Back in January, this humble little blog had its anniversary and I have been quite fortunate over the past 14 years. I have tasted a vast array of wines from all over the world and I have visited many of the regions whose wines I have tried.
The list of regions I have visited is fairly robust, and includes France, Italy, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Chile, Argentina, and just about every region in the U.S. On the European continent, there is one pretty glaring omission, one of the three largest wine producing countries in the world.
Spain.
That’s right. I have never been to Spain. [Well, technically, that is not true. During my bike touring days, I would venture into the Basque region of Northwest Spain, but I never set foot in a vineyard and most Basque people would rather not be a part of Spain anyway, so I do not consider those “visits”.] And, perhaps as a result, I know very little about Spanish wine,
Sure, I know that Riojas are made with Tempranillo and Priorat with Garnacha, but other than that? I guess you could throw in that I don’t believe anyone who says that Cava is a great alternative to Champagne, and we have pretty much reached the end of my Spanish wine “knowledge”.
Now in my defense, I never professed to know about everything and the world of wine is vast and ever-changing, but I will admit that the rather large Spanish “hole” in my wine knowledge is glaring and, frankly, rather embarassing.
Thus, this last year, I was determined to ameliorate the situation. We planned a trip to Spain (that got cancelled due to torrential rains), I started Duolingo (level ten, gracias), and I was determined to attend more Spanish wine tasting events here in Houston.
One such event occurred last fall at Brennan’s on the Bayou, the Castilla Y León Roadshow, which included a Master Class on the Region, led by Master Sommelier Keith Goldston.
After the two hour class, I will not profess to be an “expert” on the region (I do not profess to be an expert on much, except choosing a spouse, I proved to be pretty good at that), but I did walk away with several juicy tidbits (and tasted a number of excellent wines) to provide fodder for further exploration.
There are myriad sites available to provide excellent information about Spanish wine regions in general and Castilla Y León in particular, so I have no desire to recreate the wheel, here, but I do feel a little context is warranted.
As I mentioned above, Spain is the third=largest producer of wine by volume in the world, as it was recently passed by the France for that distinction (Italy is still rather far ahead of both, with the U.S. a distant fourth). Somewhat paradoxically, however, Spain has more acreage planted to wine grapes than any other country; I am still trying to reconcile those two facts.
Briefly, wine has been made on the Iberian penninsula for millenia, but once the Romans started poking around, its production became a bit more focused, but wine-making techniques remained rather basic until the 19th century when phylloxera hit Europe and new methods were introduced (largely by the French).
For thousands of years in Spain, through the Franco regime, an emphasis was placed on quantity rather than quality, but that began to change with the death of Franco in 1975 and the installation of the new constitution in 1978. Spanish wines have gradually increased in quality since, with many regions regularly making world-class wines.
Castilla Y León is the largest of Spain’s 17 administrative regions and covers roughly one-fifth of the country. Though largely still focused on cereal crops, the region has become increasingly more important as a wine producer, with several regions, including Ribera del Duoro, Rueda, and Toro considered among the best in Spain.
For the master class, we tried eight wines, the first from Rueda, a region whose production is 99% white, with Verdejo being the most significant variety (although Sauvignon Blanc). Along with Rías Biaxas, Rueda produces the most popular still white wines in Spain.
2024 Grupo Valdecuevas Valdecuevas Cuvée, Rueda, Castillo y León, Spain: Retail $28. 100% Verdejo. From a family-owned business with a long agricultural history, but only started making wines since 2013. Slightly honeyed aspect on the nose. with bright stone fruit, it’s juicy, fresh, and quite tart on the palate. A bit earthy and mineral on the finish. Very Good. 89 Points.
The next wine was a Vino de Autor, which, briefly, means “Signature Wine” and is generally made outside of any official designation, which is why this wine simply lists “Spain” as its appellation
2020 Bodegas El Vuelo Inventor Blanco Vino de Autor, Spain: Retail $25. 100% Abillo Mayor. While “Vino de Autor” has no official meaning in Spain, it is generally accepted to mean “Signature Wine” and is usually applied to wines that fall outside of the classified regions, hence the rather broad “Spain” designation. A bit darker in color, which makes sense given the age. Many feel this is a white that can age another 5-10 years easily. A bit sherried with slight pineapple and a touch of yellow apple. Round and coating with some acidity coming through just before the finish. Excellent. 90 Points.
Next, we moved on to perhaps Castilla Y León’s most noted region, Ribera del Duero, which has the highest average elevation (~2,000 feet) of any wine region in Europe. While roughly 98% of the plantings are to Tempranillo, there has been a recent focus on a local white variety, Abillo Mayor (see the wine above).
2022 Bodegas Resalte Vendetta Seleccionada, Ribera del Duero, Spain: Retail $25. 100% Tempranillo. A blend from three sites, all over 900 meters (~3000 feet). Medium to dark with a spicy, meaty element predominant on the nose with a rose, woody, almost stemmy aspect. Tons of black and blue fruit on the palate. Ripe and rich and voluptuous with a spicy backbone. Drying tannins. Excellent. 92 Points.
2019 Territorio Cepa (Bodegas Peñafiel) Reserva, D.O. Ribero del Duero, Spain: Retail $35. 100% Tempranillo. Much bigger and brooding, quite oaky but with some dark fruit as well as some anise on the nose. Big and muscular on the palate, this is full-throttle Tempranillo. Great acidity, but this is all about the heft. Tannins are surprisingly tame. Even though it is much bigger than I usually like, this is Outstanding. 94 Points.
the drunken cyclist 