Vintage Variation in Spain is not as extreme as it is in more northern climates, but it obviously still has a very real impact.  I was fortunate to try one of my favourite Vinos de Autor in two very different vintages. 

San Vicente was one of the original Vinos de Autor in Rioja, leading the way to the modern starting in 1991.  This was the first vine de terruño or terroir…a single vineyard wine made from the “ideal” vineyard as envisioned by the winemakers, the Eguren family.  As such it has become an icon and remaisn so today, despite the multiple vinos de autor that have proliferated recently.

What I most like about it is its very accessible price, 35 euros, in a time when 60-100 euros is more the norm for these top Rioja wines. 

We were fortunate enough to find this icon in two different vintages at a Bilbao restaurant, Serrantes.  The price was quite unbelievable: 34€ in a restaurant!  Was it a mistake?  I didn’t want to ask….

San Vicente 2003: 
The color is medium garnet with palish edges.
Moderately intense nose, with cherry fruit and major smoky and toasty notes….definitely showing some evolution. The mouth is very smooth…the fruit is not as pretty as in the nose…over-ripe nose, a little rusty.  Nice structure, ok acidity, smooth tannins and moderately long finish.  A nice wine, but not impressive.

San Vicente 2004:
Deep ruby with purple notes…much more intense than the 2003.
The nose opens up with air to be quite intense, with black cherry, vanilla, and anis notes…very youthful.  The mouth is fuller-bodied, with lively acidity and serious tannins.  The complex fruit takes time to come out…black fruit and spice.  Longer than the 2003, with intense tannins that could benefit from some bottle aging. 

Conclusions:  These wines were dramatically different.  The difference in age seemed much more than the one year vintage contrast. 
The 2003 really suffered in this comparison, though the 2004, recently released, could use a little more time in bottle. The 2003 tasted quite tired…especially after the 2004.  The 2003 is easier to drink right now…but it also tastes a little faded and tired.  Can’t wait to try the 2004 again in a few months.

I’ve expressed some concerns about the 2003 vintage throughout Spain and this tasting really confirmed it.  Due to the excessive heat of the vintage….the 2003s are initially attractive, with sweet, easy fruit and smooth tannins…but I’ve already found many of them tired and they seem to be evolving far too rapidly.  Certainly, there are few of the 2003s I’d lay down for any length of time. 

The 2004s, which was a much more balanced vintage, are intense and more complex, but can often be quite closed….often they need more time or air to be as drinkable.  Eventually the fruit that comes out is much fresher and attractive.

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So for our modern.classic comparision I decided to pair the Gran Reserva with what I’ll call a super-reserva.  This is an ultra modern wine that is a step above the normal reserva.  In this case our reserva is not officially a reserva…though it has 18 months of oak it only has a cosecha or joven sticker on the back.

I think Rioja Gran Reserva’s are very, unique interesting wines, but they can cause a lot of confusion for the foreign wine consumer.  Gran Reservas are quite expensive and one could order them in a restaurant thinking you are getting a sort of Grand Cru equivalent….the top wine from the region.  When the wine arrives and has that soft oaky mouth with complex but faded fruit…it can be quite a disappointment.  I’ve had some clients tell me they thought the wine they ordered was defective!  From their perspective the top Vinos de Autor fit their expectations of bang for the buck much better. A Vino de Autor is the name for a wine personally crafted by the wine-maker to fit his strict criteria…in reality these “authored wines” are the top wines of many wineries and are made in an ultra-modern style.

From my perspective, I have tasted few Gran Reservas I would buy for personal use…the less expensive ones are woody, bitter, and hollow…the expensive ones are quite impressive, but I prefer an intense, fresh and complex fruit for my 30-55 euros. 

My classic gran reserva:
Gran Reserva 904 1995 by Bodegas La Rioja Alta (around 30€)
Outstanding, excellent nose….earthy, sweet spice, figs. Very reminiscent of certain sherries.  An attractive mouth, silky texture with complex raisin and spice notes.  The finish though is quite short, woody and bitter. 
Rating: 17 points

My modern super-reserva:
Coleccion Privada 2005 by Bodegas Sierra Cantabria (around 30€)
Attractive, candied plum and candy-like nose at first…with air intense spicy, vanilla oak notes come out.  In the mouth, sweet red fruit, spice….smooth, yet with a bracing structure and fresh acidity…very elegant.  Very mouth-filling and long with medium levels of very ripe tannins.  Better with aeration. 
Rating: 17 points

Conclusions:
I would call this a draw….though I would much rather have the Sierra Cantabria with my meal…we could easily polish off a bottle or two!  The Gran Reserva really impressed me, especially on the nose…but suffers from a serious shortfall when it comes to the finish.  There is also something disconcerting about its dried fruit elements.  The Sierra Cantabria is super attractive and easy to drink, but lacks a certain complexity that would raise its rating.  Both of them are pricy at 30 euros. 

