Our 3 May 2011 Wine Trip took us to Catalonia and the province of Lerida where we enjoyed good weather. On our way we called at Bodega Clos Mont Blanc DO Conca de Barberà, where we were treated to a tasting of their excellent Chardonnay 2010 a creamy and delicious wine which whetted our appetites to try the wonderful spread they had prepared for us.
All the ingredients were there for Catalan Bread. Toasted slices of loaf lay waiting with cut fresh garlic to spread, halved tomatoes ready to rub on and their own vintage olive oil to drizzle over. Delicious! Homemade tortilla , cold cuts and almond nuts too.
We tasted their Tempranillo and Merlot Premium. Also Proyecto Cu4tro 2007, aptly named as it is a project wine for the USA made from Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Merlot.
The climate here is excellent for the wine grape having cold winters and hot summers with balanced rainfall. The swing between day and night temperatures allows the vines to mature slowly, and the grapes are harvested at night. The wines are kept only a short time in the barrel so that the wood never dominates the fine flavour of the fruit.
The tasting room is used to hang local artists. This is an example which reminded me of the Cheshire Cat!
Hotel Santuari where we stayed in Balaguer belongs to the church. It is situated within the old city wall and overlooks the new town on the other side of the river. On their wonderful terrace that evening we were served with what seemed like endless tapas including the local speciality dish of snails. These were followed by a layered tower of beef or sea bass and a postre of crema catalan.
Balaguer old town is enchanting, with narrow streets and arches where you find charming shops and cafes.
The town has the oldest medieval square in Catalonia where the local market has been held each Saturday since the reconquest.
On Tuesday morning we visited Celler Cercavins a small bodega with a capacity of 150,000 litres, their first harvest was produced in 2003. The wines are sold mainly to the local Catalan market and score between 86 and 90 in the Guía Peñin. However, most of us found them too high in tannin for our taste.
The countryside hereabouts was coloured with seas of poppies.
Our next bodega was Castell de Remei which has its origins in 1780 and is the largest producer of quality wines in Catalonia. Here we tasted some truly outstanding wines scoring 90s in the Guía Peñin, 1780 Dosmils 2005 tinto and Cervoles Negre 2007 Tinto. This bodega is a delight, an historic estate with its own castle, unfortunately in disrepair, it has the potential for an hotel and spa, but with the economic climate the restoration has been deferred.
In their tasting room are paintings and sculptures.
The oldest part of the winery is used to age the wine in French oak barrels.
In their excellent restaurant we were served with a delicious lunch accompanied by Plannell Blanc 2009 and Gotim Bru 2008 Tinto. The postre was photogenic and flavourful.
The next day we visited Monestir de les Avellanes, a wonderful old monastery now an hotel and eco-resort used for conferences and retreats.
Situated at the foot of the Sierra del Montsec in the territory of the Count of Urgell, it is a unique place of tranquillity dating back to the 12 century.
In these beautiful surroundings we were served lunch in a bright and airy marquee dining room. The food proved excellent and was accompanied by their Rosado wine of 14°, strong, fruity and rich.
Then we visited Bodegas Coster del Sio. Another estate kept in perfection. A 40 Million euro investment of wine making featuring underground storage which they call the ‘artificial mountain’ where the wine is aged in oak barrels.
The area with the vats was spotless.
That evening we were treated to a superb dinner in Balaguer new town just across the river from the hotel.
On our way back home on Friday we visited Raimat who, as well as their many excellent vintages of wine, also produce the grape for the Cordeniu brand of Cava. This huge wine maker is a family business dating back to 1914. The earliest part of the building was designed by a pupil of Gaudi.
The chimney in the distance of the picture has a stork’s nest on it. We saw other nests on our travels, one of them on the top of a mobile phone mast.
This is the inside of the cathedral type structure, it was the first concrete building in Spain. Another example of similar concrete architecture being the Fisherman’s church in Javea.
This room they called the cemetery, it is where the bottles are laid before labelling.
For the tasting we moved on to the new building constructed in 1988. This was a unique experience and beautifully presented. All four wines were lined up ready for us with our own individual spittoon! The highlight of the tasting was the 2010 Chardonnay which was fruity, aromatic and delicious.
To round off this super trip we lunched at the graceful modern restaurant of Club de Golf Aiguesverds near Reus.
