February 08 wines...

The usual monthly report...

- Torre de Gazate 2006. Vinícola de Tomelloso. DO La Mancha (3.09 EUR)
In my usual search of budget wines I find this one, suggested for a good friend.
It looks young. Garnet, clean. It’s ok, round and easy quaff but a bit short in all its faces. It’s Ok for the price, so I guess I’ll drink again on next vintages.

- Gorrondona 2006. Doniene Gorrondona. DO Bizkaiko Txakolina (aprox 8 EUR)
Months looking for this wine and finally I’ve got it in my glass.
Liquorized morello cherries, meaty touch and a slight dirtiness. Something like a barnyard. Not disappointing, neither nice. A bit rough sip. With a couple of hours appear fresh strawberries smell.
It’s a nice wine to be paired with easy food, like Tuesday pasta, Thursday pizza or the roasted chicken of the Sunday, including the next day leftover in sandwich.

- Charles Hours Cuvée Marie Jurançon Sec 2002. Ap. Jurançon Sec Contrôlée (11.95 EUR)
The wine is dead. The golden hue in the glass says what I don’t want to assume. Not much of the wine it was, maybe a touch of the great acidity it had. It’s a pity, ’cos when this wine is on it’s one of the most exciting wines in the glass.

- Colet Assemblage Extra Brut. Bodega Josep Colet. DO Penedes (about 15 EUR)
Last month I said that this wine would be a nice pairing for a risotto with green asparagus and zucchini. It’d be very bad at my age to be in a doubt so I’ve tasted today. Creaminess rice, with a touch of manchego cheese and al dente greens. It’s been a very good pairing for this wine, where the word ’wine’ in the term ’sparkling wine’ has a bigger weight each day.

- Carles Andreu Trepat 2006. D.O. Conca de Barberà.
Many time without seeing a red wine that looks really light. Very light hue, that allows me seeing the tablecloth through the glass. Do you remember how it’s now that red wines are thicker each day?
In addition to this I’ve to say that it’s the first time I drink a wine made with the grape ’Trepat’, so no prejudices.
This wine appears with a bit less than insinuating. Everything in this wine is smell, flavours and reminiscences... Lightly sway between what it is, what it insinuate and what it evoke.
Red fruits, warm spices, eucalyptus and natural stick licorice (regaliz de palo o palulú/paluluz/puro moro in spanish). It still sway like the a morning coffee smoke.
I like, in this wine, that it’s not so direct and fresh as my usual and (almost) daily wine drink, but I’dreally enjoy a lot if it were a bit more provocative.

- Dominio de Nobleza. Crianza 2004. Bodegas Dominio de Nobleza. DOC Rioja.
It’s a gift from good friends. Fortunately I drank it before the flu came to my life...
Medium hue, red fruits, smooth, balanced and a final slight touch of cinnamon. A ’crianza’ prototype, but by no means boring. It’s some edges that keep the interest. It’s a surprise to me reading the label that it’s 100 % tempranillo. It’s been a nice wine, paired with a traditional chickpea stew. I don’t know the right price, but I’ve been told it’s less than 10 EUR, so it’d be a good QPR.

- Reymos. Cheste Agraria Cooperativa Vinícola.
Extremely pale with big bubbles. Full moscatel inside this bottle, with scent of rippen peaches, apricots and medlars. I don’t really enjoyed it, but it’s due to the sweet touch. It’s a right wine, but just not my cup of tea.

- Canforrales Selección Tempranillo 2005. Bodegas Campos Reales. DO La Mancha (2.7 EUR)
Why should I say yes when it’s no? The wines of this winery use to be nice and with a good QPR, but this wine has more oak than enough. The label says it’s only three months, but believe me... more than enough. Roasted wood and vanilla overlapping anything that could look good in this wine. It goes to the fridge until next day. Sipping with a more rounded glass the oak and vanilla are still there, but are not so