Ratings (20 point system):  10-13 poor, 13-15 fair, 15-17 good, 18-19 excellent, 20 exceptional

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At the crianza level there is usually enough fruit in both classic and modern to satisfy the majority of palates, but at the reserva level the disparity in styles becomes more acute. 

The primary reason is the disparity in oak aging grows wider.  The modern reservas will generally have between 12 and 18 months of oak, while the classics will have at least 24, but many times much more.  I this case our modern has only 12 months and our classic has 36 months!   
Thirty six months in oak does not leave the fresh fruit taste most wine consumers today are accustomed to.

In fact our modern reserva is not a reserva at all! Though it has enough oak to be a reserva, it was released before the minimum period of bottle aging was attained…thus is merely has the “cosecha” label on the back.  A reserva must have 3 years in the winery (12 months minimum in oak) before release.  Many wineries are opting out of the traditional reserva system.  It is being done for several reasons:  it transmits a more modern image for the winery, gives more freedom to the wine-maker…it is also economically beneficial to release wines earlier.

Its dismays me that the issue of style in Rioja is not in the forefront of wine forums within Spain…never was this more obvious than in the introduction to the Rioja chapter in the Peñin Wine Guide 2007.  José Peñin is Spain’s most recognizable wine critic and he releases a very useful annual guide to Spanish wines. 

In the intro, not a single mention of the various styles comes up, yet he criticises the wineries that opt out of the reserva aging system…he says that it confuses consumers!  I could agree, but I think that not knowing whether your 18 euro reserva wine has 18 or 36 months of oak aging is much more confusing for the consumer!  Whether the label says reserva or not could be confusing but is certainly less so.

My classic reserva:
Viña Arlanza 2000 by Bodegas La Rioja Alta
Pleasant, attractive spice and dried fruit nose….lots of vanilla and cedar…quite complex.   Mouth very disappointing…acidic, volatile, dry woody notes…little of the dried fruit that was in the nose.  Very short finish.
Rating: 12 points

My modern reserva:
Propiedad 2005 by Bodega Palacios Remondo
Spicy new oak black fruit, plums and blackberry on the nose.  Quite complex and very appealing.  Big mouth, full and structured, good fruit but new oak and tannins have the upper hand.  The fruit comes back in the longish finish, but tannins need polishing. 
Rating: 15 points

Conclusions:
The modern was clearly the winner here.  Propiedad is not my favourite Rioja….serious tannin extraction here….I like mine to be more charming.  But it is a serious and complex wine…and has some nice fresh black fruit.  Though the nose of the Arlanza was both attractive and complex, the mouth was a total let down.  The shortness in mouth is a characteristic I find in many classic Riojas.  Though the nose had a nutty, dried fruit nose, this is not the kind of fruit I find attractive in not-fortified red wines.  But even if you like that kind of fruit, there was not enough of it in the mouth to give harmony.

Ratings (20 point system):  10-13 poor, 13-15 fair, 15-17 good, 18-19 excellent, 20 exceptional

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The Rioja style issue is a favourite theme for me to bring out in my tastings.  Many typical wine-drinkers are unaware of the stylistic differences that lie hidden in Rioja.  These comparisons of different Rioja style are some of the most revelatory tastings I hold…some clients are astonished at the difference.

These huge differences that are rarely reflected on the label cause real dilemmas for the consumer when buying or ordering Rioja.  All the styles have their validity…there are good and bad wines in each style….but often the consumer gets a wine they did not expect. 

This is a subject that remains in the background in discussions on Spanish wine here in Spain.  Foreign authors almost always address it, but it is not given the press it is due within Spain.  This is a great disservice to the general wine-drinking public. 

I think amongst Spanish wine trade it is assumed that pointing out the differences will hasten the demise of the traditional styles.  I have found that most clients, including Spaniards, prefer the modern styles when tasted head to head with the traditional styles….but I admit it is a tough comparison…an elegant, soft wine will often lose out face to face with an extracted, modern style.  Besides some Spaniards who prefer the traditional style, I often find that quite a few British clients prefer it as well…perhaps because they were weaned on the stuff.

