September Wine Club Tasting - Spain

155 South Main Street,Keller TX 76248

29 September, 2022

Description

This month we’ll be tasting some great Spanish wines and also introducing a new presenter. We will start with an Albariño, enjoy and discuss a few different classifications of Rioja, and finish with a Ribera del Duero. Red wines from Rioja have 4 levels of classification: Generico, Crianza, Reserva, and Gran Reserva. - Generico o “Entry level” wines o No minimum aging requirement o 40+% of Rioja wines are this classification o Youthful and Fruity - Crianza o Minimum of 1 year in oak plus a few months of bottle aging o Typically a great value wine o Fully body than Generico level - Reserva o Minimum of 3 years aging, with at least 1 year in oak and remainder in bottle o Made using the best grapes from the vineyard - Gran Rerserva o Minimum of 2 years in oak and 3 years in bottle o Only made using the best grapes and from the best growing seasons o Approximately only 2% of Rioja wines are Gran Reserva Wine List: - Torres Pazo das Bruxas Albariño o DO Rías Baixas o 95 points – Gold Decanter Wine Awards - Finca Nueva Crianza Tempranillo - Finca Nueva Reserva Tempranillo o Two wines from the same producer, showing the difference of the Crianza and Reserva levels.  Crianza received 90 points from Wine Advocate, Reserva 92 points from Wine and Spirits  Reserva far exceeds minimum aging requirements, spending 24 months in oak and and then bottle age o Founded in 2004 by famed winemaker Miguel Ángel de Gregorio in the heart of Rioja Alta, Finca Nueva leads the new wave of Riojan wines that adhere to Rioja’s traditional aging and classification system, but are more fresh, fun and enjoyable on the palate than their conventional ‘old-world’ Riojan counterparts. Wines are made solely from varieties indigenous to Rioja, a region known as one of Spain’s oldest and most famous grape growing region. Vines are planted in close proximity to the banks of the Ebro River, farmed sustainably and harvested by hand. The region’s diverse terroir and varying elevations provide complex, consumer-friendly wines that are produced by one of Europe’s most celebrated winemakers, who routinely garners high honors for the wines he makes at his newest estate, or “Finca Nueva”. - Allende Tempranillo o Average vine age of 45 years o 14 months in French oak o Clay soils o Sustainable cultivation o Manual harvest and hand selected bunches - Torres Celeste Reserva Tempranillo 2017 o Ribera del Duero o From 40 year old vines planted on the limestone slopes of the highest elevation of the area, in Fompedraza, Canalejas de Peñafiel and Pesquera. Small plots cultivated in inlets or small valleys carved into the rock known as ripeners are carefully selected. o 92 points – James Suckling