Notes from a Spanish wine dinner.
Vouette et Sorbée Brut (nv) – Showing a bit of colour, and a nice nose with lemon and orange notes, good mouth fell, a bit soft at the end.
Laurent-Perrier Champagne Grand Siècle “La Cuvée” – this one a blend of three older vintages, but our expectations were dashed when it turned out to be corked!
Jacquesson & Fils Champagne Cuvée No. 730 – this stand-in was very nice with a fine mousse, a nose of lemon and vanilla, fresh and with good length. Based on 2002 wine plus some older ones. Elegant.
Bodegas Hidalgo Manzanilla Pasada Pastrana – in the nose, salty toasted cashews, in the mouth, a clean wine with very slight bitterness in the finish. Great with food. A single vineyard Manzanilla.
2004 R. López de Heredia Rioja Blanco Reserva Viña Tondonia – light amber colour with a nose of sweet nuts and elements of vanilla and fresh fig, this was full and clean in the mouth and changed the longer we tasted it. I love these Blancos and wish they were more widely available.
2005 Artadi Rioja Pagos Viejo – made from selected Tempranillo grapes from vines over fifty years old, and aged in all French oak for 15 months. Dark with a spicy black berry nose and the oak now melded with the dark fruit. On palate it was smooth if not really traditional and is now drinking very well with plenty of time in hand.
1994 Cvne Rioja Imperial Gran Reserva – great comparison and contrast to the previous wine. Dill American oak in the nose, a leaner style, with earthy and meaty hints on palate. In fine shape.
2006 Bodegas Ramon Bilbao Rioja Mirto – significantly sweeter nose, with olive and tobacco, reasonable length.
1970 Bodegas Muga Rioja Gran Reserva Prado Enea – lighter colour if not quite Burgundian, and a lovely nose of dill and celery, and more black olive. Sweet entry and complex plummy fruit on palate and a long complex finish In great shape.
1998 Dominio Pingus Ribera del Duero – nose of spicy ripe fruit with hints of green and spice and dark berry on palate, and a long finish with soft tannin. Excellent.
1952 Cossart Gordon Royal Silver Jubilee Bual Madeira – a rare vintage dated Madeira, bottled in 1977 for the Royal Jubilee year. Mostly brown but with hints of red, a nose of fig and toasted nuts, finishing quite hot. As expected.