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Riojas on parade in Vizcaya – and Tampa too.
Spain wins the World Cup!
Spain was the winner in the World Cup, and they won us over with their Riojas at our recent wine dinner. Ten of the best of Rioja reds strolled down long tables laden with home cooking by chef Felix Piedra at Vizcaya in Carrollwood to near continuous applause.
Modern or traditional, Riojas are one of the great under priced treasures in wine.
B-21 brought together top importers and Rioja ambassador, Dhane Chesson, for a grand dinner with some of most exceptional Spanish wines in our cellar covering vintages back to 1997. Summer Martin, our scholar of Spanish wines, arranged a slection from delicious good values to the breathtaking 2005 San Vicente.
It took four flights to get through them and there wasn’t a dog in the line up no matter the price point.
The conclusion was flan tinted with calabaza and reassurance that Rioja rightly wears the crown of Spanish.
Our tastings also proved that for all the improvements in young Spanish reds, the traditional custom of long againg and lots of oak, when properly tuned, does in fact move Tempranillo from tannic and tart through dry and lusty into a bright cheerful middle age.
Dinner at Vizcaya
Where to start? Might as well be the beginning, a platter of crisp frituras and shrimp starring remarkably light croquetas of cod (most Americans will have to be threatened with a stiff baton of salt cod before they realize this). The wines were light stuff, a rosado and the 2005 Ramon Bilbao crianza and the hip 2006 Viña Zaco. The immediate reaction was delight at the smooth richness of what was the cheaper lead-off ranks. “You can’t beat these at twice the price,” said my neighbor and Spanish fan Louis Wang of Westchase, yet we knew the values would get even better.
The next round was suppplied by Conde Valdemar. The Bujanda family carefully blends a touch of mazuela in with the Tempranillo as they blend modernity with a century old tradition for stylish individuality. To me the 2005 Crianza showed better than the older 2004 reserva, and had ample plums, cherries and berries with hints of the same cedar and spice box that were stronger in the 2004. For my money (only $10.99) it was a steal, a good match for the night stuffed piquillo peppers — and a steak next weekend.
On to La Rioja Alta, a great traditionalist. We had two, my favorite was again in the middle range, the 2000 Viña Ardanza, age never looked so fetching, sweet with an exotic perfume of smoke and vanilla lightly worn. This is sold out unfortunately, but it reminds me to buy in when the Spanish debut, they are drinkable then but so worth keeping.
The food pairing was with Piedras’ meatballs which would make even lousy wine a hero.
2005 San Vicente, my favorite of the night!
Could it get better. Oh yes, next came the 2005 Muga Reserva Especial (93 points, $29.99) leading the top rank with the main course, which for me was a salteado of tenderloin tips and chorizo. The Muga was rich stuff, dense rich dark fruit with a caravan of spice notes, a keeper for another 20 years. The coup de grace was to be the 2004 Remiriez de Ganuza unfiltered (96 pts $69.99) big, earthy fruit and spice and likely to be enjoyed for decades.
Again, I returned to the middle pour, this the 2005 San Vicente ($49.99) from the Egurens of Sierra Cantabria; versatile, modern and stylish. The most lush wine of the night, ripe with black raspberries cherries and plums, with wisps of coffee and chocolate, strong and supple like well worn leather. It was the buy-now, drink-now bottle at my table led by Laura Stark of Saddlebrook.
I agree, in fact every glass in this flight seemed to empty. And more remarkable, we found that there had been the same high quality and drink ability at $10 as at $70.
You shudda been there. (For pictures of what you missed visit our facebook page! http://facebook.com/b21wine
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