How would I sum up the difference between these two styles? 

There are many more than two styles as many wines are somewhere on the spectrum between the two….and few of the classic wines are as classic as they once were.  See below for a generalization of the two basic styles.

Classic Rioja is aged for much longer in oak and then in bottle before release.  The oak is often American and older. Oak notes (older, oxidative ones) usually dominate the fruit, both in the nose and the mouth.  The mouth is usually soft, with good acidity and very smooth tannins.  The fruit can be very pretty, but is often faded by the long oak aging.  Classic styles are usually released when they are ready to consume, though they often do not improve further. 

Modern Rioja is aged for shorter periods in newer oak, often a blend of American and French and sometimes 100% French.  The fruit aromas are quite intense though new oak notes are also evident in both the nose and the mouth.  The mouth is more intense, with intense fruit and more robust tannins.  The acidity, though sufficient, is usually less than in the classic styles and the alcohol level is usually higher.  Modern Rioja’s are often released much more rapidly to the market and frequently need further polish time in bottle.

My classic crianza:
Viña Alberdi 2000 by Bodegas La Rioja Alta
Attractive violet and strawberry nose with oaky sweetness…very clean but mellow, medium intensity.  Mouth more disappointing…though there is some nice fruit, tobacco, and soft oaky notes, the aromas fade quickly and leave a rusty metallic finish.  Tannins are soft, but the overall impression is extreme shortness.
Rating: 14 points*

My modern crianza:
La Montesa 2004 by Bodega Palacios Remondo
Intense, attractive nose of fresh plum, black cherry and spice.  Not complex, but very compelling.  The mouth was a little disappointing, nice fruit up front but a little hollow on the mid-palate.  The tannins are very intense and a little rough, though the finish is quite long.  Needs a little time in bottle…should improve.
Rating: 15 points*

Conclusions:
Both wines were quite nice but fairly simple in their separate styles.  The Alberdi’s main defects were the short metallic finish and the pale fruit, while the Montesa was a little hollow and tannic.  I must confess that my palate found the Montesa slightly better…but I know I am biased towards the moderns.  The stylistic differences I describe above hold true in these wines, but less so than at the reserva level. The Alberdi has only 24 months in oak (versus 12 months for the Montesa), so it still retains quite a lot of fruit.

*Ratings (20 point system):  10-13 poor, 13-15 fair, 15-17 good, 18-19 excellent, 20 exceptional

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The most unique and fascinating wine was probably the 1955 Paternina Reserva…a wine that had no information on the label at all.  I had done some research and found some recent tasting notes on the 1955 from a vertical Paternina tasting.  The most fascinating piece of information I could discover was that in the early 50’s the Paternina wines had a metallic taste to them that was caused by the use of copper pipes in the winery.  These were changed out in 1956!

Another interesting comment I came across in my research was an original explication for why older Rioja’s can age such a long time.  Forgive me for not attributing it…but I can’t remember where I saw it.  The idea was that classic Rioja enters into a sort of mummified state, a state of suspension…while it does not improve, neither does it decline.  I had read about the concept, but never heard it called mummified…I like that term! 

We removed the saturated but whole cork and poured immediately.  No decanting…which turned out to be a good call based on the wine’s development in the glass. 

The color was very pretty….amber rim with a pale brick red core…and not as brown as I had expected.

The nose was very clean and surprisingly attractive….strawberry and violets…not intense but solid enough.  Very youthful…I would have never guessed its age by the nose.  The nose faded over the next 30 minutes, but still retained fruit notes.

The mouth showed it aged much more, but honestly, it was not so different form some of the classic Rioja’s I taste form the mid 90’s.  It was more of a style issue rather than an age issue.
More tertiary notes turned up in the mouth, tobacco and leather, but the delicate strawberry fruit of the nose was much fainter.  It was a fairly attractive mouth that was marred by two major defects:  that slight metallic edge (copper pipes?) and a very short finish…the finish was dominated by the metallic flavour. 

Conclusion:  Surprisingly youthful and attractive…but quite simple and short.  It faded out and lost the floral/fruit element, but was still drinkable 2 hours later.  The term mummified seems to suit these wines perfectly…the wine is eerily similar to classic Rioja’s I’m drinking these days from the 90’s.   Age has not destroyed the wine, but nor has it improved it. 

