I recently talked about my March wine class that covered Spain and Italy… so much fun, but what a whirlwind. I need a really great wine/geography map already! To pick back up where Italy left off, here I present the Spanish gems that we tasted.

NV Cavas Hill Brut Rosado Cava Reserva Artesania

The Cavas Hill is a beautiful, girly pink color. Delicious bright and crisp strawberry flavor. Goes great with salmon. 60% Garnacha and 40% Monastrell.

Origin: Spain
Price: $13
Next time: Get a case!

2005 Valle de Salinas Yecla

This yummy wine is a blend of Monastrell, Cab Sauv, and Merlot. Dark brick rid with subtle fruit and an earthy smell. Very mild in terms of fruit flavors but still a nice balance with tannins.

Origin: Spain
Price: $14
Next time: Get a case!

2005 Campo Viejo Reserva Tempranillo Rioja

Similar to the above Yecla – the Campo Viejo has a bit more tannins than fruit, but still a nice balance with its blend of Tempranillo, Graciano, and Mazuelo. Still mild, but more acid here as well. Check out their website for some beautiful photos as well as videos about these specific wines, as well as tasting and serving wines in general.

Origin: Spain
Price $15
Next time: Get a case!

2007 Vinos Sin Ley G5 Garnacha Madrid – Puerto Bonita

This delicious Spanish red (100% Garnacha) is a real keeper. It clearly says Puerto Bonita on the label, but everyone seems to know this one as the “G5.” It’s a great fruity red with tannins as well. It’s similar to the previous two wines but lighter bodied but still the same fruit forward spirit.

Origin: Spain
Price $16
Next time: Get a case!

2006 Abadia Retuerta Rivola Sardon de Duero

For a red wine that’s 50/50 Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, the Rivola has a buttery finish. I liked this better at the last tasting, but wasn’t a big fan of it compared to some of these other Spanish reds.

Origin: Spain
Price $17
Next time: I’ll pass

2008 Bodegas La Cartuja Priorat

This wine was an oaked Grenache blend that was just way too much in terms of tannins for my taste. Beautiful dark ruby red color, but a very tannic wine. Still a great fruit finish.

Origin: Spain
Price $17
Next time: Get a glass!

1996 Faustino I Tinto Gran Reserva Rioja

This Fuastino is a really weird wine. It smells like dirty shoes… leathery, dirty, funky. Crazy enough, the taste is much better… It still has its fair share of tannins, so it’s definitely not a sip on the porch kind of wine. Maybe with the right dish, this wine might thrive. Give it a shot, but I’m not expecting this to be a new favorite.

Origin: Spain
Price $32
Next time: Get a glass!

This Juan Gil Monastrell caught my eye on the wine menu last night at Muss & Turner’s — I remember W and I tried this wine (2006 vintage) back in July 2009 at M&T’s Big Burly BBQ Reds wine tasting, and this was one of our favorites. Always good to put a wine from a tasting to the real test, so we shared a bottle of the Juan Gil Monastrell. What a great decision! The rich fruit, smooth tannins, and slightly smoky flavor made a perfect match with the Hangar Steak entree.

The Juan Gil winery is located in the Jumilla region of Spain, and is currently managed by the original winemaker’s great-grandchildren. According to their website, this wine is 100% Monastrell grapes, with 12 months aged in French oak.

Origin: Jumilla Region, Spain
Where: Muss & Turner’s
Price: $29 bottle (restaurant, not retail); probably around$ 12-$15 retail
Next time: Get a case!

This beautiful label portrays a blended wine of 50% Monastrell and 50% Syrah from Spain. I’ve had some great Monastrells before, but Syrahs are often too pungent for my taste. Unfortunately, the Nabuko was on the too-strong side for me, being very pungent, spicy, and smoky. If that’s your style, go for it! You can learn more about the winemakers on the importer’s website.

Origin: Spain
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $15
Next time: I’ll pass.

