Our trip started with a rather sweaty airport dash. Tempers were momentarily frayed, the air somewhat blue, and airport security agonizingly slow. At length we crammed into our uncomfortable budget airline seats, our adrenalin (and collective heart rate) slowly subsiding into normality once more. As we soared above the thick February clouds, we began to wonder; where were we going?
.The answer was Rioja, to visit a truly exciting producer, new to us but already seven years in the making. Vintae were now on our radar and bloody hell were we in for a treat! The guys at Vintae (average age twenty something) take their wines very seriously, treat their vineyards with the utmost care and affection, and really know how to host.
From the airport we headed straight to Castillo Maetierra, Vintae’s HQ and point of origin for the majority of their wines. It was a bitterly cold day in La Rioja, but even the cold couldn’t stop one from admiring both the castle (formerly a bar, store, carpenters, and latterly a brothel) and the well kept vines. The place felt healthy, natural, special.
We tasted through the range of esoteric and renegade white Riojas – the Guerrilla range – which were superb! It was just so refreshing to taste something different, unique, from Rioja. Ever tried an Albarino, Viognier, Gewurtz, or Riesling from this normally conservative part of Spain? I hadn’t. Yet better still was to come; the Libalis range of wines made from 100% Moscato grapes from the brand new D.O. Valles de Sedacia in a myriad of styles- dry and crisp to honeyed and rich – were also a real eye opener.
That night we gorged ourselves on delicious Riojan delicacies in the Calle Laurel in Logrono, and the following morning awoke to yet more interesting and enthralling wines. Today was all about traditional Rioja, and the more avante garde Navarra, and Toro.
The traditional Riojas, known as the Dominum selection, were great. For me Rioja offers reliability and deep expression. However, these wines went beyond these comfortable boundaries and gave a glimpse of what Rioja can be when it really wants to. Searing minerality, richness, and terroir showed through, complementing the traditional Riojan stuffing. Lovely.
Next up was Navarra. Vintae have created a wonderfully packaged range of wines named Winery Arts. All the wines feature the #9 in some guise or other. The significance of #9 is that it represents good luck in parts of Asia. So what if the packaging was great, how were the wines? The answer is that they were stonking (if you’ll excuse the term). Low sulphur, refreshing, full, juicy and expertly made. Had we finally met a wine that offered both supreme quality and beautiful wrapping? Yes we had, but just as with London buses…
Wow, next up came the MATSU range from Toro DO. If the #9′s ticked both boxes for style and taste, then the MATSUs ripped up the score sheet altogether! All three of the wines – Joven, Crianza and Gran Reserva (although not labelled as such) – were serious, dark, brooding and yet utterly refreshing, playful and perfectly balanced. And as for the packaging… I don’t think I exaggerate when I say that these are set to become iconic wines of our times. They look great, and taste even better.
In fact, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that Vintae are set to become iconic, if indeed they aren’t already. Their ethos, energy, honesty, quality, and sense of fun captured our imagination and is set there in stone. Wine is fun, and should represent where it’s from. When it’s this good, you can’t help but grin from ear to ear!
Like this:
Be the first to like this post.
It’s always great to get everyone together under one roof and this year’s Wines From Spain was no exception. There was a real buzz in the air as some of Spain’s brightest young things burst onto the scene and thrust themselves into the limelight.
