scottreiner
scott reiner
Jose Pastor has, in a relatively short amount of time, revolutionized the Spanish wine market in the US. For too long drinking Spanish wine has been problematic; while you can taste the potential, the wines simply are not that good. Sometimes the wines are over-oaked. Often, they are so over-processed that it is impossible to really tell where they are from. Then I discovered the wines that Pastor is importing and I finally saw the potential realized.
In short, if you care about or are interested in Spanish wines in any way, you have to get to know these wines. All wines were tasted at a formal tasting followed by a party in NYC recently.
Pedralonga Albario 2008 A tiny producer in Rias Biaxas who farms bio-dynamically. No oak is used and the wine goes through a minimal amount of malolactic fermentation. Most modern Albarios are round and boring, not so here. This is all about the mineral/acid balance. It is intensely flavored but in no way cloying. One of the better Albarios out there. $28
Mendall Terme de Guiu 2007 Laureano Serres works naturally and uses absolutely no sulfur. All the wines have the slight oxidative notes that one often finds in natural wine making. These are glugging wines, while I would have like slightly more acid, the juice is just delicious. My favorite of the many wines was the Terme de Guiu, primarily made from Macabeo. The wine was deliciously nutty and balanced. Really like unfortified sherry. Salty, nutty, fun! (Note: While I enjoyed the wines, for export I really think 10 grams of sulfur at bottling would be an improvement...) $27
Guimaro BGB Godello 2008 100% Godello from Ribeira Sacra, the wine spends some time in oak. We are seeing more and more Godello in the United States, but they are often over priced and boring. This wine is not cheap, around $30, but damn it is delicious. Somehow the wine is crisp and round at the same time, a fun dichotomy. It really coats your tongue, very compelling.
Guimaro Mencia 2009 I have been drinking this wine for years, and every time I try a new vintage I discover again why. First you get some great fruit, backed up by slightly sour/green elements. Chill it a bit and experience real Mencia, and why you want to drink real Mencia. $16
Los Bermejos Malvasia 2009 From Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. A nice fruit/sour balance with some chalky minerality. The wine just has presence. $25
Los Bermejos Rose 2009 100% Listan Negro, a grape to the best of my knowledge found only in the Islands. More serious than your average rose, darker fruits and forest floor. Some very light tar at the very end really seals the deal, delish. $22
Los Bermejos Tinto 2008 Wine I enjoy everything made by Bermejos, the Tinto really has my heart. The wine just covers the tongue. There is a little weight, but it's all balance. A wonderful blend of fruit, leather and finely grained tannins. Just awesome! $25
Vitigo Gual 2007 100% Gual, and again, have never had this grape before. (You have to be a little bit excited when trying absolutely new grapes!) We find ourselves once again in the Canary Islands, this time on Tenerife. The wine is somewhat richer than expected, with a little tannin! Reminded me mostly of some sort of lighter Gewurztraminer. Weird, different and delicious and.... you just have to try. $26
Escudo de Plata Gran Reserva 2004 100% old vine Monastrell from Jumilla. I have, through the years, had many lovely wines from Jumilla. I cannot, however, remember liking anything as much as this. Old-school Spain. Slight oxidation, as it its made in used large barrels from Jerez. The wine is medium bodied and has many wonderful earth and fruit flavors. But, for me, the wine is all about mouth feel. The tannins just reek of Jumilla and pleasure. And, at $20, a steal!!!!
Hermanos Pecia I could go through each of the 9 wines I tried from Pecia. I could explain why each one is so delicious and truly deserves your attention. Instead, I'll do it this way. Every single wine made here is amazing. They represent Rioja wines at their best, in every way. These are real, honest wines. Lopez de Heredia and Hermanos Pecia are the only 2 Riojas that I care about in any way. I'm not sure there is more that I can say.
Primativo Quiles Cono 4 2008 100% Monastrell from Alicante. The Cono 4 is a joven style wine made in large foudres. All I want to write about this wine is that at $11 it may be the best wine value I know of. Demand your local retailer sell this!
Primativo Quiles Raspay Tinto 2004 This is the second vintage I have tried of this wine. The 2003 was amazing, especially given the extreme heat that marked the vintage, the 2004 is even better. Aged in older American barrels, the Raspay is oxidized in such the right way. This wine makes no effort to please modern tastes, I imagine it tastes much the way it did in 1940, the year Don Primativo Quiles took over the family winery. Perfect. $22
Frederico I think the best way to deal with Frederico is to summarize as I did with Hermanos Pecia. The Ribera del Duero is a region in Spain where the wines show very little typicity. All the oak and alcohol wash away any beauty from the wines. Not here though! The wines all show great balance. The Roble is the lightest with the most fruit forward style, and as you make your way up the line from Crianza to Riserva and Gran Riserva, the wines only get better as the earth overtakes the fruit. All the wines have amazing fine grained tannins. Again, these wines actually TASTE like they're from Ribera, something very few Ribera wines can claim.