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When I say traditional method, read champenoise method, a term that has been banned within the European Union.  The champenoise method means that sugar and yeast are added to a still base wine in a bottle and a second fermentation occurs in that same bottle that makes the wine sparkling.  This is the same bottle that eventually reaches the consumer. 
This is the method by which the top sparkling wines of the world are made. There are other methods such as the tank method, in which the second fermentation occurs in bulk in a tank, that are used for less expensive sparkling wines.  

The traditional grapes varieties are Macabeo, Parellada, and Xarel.lo, though the use of Chardonnay is on the rise. The minimum aging period for cava is nine months.

Cava is not champagne and never will be…the wines are made from different grapes in different terroirs.  However the growing quality of cava is undeniable.  In my personal drinking experience, the top champagnes are unmatchable, but in lesser price ranges, many times cava offers much better quality for value.  A good example are some of the excellent cavas in the 10-20 euro range that I would much rather drink than almost all of the basic cuvees of the large champagne houses (which all cost 30-40 euros here in Spain). 

Some of my favourite cava producers are:  Gramona, Raventos i Blanc, Agustí Torelló, Sumarocca, Parés Baltá, and Albet i Noya

A word on rosé cavas:  do not expect the same quality as the white cavas.  They are often quite coarse and lack elegance.  They have never been a major focus and are a tiny part of the production.  There are some better ones coming out, but I have yet to be very impressed.  The main grape here is Monastrell, with Pinot Noir being used more and more. 

I recently had a head to head tasting of two cavas of very different price ranges…and the cheaper cava came out on top.  Be wary of some of the more expensive cavas…they too can be as over priced as some champagnes!

1. Cava:  Imperial 2003
Bodega: Gramona
Wine Region:  DO Cava (Penedés, Cataluña)
Grape varieties:  50% Macabeo, 40% Xarel.lo, 10% Chardonnay
Category:  Gran Reserva Brut
Aging: aged 36-48 months over lees
Alcohol: 11.5%
Residual sugar: 3-10 g/l
Price:  12-14 euros
Tasting notes: Small, consistent bubble.  Leesy, toasty and red apple aromas dominate nose.  Quite a round mouth, with lovely integrated CO2, smoky notes and elegant acidity….quite vinous.  Not the most complex sparkling wine, but very balanced and quite elegant.  Great value
 
2.  Cava:  Mirgin 2004
Bodega: Alta Alella
Wine Region:  DO Cava (Penedés, Cataluña)
Grape Varieties:  Chardonnay with a small percentage of traditional grapes
Category:  Brut Nature (Organic)
Aging: 20% of base wine barrel fermented, 26 months aging over lees
Alcohol: 12%
Residual sugar: 1.5 g/l
Price:  28-30 euros
Tasting notes:  Small, weak bubbles.  Honey, spice and toast on nose, but there is something strange, plastic or chemical that persists.  Can’t get beyond that on the nose.  The mouth is excellent though, toasty, elegant.  Finer, more elegant bubble than Gramona…smoother finish.  BUT, the plastic note in the nose is very off-putting and makes the wine defective.  Not a cava I’d repeat in this vintage.

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When I am trying to select a red for a holiday meal I try to stay clear of the big, extracted, oaky wines that seem to dominate in the Spanish market these days.  When asked for a suggestion, I often steer people towards Rioja…though modern Riojas styles are more and more extracted…they still largely retain a freshness of fruit and acidity that complements many foods.

Another red grape from northern Spain that can match quite well with complex holiday flavors is the Mencía  grape.  It is unique to northwest Spain, though it may be related to the Jaen grape of Portugal. 

It produces elegant wines that are floral and mineral with bracing acidity.  The fruit is usually raspberry-like though in warmer years it gets closer to blackberry.  The tannins are usually quite high.  It’s profile fits it’s cool weather home very well…though the style can vary tremendously…tart and more raspberry when from more coastal areas and rounder with blackberry fruit as you move inland.  Many of the top one come from one of those hotter areas, Bierzo, which is in Leon, but right on the border with Galicia.  Though it retains some Atlantic influence, a series of low mountains and hills protects the area from much of the rain and cold that influences the wines of coastal Galicia.  It can get terrifically hot in Bierzo in summer! 

Bierzo has been a rising star in the Spanish wine scene for several years, with many famous producers from other parts of Spain starting ventures in the area.  Some of my favourite producers include:  Dominio de Tares, Palacios, Peique, and Paixar.  Though prices are rising, generally Bierzo offers good value and excellent quality. 

