2011 Casajus Antiguous Vinedos
Made from 100% tempranillo grown from 50 year old vines on estate vineyards in Ribera del Duero. Dark red, almost black in colour. Aromas of black cherry, raspberry and a hint of menthol on the nose. The palate is firm and full and has good texture that indicates its ability to age. Blackberry, raspberry with notes of spice cake dominate the intense flavor profile and bring a gentle candied note. The warm vintage shows through, giving it a slightly New World character. The long finish is dominated by brown spices and a slight minerality. Raised in American and French oak barrels for 14 months. Still on the way up, this is a delicious wine. Drink now, or watch it develop over the next 10 years. (This could be classified as a Reserva; odd that they do not).
Excellent (CDN $37 incl tax at BC Liquor Stores *good value)
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Vineyards at Abadia Retuerte
Abadia Retuerta produces beautiful wines from estate vineyards that sit just outside the Ribera del Duero Denominacien Origen, or D.O., in Northern Spain. Though technically not in the Ribera del Duero D.O., it is on the Golden Mile, the stretch of road that hosts some of Ribera’s finest addresses: Vega Sicilia, Aalto, Pingus and Mauro. We toured Abadia Retuerta as a part of the Fine Vintage Ltd. Spain Wine Tour in September of 2016.
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The entrance to Pesquara Winery
Pesquera is the jewel in the crown of Alejandro Fernandez’ collection of wineries in Ribera del Duero, the wine region of Northern Spain that is attracting a lot of attention. Fernandez, and his winery, are a big part of how that attention came to the region. Pesquera is one of the most prestigious wineries in Ribera and Alejandro Fernandez is its most famous resident, rightfully known as the “King of Tempranillo”, Spain’s greatest grape variety.
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With any family winery, particularly one with a history that dates back several generations, one must understand the past in order to appreciate the present. At Bodegas Luis Cañas, the winery’s traditional winemaking style and methods have evolved over time but the focus on constantly finding ways to produce quality wine has never wavered.
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Restaurante José Maria sits on the Plaza Mayor in the town of Segovia in Spain. Segovia is a spectacularly beautiful city about 50 km North of Madrid. In 1985 it was declared a World Heritage Site. We ended up in Segovia as the first stop on the Fine Vintage Tour of Ribera del Duero and Rioja. And what a first stop it was! We kidded our tour guides that they had peaked early, that they could not possibly keep up this quality of food and wine over the week in front of us.
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2011 Casajus Antiguous Vinedos
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