As many of you know I love nothing more than to head to Court Street Restaurant in Hoboken, NJ on a Saturday afternoon for a themed wine tasting. The most recent that I attended was Wines of Spain. Since these wines tend to be favorites of my fiancé I didn’t hesitate to book it. The tasting consisted of ten wines the last of which was a sherry. This tasting didn’t disappoint and as usual we purchased quite a few of our favorites. Here are the highlights:
Haday Rueda 2013– This was one of three whites we sampled. This is 50% viura and 50% verdejo grapes. Very pale straw color and light bodied with 12% alcohol. It is aged in stainless steel tanks and has notes of tropical fruit and citrus. We liked this subtle white and with summer just around the corner it is perfect for our boating trips.
Dominio de Tares Estay– Easily one of my favorites of the tasting. This red wine from the Castilla y León region is very rare with only 2500 cases produced. Made from 100% Prieto Picudo grapes from 100 year old vines and aged in both American and French oak barrels for six months. Very dark, purplish red color with a cinnamon aroma. Full cherry flavor with baked apples on the finish. Very nice tannins. This wine ages well and is 14.5% alcohol.
Palacios Remondo “La Vendimia” Rioja 2012– Who doesn’t love Rioja? This highly rated wine is 50% Garnacha and 50% Tempranillo. It was dark ruby in the glass with vanilla and cherry aromas. Great dark fruit and a spicy, smooth finish. We didn’t purchase this wine but we both loved it and would purchase in the future.
Dominio de Tares “Baltos” Bierzo 2012– Another highly rated red that was one of the best selections of the afternoon. Same producer as the above Estay it is also aged in American and French oak barrels for six months but is 100% Mencía grapes. Very old vines grown in clay and slate give a wonderful character to this wine. Very dark ruby in the glass with a distinct vanilla aroma. This wine is very fruit forward and smooth making it very easy drinking. Production is higher with 6700 cases. 14% alcohol.
Can Blau Monstant 2013– This red was a surprise in the fact that we had bought a bottle a few weeks prior at Buy Rite but had yet to open it. This is a blend of Mazuelo, Syrah, and Garnacha grapes and is about 40%/40%/20% respectively. Each of these grapes is grown in a different soil: clay, limestone, and slate which add complexity to the wine. The more the vines have to struggle the better the wine. Very dark ruby in the glass with spicy dark fruit flavors make this full bodied red a fantastic choice. 14.5% alcohol.
We are really looking forward to drinking these wines this summer. None of these wines were expensive and they are well worth purchasing based on the high quality they offer. Look for these picks at your local wine shop and let me know what you think. Spanish wines no matter what varietal or region are always an excellent choice!
