The Strength of Spain: Exploring the Country's Top Wine Regions
Wine Club Miami's May tasting included wines from Jerez, Galicia, Ribera del Duero and more, along with a new project from the former Vega Sicilia winemaker
On Thursday, May 2nd, Wine Club Miami convened at Little Brix SommCulture in Wynwood Miami ready to taste through the notable wine regions of Spain. This time, we took it a step further and organized a food pairing menu that was also Spanish-themed (big thank you to Brian Atkinson at Little Brix for setting it up). From slices of truffled cheese to salty, flavorful chorizo to mind blowing anchovies, the tasting became an instant highlight and one to remember for the club.
Our group of eight began the night with a glass of wine served blindly. It was a headscratcher and rightfully so. Our restaurant host unveiled the wine: Bodegas de Santo Tomas Chenin Blanc 2021…from Mexico. A very well made and balanced wine to get our engines started.
Our first wine was the Domecq Fino La Janda Fino Sherry, loaded with aromas and flavors of salty mist, almonds, green olives and bread crust. It paired nicely with the anchovies, matching its intense, pungent flavors! This wine hails from the south of Spain in a place called Jerez, where the world’s Sherry comes from. The Palamino grape excels here, where many others wouldn’t due to the region’s intense sunlight and chalky soils (called Albariza).
Next up was Rafael Palacios Valdeorras Godello Louro 2022, one of Matt’s favorite white wines from the northwest of Spain in Galicia, which he provided for the tasting. This wine is just what we needed to pull our palates back to earth after the sherry. Bright, juicy and super fresh, and loaded with citrus notes. It is one of the best values out there at $30 per bottle! And coming from the legendary Rafael Palacios, we were in good hands.
The Marques de Griñon Graciano 2019 was the second wine we took from the shelves of Little Brix (Sherry was the other one). This 100% Graciano is a Vino de Pago, or single vineyard, from a region close to Rioja. According to Jesus, many Rioja wines include a touch of Graciano in them, so it was great to taste one in full throttle. This was the fruit bomb of the bunch. Red fruit, black fruit you name it, the Graciano packed a good punch but not in a bad way. The wine coated the greasy cheeses and meats and was a top contender for best pairing wine.
We moved up the ladder by heading to Ribera del Duero and Rioja next. Side by side, we tasted Ausas ‘Interpretacion’ 2018 and Tondonia 2001 which were very different but both amazing. The big winner was the Ausas! Started with the first vintage in 2016, this project was started by Xavier Ausàs, one of Spain’s most prestigious winemakers who started his personal project after working for more than two decades at Bodegas Vega Sicilia. Critics and consumers love this equally, but it is definitely a wine to lay down for 20+ years.
The Tondonia was beautiful, showing a soft and elegant texture from a textbook vintage for Rioja. It is more of a wine to enjoy on its own since it seemed so delicate compared to Ausas (for obvious reasons). Tondonia is the most legendary of the producers on this table tonight. The wines are always late-released meaning 2011 is probably the newest vintage on the market!
It’s becoming a common theme to bring extra bottles to our tastings, so member Jesus and Wine Club Miami co-president Shawn Zylberberg brought two wines to blind taste:
Terroir al Limit Pedra de Guix Priorat 2017
Bodegas La Horra Corimbo I Ribera del Duero 2010
The Terroir al Limit was an instant favorite, maybe because it was simply super different yet still magical. Winemaker Dominik Huber earned his chops working with South Africa’s iconic winemaker Eben Sadie before starting Terroir al Limit. Dominik refers to Pedra de Guix as his “oxidative” white. Guix is a blend of old-vines of Pedro Ximenez on clay soils, Macabeu on alluvial soils, and Garnatxa Blanca on schist in the village of Torroja. After harvesting these varieties by hand, they are brought to the cellar and placed in a basket press where they are gently pressed over several hours into a concrete vat. Dominik’s wines are an exceptional view at modern Priorat, one of the toughest, unforgiving wine regions on earth.
The Bodegas La Horra Corimbo I Ribera del Duero 2010 was a serious wine and probably the most complete and balanced of everything presented at our tasting. It showed winds of mint on the nose, deep dark fruit and 10 rounds of amazing depth that doesn’t end. According to the Bodega, 2010 vintage was extraordinary with excellent ripeness and packed full of autumnal aromas whilst maintaining freshness. It’s a 100% Tempranillo from 60+ year old bush vines. What’s better?
Thanks to our member Stephen, we ended the night with one more gem: Paul Hobbs Coombsville Cabernet Sauvignon 2020. Although the vintage gets a lot of crap, some producers such as Paul Hobbs and Harlan Estate still came out guns blazing, and this wine shows that expert winemaking and careful decision-making can overcome the toughest natural elements. Bravo to all the winemakers out there who make us happy to drink the good stuff with great friends.
Next up: Champagne!