A new venue for the CBWS,  55 members gathered at Restaurant Canali to savour the wines presented by Casa del Vino, Javea.  The food was delicious and beautifully prepared and the five wines provided a superb accompaniment and talking point throughout the evening.  President Maureen Holiday introduced the meeting and Vice President Tim Fawle welcomed Thamar Kolsteran from Casa del Vino who gave us an informative and very enjoyable presentation of their chosen wines.  She explained that her brief had been to select different wines of high quality from regions other than our local DO’s such as Valencia and Alicante.

WINE 1  Pardevalles Albarin 2018 (€7.50 )

This fresh, fruity, full bodied white wine was an unexpected surprise for many of us who had assumed that it was produced from the well known Albireño grape.  No such thing.  The Albarin Blanco grape is totally unrelated to Albireño and was on the verge of extinction until the technical team at Pardevalles decided to push for its development  They are now successfully producing this unique wine in Castilla y Leon, harvesting at night and aging on fine lees for 2 months.

Appearance:  Bright and luminous, light yellow colour with greenish hues.

Nose:  Fresh exotic fruits, herbal nuances typical of the grape variety.

Palate:  Fresh, acidic, fruity medium bodied with a long and persistent finish.

 

WINE 2 Priorato de Razamonde Treixadura 2018 (€12.50)

Refined and smooth, the white Treixadura grape is regarded as the jewel of the Ribeiro vineyard.  This monovarietal is unusual as the majority are generally mixtures made with other native varieties.  This example is particularly well balanced, displaying all the finer qualities of this local grape.

Appearance: Clean, bright, straw yellow colour.

Nose:  Intense, complex and elegant.  Peach, pear, tangerine and melon with floral hints.

Palate:  Well structured, intense and fruity.  Light citric finish adding freshness and persistence.

 

 

WINE 3  Brezo de Gregory Perez  2018  (€8.50)

Gregory Perez is one of the most talented winegrowers working in the DO Bierzo.  His goal is to express the Bierzo terroir as vividly as possible by working only with native grapes and utilizing natural winemaking methods.  Brezo Tinto is comprised of mostly Mencia (90%) with a small percentage of Garnacha Tintorera, fermented with wild yeasts.  The results are wines that show an uncommon sense of purity and elegance not often associated with this region.

Appearance;  Deep red colour with hints of violets.

Nose:  Pomegranite, strawberry, raspberry, black licorice, floral notes.

Palate:  Juicy, soft texture, velvety, fresh.

 

WINE 4 Rayos Uva 2018 Bodegas Olivier Riviere  (€9.95)

This D.O.C Rioja comprises 45% Tempranillo, 30% Graciano and 25% Garnacha.  The winemaker hails originally from France and this wine is aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks and in foudres (large wooden casks).  The result is a delicious wine, fresh and smooth and with its own distinct personality.

Appearance:  Cherry red with medium intensity.

Nose:  Very fresh fruit, grapes, strawberries, green cherries.

Palate:  Fresh on the tongue, lots of flavour, easy to drink, good acidity.

 

 

WINE 5 Arrocal Passion  2016  (€11.50)

From D.O. Ribera del Duero, this wine is made from 100% Tempranillo sourced from 30- year- old trellis vines.  The harvest is manual and fermentation, when the skins are kept in contact with the must, lasts for 15 days.  The wine is then aged for 12 months in 80% French and 20% American oak with a minimum 12 months aging in bottle, The result is an intense, velvety and harmonious mouthful.

Appearance:  Intense ruby red, bright and clear.

Nose:  Black forest fruits, blueberries, blackberries, spices and cloves.

Palate:  Soft tannins, velvety feel, earthy, full bodied and well balanced.

 

Gordon Sellars gave the Vote of Thanks and made special mention of the restaurant staff who had performed magnificently.  He summarised the wines we had tasted and reserved his highest praise for Arrocal Passion, describing it as a Prince of Wines.

Maureen rounded off the meeting and invited applications for the post of Vice President in 2020.

Wine	Price	Average Score
2018 Pardevalles Albarin, 100% Albarin	7.50€	86.0
2018 Priorato de Razamonde, 100% Treixadura	12€	83.8
2018 Brezo de Gregory Perez	8.5€	83.2
2018 Rayos Uva	9.95€	84.5
2016 Arrocal Pasion	11.5€	88.4

 

With thanks to Caryl Skelton for the words and David Leay for the Images