Do you want to get a taste of the New Spain without too much damage to your liver or wallet? I’ve been tasting my way through the impressively substantial range of wines made around this dynamic wine country by US importer Jorge Ordoñez and will be publishing my tasting notes in full. There are many wines to be admired, and many which carry pretty ambitious price tags as well as potentially rather daunting levels of alcohol and new oak.
Because of this I didn’t feel able to do them all justice in a single tasting, but two that stood out in my first tasting session come from the same bodega in – as seems usual for Spain at this stage in its vinous evolution – an area that is far from famous. Viñas del Cénit makes wines carrying the new Vino de Calidad designation one step below DO wines. Tierra del Vino de Zamora is a relatively large area on the river Duero/Douro close to Toro. These wines however taste much more refreshing than typical Toro with its fullblown superripeness, even if they too are made exclusively from the local strain of Tempranillo, including some pre-phylloxera vines according to the back label. They taste as though they have effectively been cooled and given extra zest by nice, low overnight temperatures.
The best buy is Venta Mazzarón 2004 which is a particularly bright healthy crimson. There’s a broad spread of appetisingly savoury aromas on the nose with a palate that is particularly sappy and positive. The tannins are pretty firm on the finish but the bright, breezy wine delivers an amazing amount of flavour for the money. Brassy and proud of it, this wine positively swaggers, but the finish is not too hot and the 14% alcohol is not too obvious. I gave this wine 17/20, for what it’s worth.
In the UK the wine is £11.99 from The Sampler in Islington, London N1 (with a free bottle of champagne if you order a case) and also £11.99 from The Vineking in Reigate or £10.41 if purchased by the dozen. From the Sommelier Wine Company in Guernsey (tel 01481 721677 or rap.mathews@cwgry.net) it’s only £9.95 as they don't have to pay VAT in the Channel Islands. Fine & Rare Wines list it at £110 a dozen in bond.
It’s much, much cheaper in the US however. Our old friend winesearcher lists dozens of American retailers with prices from a giveaway $9.99 to $15.99. One Belgian retailer is offering it at 17.24 euros and another Dutch merchant's price is only slightly higher.
It’s much, much cheaper in the US however. Our old friend winesearcher lists dozens of American retailers with prices from a giveaway $9.99 to $15.99. One Belgian retailer is offering it at 17.24 euros and another Dutch merchant's price is only slightly higher.
There seems to be a mid range wine called Triton from the same source on sale in the US but the best offering from this producer is Cenit 2004 Vino de Calidad Tierra del Vino de Zamora which is finer, a little more intense and yet slightly less alcoholic at 13.5%. I gave this wine an extra half point (17.5/20) and reckon it has a slightly longer life. I’d drink the Mazzarón by 2009 whereas the Cenit will probably be going strong even in 2010. The Cenit has a gamey nose with good freshness on the finish, very like the Vente Mazzarón but with a little more flavour. This wine costs very much more however, from $36.49 as far as I can see. Yet again I feel that wine lovers are asked to pay an unduly heavy penality for moving up the scale in a range of wines. Admittedly the packaging of the more expensive wine is supposed to look a bit smarter – naughty heavier bottle etc (see my rant on this subject) – but the Mazzarón looks very smart anyway.
I strongly recommend the Mazzarón as a New Wave Spanish taster for the uninitiated.
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