Iberian Offer – the renaissance is well and
truly under way
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The history of Spain's wine growing has been as
convoluted as its relationship with Britain. Down the
years, a series of natural and man-made upheavals
have pushed the vinous focus from Spain to Portugal
and back again and not just from the British point of
view.
In the late 19th century, the American aphid Phylloxera arrived in Spain,
and just as in much of the rest of Europe, it set
about chewing through vine roots as if it hadn't had
a square meal for weeks. Entire wine producing
regions were lost forever and those families that had
once worked their vineyards left the land in droves.
And yet Phylloxera
arrived late in Spain, some time after it had begun
devastating the vineyards of major French regions
such as Bordeaux. In addition, its spread was slower,
as Spanish wine growing regions are not and never
have been contiguous.
Thus the distraught Bordelais headed for the
closest vineyards known to be still louse-free and
found Rioja and Navarra making wine as it had
for centuries i.e. somewhat unscientifically. And, of
course, the first thing they did on arrival was to
share their wine-making nous. Suddenly, from producing
wine fit only for export to South America and the
most local of local markets, Rioja found itself in demand on
some of the loftiest tables of Europe.
Shunting ourselves around the space-time continuum,
we arrive in 14th century Portugal, from where wines
are already being exported to England. Over the
ensuing centuries Portugal continues to be a source
of wine for the British, particularly during times
when we are unable to source the more fashionable
French examples. These breakdowns in supply are
usually the result of frequent attempts to massacre
each other on the battlefields of Europe, a problem
exacerbated later by that micro-emperor, Buonaparte.
During the Franco-British war of 17th century the
wine lovers of Britain turned to Portugal with gusto;
a gusto that translated into trading benefits set
down in the Treaty of Methuen in 1703. Port evolved
at about this time, the English adding grape spirit
to partially fermented grape must in order to
stabilise the wine for shipment (a similar technique
was being used in Madeira for its famous fortified
wine and in Sicily for marsala). NB. Watch out for an
offer of the 2003 Vintage Port which will appear
later in the year.
To summarise then: Spain's wine industry has a great
deal for which to thank the French; the world's
fortified wine fans owe a huge debt of gratitude to
the English.
And lastly, for the first time in centuries there is
a lull in the drinking of Portuguese wine in the UK;
why? We think they're making some of the more
exciting wines of the world; wines that marry sackfuls of terroir with a New World
ripeness. Iberia is being held up with a quality gun
and is reaching for the sky. Sample any of the wines
on this offer to marvel at how things have changed
since Rioja was cheap and
port and madeira were the
only Portuguese wines of which anyone had heard.
ALL PRICES ARE PER 6 BOTTLE CASE IN BOND
SPAIN
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2001 |
El Bugader, Joan D'Anguera, Tarragona, Spain
Notes: "And the restlessness of Dirk van der Niepoort of the eponymous port house has also been a huge fillip to the development of the Douro as a table wine region. His Batuta, Charme, Vertente and Redoma, unusually available in pink and white versions too, have shown just what can be done with will and imagination". So states Jancis Robinson. The new vintage of Redoma is blisteringly good.
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2008-2015 |
6x75cl |
£135.00 |
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| 1995 |
Gran Reserva 904, La Rioja Alta, Rioja, Spain
Notes: Talk to those in the wine trade and many will say that La Rioja Alta is the producer by which others should be judged; for years the benchmark of quality in the region. All fruit is sourced from its own vineyards in, oddly enough, La Rioja Alta, the quality heart of the region. Whilst this is an absolute classic Gran Reserva - 5 years in American oak barrels; 4 years in bottle; 85% Tempranillo, the rest Graciano and Mazuelo - it is the sheer quality of this wine that makes it so exciting. Again, here's Bob: "...reminiscent of a top-notch Graves from Bordeaux…this is a classic example of an old style Rioja. 90/100." www.riojalta.com
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2009-2017 |
6x75cl |
£129.00 |
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| 2000 |
Dalmau Reserva, Marquès de Murrieta, Rioja, Spain
Notes: The wines of Murrieta need little introduction to lovers of Rioja. For many they represent the pinnacle of all that is traditional in the region. Then along comes Dalmau, the produce of Murrieta's best vineyards, at high altitude, containing the oldest vines. The style is more modern than one would expect from this source (Dalmau includes a 10% splash of Cabernet Sauvignon). This is well within the realms of "super-rioja", go-faster stripes and all. Here's Robert Parker on the subject: "This beauty is a superb example of a modern-style Rioja with one foot in the traditions of the past, and one in the future. It should evolve gracefully over the next 12-15+ years. Bravo! 93/100." www.marquesdemurrieta.com
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2007-2014 |
6x75cl |
£234.00 |
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PORTUGAL
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| Vintage |
Wine |
Drink dates |
Case size |
Price In Bond |
| 2000 |
Grande Escolha, Quinta do Côtto, Douro, Portugal
Notes: This is another slant on what is possible in the Douro Valley. The Grande Escolha is made for ageing, its complex interpretation of the terroir in the valley being wrapped in some serious structure. Small production, pathetic yields and careful vinification result in a wine that has the potential to develop into something very serious indeed. www.quinta-do-cotto.pt
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2010-2018 |
6x75cl |
£144.00 |
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| 2001 |
Quinta de Macedos, Douro, Portugal
Notes: This is an old, old vineyard now owned by an Englishman whose brother runs the best UK-based Portuguese wine importer: all very convenient. What is beyond question is the brilliance of this wine, crafted from vines that were grafted in the 1920s. The concentration here has to be tasted to be believed. If one can work out the extract of a wine by boiling it dry, I suspect that Macedos would leave one with pretty much 75cl of angry looking particles. The last vintage of this wine was one of the wines of 2003 according to www.wineanorak.com, a little-known website well worth checking out. www.quintamacedos.com
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2007-2015 |
6x75cl |
£96.00 |
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| 2001 |
Redoma Tinto, Dirk Niepoort, Douro, Portugal
Notes: "And the restlessness of Dirk van der Niepoort of the eponymous port house has also been a huge fillip to the development of the Douro as a table wine region. His Batuta, Charme, Vertente and Redoma, unusually available in pink and white versions too, have shown just what can be done with will and imagination". So states Jancis Robinson. The new vintage of Redoma is blisteringly good.
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2007-2010 |
6x75cl |
£123.00 |
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| 2001 |
Quinta do Vale Meão, Quinta do Val Meao, Douro, Portugal
Notes: This is perhaps the best-known of Portugal's new wave reds. The estate used to produce fruit for Barca Velha: for many years the only quality wine known in the export markets. It's now gone it alone, with scintillating results. Here's The Wine Spectator: "A stunning representative of the new Douro reds is the Quinta do Vale Meão Douro 2000 (95, $49), which achieved a classic rating in only its second vintage. Its production was sizable, almost 5,000 cases, and it is a blend of six grape varieties, including Touriga Nacional. This grape is the key to many of the Douro's best reds. It offers deep, rich, red fruit flavors, plenty of structure and a distinctive fresh, wild, earthy component". The 2001 looks to be even better.
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2006-2013 |
6x75cl |
£150.00 |
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