El Miracle Brut

SWIC score: 82 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Pear, grapefruit, white flower, light, crisp.

Available: QC (SAQ 11791741 - $ 20.20)

 

Winery: Vicente Gandía 
Region: D.O. Cava (Com. Valenciana)

Varieties: Macabeo, Chardonnay

Ageing: 12 months in the bottle

Alcohol level: 11.5% alc./vol.

Bodegas Vicente Gandía has condensed tradition and modernity in this El Miracle Brut. Tradition comes from the traditional champenoise method used to make it. Modernity comes from the grapes used in the coupage, a blend of Macabeo and Chardonnay. It is a cava produced in the Comunidad Valenciana region, a few hundred kilometers south from the typical Cava region. The result is crisp and light, easy to drink in those hot sunny days to come. Match it with your appetizers and oysters, as well as fish and seafood recipes.

Vintage tasted: N.V. (February 2013)

Botani 2011

SWIC score: 91 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Passion fruit, citrus, fresh, silky, balanced.

Available:

QC (SAQ 11903301 - $ 22.35)

BC (BCLS 839589 - $ 24.98) vintage 2009

Winery: Jorge Ordóñez

Region: D.O. Málaga y Sierras de Málaga

Varieties: 100% Moscatel de Alejandría

Alcohol level: 13.5% alc./vol.

Jorge Ordóñez created a very special wine from an almost unknown appellation as D.O. Málaga y Sierras de Málaga. This delicate Botani is made only with a selection of Muscat grapes grown at Almáchar, where the vineyards are cultivated on steep hills north oriented. After a mixed fermentation in inox tanks (70% of the wine) and oak barrels (30%), it results a dry and fruity wine, very fresh and seductive. It pairs very well with fish and seafood, and it is a good option for Asian cuisine, as sushi and some slightly spicy dishes.

Vintage tasted: 2011 (September 2012)

Beronia Gran Reserva 2005

SWIC score: 93 (JMG)

Tasting notes: Figs, black pepper, silky, balanced, long.

Available:

ON (VINTAGES 940965 - $ 32.95)

QC (SAQ 11688550 - $ 31.75) vintage 2004

BC (BCLS 200782 - $ 39.99) vintage 2004

Winery: Bodegas Beronia

Region: D.O.Ca. Rioja

Varieties: 90% Tempranillo, 8% Mazuelo, 2% Graciano

Ageing: 27 months in French oak barrels

Alcohol level: 14.0% alc./vol.

Beronia Gran Reserva is a very good example of a Rioja Gran Reserva wine from the traditional Rioja Alta sub region. Mainly made with accurately selected Tempranillo grapes, with a few Mazuelo and Graciano as the necessary complement, it ages for more than 2 years in French oak barrels, and then 3 years in the bottle before being sold. The result is intense, elegant and balanced, and shows what Tempranillo can offer when it’s well vinified. Beronia Gran Reserva is an ideal pairing for red meats, game and cheeses.

Vintage tasted: 2005 (April 2013)

Finca Villacreces 2006

SWIC score: 94 (JMG)
Tasting notes: Blackberries, cocoa, coffee, structured, intense, long.
Available:
QC (SAQ 11807547 - $ 37.00)
ON (LCBO 236422 - $ 49.00)
AB (Kensington WM - $ 54.99)

Winery: Villacreces

Region: D.O. Ribera del Duero

Varieties: 86% Tinto Fino, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Merlot

Ageing: 16 months in French oak barrels

Alcohol level: 14% alc./vol.

Nice example of what a Ribera del Duero wine is. Finca Villacreces is made using the Tinto Fino grapes grown in the own vineyars of Villacreces winery in the municipality of Quintanilla de Onésimo, at Valladolid province. As a reminder, note that Tinto Fino is the traditional name for Tempranillo at the Ribera del Duero territory. After doing the malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, it remains there for 16 months until it results in a full-bodied and well balanced wine. It is a very intense and long wine, which can be cellared perfectly 15 years more, although it is ready to be enjoyed right now.

Vintage tasted: 2006 (August 2012)