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Bodegas Palacio crianza - Rioja; Casillero del Diablo rosado; Codorniu Vintage Rosado; Freixenet - 2007 Vintage Especial; Luis Felipe Edwards reserva; Neblina Sauvignon Blanc, Chile; Viña Albali Reserva; Viña MAIPO Reserva - Merlot; Terra Andina Rosé; Mayor de Castilla;
TOP SPANISH WINES
MIKE`S WEEKLY CHOICE
All these wines are inexpensive and are available at most supermarkets. If any cost more than £6, I will comment on the price, otherwise assume they cost about £5.
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12th December - Terra Andina Rosé
This fruity cabernet sauvignon from the Chile Central Valley is very smooth, yet has that syrup like texture on the palate, it could be an aperitif or a dessert wine. There are bags of red fruit, strawberries and raspberries, which linger to make this a very decent drink. It`s imported into Europe by Codorníu of Sant Sadurni, what more recommendation do you need! It will accompany a large range of dishes and keep its character. |
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5th December - Pata Negra Valdepeñas Reserva
This deep red classic from Bodegas Llanos in Valdepeñas is produced from the Tempranillo grape. If you drink it on immediate uncorking it tastes a little harsh, but has a satisfying lingering quality. It was an excellent accompaniment to a beef stir-fry with broccoli and oyster sauce. The following day after opening (albeit evacuated overnight) it was much silkier and balanced, and probably much easier to drink. It was like a smooth port. If you know you are going to drink all the bottle the same day, just let it breath for an hour or two, and I`m sure it will be great.
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28th November - Campo Viejo Rioja Crianza
An ideal mix of Tempranillo, Garnacha and Mazuelo creates this impressive popular Rioja from the renown Campo Viejo Bodegas. It is a lovely smooth easy drinking fruity red with a hint of the oak in which it has been aged for at least 12 months. Use to compliment anything which needs a wine of character. We drank it with spare ribs in sticky rib sauce from a recipe of Mad Malcolm's from BBC Radio Leeds. Fantastic! Probably costs £5.99 in the supermarket.
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14th November - Albali Caliza
This mix of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon is barrel aged and has bags of powerful flavours. Ideal to accompany red meats and steaks, it is a wine fermented especially for strong red lovers. A product from La Tierra de Castilla in central Spain, it has oak notes developed from 3 months in barrel, and temperature control and produced soft tannins and balanced acidity. In summary - right good red plonk! |
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7th November - Pléyades Garnacha 2008 rosado
This is a lively rosado from the ancient village of Cariñena in Zaragosa, Aragon. I found it silky smooth with lovely redcurrant, cherry and strawberry type flavours lingering quite a while after the first taste. Pleyades is named after the daughters of Pleione who were turned into doves before becoming the grape-shaped constellation of stars! - not many people know that. This wine worked well as an aperitive with nibbles of olives, houmous and salsa dip with tortilla crisps.
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31st October - Neblina - Sauvignon Blanc - Chile
Crisp, fresh and fruity, this wine is easy to drink with undertones from the original French style rather than the Australasian Sauvignons. Another good wine from the Central Valley in Chile, it works well of course with fish, seafood and white meat. However, we finished off a bottle while eating Pumpkin Pie at Halloween - and it went a treat! So obviously it is capable of acting as a dessert wine in some instances. |
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25th October - Luis Felipe Edwards reserva
This is a first class rosé from the Central Valley of Chile, bringing together the quintessential red grape varietals Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon. Another product of a leading Chilean family vineyard, this rosado is fresh, fruity and fun. In autumn you can pretend summer is still around. A versatile wine which can be drunk with a range of foods). Try with the baked potatoes stuffed with bolognese mince recipe. |
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18th October Viña Albali Reserva
This tasty mix of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon from Valdepeñas has been aged for 14 months in oak barrels. The result is a lovely intense full-bodied red with strong oak taste from the ageing process.
Created and bottled by Felix Solis.
Try this wine with rib-eye steak, chips and salad - wonderful! |
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10th October 2009 - Viña MAIPO Reserva - Merlot
The exceptional climate and soil of the Central Valley of Chile has produced a lovely full-bodied Merlot. Aromas of cherries, pepper and cacao make this an interesting wine and very drinkable.
Great with pasta, risotto, white meats and soft cheeses. Try with Pecan-crusted duck fillets - fantastic.
Available at Sainsburys for an unbelievable £3.99.
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3rd October 2009 - Codorniu Vintage Rosado
This is another classic Cava from the region of Sant Sadurni d`Anoia near Barcelona. The Codorniu family have been making sparkling wine since 1872 and this tradition just shines through in quality.
Sparkling rosado doesn`t get much better than this - crafted from the Monastrell and Pinot Noir grapes of a single year. Enjoy the vibrant sparkle of summer fruits and aromas with almost any dish you like. This wine is excellent with anything, and great with simple nibbles like nuts and olives.
Available at many supermarkets on offer at around £5.95 |
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3rd October 2009 - Casillero del Diablo rosado
Chile has come to prominence in the last decade or two for the high quality of its wines. However Concha y Toro who make this wine, have been established for well over 100 years!
Very gluggable, fresh and fruity with a clean finish. It has plenty of forest fruits with a hint of spiciness. Bags of strength and I think it can be drunk with almost anything. This weekend we tried it with a mussel-fish soup, and it was fine.
It is said that Don Melchor, the founder of C y T, kept a batch of the best wines to himself in a cellar. He said that the Devil lived in the place, to keep unwanted visitors away!
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Bodegas Palacio crianza - Rioja
This has all the usual vibrant red fruit flavours of Rioja with a nice easy drinking quality that would make it attractive to new Rioja drinkers. We used it to accompany a rather nice roasted lamb steaks with rosemary sweet potato recipe, and it just went a treat. Sometimes my wife needs strong reds diluting with water, but she said this was good on its own. A touch of vanilla is added by careful ageing in oak barrels.
Don Cosme Palacio founded his bodega in 1894 and this wine has the elegance of this long tradition of wine making. |
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Freixenet - 2007 Vintage Especial
This is a sparkling wine of real quality which you come to expect from the famous cellars of Freixenet in the hills west of Barcelona. Fresh fruity aromas and a crispness with long lasting sparkle should mark out this Cava as a favourite.
It`s a mix of Macabeo, Xarel-lo, and Parallada grape varieties, with the latter bringing out peachy melon flavours. Serve well chilled at 6-8 degrees.
You can usually find it on offer at various times of the year at around £5.95 - it`s an absolute steal. Do not waste money on Champagne when you can get this one. |
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Spanish wine book / Libro de vino |
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