January/12 wines...

- Castizo 2010. Bodega Ricardo Benito. DO Madrid
Enoughly good. One of those wines to be served by the glass for the meetings and all-together where the wine must be in the background.

- Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana. Vinícola Hidalgo. DO Jerez y Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda (7.65 EUR)
Much better than preceding bottle. Nonetheless I find it really light but with everything you would demand to a nice manzanilla. Nice with starters and fast tapas.

- Maximin Grünhaus - Schubert'sche Gutsverwaltung Abtsberg Kabinett 2006. Mosel-Saar-Ruwer.
If I ever have a garden I want it smells and tastes like this wine. I love it.

- Tapón de Oro Crianza 2007. Bodegas Ricardo Benito. DO Madrid
Honest. Again a wine that shows honesty for an unpretentious by glass consumption.

- Castillo de Peñaranda 2010. DO Ribera del Duero.
Thick, but enoughly young as not being too fat and dull. Enough quaff among blah-blah.

- Capellanía 2005. Marqués de Murrieta. DOC Rioja (17.5 EUR)
Amazingly amazing. White from Murrieta disappeared, as dinosaurs. This wine is no the same wine; not the same stuff. I've been always humming about where's this wine going. Preceding vintages was fine, but not enough, too much oak in my opinion. This vintage has been a surprise. I've enjoyed. The oak is there, but behind a strong backbone of acidity that gives me hope.

- Gatinois Brut 2004. AOC Champagne
Buff... It's so nice at this very moment that once it's uncorked you can stop drinking and maybe it'll go empty before the main course.

- La Bota de Fino 27. Equipo Navazos. DO Jerez y Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda (18-20 EUR)
The bad thing about these wines is that you become accostumed to them. You become accostumed to their taste, smell, aroma (it’s much more than smell), their evocative character, their dimension. You become accostumed to their length, their deepness and width. You become accostumed and therefore everything becomes quite little. (More!!)

- Colet Assemblage Extra Brut. Colet Cavas. DO Penedés (18-20 EUR)
As fantástic as usual and anyway one of the best Assemblages in the last few years. More !!!

- Aldonia 2004. Bodegas Aldonia. DOC Rioja.
It's needed about three days to become enjoyable. First two days it's been a hard fight between citrical acidity and raw oak and only on third day it's become kind, well balanced and really enjoyable.

- Réserve de Gassac 2009. Mas de Daumas Gassac. Vin de Pays de L'Herault (7.75 EUR)
Rest. The aroma of all the summer herbs whispered by sea breeze. Warmth and freshness under the tree. More.

- Lecea Blanco 2010. Bodegas Lecea. DOC Rioja (3 EUR)
It’s still a very good quaff and, overall, outperforms what we can expect from a wine in this price range. More !!

- Lecea Reserva 2005. Bodegas Lecea. DOC Rioja (7,08)
Nice Reserva. In spite of its round shape it’s enough character to make it a good quaff.

- Château de la Guimoniere Rouge 2005. Vignobles Alain château. AOC Anjou (8,8 EUR)
Rustic as use to be CF and I do really like wines that show how they’re. In spite of this I’d like it even more with less kindness and more character

- Clos des Briords Cuvée Vieilles Vignes 2009. Earl La Pépière - Marc Ollivier. AOC Muscadet Sèvre et Maine (9.02 EUR)
Extreeeeeeeeemely vivid! The most intensive acidity I’m able to remember. Really good pairing for all the dishes where clean the palate is needed. More!

- Tondonia Rosado Gran Reserva 2000. López de Heredia. DOC Rioja (11.09 EUR)
Great moment for this wine! Deep balance of aromas and tastes… Autumn, bakery and patisserie, spicy… More is being too short!

Regards,

Jose