Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva 2006

SWIC Score: 90 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Cocoa, plums, silky, balanced.

Available:

ON (VINTAGES 166579 - $ 13.95)

QC (SAQ 854422 - $ 14.25)

Winery: Grandes Vinos y Viñedos

Region: D.O. Cariñena (Aragón)

Varieties: 70% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo, 10% Cariñena

Ageing: 12 months in American oak barrels.

Alcohol level: 13.0% alc./vol.

Monasterio de las Viñas Reserva 2006 offers a great value, thanks to a more than correct use of the local Spanish varieties Garnacha, Tempranillo and Cariñena. The huge winery of Cariñena Grandes Vinos y Viñedos uses the 12 months ageing in American oak to “increase their expressiveness”. It results in a smooth, elegant and balanced wine, appreciated by the critics, as Jay Miller (Wine Advocate) who gave it 90 points.

Vintage tasted: 2006 (April 2012)

Mas del Camperol 2002

SWIC Score: 92 (IFS)

Tasting notes: Black cherry, toast bread, mineral, tasty, elegant.

Available: ON (VINTAGES 237602 – $45.00)

Winery: Celler Mas Garrian

Region: D.O.Q. Priorat (Catalunya)

Varieties: 30% Garnatxa, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Carinyena, 15% Syrah.

Ageing: 13 months in new French oak

Alcohol level: 14.50% alc./vol.

Produced in a natural way by winemaker Josep Garriga at his traditional country house in the municipality of El Molar, this Mas del Camperol 2002 was one of the best Priorats for this vintage. Its balance and elegance makes it easier to drink than other wines of this highly appreciated region, without losing the typical mineral notes of Priorat neither giving up the common blend of Garnatxa and Carinyena with some French grapes (Cabernet Sauvigon and Syrah in this case).

Vintage tasted: 2002 (November 2011)

Ars Macula 2005

SWIC Score: 92 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Pepper, coffee, tasty, volume, long.

Available: QC (SAQ 11307577 – $ 21.95)

Winery: Compañía Vitivinícola Tandem

Region: D.O. Navarra

Varieties: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 50% Merlot

Ageing: 22 months in new 300 litres new French oak barrels

Alcohol level: 15.00% alc./vol.

This Bordeaux-style wine is fermented in concrete vats, and then aged in 300 litres new French oak barrels for almost two years. The result is a high class wine, that can stand well for about 10 years more. Ars Macula (macula means ‘stain’ in Latin, and the winery interprets that as an unforgettable sensation of memory) is the top product of this young project named Tandem (founded in 2003) by its co owners Alicia Eyaralar and Jose Maria Fraile.

Vintage tasted: 2005 (June 2012)

Valdesil 2010

SWIC Score: 90 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Perfumed, grapefruit, peach, balanced.

Available: QC (SAQ 11412941 – $ 21.50)

Winery: Valdesil

Region: D.O. Valdeorras (Galicia)

Varieties: 100% Godello

Alcohol level: 13.01% alc./vol.

Godello grapes used in this Valdesil 2010 come from the slate slopes of Vilamartín de Valdeorras. These vines have an average age of 30 years old. The difficult 2010 growing season resulted in a crop a 30% lower than the average. The main vinification feature of Valdesil is the 4 months ageing on the fine lees in stainless steel vats. This enables it a longer cellar period (3 to 5 years) and gives it a characteristic denser texture.

Vintage tasted: 2010 (April 2012)

Alvear Pedro Ximenez Solera 1927

SWIC Score: 88 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Almonds, dried peaches, honey, sweet, intense.

Available: BC (BCLS 614834 – $ 32.99 – 375 ml)

Winery: Bodegas Alvear

Region: D.O. Montilla-Moriles (Andalucia)

Varieties: 100% Pedro Ximenez

Ageing: 5 years in American oak, under criaderas & soleras system

Alcohol level: 16.00% alc./vol.

This sweet dessert is made from sundried Pedro Ximenez grapes, and then it ages for 5 years in American oak barrels under the traditional system of criaderas & soleras. The result is an unquestionably sweet wine (>400 g/l of sugar) ideal for pairing with desserts or blue cheeses. The family owned and operated Bodegas Alvear is based in Montilla (Cordoba, Andalucia), where it was founded in 1729.

Vintage tasted: n/a (July 2012)

Muga Rosé 2011

SWIC Score: 84 (IFS)

Tasting notes: Salmon pink, subtle, dry, fresh.

Available:  

ON (VINTAGES 603795 - $ 12.95)

QC (SAQ 11104690 - $ 15.70) – vintage 2009

Winery: Bodegas Muga

Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja

Varieties: 60% Garnacha, 30% Viura, 10% Tempranillo

Alcohol level: 12.5% alc./vol.

This rosé wine is made following the traditional system in Rioja and rarely permitted anywhere else, which consists in adding a part of white grapes (Viura) to the usual red grapes (mainly Garnacha). This kind of vinification helps to contain the colour and also gives a fresher result. Another significant feature for this Muga Rosé comes from its fermentation in 1000 litre wooden vats, where it is kept for two months before being bottled.

Vintage tasted: 2011 (June 2012)

Vilosell 2008

SWIC Score: 90 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Black fruit, liquorice, intense, tasty.

Available: QC (SAQ 10858511 - $ 20.45)

Winery: Tomàs Cusiné

Region: D.O. Costers del Segre (Catalunya)

Varieties: 43% Ull de Llebre, 18% Syrah, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Samsó, 3% Garnatxa

Ageing: 9 months in French oak

Alcohol level: 13.5% alc./vol.

Winemaker Tomàs Cusiné comes from an historic Catalan family dedicated to vines and wines since several generations. He decided to create his own winery at the village of El Vilosell (Lleida), integrated in D.O. Costers del Segre (Garrigues subregion). That is a place with extreme hot weather in summer and pretty cold in winter. You can find that in this powerful wine, although Cusiné always search balance in his wine creations.

Vintage tasted: 2008 (August 2012)

Abad Dom Bueno Godello 2010

SWIC Score: 87 (IFS)

Tasting notes: Dead leaves, cantaloupe, crisp, lively.

Available: ON (VINTAGES 154302 - $ 14.95)

Winery: Bodega del Abad

Region: D.O. Bierzo (Castilla y Leon)

Varieties: 100% Godello

Alcohol level: 13.0% alc./vol.

Fermented only in stainless steel tanks for 7 days, this wine offers some of the typical Godello features, as its subtle aromas. It keeps a fresh sense due to a good acidity level, even though it was bottled about a year and a half ago. Abad Dom Bueno Godello comes from 25 years old vines, owned by the winery and planted at a height of 550 m at Valtuille de Arriba and Villafranca del Bierzo municipalities.

Vintage tasted: 2010 (August 2012)

Remírez de Ganuza Reserva 2005

SWIC Score: 95 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Varnish, mineral, blackberries, fleshy, balanced, vanilla.

Available: ON (VINTAGES 149526 - $ 79.00)

Winery: Bodegas Fernando Remírez de Ganuza

Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja

Varieties: 90% Tempranillo, 10% Graciano

Ageing: 22 months in French and American oak

Alcohol level: 14% alc./vol.

The essence of Remirez de Ganuza winery is made only with the shoulders of the grape clusters of those vineyards with an average age of 60 years old. Its malolactic fermentation and ageing are done in new oak barrels. The winemaker looks for an accurate reflection of every vintage, and the 2005 was qualified as Excellent by the Consejo Regulador de la D.O.Ca. Rioja.

Vintage tasted: 2005 (March 2012)