winewaves

Mozares Rueda Verdejo 2006 (Just for the Halibut)

Drink this one by the glass, by itself, or drink it for the halibut. Mozares Rueda Verdejo 2006 is an ideal accompaniment to a wild halibut taco and broccoli slaw.

Verdejo is the predominate grape variety in Rueda, a trendy white wine region located northwest of Madrid. The Rueda wine industry dates back 1000 or more years, but has seen a resurgence since the end of Franco's rule (1975). White wines from Rueda are required to be at least 50% Verdejo, with Sauvignon Blanc typically blended in.

Mozares Verdejo is bright, pale lemon gold in the glass. You get aromas of green apple and quince, plus herbal undertones of fennel or dill, plus a flinty minerality. The taste is tart, crisp, and refreshing, without a hint of manipulation or wood anywhere to be found. Those herbal tendencies are just perfect for cold water mild fish, which for me means halibut - when I can find and afford high quality wild caught from the northwest. The fish is the star, and the Mozares Verdejo makes it sparkle plenty.

Price: $10 (Nashville). Closure" Plastic cork. Alcohol content: 13.5%.

Besides wine, Spain is also known for its sunflowers. The bright sunny quality of Mozares inspired me to capture this photo in my Tennessee garden today. The sunflowers are all mixed in with the heirloom tomato plants this year, a result of feeding the birds this past winter. We resisted the temptation to "weed" them out and they make great companions to the tomatoes, as they help hold up the tomato vines and attract bees and butterflies.

"The butterfly is a flying flower, the flower a tethered butterfly." - Ponce Denis Écouchard Lebrun

Martin Codax Rias Baixas Albarino 2006

Martín Códax is a Galician Troubadour who lived some 7 centuries ago; his writings were rediscovered in the last century by an antiquarian bookseller in Madrid. The name was given to the winery what produces this Albariño by the same name. Bodegas Martín Códax also produces Burgans Albariño as well as herb and coffee liqueurs.

Like the medieval troubadour Martín Códax, the namesake Albariño is an unwashed expression of the place as well as the grape.

Outstanding value ($14). Closure: Neocork. Alcohol content: 13%.

Style: Exotic, juicy round, fruity and refreshingly dry.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Mandarin, lime, pear and cold blossoms. Medium-bodied, juicy and tart on the tongue, the pear and citrus medley flavors play out over a lengthy dry finish.

Comment: “In Spain, the dead are more alive than the dead of any other country in the world.” -  Federico Garcia Lorca

Winewaves reviewed Bodegas Martín Códax Burgans Albariño 2005.

Burgans Rias Baixas Albarino 2005

Rias Baixas is in Galicia, in the northwestern area of Spain bordering the sea; some of it is actually north of Portugal.  This is one of the few places where Albariño flourishes and can be counted upon to produce such a noble wine. The area is more humid and wet than the typical continental wine growing climate and the seafood based cuisine is inextricably linked to the winemaking.

Burgans Albarino is made at Bodegas Martín Códax by Luciano Almoedo. A long-time promoter of Albariño in Spain, Luciano championed the initial designation of the Rias-Baixas appellation, and he was the first leader of the AOC. In order for a wine to receive the Rias-Baixas designation, it must be 100% Albariño.

Bodegas Martín Códax is located in the fertile Salnes Valley on the Mont Burgans, this wine's namesake.

Importer Eric Soloman is credited with blending the lots of 100% Albariño which are fermented and aged in stainless steel.

Tasting Notes: Appearance: Pale golden straw. Aromas: Rich, alive, flowery peach and green melon. On the tongue, this lively alternative white is also medium-bodied and fairly well rounded off, even a bit lush without being heavy or hot. Ripe peach, grapefruit and mandarin flavors make for a long finish that's light, dry and lively.

Excellent value ($15).  Closure: Plastic "cork".  Alcohol content: 12.5%.

Vina Nora Albarino 2005

Nora has been one of my favorite non-Chardonnay white wines since I discovered it a few years ago.  The quality is still up there, although the price is a bit higher.

From Rias Baixas, Galicia, Spain, and made from the Albariño grape, Nora is a crisp tank-fermented white.

Tasting Notes: Color: Pale straw.  Aromas: Peach, citrus, and hints of bitter orange and ginger.  The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, round, juicy then dry.  The Georgia peach and tart citrus flavors finish like a fresh fruit cobbler, but not at all sweet.

Closure: Real cork.  Excellent value ($15).  Alcohol: 13%.  Imported by Jorge Ordonez.

Bodegas Virgen De La Sierra Yasa Calatayud Old Vines Macabeo 2005

Old vines can make a refreshing young white wine with character.

Case in point: this offering from Bodegas Virgen De La Sierra. The white grape Macabeo is known as Viura in Rioja, and it is commonly used in the production of Cava. The source of fruit for Yasa is vines at least 50 years old, growing in dry rocky soil at 3,000 foot elevation. Yields have been limited to produce more intense fruit. Tasting Notes.  Color: Pale straw. Aromas: Tropical, with suggestions of pineapple, plus citrus and peach. On the tongue, this light-bodied, crisp dry white has tart citrusy notes dominating the palate-cleansing finish. Closure: Plastic artificial "cork". Excellent value ($10).