It was a fresh autumn morning for the start of our wine trip, but the day turned into clear blue sky and the sunshine of an Indian summer.
When we reached Almansa and Bodegas Piqueras we saw the grapes arriving from the harvest in tractors that emptied their loads into the awaiting bins and on to a moving belt.
After pressing the wines are fermented and stored in huge stainless steel vats. The vats are temperature controlled according to the time of harvest. Those brought in from a night harvest are kept at a much lower temperature for two days. When the fermentation process is complete the wine goes into the ageing room in barrels made in Rioja from American and French oak. The temperature here is kept between 16-18C and it is important to regulate humidity or wine can be lost through evaporation causing air to get into the barrels. When the wine is ready for bottling it is laid to rest and will only be labelled when ready for drinking. There are different labels for the same wine according to which country it is marketed. 95% of this bodega’s output goes for export.
The young red wine not suitable for ageing is packed into ‘bag in a box’ which keeps good for about a year. This is good quality wine, but the bag in box is not popular in Spain as it has the reputation of being inferior quality. However, it does sell well in Northern Europe.
We went to the tasting room for nibbles and samples. On the wall were photos from the 1960’s. This family business has been producing wine since 1915.
Later we checked into Hotelblu,
Hotelblu
an innovative modern design within walking distance of the centre and shoe shops offering irresistible bargains.
We took a walk up to the castle.
During the re-conquest in the mid 13C Almansa Castle was a frontier between the Christian Kingdoms of Castile and Aragon and the Muslim Kingdom of Murcia. The castle was built by the Moors in the 12C and there are some remains from this time in the present structure. It is one of the best preserved castles in Albacete province.
That evening we enjoyed our reception and dinner in the black and smoked glass, state of the art bar and dining room of the hotel.
Next morning we visited Bodegas Almanseñas where they too were processing the harvest.
They grow mainly Monastrell and Garnacha Tintorera which gives the wine its rich red colour. Garnacha is supplied to Rioja bodegas to give their wine a deeper colour. In their tasting room we tried those deep red wines.
From here we moved on to Alcalá del Júcar known for its picturesque countryside and cave houses. Before exploring we lunched at Casa El Moli. Here is our chef preparing the BBQ and the view from the garden.
It was a long way up to the church and then the castle but we were rewarded by some good views of the roman bridge and the river.
About half way up we spotted this sign.
We paid our 3€ and mine host with his ‘Dali’ moustache welcomed us into his front room.
He took us through the house and we entered this 50 meter long tunnel which led to huge caves right inside the mountain, one of which featured as a bar should you be thirsty after your climb.
The following day we made our way to Yecla and Bodegas Castaño , 92 hectares of vines on the border of Murcia and Alicante. At this impressive bodega they concentrate on only the best.
The estate was purchased in 1999 and the very first vintages (2001 to 2003) were produced in the 100 year old building on the site. In 2004 production was moved to the new building, but work continued through 2004 to 2006 to complete it.
The very best quality grapes are collected in small containers so they don’t bruise and lose their flavour and the wine is matured in French oak barrels costing 800€ each. The time for maturing the wine in the barrel varies with the vintage. The barrels are replaced every three years when the hint of chocolate they give the wine has been used.
Our hostess Raquel told us the stony soil here is good for the grape. The rocks absorb sunshine to keep the vines warm at night and in this area of low rainfall they also keep the ground moist. We were assured that the 2010 vintage would be the best for many years as the weather conditions for the growing and harvesting of the grapes has been perfect. Raquel recommended that ‘reservas’ could be laid down for up to 10 years after bottling and the wine should be kept at a constant temperature of no more than 20 degrees C.
This superb wine is ‘resting’ before being labelled ready for its customers.
Tuesday May 4th was cold as we set off for Aragon, climbing ever higher across viaducts spanning the valleys below. Wind buffeted the coach and there were snow flurries as we passed far flung mountain villages, one of which was separated from its stations of the cross by the great span of road. Exposed rock formations created patterns in red rock where the road had been carved through. Scattered shepherd’s huts had tumbled into picturesque ruins and green wheat grass was bent in the tearing wind.
