elaboration.

Don't worry about this rosé being too sweet for you.  It's nice and dry.  The strawberry flavor is matched with raspberry notes and the taste lingers quite nicely afterward.  The label suggests the usual pairings (paella, chicken, seafood) and I wouldn't argue with any of those.  However, I had it with a dessert my wife made and the taste was exquisite.  She created a mascarpone-based whip which we put on a cracked pepper and olive oil Triscuit.  The wine really had a good time pairing with that unlikely match.  We were duly impressed. Not to mention a bit surprised.