Apiary

S

SFJoe

Joe Dougherty
Had fun at the bar at Apiary last night (no corkage Mondays) with some friends that were too long unseen. Drank well, traded glasses with the bartender, and so on.

The bartender said that the guy down the way from us imported wines from Spain, and that he'd brought something very fancy along, a wine that had thrilled the table with the ('88?) La Tache when they'd had a taste. So he gave me a sip from his glass.

Ptui, what a nightmare. After some googling, I believe that what I had was the Via de Andres Romeo, or something like that, vintage unknown. But the wine was vile--pruny, overripe, alcoholic, heavily wood-tannic, gaaaack. We were just coming off '88 VCC, which was pretty elegant, but still. No excuse for this stuff.

Anyone know the wine, any further details?
 
Benjamn Romeo used to work at Artadi, which should give you a pretty fair idea of his approach to "Rioja". It's not been that long since he's been running his own operation. I've had the misfortune of tasting a couple of the wines and my description would match yours almost exactly, but with added profanity.
 
Oh, dios mio, it's Rioja? Wow, I figured it from someplace much more continental. It's apparently really expensive to boot.
 
Let's set the record straight. The big problem with Benjamn's wines has been a disquieting tendency to bottle variation because (I think) until a couple of years ago his almost inexistent use of SO2 made his wines unstable, so that too many bottles do strange things and can turn positively barnyardy and unpleasant. I don't know if that was the case with your bottle, Joe. In addition, Andrs Romeo, a low-lying vineyard right on the banks of the Ebro river, gives by far the most alcoholic, least refined wines in his portfolio. That said, his reputation and Artadi's for big, alcoholic, Parkerized monsters doesn't seem at all justified to me. Of course, they are modern wines in the sense that they show more of the tempranillo fruit character than some traditional Riojas, heavily counter-spoofed in the cellar, usually do. But not over the top. Indeed, Artadi's Via El Pisn gives wines of Burgundian complexity, and they certainly aren't oak soups.
 
Victor,

I can't speak for the other wines in the portfolio, but my taste of this wine had no microbiological problems, just stylistic ones. I don't think I've had a wine of his before, so his reputation did not precede him as far as my barstool. "Fruit character" is not the phrase that suggested itself to me--this fruit had gone well past plum to prune. And the wood was crude and coarse, IMO.

But I'll try the next one someone offers me, keeping my $150 in my wallet.
 
I understood it to be the Andres Romeo, but I didn't see the bottle. Clandestine gift of the bartender.
 
"Heavily counter-spoofed". That's a good one. Have to remember to include it in my new stand-up routine (it's a tribute to George Carlin set to the music of Kurt Weill and Elvis Costello). Also "Via El Pisn gives wines of Burgundian complexity". Of course, I will credit you accordingly, Vctor.

Best,

LL
 
A more complete definition of what I call "heavily counter-spoofed in the cellar" has already been published in Wine Disorder:

"Of course, these great Riojas are manufactured wines, wines made perhaps more in the cellar than in the vineyard. The methods used in the bodega have at least as much to do with their character and longevity as any natural aspects of terroir we may choose to ascribe to them. That we value these wines so highly could if one arrived at the scene with a particular mental disposition stand in conflict with the notions of non-interventionist viticulture and enology many of us defend. Of course, arguing our way out of the contradiction would be a tall order, so can I plead the fifth for a bit and just enjoy the paradox?"
 
originally posted by VS:
A more complete definition of what I call "heavily counter-spoofed in the cellar" has already been published in Wine Disorder:

"Of course, these great Riojas are manufactured wines, wines made perhaps more in the cellar than in the vineyard. The methods used in the bodega have at least as much to do with their character and longevity as any natural aspects of terroir we may choose to ascribe to them. That we value these wines so highly could if one arrived at the scene with a particular mental disposition stand in conflict with the notions of non-interventionist viticulture and enology many of us defend. Of course, arguing our way out of the contradiction would be a tall order, so can I plead the fifth for a bit and just enjoy the paradox?"
Click to expand...

Victor-

Do you have an example of a wine made in the modern style that you think is showing particularly well now? Actually more than one would be better.

I'm really curious about this and would like to investigate your assertion about how these producers are really representing the terroir.

I thing of the traditional Bodegas as more like Bordeaux than Burgundy and would like to see what these new producers are doing, but I'd like a wine that has some semblance of resolution to it from what you consider to be a good vintage.
 
originally posted by VS:
A more complete definition of what I call "heavily counter-spoofed in the cellar" has already been published in Wine Disorder:

"Of course, these great Riojas are manufactured wines, wines made perhaps more in the cellar than in the vineyard. The methods used in the bodega have at least as much to do with their character and longevity as any natural aspects of terroir we may choose to ascribe to them. That we value these wines so highly could if one arrived at the scene with a particular mental disposition stand in conflict with the notions of non-interventionist viticulture and enology many of us defend. Of course, arguing our way out of the contradiction would be a tall order, so can I plead the fifth for a bit and just enjoy the paradox?"
Click to expand...

