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Winery: Osborne
Vintage: 2006
Location: Spain
Alcohol: 12.5%
Blend: 100% Tempranillo
Tasting: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

This winery was started over 200 years ago, and the Bodegas Montecillo in Rioja came to life 136 years ago, which makes it one of the oldest wineries in the Rioja region.  About 50% of the wine they produce goes to export markets in Europe and North America.  Their emblem, The Osborne Bull, is recognized all over.  The Bull was the idea of the winery’s advertising agency and was born in 1956.  You will see the bull not only on all of their products, but also on billboards and roadside signs.  The largest of the bulls weighs over 4,000 kg and is 14 meters high and is made of metal.  An imposing figure, for sure.  About 16 years ago there was a movement under foot to rid the landscape of various signs and images, one of which was the Osborne Bull.  The Osborne family went to court and the court found that the bull is not just a sign, but after over 50 years, it has also become part of the landscape and culture.

We want you to remember this name:  Maria Martinez-Sierra.  She is a wonderful lady.  When we tell people about her we always say that she is a passionate lady and has a personality a big as all outdoors.  Maria has been the winemaker at Bodegas Osborne for over 30 years.  She is one of Europes’ top winemakers and a huge ambassador for Spanish wines.  There is also a little flirting with what we call ‘the international varietals’, as well.  Grapes such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz/Syrah are on the menu too.  Not in the wine we are tasting this week, however.  It is 100% Tempranillo from the Rioja region.

We had the pleasure of meeting Maria a few years ago when she was visiting Edmonton.  (Actually she has come to Alberta a few times over the past few years.) We could have listened to this amazing lady for hours on end.  When she speaks about her wine, her true passion shows in her eyes.  She speaks about her wine like one would speak about their children. I swear I saw a twinkle in her eye as she was telling us about her wine.  She has a true love of the Spanish varietals, as you will see when you try this wine.

Maria is also very particular about the wood that the wine is aged in.  She picks the wood from a particular area in France, because the grain of the wood is woven much tighter and therefore adds subtle flavours to the wine, instead of overpowering it.  Osborne also employs their own cooper to make these wonderful barrels.  Not an inexpensive venture for sure.

We have a neat story to tell you.  When we attended the talk with Maria, she was telling us the she only keeps the barrels for a certain period of time and then they reach the end of their life with Osborne.  One of the lovely ladies who used to work with us asked what happened to the barrels once she was done with them (thinking that they would be used for planting and the like).  Maria spoke quite softly and said ‘we sell them to wineries who cannot afford new ones’.

The Rioja region is one of Spain’s most recognizable regions.  You can see on the map, that the area is not huge, by any means.  But man, they make some great wine there.  Tempranillo is king.  The wine we are tasting this week, as I said earlier is 100% Tempranillo.  Tempranillo is often referred to as Spain’s noble grape.  The name comes from the Spanish word ‘temprano’, which means ‘early’.  This is fitting, as the grape ripens earlier than most Spanish grape varieties.

The name Crianza that you see on the bottle is a term used to describe how long the wine has aged in wood and in the bottle before it is allowed to be released.  It is the second of a level of four terms used.  Sin Crianza (which we don’t see in Canada), Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva are the four steps.  As you go up the levels, the wine must be aged for a longer period of time in wood and in the bottle before it is released.  You cannot put any of these names on the bottle unless you adhere to certain regulations.

This wine is aged for a minimum of 1 year in the wood and matures in the winery until it is sold.  That is why you see all these wines from Montecillo that are from 2006 and earlier.

This wine is a cherry red in colour, with aromas and flavors of red berries, raspberry and cherry, red plum, a little vanilla.  It is a medium to full-bodied wine and has a nice finish.  This is a very versatile wine and goes great with many different foods.

Food Pairing:

Pork; beef (try either of these roasted or grilled);  pizza; grilled oily fish.

CSPC:     144493
Price: 

     $16.50 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing. Price subject to change without notice

Richard and I haven’t visited the Australian wines in a while, so I think we will just have to check them out. See you down under next week. Come by and visit with Diana and have a sip and a chat.