In short, if you care about or are interested in Spanish wines in any way, you have to get to know these wines. All wines were tasted at a formal tasting followed by a party in NYC recently.
Pedralonga Albario 2008 A tiny producer in Rias Biaxas who farms bio-dynamically. No oak is used and the wine goes through a minimal amount of malolactic fermentation. Most modern Albarios are round and boring, not so here. This is all about the mineral/acid balance. It is intensely flavored but in no way cloying. One of the better Albarios out there. $28
Mendall Terme de Guiu 2007 Laureano Serres works naturally and uses absolutely no sulfur. All the wines have the slight oxidative notes that one often finds in natural wine making. These are glugging wines, while I would have like slightly more acid, the juice is just delicious. My favorite of the many wines was the Terme de Guiu, primarily made from Macabeo. The wine was deliciously nutty and balanced. Really like unfortified sherry. Salty, nutty, fun! (Note: While I enjoyed the wines, for export I really think 10 grams of sulfur at bottling would be an improvement...) $27
Guimaro BGB Godello 2008 100% Godello from Ribeira Sacra, the wine spends some time in oak. We are seeing more and more Godello in the United States, but they are often over priced and boring. This wine is not cheap, around $30, but damn it is delicious. Somehow the wine is crisp and round at the same time, a fun dichotomy. It really coats your tongue, very compelling.
Guimaro Mencia 2009 I have been drinking this wine for years, and every time I try a new vintage I discover again why. First you get some great fruit, backed up by slightly sour/green elements. Chill it a bit and experience real Mencia, and why you want to drink real Mencia. $16
Los Bermejos Malvasia 2009 From Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. A nice fruit/sour balance with some chalky minerality. The wine just has presence. $25
Los Bermejos Rose 2009 100% Listan Negro, a grape to the best of my knowledge found only in the Islands. More serious than your average rose, darker fruits and forest floor. Some very light tar at the very end really seals the deal, delish. $22
Los Bermejos Tinto 2008 Wine I enjoy everything made by Bermejos, the Tinto really has my heart. The wine just covers the tongue. There is a little weight, but it's all balance. A wonderful blend of fruit, leather and finely grained tannins. Just awesome! $25
Vitigo Gual 2007 100% Gual, and again, have never had this grape before. (You have to be a little bit excited when trying absolutely new grapes!) We find ourselves once again in the Canary Islands, this time on Tenerife. The wine is somewhat richer than expected, with a little tannin! Reminded me mostly of some sort of lighter Gewurztraminer. Weird, different and delicious and.... you just have to try. $26
Escudo de Plata Gran Reserva 2004 100% old vine Monastrell from Jumilla. I have, through the years, had many lovely wines from Jumilla. I cannot, however, remember liking anything as much as this. Old-school Spain. Slight oxidation, as it its made in used large barrels from Jerez. The wine is medium bodied and has many wonderful earth and fruit flavors. But, for me, the wine is all about mouth feel. The tannins just reek of Jumilla and pleasure. And, at $20, a steal!!!!
Hermanos Pecia I could go through each of the 9 wines I tried from Pecia. I could explain why each one is so delicious and truly deserves your attention. Instead, I'll do it this way. Every single wine made here is amazing. They represent Rioja wines at their best, in every way. These are real, honest wines. Lopez de Heredia and Hermanos Pecia are the only 2 Riojas that I care about in any way. I'm not sure there is more that I can say.
Primativo Quiles Cono 4 2008 100% Monastrell from Alicante. The Cono 4 is a joven style wine made in large foudres. All I want to write about this wine is that at $11 it may be the best wine value I know of. Demand your local retailer sell this!
Primativo Quiles Raspay Tinto 2004 This is the second vintage I have tried of this wine. The 2003 was amazing, especially given the extreme heat that marked the vintage, the 2004 is even better. Aged in older American barrels, the Raspay is oxidized in such the right way. This wine makes no effort to please modern tastes, I imagine it tastes much the way it did in 1940, the year Don Primativo Quiles took over the family winery. Perfect. $22
Frederico I think the best way to deal with Frederico is to summarize as I did with Hermanos Pecia. The Ribera del Duero is a region in Spain where the wines show very little typicity. All the oak and alcohol wash away any beauty from the wines. Not here though! The wines all show great balance. The Roble is the lightest with the most fruit forward style, and as you make your way up the line from Crianza to Riserva and Gran Riserva, the wines only get better as the earth overtakes the fruit. All the wines have amazing fine grained tannins. Again, these wines actually TASTE like they're from Ribera, something very few Ribera wines can claim.