I know, man. And it's a wonderful thing that you've managed to encapsulate this longish passage in a handy phrase.

Now all I have to do is set it to a beat. Let's see: "An old white man and a Nuyorican nominee for Supreme Court Justice walk into a bar..."
 
originally posted by VLM:
Do you have an example of a wine made in the modern style that you think is showing particularly well now? Actually more than one would be better.
Click to expand...
I guess you mean specifically red Rioja wines. Here are a few: Roda I 1994 and 1995 Bodegas Roda, Cirsion 2000 Bodegas Roda, Contino Reserva 1989 and 1998 Viedos del Contino, Contino Via del Olivo 2000 Viedos del Contino, Remrez de Ganuza Gran Reserva 1995 Fernando Remrez de Ganuza, Aurus 1999 Finca Allende, Calvario 1999 Finca Allende, Via El Pisn 1996 and 1998 Lacalle-Laorden, Pagos Viejos 1995 Artadi, Barn de Chirel 2001 and 2002 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Gran Reserva 150 Aniversario 2001 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Torre Muga 1996 and 2001 Bodegas Muga, Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, La Cueva del Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, Predicador 2005 Benjamn Romeo, Abel Mendoza Seleccin Personal 2001 Abel Mendoza-Monge, Abel Mendoza Tempranillo 2005 Abel Mendoza-Monge, San Vicente 1998 Seoro de San Vicente, Finca El Bosque 2001 Sierra Cantabria, Dalmau 2001 Marqus de Murrieta.
 
originally posted by VS:
originally posted by VLM:
Do you have an example of a wine made in the modern style that you think is showing particularly well now? Actually more than one would be better.
Click to expand...
I guess you mean specifically red Rioja wines. Here are a few: Roda I 1994 and 1995 Bodegas Roda, Cirsion 2000 Bodegas Roda, Contino Reserva 1989 and 1998 Viedos del Contino, Contino Via del Olivo 2000 Viedos del Contino, Remrez de Ganuza Gran Reserva 1995 Fernando Remrez de Ganuza, Aurus 1999 Finca Allende, Calvario 1999 Finca Allende, Via El Pisn 1996 and 1998 Lacalle-Laorden, Pagos Viejos 1995 Artadi, Barn de Chirel 2001 and 2002 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Gran Reserva 150 Aniversario 2001 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Torre Muga 1996 and 2001 Bodegas Muga, Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, La Cueva del Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, Predicador 2005 Benjamn Romeo, Abel Mendoza Seleccin Personal 2001 Abel Mendoza-Monge, Abel Mendoza Tempranillo 2005 Abel Mendoza-Monge, San Vicente 1998 Seoro de San Vicente, Finca El Bosque 2001 Sierra Cantabria, Dalmau 2001 Marqus de Murrieta.
Click to expand...

Thanks Victor. I'll try to get my hands on some of these.
 
originally posted by VLM:
originally posted by VS:
originally posted by VLM:
Do you have an example of a wine made in the modern style that you think is showing particularly well now? Actually more than one would be better.
Click to expand...
I guess you mean specifically red Rioja wines. Here are a few: Roda I 1994 and 1995 Bodegas Roda, Cirsion 2000 Bodegas Roda, Contino Reserva 1989 and 1998 Viedos del Contino, Contino Via del Olivo 2000 Viedos del Contino, Remrez de Ganuza Gran Reserva 1995 Fernando Remrez de Ganuza, Aurus 1999 Finca Allende, Calvario 1999 Finca Allende, Via El Pisn 1996 and 1998 Lacalle-Laorden, Pagos Viejos 1995 Artadi, Barn de Chirel 2001 and 2002 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Gran Reserva 150 Aniversario 2001 Herederos del Marqus de Riscal, Torre Muga 1996 and 2001 Bodegas Muga, Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, La Cueva del Contador 2000 and 2001 Benjamn Romeo, Predicador 2005 Benjamn Romeo, Abel Mendoza Seleccin Personal 2001 Abel Mendoza-Monge, Abel Mendoza Tempranillo 2005 Abel Mendoza-Monge, San Vicente 1998 Seoro de San Vicente, Finca El Bosque 2001 Sierra Cantabria, Dalmau 2001 Marqus de Murrieta.
Click to expand...

Thanks Victor. I'll try to get my hands on some of these.
Click to expand...

Lots of pricey wood there. I can vouch for the Continos and the '01 Chirel. The rest, you're on your own. I remember a recent dinner here in Santo Domingo where the Remrez de Ganuza Gran Reserva elicited some not-so-positive comments regarding aromas of "stale lipstick".

But what do we know?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top