Our first meeting of 2012 saw us back in Denia at a new venue, La Senia Restaurant in the Nou Rama Hotel where 47 members and Guests enjoyed a presentation of the wines of Señorio de Barahonda in Yecla by one of our favourite speakers, Matthew Kaine, from Casa del Vino in Javea.
The bodega is a modern one, but it was founded by Pedro Candela Soriano as long ago as 1925. Nowadays it is still very much a family operation run by two brothers of the 4th generation, Antonio and Alfredo Candela Belda who are dedicated to the production of quality wines. This dedication is very much reflected in the excellent scores obtained by the wines in both Peñin and Parker.
The main grape variety is the monastrell, a grape with great potential, which, strangely, is unloved in Spain, but finds good support in places as far apart as America and France.
The evening was all about the red wines, and Matthew explained that the bodega had realised some time ago that the future for their wines lay in blending them with other grape varieties such as Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, the result being wines of more complexity with good aromas and acidity and a nice fruity taste.
We were fortunate enough to try the whole range of Barahonda wines, 6 in all, including one sweet wine. The tasting began with a 2010 joven wine prepared using grapes from the bodegas best vines . A nice young wine, ideal with pasta according to Matthew, well balanced, full bodied with a distinct fruity and lively taste.
Carrio, again from 2010, was the next wine with lovely aromas of ripe red fruit, good length and balance and loads of smooth and elegant tannins.
We then turned to wines with an oak influence. The first of these, Barrica 2009, had spent 5 months in barrels of French and American oak after a long maceration period and then spent a further 2 months in vats before being bottled for release, an event which did not take place for a further 12 months. A wine with pleasant aromas of mature red fruit with a hint of oak. It has a long texture, is intense and balanced with a full bodied complex finish.
The crianza from 2008 again had a long maceration and spent some time in oak barrels. The wine has a fine cherry colour with lovely aromas of ripe summer fruits with toasted vanilla notes. A full bodied wine, well balanced with a delightful long finish.
We then turned to something completely different and a rarity in Spain, a Petit Verdot from 2004.This grape variety is notoriously difficult, a fact which is borne out by there being no more wine left from 2004 and the grapes since then have not been of sufficient quality to produce further vintages. The wine spent 30 days in stainless steel vats followed by 8 months in French oak barrels and 4 more months in bottle. This is a powerful wine with tremendous body and a great tannin structure. It is velvety smooth with good acidity and aromas of menthol, spices and some hint of oak.
Our final wine was a sweet wine, Bellum El Remate from 2006. This wine is 100% monastrell and is made from grapes from 50 year old vines with the harvest not being until November. The grapes are harvested at 6.00 am, selected by hand and macerated at the same temperature until the desired level of alcohol has been reached. The fermentation is then stopped, but maceration is allowed to continue for another 20 days, after which the wine is transferred to oak barrels where it is allowed to rest for a further 6 months.
This is a lovely dessert wine with a cherry colour, a touch of violet, powerful aromas of ripe red fruits and just a hint of the oak used in the process.
After the presentation Tim Fawle thanked Matthew, who had travelled back from Barcelona that afternoon, for a very interesting and informative talk.
A gathering of 54 members and guests, for a first ever visit by the Society to the Restaurant of MR Hotel at Las Rotes in Denia, enjoyed President, Steve Collins, presenting a tasting of wines from Navarra.
Steve outlined the history of Navarra as a wine region which started in Roman times as early as the second century BC. But it was the Camino de Santiago which really kick started the region as a wine producing area as the monasteries on the route tried to satisfy the thirsty pilgrims. The Denominacion de Origen (DO) was formed in 1933 and has five sub regions with over 15,000 hectares of vineyards and 116 bodegas, mostly producing wine for the home market with only 30% going for export.
Famed for its, Rosados, these were the first two wines from the region which were tasted, one coming from the Bodega Logos (Conde de Artoiz 2010), the other from Bodegas del Señorio de Otazu (Otazu 2010). The former, a 100% Garnacha retailed at 4.95€ and the latter 100% Merlot at 7.70€ gaining 88 points in the Guía Peñin. This one also won the gold award from Navarra for the best Rosado of 2010.
The first red tasted was Palacio de la Vega 2006 Crianza a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. It had a cherry colour with a claret border and on the nose there were aromas of ripe red fruit. The wine gained 85 points in the Guía Peñin and retailed at 5.75€. All these first three wines are available for A Catarla Todo in Teulada. The fourth wine was Candado de Almara 2006, a Tinto Crianza which is 50% Tempranillo and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is an elegant and complex wine with a long finish and is very easy drinking. It can be obtained from Bodega Luis for 6.29€ and scored 86 points in the Guía Peñin.
Wine number 5 (my personal favourite of the evening) was a Señorio de Otazu 2006 a blend of 90% cabernet Sauvignon and 10% Tempranillo; it is 14% ABV and has an elegant nose that is both sweet and fruity. It is obtainable at A Catarla Todo for the princely sum of 16€. The final offering was Ochoa Reserva 2005 a blend of Tempranillo, Merlot and Cabernet-Sauvignon, with the grapes coming from the bodegas oldest vines. The wine spent 12 months in American oak barrels and as it was not filtered was recommended for decanting. It is obtainable from Bodegas Aguilar for 12.98€ and it scored 89 points in the Guía Peñin.
Vice President Keith Pacey proposed a vote of thanks to Steve for a very informative and most enjoyable tasting.
