With the Xmas mess I almost forget to post de Dec/08 wines...

- Colet Assemblage Extra Brut. Bodega Josep Colet. DO Penedes.
Degorgement Oct/07
Cupperlike hue and while I was drinking it makes me think about that spanish traditional thing named Roscón de Reyes. I've found hints of pastries in the oven, sweet fruit, almonds... As I've said, a Roscón before the date.

- Viña Cubillo Crianza 2002. López de Heredia. DOC Rioja (8.5 EUR)
Quite different bottle in comparison with the preceding one. Aged hue and despite the wine was enoughly right and drinkable shows an exhausted character. Bad storage or falling down?

- Viña Bosconia 1998. Bodegas López de Heredia. DOC Rioja (12.54 EUR)
Rainy and misty days. I find a bottle in the cooling unit that drive me nervous 'cos it has what looks as dry wine around the foil (unnoticed until today). Gasp, what will I find? So well, tomorrow would be to late for this bottle then I uncork it and I was right, the wine was not as young and vivid how it should be. It's nice, but no so fresh as I would expect on this wine. LdH-wood, licquorized cherries, leather, tobacco shop and shave soap. Nice with a tripe stew despite the wine was falling down.

- Fuentespina 2007. Bodegas Fuentespina. DO Ribera del Duero
Amazing surprise. This bottle came into the usual Chrismasts gift the some enterprise give to the employees. In addition to this it's the second bottle from Ribera del Duero that I enjoy this year. Easy young wine with red fruit and a touch of chewing-gum, but no trace of overripeness or agressiveness from the alcohol. Searching for a while I've found that the price is about 4-5 EUR, therefore it's a good QPR.

- Marcel Lapierre Morgon 2006. AOC Morgon. (12 EUR)
Cuvée without SO2.
Every animal you can imagine was into this bottle. It was like Noah's Ark. Extremely hard for the nose. I keep the bottle on the fridge for about 4-5 days but the amount of animal smell was really disappointing. Unfortunatel I had to spill it into the kitchen sink.

- Itsas Mendi 2008. Bodegas Itsas Mendi. DO Bizkaiko Txakolina (8.9 EUR)
A touch of spring in this cold winter. It's really enjoyable right now despite (despite?) its youthness. Grass, fennel bulb, pineapple, a hint of bitterness in the back being more oily than expected when you smell the wine. It's quite vivid, joyful and young at this moment.

- Acústic 2007. Acústic Celler. DO Montsant (12.9 EUR)
Indifference is the best description I can write. I won't search for words to describe it or to list the usual kind of smells and tastes I can use, 'cos this wine really doesn't move to do it. It's just and only a right wine. Really short for this price.

- Vega Almarana 2001. Hnos. Ortiz Granero, C.B. Vino de la Tierra de Extremadura.
An invisible wine. As the wine touches your lips it vanishes. To say it's a short wine is more than a pleonasm. Drink and forget simultaneously.

Cheers,

Jose