See below for latest favourite Mencía wine.   It is a wonderful Mencía-based wine that can’t use the appellation DO Bierzo because it is not 100% Mencía.  Instead it is Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Léon.

Wine:  Tierras de Luna
Winery:  Luna Beberide
Vintage: 2003
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Vino de la Tierra de Castilla Leon (Bierzo)
Alc: 14%
Grape variety: Mencía with some Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
Oak regime:  16 months in French and American oak
Price:  10-12 euros in Spain

Tasting notes
Visual:  Deep ruby, youthful color
Nose:  Medium intensity.  Perfumy, floral notes is the initial impression, followed by sweet raspberry.  Some oak spice, but the floral/fruit element is dominant.  Very attractive and elegant.   
Mouth:  Fresh fruit, nice oak, and tannins follow each other.  The fruit is sweet and sour raspberry…there is some nice spice and vanilla and some very firm tannins dominate a long finish.  The tannins are still a little dominant….a little air opens up the fruit and brings better balance to the wine.   
Food:  Great holiday wine…has the elegant fruit, the acidity to complement food….won’t compete with most dishes.  And those tannins will take the fatty edge off any lamb dish!  Could be metallic with some high acidity dishes. 

Conclusion:  An attractive and elegant wine with fresh flavors and nice complexity.  The tannins are a little tough and will smooth with a bit more bottle time…but the fruit is fresh enough to wait for it.  Aerate it a little now and it is perfect with your holiday meal! 
 

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Many people here in Spain dismiss whites for the holidays, relegating them to the hot days of summer, but actually whites can be the perfect pick for holiday meals.  The best whites for matching with a wide variety of holiday foods are not  oaky Chardonnays or even an intense, green Sauvignon Blancs.  For me the best whites are un-oaked (or little oaked) aromatic varieties such as Riesling or Albariño. 

One of my favourite Spanish white grapes….one that I’m convinced will be one of the next trendy grapes is Godello.   This is the other great Galician white grape…until now, Albariño has been getting all the attention. 

You can read my assessment on Spanish whites in which I comment about my recent disappointment with Albariño….little excitement for a lot of money.   Godello is offering much more interesting wines at a fraction of the price.  Only the top wines are as expensive as most Albariños…and they are worth it!  See my rating of one of the top whites in Spain: As Sortes.

Godello is a top quality grape that is making some really exciting high end wines such as the As Sortes I rated recently.  But it is also making some easy drinking, inexpensive wines that offer amazing value. 

Godello is a semi-aromatic grape, usually offering intense fruit (apricot, melon, lime, pear), floral, and mineral notes…it has an attractive fullness and silkiness in the mouth, with generally moderate acidity.  It is also called Verdello in Galicia and is likely related to the Portuguese Verdelho of Madeira fame.  Note: these grapes are not the same variety as the wonderful Verdejo grape of Rueda. Within Spain, it is unique to Galicia and parts of Leon, and though it only makes up a small percentage of vineyards, it is growing quickly in popularity.

 See below for my great 5€ Godello pick. 

Wine:  Montenovo 2006
Winery:  Valdesil
Vintage: 2006
Denominacion de Origen (DO): Valdeorras
Alc: 13.5%
Grape variety: 100% Godello
Oak regime:  no oak
Price:  5 euros in Spain

Tasting notes
Visual:  Youthful pale straw color
Nose:  Medium intensity.  Floral and melon notes…simple, yet very attractive.  A whiff of leesy notes. 
Mouth:  The overall impression is attractive fruit and rich texture.  Quite full and round, big, but with simple pure flavors of citrus and pear.  Long, floral and yeasty finish. 
Food:  Great holiday wine…has the texture to stand up to many weights of food and the simple aromatic flavors to complement differing or complex flavors. 

Conclusion:  A simple, but very attractive wine that offers amazing value!  This is a hugely enjoyable wine that you can really enjoy at everyday prices.  The texture is rich enough that I’ve found it appeals to people who normally don’t like the lighter bodied whites typical here in Spain.  

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Another group of unique and hedonistic holiday wines are dessert wines…they are a perfect ending to a long meal and often can match well with certain holiday dishes, such as foie or cheese.  Dessert wines are under-appreciated and often misunderstood…even by wine lovers.  The dessert wines I serve to my classes often cause surprise…many clients have never tried high quality sweet wines and they are often astonished by what they taste. There are so many types…but today I would like to recommend three:

Gramona Vi de Gel Gewurztraminer (15€): a light and aromatic semi-sweet wine from Cataluña that is perfect with any type of foie: paté, mi-cuit or seared fresh.  This is an “ice wine”, but instead of leaving the grapes on the vine until frozen, the freezing is done artificially.  The results, though not as complex as a real ice wine, are very elegant and fresh.   