To tag along with my Fave Red Wines of 2009, here are my star whites from this past year:

• Man Vintners Chenin Blanc – $9
• Minini Orvieto – $9
• Le Chat Rouge Chardonnay – $11
• Starborough Sauvignon Blanc – $12ish?
• Luna Argenta Prosecco (bubbly) – $12
• Kiona Vineyards Riesling – $12
• Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava (bubbly) – $12
• Borgo Boschetto Pinot Grigio – $13
• Terra Antiga Vinho Verde – $13
• Pascual Toso “Toso” Brut (bubbly) – $13
• 071 Prosecco Veneto (bubbly) – $14
• Villa Cornaro Prosecco – $14 (this is the bubbly that went with Wyatt’s marriage proposal!)
• Fonty’s Pool Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon – $14
• Fonty’s Pool Chardonnay – $16
• Holly’s Garden Pinot Gris – $20
• Wolf Mountain Vineyards Plenitude Chardonnay-Viognier blend – $20
• Wolf Mountain Blanc de Blanc Brut (bubbly) – $25

This G5 Puerta Bonita came recommended by my dad, who’d gotten some in October last year at Highland Wine. He raved about this one, so I had to give it a try. I’ve had mixed reviews with Grenachas, so I figured this tasting could go either way.

Well, as they say – father knows best. This wine rocks, hands down. From 120-year-old vines, they only make about 1,100 cases – with 900 imported to the US, so I’m not sure how widely available you’ll find this one. If you run across it, definitely give it a shot.

Origin: Madrid, Spain
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $15ish
Next time: Get a case!

This Big Bang Rioja, also called “BB” made it to my wine collection by way of Highland Wine‘s monthly wine club (one of the best things I’ve ever signed up for!). The accompanying wine notes recommended pairing this powerful wine with roasted lamb with rosemary and garlic. Wouldn’t you know that’s exactly what our friends the Glovers cooked for our New Year’s Day feast! Perfect.

We uncorked the Big Bang with high expectations — and it delivered! This blended wine is composed of 50% Garnacha, 40% Tempranillo, and 10% Graciano. Wine Advocate describes this wine as:

The Garnacha was raised in concrete vats, the Tempranillo and Graciano in oak for nine months. Dark ruby colored, it offers up an exceptionally spicy nose (from the Graciano) along with floral notes, underbrush, cassis, cherry, and plum. Medium-to full-bodied on the palate, it has layers of flavor, excellent acidity, savory fruit, and enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years. It will be at its best from 2010 to 2017.

I’d tried some Riojas in the past at tastings and was never particularly fond of them. The more I’ve thought about it, I think it comes down to the massive power of these wines – oftentimes, they have strong tannins, so they’re just not going to come across at their best at a tasting without a big powerful meat to go with it. They’re just too much to really enjoy as a solo beverage. So next time you have a spicy, flavorful lamb – definitely give this wine a try!

Origin: Rioja, Spain
Where: Highland Wine
Price: $17
Next time: Get a glass!

The other night, Highland Wine and DBA Barbecue hosted a great wine-tasting centered around wine-pairing with… you guessed it… BBQ! It was really fun, and I enjoyed snacking (making a meal) on the big variety of appetizers and sampler dishes they brought out.

Here’s what we tried:

N.V. Cavas Hill Brut Rose Reserva Artesania Cava ($12) to go with pulled pork and smoked chicken – This was my favorite wine of the night. Stunningly delicious – so fresh and crisp with light sweetness. Now that the weather’s getting chillier, this was a punch of springtime. I’m going back for some bottles of this!

2007 Petit Rimauresq Rose Grenache/Cinsault (Provence, France: $15) with wings and smoked turkey – This rose was more dense and mellow compared to the first wine. Less spring-like and crisp, it reminded me more of baked fruit, maybe like apricots in its heavier qualities. Not bad, but I’d rather have two bottles of the first one and skip this one next time.

2008 Bauer Haus Riesling QBA (Nahe, Germany: $13) to accompany white cheese and corn muffins with honey butter – SUPER SWEET! If your friend likes White Zinfandel, give her this instead. A little of this sweet wine would go a long way for me, but I think it would be really awesome with a spicy asian dish. I’d love a slightly less sweet version of this wine, but I would definitely not turn down a glass of this Riesling.

2008 Terra Antiga Vinho Verde (Portugal: $13) to pair with oysters on the half shell – Ah, one of my new favorite wines from this summer. It’s like honeysuckle. Go get a bottle if you haven’t already. It’s awesome. I didn’t try it with the oysters (they were out of season, and I don’t like raw oysters… enough said)

2007 Winzer Krems Gruner Veltliner (Austria: $13) with bacon wrapped shrimp and boiled peanuts – Nice light sweetness but high on the citrus flavors. It paired well with the shrimp, but overall I wanted less citrus and less acid.

