.: FIVE REASONS WINE :. > The Wines > By Region > Old World

Los Arquillos, Vina de la Tierra Castilla, Rose, 2006	5.75

Los Arquillos, Tempranillo, Vina de la Tierra Castilla, 2006	5.75
This light Rioja-style red spends 3 months in American oak and has an abundance of succulent red fruit. Excellent value for money; a top choice for parties and laid back drinking.

Ugarte, Rioja, 2006	8.00
Ugarte is a family company which can trace its winemaking back to 1870. The new cellars, built in 1989, are on top of the old cellars which were carved out of rock. At harvest time the grapes are taken to a top floor reception area which uses a gravity system to fill the fermentation tanks below, from these the wine is released into the lower caves for ageing in oak. Thus the wine gets the gentlest treatment at all stages of its life without the need for pumping. This Rioja is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha. It is smooth and refreshing on the palate with bright red cherry flavours.

Arrocal, Ribera Del Duero, 2005	9.00
“..a deep ruby/purple-tinged effort boasting a sweet nose of plums, black cherries, and currants, a medium to full-bodied, silky smooth style, and a hint of barrique. Lusciously fruity, opulent, and hedonistically as well as intellectually satisfying, this fruit-driven, modern-styled Spanish red should be consumed over the next 1-2 years." Robert Parker, 93 Points

Bierzo, Tinto Crianza, Casar de Valdaiga, 2000	9.95
Up in the Northwest corner of Spain within the province of Leon is the comparatively new Denominacio d’Origen of Bierzo (1989). It has gained a reputation for producing a new wave of characterful wines. This wine is made entirely from the local grape Mencia thought to have been grown in the area since the Middle Ages. It exhibits some of the silkiness of Pinot Noir with the body and aroma of Cabernet Franc, an invigorating almost menthol palate with notes of eucalyptus and black pepper on the finish. It’s a bit weird, but rewarding. Will go well with charcuterie and savoury dishes.

Mas Castell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Costers del Segre, 1996	13.50
This varietal Cab. Sav. is a real treat from a region with a very unusual pedigree. The Costers del Segre is a wine region that only exist thanks to the decades long endeavors of one family. In 1914 Manuel Raventos acquired 3,500 hectares of land in Lerida, North East Spain. He was speculating that the newly constructed Aragon and Catalonia canal gave the ideal opportunity to develop what was virtually a desert into a first class viticultural area. Unfortunately the high saltpetre content in the soil meant 50 years of soil improvement programs before the first vintage. The area continues to be developed and this wine proves the value of the family’s policy of investing for the long-term. We first tried this wine when it was already ten years old and we couldn’t believe how fresh and fantastic it tasted. Eighteen months on it continues to amaze. It has everything you’d hope for from a good, aged Cru Bourgeois… except the price tag. Lots of lovely raisiny fruit with beautifully softened tannins and well integrated oak make this wine superb with food – especially roast lamb.

La Montesa, Rioja, 2004	11.00
Bodega Remondo make their Crianza from a blend of 40% Garnacha, 40% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo and 10% Graciano. All the grapes are sourced from the family’s own organically farmed vineyards in the La Rioja region, at approximately 550m above sea-level. The vines are approaching twenty years in age now and are yielding some fantastic fruit. The wine is aged for 14 months in barrels of which 75% is French oak and the remaining is 25% American oak. The final wine is bottled without filtration. It is an elegant Rioja with smoky red currant, cherry and herbal aromas and flavors, ripe, silky tannins and a lengthy finish.

Blanc dels Aspres, Joaquim Alberti, Emporda, 2004	12.95
Emporda is a rising star in Spain and is being heralded as the next Priorat in terms of the quality of its output; with wines like these it’s not hard to see why. El Bulli - possibly the best restaurant in the world according to the cognoscenti - also list this wine, so I’m afraid we’ll have to share the miniscule 360 cases that were made in 2004. 100% white Grenache with 8 months in new French Allier oak has produced an aromatically intense wine. Hints of honey intermingle with herbal notes of fennel and laurel and balsam. Few wines have moved us like this in a while; this is truly special.

Rioja Blanco, Martin Cendoya, Malvasia, 2006	13.50
This exceptional white Rioja embodies the marriage of old and new that is revolutionizing the Spanish wine industry. The grapes are harvested from a vineyard planted in 1912 but are vinified in a gravity fed winery built in 1989. To complete the symbolism this was built on top of and incorporated the old cellars. Unusually it is made from 100% Malvasia which is just one of six grape varieties permitted in white Rioja (the other five being Viura, Garnacha Blanc, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Verdejo). Barrel fermentation has given it both delicacy and complexity with a soft peach and ripe citrus palate, and an incredibly long but gentle finish.

Marge, Priorat, 2004	14.00
Priorat is a small DO within the Catalonia region on Spain’s North East coast. It is acquiring a reputation for making inspiring powerful red wines. Celler de L’Encastell is a family-run vineyard (see the family photos and vineyards at www.roquers.com!) producing only 1,000 cases of this wine from vines planted on steep terraced slopes of schist soil. Mainly Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon with a little Merlot and Syrah it has a rich mid-palate of brambly fruit then a long finish of plum and liquorice. A meal of a wine!

Pazo de Senorans, Albarino, 2006	15.00
Albarino is the grape which makes vinho verde in Portugal (although there it is called ‘alvarinho’), and in Spain its best examples are seen in this part of Gallicia, Rias Baixas. Here the weather is a lot cooler than elsewhere in Spain, allowing a slow ripening of the grapes, to create intense and powerful wines. Pazo Senorans is regarded as a benchmark albarino and is glorious with seafood. "From one of my favorite Albarino producers. Low yielding (25-30 hectoliters per hectare) old vines planted in the northern sub-zone of the Salnes appellation have produced a wine with impressive texture (no doubt the result of the stirring of the lees), exotic peach, apricot, pineapple, and honeysuckle characteristics, superb ripeness and richness, good acidity, and great length as well as minerality. This is a stunning non-oaked dry white." Robert Parker, 92 points.

