No wine snobs here, just enthusiastic drinkers of all wines
The third red wine from the Christmas Wine Tasting at the Lion and Lamb and a Spanish classic: Rioja Gran Reserva. When I saw this on the tasting list I thought 'oh good I'll be able to take a break', because let's face it, I've drunk tonnes of Rioja in my time. I was more … Continue reading El Meson Rioja Gran Reserva 2012
The second wine at the Wines From the Levante tasting at Madrid & Darracott. A red wine from the Priorat region which has some of the most difficult soil in which to grow vines. It is this struggle that often brings out the best in the grapes. Priorat is one of only two wine regions … Continue reading Peites 2014
The final red wine from the Tobelos Bodega wine tasting at vinopremier.com. This is their Vino de Autor, which means it is made with only the best grapes from a specific area, usually known for its terroir. It is 100% Tempranillo fermented in large oak barrels and then matured for 14 months in new French … Continue reading Tobelos Leukade 2015
The fourth wine from the Tobelos Bodega wine tasting at vinopremier.com. Like the Crianza this is made from 100% Tempranillo grape. This time from 60 year old vines and matured for 14 months in new American and French oak casks, then a further 2 years in the bottle. Well it's incredible the difference a couple … Continue reading Tahon de Tobelos Reserva 2012
The third wine from the Tobelos Bodega wine tasting at vinopremier.com this time made from 100% Garnacha grapes. It is fermented in concrete eggs and then matured for 14 months in American and French second use 500l oak barrels. It's good to be able to compare a pure Garnacha Crianza and a pure Tempranillo Crianza … Continue reading Tobelos Garnacha 2015
Another wine from the Tobelos Bodega wine tasting at vinopremier.com and the first red of the evening. This is their flagship all occasions Riojan red wine made of 100% Tempranillo and aged for 12 months in French, American and Central European oak casks. It is made from grapes harvested from the younger vines which apparently … Continue reading Tobelos Tempranillo Crianza 2015
Another regular wine tasting at vinopremier.com this time featuring the Tobelos Bodega which is based in Briñas, 2km from Haro. It is classified as Rioja Alta but is only one of two Rioja Alta Bodegas found North of the River Ebro. This is the coolest part of Rioja where the wind helps control the humidity … Continue reading Tobelos Blanco 2017
This is the first wine from a tasting entitled 'Atlantic wines' at Madrid & Darracott. These are all wines from the North East region of Spain along the Atlantic Coast and subsequently benefit from more rain and cooler conditions than those that prevail on the opposite side of Spain by the Mediterranean or inland where … Continue reading Quinta de San Joanne Branco 2014
Made with grapes from 60+ year old vines this wine is matured in American oak for 30 months and a further 36 months minimum in the bottle. I was looking forward to this wine as I really enjoyed the Crianza. Unfortunately it didn't work for me. It is a medium intense purple colour verging towards … Continue reading Ramon Bilbao Gran Reserva 2011
According to their website the 2010 Gran Reserva 904 was one of their best vintages this century, which makes me wonder why they were serving us the 2009. They also have another 2005 Gran Reserva 890 that was 23€ for just a taster glass. We didn't try that one as it was above our price … Continue reading Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904, 2009
