Notes from an excellent Spanish tasting (with two Portuguese
interlopers)

1996 Lopez Heredia Vina Gravonia Blanco Crianza – odd nose that
featured petrol-like almost Riesling notes with an overriding
cheesiness. Lots of acidity, and I thought a hint of oxidation. Some
liked this, others didn’t.

2006 Esporao – a white Alentejo that had a nose that was a chard
ringer, full in the mouth and smooth on palate. Quite decent.

1981 Lopez de Heredia Bosconia Gran Reserva – I love these wines but
rarely get to drink them. Obviously fully mature in colour and nose,
with that nice old oakiness and mature fruit, good acidity, smooth and
elegant. No doubt this will cruise along almost unchanged for awhile
yet.

1985 Torres Mas La Plana – we always used to refer to this simply as
Gran Coronas Black Label, and I still have that habit. Bell pepper in
the nose gives away the cabernet. Very harmonious and with good
length. No rush.

1994 Pesquera Crianza – I thought about what people would be bringing
and pulled this older bottle from Alejandro, back in the 90s when they
were going from one high to another year after year. These wines were
just killer value at under $30 C. Lots of vanilla, dark wine, smooth
initially then tightened up a bit to show the still significant
tannins. No rush on this one either.

2001 Flor de Pingus – I was asked right after the tasting which wines
were my favourites, and demurred answering as there were so many
styles that I felt it warranted some consideration. On reflection, I’d
rank this right at the top. It was dark, with fruit and bacon in the
nose, decent fruit in the middle, and very good balance. In my top 3
or so.

2001 San Vicente Rioja – I am unfamiliar with this 100% Tempranillo
wine, not having tasted it before, but I found it quite interesting.
Sweet, slightly heavy nose, the entry good with a flash of sweet
fruit, before the tannins clamped down on your tongue indicating that
more time in the cellar is needed – but! With the main course of
roast whole pig (it was rolled out and introduced to us as ‘John
Swine’) the grease was cut by the tannins and all of a sudden the wine
snapped into focus and recovered the fruit that the tannins had been
obscuring. So there is a tip – every time you want to drink a young
tannic bottle, just go out and buy a whole pig, and dig a pit in the
back garden…..(of course the neighbours will probably figure that you
are burying the wife…)

2005 Alvara Palacios Les Terrasses Priorat – so I was brought up on
old style Priorat that you couldn’t see through, much less contemplate
drinking for at least a decade, and I haven’t quite reconciled myself
to this new fangled sissy style that you can actually enjoy young, but
this one certainly helped persuade me. This carignano, cab, garnacha
blend melded cassis, a hint of vinyl and vanilla in the nose, and was
a full bodied yet the tannins were reasonably soft and it had good
length. Very nice.

2001 Sot Lefriec – I’m afraid this name always strikes my funny bone –
I figure it would be a great name for a winemaker or a good T shirt
slogan when touring wine country. Basically a Bordeaux blend of
merlot and cab with a bit (10%) carignan tossed in, it exhibited a
definite cab nose and it showed huge concentration and length with a
pleasant sweetness. I was quite impressed with this wine and rate it
in my top few of the night.

1996 Jean Leon Gran Reserva – I’ve had several of these wines as a
friend is a fan and pulls one out once in awhile. Picture a California
cab made in Spain – big dark wine with cocoa cassis nose, lots of
tannin, lots of acidity (that is the clue that would head you toward
Iberia, perhaps, in a blind tasting) and a welcome hint of spice in
the finish. Still relatively tannic and tight at 12 years, this should
reward further patience. Very good.

2003 Enrique Mendoza Santa Rosa Reserva – a killer Alicante starting
with a blend of cab and merlot and finishing it with syrah this time
instead of carignan. Purple tannic wine with sweet fruit and a cedary
hint in the noise. Needs time.

2006 Quinta do Crasto Old Vines Reserva – the other Portuguese wine
and a worthy addition. I’ve been buying these wines for several years
and the just keep getting better with every vintage. Intense fruit and
spice in the nose, sweet and grapy in the mouth, with a sweet lengthy
finish and sot tannins. This one is just getting started, but it does
drink well now. I noted a tad of heat in the finish as well, though
the 14.5% on the label is nothing these days.

Alvear 1927 Solera PX – raisins and walnuts in this nose, and a sweet
wine that seems to finish drier than it started. Very long and smooth.
Great way to end an interesting tasting.

1994 Pesquera Crianza – I thought about what people would be bringing
and pulled this older bottle from Alejandro, back in the 90s when they
were going from one high to another year after year. These wines were
just killer value at under $30 C. Lots of vanilla, dark wine, smooth
initially then tightened up a bit to show the still significant
tannins. No rush on this one either.

Tried the 2005 last year and bought a case, may live long enough to enjoy
it.

Almost same note as yours Bill, as you say killer value at GBP15

JT

Glad to hear the wine is back on form - they kind of 'went away' as
far as quality after the mid 90s.