Tossals, Montsant, 2004	16.50
This is the fourth vintage from the Grifoll family cellar to be labelled under the DO Montsant - which was created in 2001. Only 13,000 individually numbered bottles are made each year. It is a heady mix of Tempranillo (32%), Grenache (30%), Carinena (28%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). Intense vanilla and toffee notes on the nose give way to concentrated and seductive palate of ripe cherry and tobacco. Well integrated new French oak gives it good structure and an elegant long finish.

Mas D’En Compte, Porrera, Priorat, 2005	16.85
“A dead ringer for a profound white Chateauneuf du Pape such as Beaucastel’s Vieilles Vignes or Grand Veneur’s La Fontaine, this blend of 50% Grenache Blanc, 30% Picpoul, and 20% Pansal de Xarello is a powerful, opulent, rich, full-bodied Spanish white offering ripe notes of rose petals, white currants, licorice, honey, and a hint of orange marmalade. With good minerality as well as definition, and an amazingly persistent finish, this is terrific…” Robert Parker, 92 Points.

Negre Del Aspres, Joaquim Alberti, 2001	17.00
Emporda is a rising star in Spain and is being heralded as the next Priorat in terms of the quality of its output; with wines like these it’s not hard to see why. Vinyes dels Aspres is a small winery located in Cantallops, just south of the French border on the Costa Brava. Els Aspres is the area's popular name, and refers to the harshness of the region, both the soil and the strong winds, the fiercest of which is the Tramantona which ensures a dry, healthy climate. 38.4% Caberbet Sauvignon; 7.7% Syrah; 38.5% Black Garnacha; 15.4% Carinena spend 16 months in 1-year old Allier oak to produce a wine of real substance from a fantastic vintage.

Torre Albeniz, Reserva, Ribera Del Duero, 1999	18.50
A powerful blend of Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged for two years in French Allier oak. This wine has an intense spicy red fruit aroma. On the palate there is mint, cassis, vanilla and dry cedary notes. It is vigorous and well structured with a languorous finish. It will drink now if decanted or go on developing for several years. A great match for rich game or roast meat dishes.

Venus, la Universal, Montsant, 2003	24.25
A wine as old as its Denominacio d’Origen. Montsant is a new DO that surrounds the smaller area of Priorat and is in turn surrounded by Tarragona. It uses two of the three signature grapes of the area being half Syrah and half Carinena (Carignan), the third is Garnacha. This wine is all about intensity and length. The fruit was very ripe and after 28 days maceration had 16 months in new oak. It has concentrated stone fruit and tobacco flavours with hints of caramel and liquorice, finishing with sweet tannins.

Finca Torremilanos, Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, 1996	25.00

Dominio de Ugarte, Reserva, Rioja, 2001	Magnums 25.00

Roquers de Porrera, Priorat, (Bottles of 2000 vintage / Magnums of 2001) )	27.80 / 59.00
Only 5000 bottles of this stunning wine from ultra- fashionable Priorat. Old vines between 60-90 years old produce the blend of 40% Garnatxa, 40% Carignan and 20% of Syrah, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon which is aged in Allier oak for 16 months. In the words of Robert Parker Jnr“…this is a fairly priced beauty - a vivid, well-defined bouquet of blueberries, black currants, minerals, and background sweet oak. Full-bodied yet elegant, with admirable purity, a multilayered texture, and sweet tannin” 93 Points.

Neo Punta Esencia, Bodegas Conde, Ribera del Duero, 2004	35.00
“The 2004 Neo Punta Esencia is made only in the very best vintages (2004 certainly qualifies in Ribera del Duero). The wine receives the 200% new oak treatment (12 months in new oak with racking into another set of new oak for an additional 4 months) and is bottled unfiltered. The wine is nearly black in color and has already soaked up much of the new oak. The nose is super-expressive and complex with pain grille, black currant, blackberry liqueur, and blueberry jam holding sway. Densely packed and stacked, with layer upon layer of ripe fruit, its tannins virtually concealed, this full-bodied, beautifully balanced wine is a near-monument and purchasers should give it the necessary time (10+ years) to strut its stuff.” Robert Parker, 96 Points.

Planots, Celler Cal Pla Mas d'en Compte, Priorat, 2004	55.00
“The 2004 Mas d’En Compte Planots is 50% Garnacha and 50% Carinena from 100+-year-old vines sourced from a single vineyard. The wine was aged for 16 months in new French oak. Inky purple, the wine has an extraordinary bouquet of damp earth, truffle, creme de cassis, and kirsch. Thick and opulent on the palate, this powerful effort is a pure pleasure machine. Already easy-to-drink, the wine has a well-concealed structure and superb balance. It should drink well for the next 10-12 years.” Drinking 2007-2019, Robert Parker, 97 Points.

Unico, Vega Sicilia, Ribera Del Duero, 1991.	160.00
“The 1991 is a gorgeous, deep ruby/purple-colored, remarkably youthful effort offering sweet vanilla notes intertwined with black currants, cherry liqueur, flowers, spice box and tobacco leaves. Full-bodied and intense, with sweet tannin, outstanding density as well as purity, and a layered mouthfeel. It’s a wine of great elegance Drink 2007-2029 ” Robert Parker, 95 Points.