Tokaji Aszú: A Hungarian dessert wine and one of the finest sweet wines in the world.  This dessert wine is elaborated with grapes infected with noble rot or botrytis…same as the famous Sauternes wines of Bordeaux. The strong points of these wines are complex flavours and an ideal balance between acidity and residual sugar.  Sweet, yet refreshing…never cloying.  The level of sweetness is indicated by the number of puttonyos indicated on the label.  3 puttonyos, which is widely available, is semi-sweet, and is best served as an aperitif wine or with savory dishes such as foie…4 puttonyos can go either way.  For a full dessert wine experience, stick with 5 or 6 puttonyos….complex and sweet wines with one of the longest finishes in the wine world.  The most common brands available in Spain are Oremus (which is owned by Vega Sicilia), Disnoko, and Royal Tokaji (18-60€ price range depending on the puttonyos).

Old Sweet Oloroso Sherries:  A very misunderstood category of sherries.  These are similar to cream sherries, but generally are much higher quality.  Think of a wonderful old dry oloroso with it’s nutty complexity and imagine adding a touch of raisiny Pedro Ximenez wine….the combination is spectacular.  The acidity and complexity of the oloroso combine perfectly with the grapy sweetness of the PX.  Unfortunately in Spain, most people focus on the varietal wine PX, which can be exquisite, but is almost undrinkable due to its syrupy, cloying nature.  The sweet olorosos are just as complex, but much more drinkable….lower sugar levels and some acidity ensure a wonderful balance in the mouth.  At the moment a re-discovered favourite that offers great value is the Lustau East India Solera (15€).  Another favourite is the Matusalem of Gonzalez Byass (30€)…more expensive but also more complex.    These wines are also wonderful because their oxidized nature permits you to keep the bottle open for several weeks, enjoying the wine one glass at a time!

These are just three examples of some great Christmas stickies….be adventurous and you’ll be amazed at some of the treasures you’ll discover! Though Spain does not have the richest of dessert wine traditions, there are many interesting sweet wines out there to try!

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During the holiday season, I’m going to rate the wines I’m choosing for my clients and my family.   The holidays here in Spain are like a marathon, the festivities don’t end on New Years…we have a whole other round of big meals for the Epiphany holiday on 6 January!  The flavors for the holiday meals are different here, but just as challenging….fish and lamb are common, though you can find turkey as well.  Shellfish, cured meats, and foie all play important roles.  

There are two categories of wines that lend themselves especially well to the holiday season, both in the US and in Spain:  sparkling wines and dessert wines.  I’ll be focusing on these two categories a lot…but they’ll be plenty of holiday reds well!

Below I’m briefly recommending some of my favorites…look out for full tasting notes and more holiday wines!

Sparkling wines….I think it is a shame that many people see these as wines to toast with.  They are actually some of the most versatile wines when it comes to matching, and there is nothing I like better than to drink a great sparkler throughout a holiday meal! 

Medium priced cavas (around 10-20 euros) are high quality wines that are just as much wines as sparkling.  They offer complex aromas from careful and long aging as well as an elegant and well integrated bubble.  They have little in common with the lesser cavas offered at reception and parties for toasts!  These cheaper cavass (8 euros or less) offer simpler, sappier flavors with a very agressive bubble (more similar to Coca.cola!) Two high quality cavas I recommend that are very good value are the Gramona Brut Imperial Gran Reserva 2003 (14€) and the Raventos i Blanc Cuvée Elisabet Raventos Gran Reserva 2002 (16€).    

Cava is one of the worlds best value, quality sparkling wines but sometimes you just have to have champagne!   But I often despair at the prices charged by the large producers for their basic brut champagnes….champagnes that are often mediocre at best.  Here in Madrid most of the large houses offer their wines at 30-40 euros!  I much prefer to stick to some of the smaller producers, which can be tricky to find here.  Some that are great value and easy to find are the champagnes of Pierre Gimmonet…they are all sold at Lavinia for 22-26 euros, and are fantastic!  Though I usually prefer champagnes made from black grapes, these Blanc de Blancs have become some of my favorites!

Next up:  Spanish dessert wines for the holidays….

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