October/11 wines...

- Los Cipreses de Usaldon 2010. Viñedos Culturales-Bernabé Navarro. DO Alicante
It shows its character from the beginning. Maybe it can scare some people, but if you accept it as it is then it goes kind, alluring, charming... I can never be tired of this wine. It's a wine made of coincidences and dreams. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I'd want to drink this wine.

- Muga Rosado 2010. Bodegas Muga DOC Rioja. (5,61 EUR)
Right, but with less personality than preceding vintage. It’s ok, but gives me a question-face as far as I bear in mind that preceding bottles.

- Gravonia Crza. 2001. López de Heredia. DOC Rioja (11,75 EUR)
Need time and breath. Tons of oak during a couple of days; it looks easiar at 5th day finally. Well… it’s only ten years old so it’s soooo young…

- Benoit Blet Rosé 2010. VDQS Thouarsais (8.4 EUR)
Long. That acidity that goes directly to the end of your mouth to become quite, quite long. It’s fresh, really refreshing, but no in the way we use to drink in local rosé wines; it’s different, it’s fruit hidden behing the Mediterranean herbs. More!

- La Bota de Fino Amontillado 24. Equipo Navazos. DO Montilla-Moriles
Gastronomical? Since it's uncorked, at first whiff and sip, it makes you feel hungry. A lot of different dishes comes to your mind. Spectacular. Complexity without being overwhelming. More!

- Domaine Pierre de La Grange Vieilles Vignes 2009. Pierre Luneau-Papin. AOC Muscadet Sèvre et Maine (9-10 EUR)
Fish-friend. One of those wines you can only imagine paired with fish. Nice. By the way, it's quite unusual for me to find mineral hints in any wine. Surprisingly I found chalk smell in this wine. More.

Regards,

Jose

I've tried all of them but the Benoit Blet Rosé 2010.... seems to be a good option with an excellent PQR... which varieties is made of???

Gamay.

Regards,

Jose

I had an advance taste of La Bota de Manzanilla 32 recently and it's lovely.
They keep turning out special wines.

You have reminded me to try a Gravonia.
At what age do you think this shows best?

Can't forget that '64 drank years ago... so do the math ;-) I don't actually know Ray :-/ Ten years looks to me as extremely young for this wine. Even 15 years doesn't look as it's finally tuned... still young. Maybe they begin to show its adult character with twenty-something and over thirty they show their best :-?

Regards,

Jose

Well I knew the Tondonia Blanco aged for that length of time but thought the Gravonia was for 'earlier' drinking.

I can be wrong, but I try to think (and it's absolutely a personal thought) white wines from LdH are a sort of parallel concept of the red ones. I mean that Tondonia Blanco and Gravonia may age as good as Tondonia Tinto and Bosconia do.

Tondonia, Gravonia and Bosconia, as you surely know, are the name of the..mmm... lieu-dits ;^) where the vines are. I mean, Gravonia is not made with the grapes that don't go to Tondonia, but of grapes grown in a land whose concept is the Gravonia itself. I try not to think on it as a second wine, in the same manner I don't think Bosconia is a second wine for Tondonia.

Anyway, as far as the land and microclimate, and maybe even vinification and coupage are different, their behaviour during ageing may show us that you're right and Gravonia reach its peak earliear than Tondonia. When? arf, as I mentioned a couple of messages ago that '64 was the most tuned Gravonia I've ever drank.

Regards,

Jose

Yes I completely understand the lieu dit aspect of these. But you are right to remind me they are not 'second' wines.
But Cubillo is a site as well and it's recommended (by LdH) for earlier drinking not long term keeping.
And the Gravonia is aged in the barrel/bodega for less time as well.

I'm not doubting for a moment your suggestion of how long they will age, merely registering my own ignorance!