Winery: Bodegas Ateca
Vintage: 2008
Location: Calatayud, Spain
Alcohol: 14%
Blend: Old Vines Garnacha (Grenache)
Tasting: Wednesday, April 14, 2010 - 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.

Map courtesy of vinisimo.com

When people think of exports from Spain, they think of Hollywood actors like Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz to name just a couple.  Well, let me tell you Spain has some incredible wine.   Let’s step back a little in time…

As with the history in many Mediterranean countries, the cultivation of wine grapes in Spain began with the Greeks and Phoenicians.  After the conquest of Spain by the Moors in 711 A.D. the wine industry took a huge hit.  The Moors forbid the drinking of alcohol, so land that was previously under vine was used for other crops.  In some areas, the Christians were allowed to keep some land under vine for their own use.  When the reconquest of Spain took place the wine industry came alive again due in part to the monasteries, as they needed sacramental wine for Communion.  In the 19^th Century Phylloxera hit a lot of Europe before it hit Spain.  When it devastated France, a number of French winemakers moved to Spain to not only work their art, but they also gave the Spanish priceless information on grape growing, and they also imparted their wisdom of more modern winemaking techniques, the effects of which are still felt in the country today.  When Phylloxera did come to Spain, the Spanish were better equipped to handle it.  They had learned that grafting the vines on root stock that was resistant to Phylloxera was going to be their saving grace.  The damage was not felt as hard as it was in a lot of Europe.  Fast forward to the 20^th Century…  many people around the world associate Spain with Sherry.  Yes, Sherry is made in Spain, but there is a wide range of wonderful wines from this country.  I hope this is the first of a number of articles we get to write on Spanish wine.

The wine we are sampling today, Atteca Old Vines 2008,  is from Northeastern Spain in an area called Calatayud.  This probably is not one of the best known regions of Spain.  Ribera del Duero, Rioja and Priorat are probably much better known on this side of the water.  Calatayud is an area of 5,600 hectacres of land in the Province of Zaragoza in Northeastern Spain.  The wine region is made up of 15 vineyards (Bodegas) which produce about 14 million liters of wine each year.

There are many different grape varieties grown in the Calatayud region including for the reds:  Garnacha Tinta, Tempranillo, Mazuela, Monastrell, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot.   For the whites:  Macabeo, Malvasia, Moscatel de Alejandria, Garnacha Blanca and Chardonnay.   Unlike Germany and some other countries, Spain doesn’t usually have a problem with grapes not fully ripening due to cool temperatures.  The climate in Calatayud is mainly continental with warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters.  Most of the rain that falls comes between April and July.  The later part of the summer is very dry with only a scattered thunderstorm to leave a little rain for the vineyards.

This particular wine is made from 100% Old Vines Garnacha (otherwise known at Grenache).  The vines used to make this wine are between 80 to 120 years old.  Now when the vines get that old, they don’t produce a lot of fruit, but the fruit that you do get is amazing.  It is full of flavour and something just out of this world.   The vines were selected from hillside vineyards at 3000 feet above sea level.  These vineyards were planted in the last few decades of the 19^th Century and the first decade of the 20^th Century.

Richard and I sat down on Friday night to enjoy this wine with our dinner.  I had decanted it about 90 minutes prior.  Richard was enjoying a barbequed steak with various veggies and the like.  Being the rebel that I am, I had some chicken with a balsamic reduction and of course like a good girl, I had lots of veggies. The wine is a very deep ruby colour.  The aromas were awash with blackberries, black cherries and even some raspberries and a little vanilla.  In the mouth you could taste those berries along with some good acidity with a medium body feel.  On the finish, that is when you notice a wee bit of pepper spiciness.  We found it was about a medium finish.  The tannins are very noticeable, but not overbearing by any means.

Food Pairing:

Grilled/roasted beef and lamb; chorizo sausages (grilled or fried); veal; pork; Moroccan stew.  Or try grilled chicken with a balsamic reduction.

CSPC:     1025227
Price:

$23.99 (Minus Winesday 10% discount.)

*Price correct at time of printing.  Price subject to change without notice

Atteca photos courtesy of corksandcaftans

Richard and I are heading back across the pond to Chile next week.  As usual, I am running behind, so I better get my suitcase packed.  See you Wednesday!