The road nearing Calatayud took us through cherry and apple orchards that gave way to vines as we reached our first tasting at Bodegas San Alejandro. We were met by Yolanda the dynamic and beautiful 34 year old director of the cooperative whose young team take pride in the wine they produce. The grape varieties are mainly garnacha and tempranillo grown at 750 to 1100 meters and harvested by hand at night. Some of the vines are 100 years old, those grown at the highest altitude give the highest alcohol by volume. It is a late harvest here during October to November.
The village of Miedes de Aragon has a population of around 500 most of whom are involved in some way with the winery. There is a strong sense of competition in the village between those who can produce the best quality grapes and the cooperative provides support and advice to the growers. The Bodega employs three wine makers and exports 90% of its produce to 17 countries. We tasted their Baltasar Gracián label named after a 17C local poet. The wine warmed us on the end of our journey to Calatayud.
We stayed at Meson de la Dolores an hotel of character dating from 15C full of exposed beams and antiques. Every room had its own individual rustic style. We met in the crypt for our welcome drink which required a walk down through their fascinating museum.
The next day our first appointment was with Bodega Ignacio Marin, a family concern founded in 1903. It is housed in an interesting round building with a central chimney which allows hot air to escape in the summer and where a fire is lit in the cold winter months.
The Latin inscription on the wall translates as The First Glass is to Enjoy, The Second Glass is to Laugh, The Third Glass is to Laugh Out Loud and the Fourth Glass is to go Insane!
We were invited to autograph the barrels. There were some interesting signatures from all over the world.
From here we proceeded to their equally interesting tasting room for wines of the Cariñena DO which is the oldest in Spain being established for 77 years. The bodega export 95% of their production worldwide and sell 1.5 Million bottles to France.
The wind continued to chill us as we moved on to Bodegas Añadas (Care) which was a contrast in time having been established in 2000. A modern winery with state of the art equipment and luxurious banqueting facilities. Our guide took us outside to see the reception area for the grapes but was soon left alone as we all retreated inside for shelter! He said it was particularly cold for the time of year especially with the wind from the Ebro River Valley, he said it was good for the vines but not for the wine drinkers!
Much of Care’s production is sealed with synthetic corks, they are not cheaper but they are more practical as the wine keeps well. Natural cork can become contaminated and is not always 100% natural as different qualities can be pressed into one cork. After an enjoyable tasting we sat down to an excellent lunch. There was a very large wine order to pack on the coach so we needed some diversion whilst we waited!
CAPTION COMPETITION?
Thursday began with a visit to Bodega San Gregorio in Cervera de la Cañada a tiny village with a 15C church towering above the houses. Here we split into two groups as the tasting room was too small for us all. We took the coach on a tour of the vine growing areas and saw some beautiful countryside amongst the vines, cherries and apples.
The wind subsided and the sun came out for our visit to Monasterio de Piedra. After a light lunch we explored the stunning scenery with this roaring waterfall sending cold refreshing spray into our faces.
The Monastery was originally a fort built by the Moors. After the Reconquest in 1194 King Alfonso II of Aragon gave the castle and land to the Cistercian Order. The Monastery was completed in 1218 during the transition period between Romanesque and Gothic style.
In 1534 chocolate was made here for the first time in Europe. The Coco bean was much prized and even used as currency.
The Monks also made wine and in the fermentation room we saw ventilation shafts that allowed the carbon dioxide produced to escape. A candle was lit by the entrance which would extinguish if the gas level was too high.
Another interesting room was the Calefactory where books were stored on a raised platform during 16C. Straw and wood were burned in an under floor cavity so the monks could warm themselves in winter.
To round off the day we had a superb dinner at Restaurante Casa Escartin a short walk from our hotel.
The last Bodega on Friday was Castillo de Maluenda where we were offered three wines for tasting. One of them, their Viña Alarba Volcán 2009 (so called because the grapes are grown in soil near volcanic rock), won the Berliner Wein Trophy and has 90 points in the 2010 Peñin Guide. Some were so taken by the design of the bottle they intend to use one as an oil dispenser.
Our lunch stop was in Daroca where we had time to explore the charming narrow streets. The centre is composed of a medieval city enclosed within a 13C to 14C wall three and a half kilometres in length.
This trip was thoroughly enjoyed by all and we arrived in Javea exactly on time to the minute followed by the orderly unloading of the coach packed with wine purchases as well as our luggage.
