Few wines during August/09...

- Marqués de Alella 2008. Parxet, S.A. DO Alella (5-6 EUR aprox.)
Always there for you. I find (almost) no variation among vintages. Apple, citrical and herbaceous hints. Maybe, a touch of residual sugar at the end. I hope this kind of best values never disappear!

- Xarmant 2008. DO Arabako Txakolina
I've been searching this wine for a couple of years, just to see how is a txakolí of one of the DOs not overhyped. Unexpectedly the wine appeared in my life.
Quite easy quaff. Meadow, Granny-Smith apple and grapefruit acidity speaking really loud, so maybe many people wouldn't like it. First dishes that came to my mind as I was sipping were any salad with goat cheese or a cod omelette.

- O. Fournier, Urban Uco Torrontés 2008. Argentina (7.1 EUR)
I don't use to enjoy this kind of wines that smell like a parfum.
It's my first torrontés, so I can only describe it using other wine parameters. It reminds me muscat mixed with gewürztraminer. Hints of peaches, medlar, jasmine. Heads to sweet touch but it never appears as far as it's a dry wine. Coarse dried roses, used car air freshener, insecticide? The sip reminds me the verdejo bitterness. Obviously I can't enjoy it.
Days after it's improved a bit. The fact is that the insecticide aromas disappear, no more improvements anyway. I've no intention of buying a second bottle despite the correctness of the wine. Nonetheless it looks as a good wine for a tasting tuition.

- Blanco Nieva Pie Franco 2008. Viñedos de Nieva. DO Rueda (8.5 EUR)
After drinking some vintages I see this wine as good old friend. It doesn't matter how many time you've been missed, after five minutes speaking it's like if you're speaking yesterday.
Meadow, citrics, touch of acid apple, herbaceous and bitter hints. As expected it's slightly fizzy; it'll disappear in the next few months. I find less vividness than preceding vintages.

- Pago del Vicario Petit Verdot Rosado 2008. Pago del Vicario. VdT de Castilla (5.81 EUR)
Excellent this current vintage. Tight, vivid, tense. Go on with this wine...

Cheers,

Jose