2006 Flora Springs Barrel Fermented Chardonnay (Napa, CA: $21) to go with deviled eggs – I said “no, thanks” to the deviled eggs, but for folks who like a mild oaky, buttery Chardonnay, you’ll like this Flora Springs. For non-oaky, non-buttery Charddonay fans, skip this one and get a Le Chat Rouge instead.

2007 Umani Ronchi Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (Italy: $13) to accompany frog legs and grilled portabella sandwich – This was my favorite red wine of the tasting. It was mild and fruit-forward, not overpowering, just a great humble wine. I see a few bottles of this coming my way soon.

2007 Finca El Origen Malbec Reserva Mendoza (Argentina: $11) to pair with pulled pork salad – This wine packed a punch in terms of jammy and spicy. I didn’t dislike it but I never embraced it either.

2008 Penelop Sanchez tinto Joven (Spain: $14) with brunswick stew – As with most grenaches, the high tannins didn’t deliver the experience I wanted. When paired with a heavy stew, the tannins would be balanced better, but still…

2007 R&B Swingsville Zinfandel ($12) with andouille sausage, red beans, and rice – I think I tried this wine back in the summer at the Smyrna Wine Festival. Recommended.

2006 Vaca Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Small Lot Reserve ($14) with Texas beef brisket – EXCELLENT Cab. Medium tannins (but goes great with food), some spice but not overly so, and full-flavored. Go get some!

2005 d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz-Grenache (Australia: $17) to parnter wth Carolina-style spare ribs – This wine was enjoyable and it definitely goes great with a big piece of meat.

2007 Opolo Vineyards Summit Creek Zinfandel ($21) paired with baby back ribs – Reminded me of a port in its dessert wine similarities. Lots of caramel flavors. I prefer a lighter zinfandel to this dessert bomb but it was fun to drink. Skip mentioned it would pair with chocolate really well… I might have to try that one at some point. A Vosges Barcelona Bar would do the trick.

Origin: Yecla, Spain

Where: Highland Wine & Crystal

Price: $13.99

Next time: Get a glass!

This new wine was enjoyable, although definitely on the powerful side. Totally understandable given the blend of Monastrell, Cab, and Syrah. A decent amount of spice and tannins, it’s definitely not for the faint at heart.

From the back of the bottle, a few notes:

60% Monastrell, 20% Syrah, and 20% Tempranillo -  this wine is aged for three months in new oak barrels.

W and I went to the weekly Muss & Turner’s wine tasting last week. Great theme – Big Burly BBQ Reds just in time for July 4th!

Here’s the lineup along with tasting notes provided at the tasting:

2008 Punto Final Malbec, Mendoza, Argentina

Punto Final’s 100% Malbec comes from vines more than 50 years old whose production is less than 8 tons per acre, resulting in concentrated and flavorful fruit. This wine is untiltered in order to preserve its distinct varietal’s qualities.

Next time: Get a glass if you like middle-of-the-road Cabs and Merlots

2007 Pas A Paso, La Mancha, Spain

The Paso a Paso Tinto is 100% Tempranillo source from vineyards averaging 40 years of age. The color is a saturated purple with fragrant aromas of mineral, scorched earth, and blackberry. The wine has a big core of fruit with enough structure to evolve for many years.

Next time: I’ll pass. I’ve learned after many tasting that Tempranillo is not for me… nor was it for the other four people sharing our communal table. Just too saturated and tannic.

2006 Sierra Cantabria, Rioja, Spain

Almost all Tempranillo from Rioja. Darkly colored, the aromas are of plum, candied violet, and raspberry. It’s very generous with its flavors of plum, raspberry, red cherry, and wood smoke (from barrel aging). The Sierra Cantabria folks produce a bit more of a new world style Rioja in that it is supple and easy to drink.

Next time: I’ll pass. I very much disagree with the notes saying this wine is “easy to drink.” Again, being Tempranillo, it’s very saturated and very tannic.

2006 Clos La Chance Zinfandel, Central Coast, CA

Sweet raspberries on the nose, ripe plums and figs, along with a cinnamon spice. Dried cherries and raspberries on the palate, hints of cocoa and rosemary. The finish is long and smooth, and there is a touch of vanilla at the very end, from the oak ageing.

Next time: Get a case! A bit on the lighter side for a Zinfandel but this was fantastic! At a restaurant, expect to pay $9.50 per glass, or $36 per bottle. What a steal! If you like this one, you’ll also like Eos Estate Winery Zinfandel… more on that below (and see picture above).