Naia Rueda Verdejo 2005

Rueda is in the plain of Spain, where rarely falls the rain, and where old castles and sheep graze and vineyards dot the landscape.

Rueda is a good place to look for on the label, when selecting alternative white wines from Spain. Naia Blanco 2005 is primarily comprised of the varietal Verdejo. The grapes are delicate, very much prone to oxidation, but this is a fresh unoxidized style wine, fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel. Tasting Notes. Color: Pale straw, slight greenish tint. Aromas: Grapefruit, passionfruit, lime, peach and herbs. Light and round on the tongue, the juicy peach, tart grapefruit and herbal flavors mingle well in the refreshing dry finish. Closure: Real cork. Excellent value ($10).

Naia is imported by Jorge Ordonez.

Telmo Rodriguez Basa Rueda Blanco 2005

The "foundation", or Basa of Telmo* Rodriquez' commercial winemaking enterprises is this lively, fresh, true alternative white from Rueda. Telmo produces 20+/- wines from all over Spain, including Rioja, Rueda, Ribera del Duero, Cigales, Toro, Alicante, Málaga, Navarra, La Mancha, and Galicia.

Now in his early 40's, Telmo puts a lot of miles driving around Spain and watching over his vineyard projects. Basa is a blend of Verdejo, Sauvignon Blanc and Viura, and is vinified in stainless steel. Production is 15,000 cases, the largest offering from Rodriguez. Tasting Notes.  Color: Pale straw with a greenish tint. Aromas: Lime, apple, apricot and ginger. On the tongue there's nice acidity, a juicy mouthfeel, thought not at all sweet. Lime, green apple and peach flavors reverberate in the palate cleansing finish. Closure: Real cork.  Excellent value ($10).

*Telmo graduated from Bordeaux's enology school and began as winemaker for Remelluri, a Rioja winery which his businessman father had purchased as "a hobby". He racked up awards there for 10 years before going solo, parting company with his father's Remelluri on good terms.

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja White 2004

With the changeover to screw cap closures in the 2004 vintage, there is no reason not to keep this fresh easy drinking white wine chilled and waiting.

The Forner family have fine winemaking in their blood, and have helped fuel the renaissance of Rioja*. Today, Henri and his daughter Christine Forner, with the consulting help of Michel Rolland, produce fine Riojas using Bordeaux methods.

Marqués de Cáceres Rioja White 2004 is 100% Viura, the most popular white wine grape in Rioja. The vinification was all stainless steel. Tasting Notes:  Color: Light lemon straw. Aromas: Pear, apple, cold blossoms and citrus fruit. The mouthfeel is light-bodied, juicy and round. Tart green apple and citrusy flavors plus traces of herbs, finish cleanly and crisply. Closure: Screw cap. Excellent value ($8). Drink up, this is a wine meant to be consumed young, and the 2005 is coming.

*Prior to founding Marqués de Cáceres, the Forners purchased and renovated two abandoned Bordeaux properties: Château Camensac and Château Larose-Trintaudon.

Imported by Vineyard Brands.

Cuevas de Castilla Con Class Rueda White 2004

Cuevas de Castilla Rueda is 75% Verdejo, a grape known since the 11th century, when it was discovered as a wild vegetable. This cuvee, Con Class, is made by Ricardo Sanz, sixth generation winemaker. He created Palacio de Menade, producer of the popular Cuvee RS Verdejo. Ricardo is considered a master with the Verdejo grape, which is delicate and oxidizes very quickly when exposed to temperature and oxygen.

His innovative approach includes night harvesting, blanketing of the grapes with nitrogen after destemming, and fermenting cold and slow.  In addition to Verdejo, there is also 15% Viura and 10% Sauvignon Blanc in this bottling. Tasting Notes:  The color is light straw with a slight greenish tint. Aromas: Grapefruit, gooseberries, grassy notes and hints of pineapple. In the mouth, this is a light-bodied, tart, juicy white, with citrus (lemon and grapefruit) and herbal flavors, and a refreshing crisp finish. Closure: Artificial plastic cork. Excellent value. $9 (Nashville).

Vina Nora Peitan Albarino Rias Baixas 2004

Produced by the same winery which produces Nora Albarino, this is a new attractive entry in the store. Here is an all-stainless-steel tank fermented and aged Albarino.  Jorge Ordonez imports. Lemon and pear aromas jump from the glass. The flavors are fresh and lively, with lots of tart acidity and minerality. Juicy and yet dry, the finish goes on nicely. The closure is a genuine cork. (Why not a Stelvin?) At $14 (Nashville), this is a fun fresh lively Spanish white to match any Seafood dish. A highly recommended change of pace from Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc. Robert Parker rated this wine 86 points, saying it should "have fish and shellfish lovers salivating".