Nostalgia over Spanish Wines at Year's Turning
By Steve Grant, Wine Consultant
Colony Wine & Liquors Auburn, MA
As the years accumulate, the holidays become more and more a time for reflection:
and when I consider wines under the hypnotic pull of nostalgia I am always drawn
to Spain, particularly her rich array of delicious red wines. It was there as a
young geologist, before I had any expertise in wine, that I first experienced a
culture of wine drinking. For several years in the early 90's I had the good
fortune to do fieldwork in Spain. My colleague was a Spaniard living in Sweden
who adored wine and laughter. Upon hearing that our research would be funded he
sent me a single-line message: "Steve we will drown ourselves in Spanish wine!"
Never shy of an overstatement Gonzalo meant that we would share a bottle over
lunch and dinner most days, but as we criss-crossed the Iberian Peninsula we
sampled quite a range of Spanish reds. Many of them were simple, fresh and
fruity wines poured from jugs, stored in large earthenware tinajas and made
on premise in country inns. Occasionally we opted for the more complex, oak-aged
wines of Rioja or Ribero del Duero. The quality of all these wines was
exceptionally high and it remains a mystery to me how they were always
refreshing. Even after a long day splitting rocks in the high heat a couple
of glasses revitalized the body and spirit. Perhaps this is the secret behind
living without the hindrance of sleep for which the Spanish are justly famous?
Owing to this very pleasant experience every glass from Spain brings with it
a plethora of memories - the storks on the roofs in Trujillo, the sounds of
bells on the livestock in the high plains, the breathtaking beauty of the
women in Cordoba, the lavish aromas of Spring as we crashed though the fields
dense with lavender and rosemary, the happy and refined nature of the Spanish
people, and the delightfully tortured English of Gonzalo who fancied himself
fluent - "Wait a minute I am focusizing my camera." or "That man was arnartious
(read obnoxious) and totally washbrain!".
It is obvious that I am indulging myself with this subject. Fortunately this
self-indulgence can be justified, for the wines of Spain have some special
qualities that make them of interest to you the consumer. First they are
exceptional values from the most inexpensive to the highest quality. Second,
the warm climate is favorable for producing wonderfully ripe grapes and this,
coupled with judicious aging in oak barrels, tends to produce wines that are
ready to drink now. Finally, the red wines of Spain are versatile at the
table. Typically medium- to full-bodied these wines are rarely heavy and,
despite their oak aging, a sinewy vitality remains that allows them to be
matched with beef, lamb, pork, chicken and even some seafood, especially
fish marinated with herbs and spices or served with rich sauces.
The quality red wines of Spain were late arrivals on the European scene in
the mid-19th century, but the timing turned out to be propitious as it just
preceded the devastation of French vineyards by the phylloxera louse. A
wine-thirsty neighbor, therefore, provided an important export market for
quality Spanish reds, and an influx of French winemakers and growers brought
new techniques and ideas that further expanded the production of quality wine
in Spain. The phylloxera louse eventually did its damage in Spain, but the
tradition of making fine wines Spanish-style had already been established.
Tempranillo is the main red grape used, although excellent results have been
achieved using Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache (Garnacha in Spain).
The thin-skinned Tempranillo has an unusual ability to withstand long aging
in oak barrels and still retain a youthful quality. In addition, wine making
in Spain is traditionally not afraid to allow some contact with oxygen and the
result is a silky textured wine with soft tannins, an abundance of red fruit
flavors, such as plum and cherries, and a spicy, toasty quality resulting
from the oak contact. Some wine is produce sin crianza, or without any oak
aging, giving rise to a refreshing wine full of fruit and a racy acidity.
Con crianza wines have to be aged at least one year in oak, while Reservas
require three years aging, with at least one year in oak. Gran Reservas
require very high quality fruit for they have to withstand at least five
years aging, two of which must be in wood. Some traditional wineries release
Gran Reservas 20-30 years old! However, the recent trend for some of Spain's
most interesting wines is to reduce the amount of oak aging and forgo any
legal age designation on the bottle. These wines are fruit-driven and modern
in style with great character and balance.
Alas the end of this tale is that Gonzalo is no longer with us, that fine
companion and true hedonist. I will have to go and buy a bottle in remembrance.
I would that I could afford a Vega Sicilia Unico, undeniably the most renowned
red wine from Spain. Considering that the King of Spain is on allocation and
even the Pope was allowed only six bottles of a recent release I think I must
set my sights a little lower. A bottle of Rivola 2001 from Sardon de Duero,
yes that will do, enough to bring back the smell of lavender, the weight of
the hammer in my hand, the crack as a large piece of limestone was broken off
from the cliff face, then the awe-filled silence as we all looked at the broken
surface filled with the remains of a rare and ancient fossil never before seen
in Spain. That is what he lived for, the unexpected and giddy pleasure of
discovery. We worked until sunset that day, if you can call it work, for we
were buoyed up with a special elation: a tiny secret from the near infinity
of deep time dropped at our feet. We drank well that night.
Steve Grant is a wine consultant working with
Colony Liquors and Wines, Auburn, MA.
You can contact Steve at wineline@colonywines.com.
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