2006 Juan Gil Monastrell, Jumilla, Spain

It has a very dark cherry colour with purple tones. In the nose, it has powerful aromas of red berries, toasted and smoked notes from their ageing in the oak barrels. It has good structure with ripe and sweet tannins. In the mouth, it is very long and with a perfect balance between fruit, alcohol, and the oak tones, which make it very pleasant and easy to drink.

Next time: Get a case! Seriously fabulous! Like the Clos La Chance Zinfandel above, the price is great – expect $9.50 per glass or $36 per bottle at a restaurant… when I find it retail, I’ll comment back.

This next one wasn’t part of the tasting, but Ryan recommended it based on the popularity of the Clos La Chance Zinfandel. The 2007 Eos Estate Winery Zinfandel was excellent with our meal after the wine tasting. It was absolutely perfect – striking a great middle ground of very flavorful but without knocking you down with tannins and fruit concentration. Eos is located in Paso Robles, CA, about midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles east of the coast.

Notes from their website:

Nose: The 2007 Zinfandel aromas fill the senses with the fruit of plum and dark berry pie with graham cracker crust.
Mouth: The aromas carry over onto the palate and are balanced by the acidic fruits of black cherry, raspberry and strawberry.
Finish: This wine finishes out with floral aromatics, subtle hints of oak, dry dusty earth, fresh tobacco that lingers and spices of white pepper and sage.

Next time: Get a case! Or split a case with this and the Clos La Chance Zinfandel!

Tonight’s “Summer Champagne Extravaganza” with Food 101 Morningside and Highland Wine & Crystal was so fascinating. It was really fun to try a variety of “bubblies” – sparkling wines, champgnes, proseccos, etc. and see which ones stood out as favorites. I’ll be the first to admit that I have tasted very little in this category and none of it has been anything I’d be comfortable ordering or suggesting to other people. So I admit I am almost as close to a champagne-sparkling wine newbie as you can get. One more disclaimer – I was tasting the bubblies on their own, not paired with anything, so that might make a big impact on any final decisions. With that said, here’s my (very initial) verdict.

The tasting started with the light and sweet to heavy and dry.

NV Marquis De La Tour Brut Loire France – this first tasting was one of my top 5 favorites. It was lightly sweet, not too dry and just overall very enjoyable.

NV Louis Pedrier Rose Cote D’Or Burgundy France – compared to the first one, this wine was drier than I expected. Not bad, but I still preferred the first one.

NV Torley Grande Cuvee Hungary - Wasn’t a big fan of this one. Not really sure why…

Parxet Cava Brut Cuvee 21 Spain – Another favorite!

NV Novecento Extra Brut Argentina – Another favorite!

NV Gratien & Meyer Brut Rose Saumur France – very nice, light and sweet with nice fruit (wow… I’m realizing I’m really bad at describing the differences between most of the champagnes I like.. they’re similar but they weren’t all the same… okay, gotta work on descriptions in the future!)

NV Villa Cornaro Prosecco – AWESOME!

071 Prosecco Veneto Italy – AWESOME!

NV Jeio Bisol Prosecco Brut Italy - AWESOME! and less sweet than the first two proseccos

2004 Gruet Blanc de Blancs New Mexico – a firm and solid dislike for this one. Smelled like fermented honey… think middle ages, mead.

NV Taltarni Brut Tache Victoria Australia – TOP FAVORITE OF THIS TASTING!

NV Maxim’s Brut Chigny Les Roses Champagne - Wasn’t a big fan of this one… this will become a trend… liked almost all proseccos but hardly any of the champagnes. I’m eager to discovery why I disliked champagnes… was it just the lack of food or a very beginner palate? To be determined!

NV Beaumount Crayere Brut Epernay Champagne – Just okay…

NV Mandois Brut Origine Epernay Champagne – Nope…

NV Beaumont Brut Rose Epernay Champagne – Very nice! One of the few champagnes in positive territory for me!

NV Mandois Brut Nature Epernay Champagne – Nope…

2002 Mandois 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs Epernay Champagne – Nope…

NV Maxim’s Rose Chigny Les Roses Champagne – Yes!

NV Laurent-Perrier Ultra Brut Salon Sur Champagne – The driest of the bunch and apparently a stellar wine according to those in the know. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan. We’ll see if that changes over time.