May 2021 - It Must Be Wine O'clock

There’s a lot more to Spanish red wine than Rioja – Bobal for example.

There’s a lot more to Spanish red wine than Rioja. Not that there is anything wrong with a good bottle of Rioja of course. But if you are looking for something new, the Bobal varietal from south-eastern Spain is experiencing a revival.

Though it may not be very well-known internationally, Bobal is Spain’s second most-planted red varietal after Tempranillo and records show it was already being cultivated in the Valencia region as long ago as the fifteenth century.

Although it flourished in its homeland, on the international front Bobal was dismissed as a rather non-descript, rustic wine that was produced in bulk for a largely domestic market. However in recent years, the varietal has begun to see somewhat of a revival, thanks to a small group of dedicated producers and more effective marketing. Things are beginning to change for the better for Bobal, evidenced by its first panel tasting by Decanter magazine in April 2021.

Bobal is grown in the Levante region of Spain, on the Mediterranean coast south of Catalonia, where it flourishes in the Denominaciones de Origen (DOs) of Ribera del Jucar, Manchuela and particularly Utiel-Requena. The vineyards of this last DO are located on a plateau 600m-900m above sea level and some 70km inland from Valencia, where the altitude, climate and well-drained soils create a perfect growing environment for the grapes.

This Beso de Rechenna Bobal Crianza 2017 wine from Utiel-Requena DO is produced from old vine grapes that give low yields of intensely flavoured fruit. It has been aged for at least 24 months, 6 months of which were in oak barrels.

It’s a very appealing wine with herbaceous and red fruit aromas, with oak and tobacco notes on the nose, and flavours of cherry, plum, blackberry, and vanilla on the palate. A medium bodied wine with medium tannins, medium (+) acidity and a long finish, this is a well-balanced wine with excellent structure and complexity. A fine example of a resurgent indigenous grape variety that goes very well with lamb or a casserole.

Available from Slurp (£9.95)

Topa! Cheers! Try this Basque delight!

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is image-4.png

A few years ago, some very good Japanese friends of ours introduced us to the Basque wine Txakoli over dinner and I was hooked. They had just returned from visiting San Sebastián and highly recommended it for a city break. And then when my wife and I visited for ourselves, we realised why – it’s a charming city on the Bay of Biscay, surrounded by lush green hillsides, with attractive beaches, a delightful old town, and some stunning architecture.

But that’s not all. San Sebastián (Donostia as it is known in Basque) is a top culinary destination, famed not only for its dozen or so Michelin-starred restaurants, but also for its pintxos bars. All around the narrow alleys of the old town, you can try these tasty culinary bites held together by a cocktail stick, or pintxo. And all washed down with the local white wine, Txakoli. What’s not to like?

Made from the indigenous grape varieties Hondarribia Zuri and Hondarribia Beltza, Txakoli is a light, refreshing, zesty, slightly effervescent, dry white wine, perfect for drinking as an aperitif, with pintxos, or the fresh fish and seafood dishes for which the Basque Country is famed.

It’s not always easy to find Txakoli in the UK but I recently saw that Slurp were stocking this Txakoli de Getaria, one of the three Txakoli sub-regions and the closest to San Sebastián, and I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did!

With intense aromas of apple, pear, lemon and grapefruit, and a hint of blossom, the Hiruzta Txakoli Hondarribia 2019 is a delightfully refreshing wine. It is light and zippy, with an attractive effervescence and a hint of sea breeze, a wine which has the taste of summer written all over it.

Relatively low in alcohol, it is a well-balanced wine with a long finish and is a perfect match for seafood. We had it with some home-made pintxos, and it made me want to book the next flight to Northern Spain. If only we could … but at least we can get a bottle of Txakoli!

Available from Slurp. £14.95

Sunshine and spice from the Southern Rhône – Esprit des Trois Pierres Costières de Nimes 2019

Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras – well-known wines of the Southern Rhône region of France, characterised by vibrant, fruity wines with a touch of spice and earthiness. The terrain is known for its stony soils, covered in ‘galets’, the round pebbles shaped by the actions of the Rhône Valley glaciers and the River Rhône over millennia.

These stones are key to the successful ripening of the grapes – not only do they absorb the heat from the daytime sunshine and release it again during the night, they also protect the vines and the soil from the strong winds known as le mistral.

These conditions are perfect for the Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre grapes that dominate the vineyards here. Grenache is the mainstay, bringing concentrated, spicy red flavours to the blends. Syrah adds extra colour and tannin and Mourvèdre brings intense black fruit flavours, and often gamey, meaty notes.

This Esprit des Trois Pierres Costières de Nîmes 2019 is from the most southerly AOC of the Rhône valley, and one which is somewhat overshadowed by its more renowned regional neighbours. It has the characteristically robust, spicy flavours of red wines from this appellation.

A dry, medium-bodied wine with high alcohol and medium tannins, this is a well-balanced wine with a medium (+) finish. It has aromas of raspberry, blackberry and plum, with hints of spice and pepper on the nose, and blackberry, pepper and liquorice on the palate.

An excellent match for grilled meats, casseroles, and goat’s cheese.

Available from Waitrose. £8.99

A chance to discover the wonders of English wine – join a virtual wine tasting on June 2nd, 2021

Itching to know more about English wines? Then this online wine tasting organised by Steve Hovington from Cambridge Wine Academy is just the ticket.

Steve is a very knowledgeable and entertaining presenter and this promises to be an interesting, informative and very enjoyable evening. I recently attended one of his virtual wine tasting sessions featuring SW French wines and it was a lot of fun.

Wine samples and tasting notes will be delivered or posted to your home and a Zoom link to join will be provided.

For details and to register, here is the link.

Old and wise – a Carignan vieilles vignes wine to tempt your palate

If you enjoyed the Gascony white wine I recently reviewed, why not try this Carignan Vieilles Vignes (old vines) from neighbouring Languedoc? Carignan is an often under-rated grape variety of the Languedoc-Roussillon region but has lots to offer the wine enthusiast with its depth and vibrancy, and its notes of red and black fruits. Grapes from old vines tend to produce smaller volumes of wine per hectare but the grape juice is more concentrated in flavour, producing better balanced wines with greater depth and intensity.

This Roche de Belanne Carignan Vieilles Vignes 2018 from Pays d’Hérault is made from 100% Carignan grapes from 40-year old vines. It is a dry medium-bodied wine with high acidity, medium tannins and medium alcohol. With aromas of ripe strawberry and cherry, and a hint of vanilla, on the nose, and flavours of strawberry, blackberry and a touch of liquorice on the palate, this is a well-balanced wine with a long finish. A very good match for grilled meats, or a hearty casserole, it will also go very well with firm cheeses.

Available from Sandhams (£8.99)