Old Vines Garnacha from El Chaparral

100% Garnacha (70 to 115 years old)

DO Navarra

First of all, the wine region of Navarra still suffers from being compared to his illustrious neighbor; La Rioja. Actually the southern part of Navarra overlaps a piece of La Rioja. So, yes indeed, they can be very similar… Recently, La Rioja has been promoting numerous single variety wine produced from Garnacha, you should have a go with this one!

Back to our wine, Bodegas Nekeas is located in the northern part of Navarra, in a subzone called Valdizarbe near the town of Añorbe. Here the Atlantic climate influence is noticeable. One can easily detect that the wines taste different as their natural freshness distinguishes them from many other Spanish garnacha’s based wines.

Bodegas Nekeas is a co-operative, and is run by a highly talented lady : Concha Vecino. Here with 2019 vintage Chaparral offer such a good wine for less than 10.00 Euros.

The wine is warm and full-bodied, gently spicy on the nose with some white pepper notes mixed with some freshly crushed cherry aromas. On the second nose comes the floral part : Violets. The palate is generous (15%) and tremendously appetizing due to the ripeness of the fruit that hit your tongue, but greatly balanced thanks to magnificent acidity and to some discreet but welcoming tannins. The finish is on the fruit.

Not designed to be cellared, it just need to be decanted 5 to 10 minutes before consumption.

As we have been working with them for quite a while, we can tell that this is surely one their most beautiful EL Chaparral ever! It would be important to note the stupendous effort in the winery (Merci Concha Vecino) with the color and tannins extraction not being over the top, but rather delicate and precise!

A brilliant job for such an inexpensive bottle – 9.88 Euros

Buscador 2017

La Rioja DOca

Finca de la Rica has been founded recently, the company has not yet celebrated the decade! Nonetheless they own some old vines in the north western part of La Rioja : Labastida. One of the coolest area in the region, which allows the grape to ripen slowly.

Before the grapes were sold to Benjamin Romeo, in order to produce Contador, one of the most sought-after wines in La Rioja (skyrocketing prices). However, it is not the case anymore as they spotted the opportunity to elaborate their own wine. Speaking of it, you should try Finca de la Rica top «Cuvée» called Las Cabezadas de Matadula. A top notch modern rioja, concentrated and complex that has a great aging potential worth every single penny.

Buscador is essentially a Crianza, aged 12 months in oak mostly French but a tiny part is American Oak. Therefore one can detect some specific aromatic notes such as : fresh mushroom and coconut. Said that, Buscador 2017 is not the usual rioja wine, as it exhibits a vibrant fruit fruit intensity, its mouthfeel is fresh and the tannins are ripe and smooth. For less than 8 Euros, this is a true bargain! It is ready to drink, Buscador 2017 does not need to age and can be served slightly chilled.

Finally, if you are nearby you should pay them a visit, and talk to Ignacio is an intense and hot-blooded winemaker passionate about his craft:-))

If you like lighter wines you should try their Guia 2020, also produced exclusively with grapes from Labastida, unoaked and a tremendous juicy quaffer!

Cheers,

Building up a cellar.

The art of aging wines

Building up a cellar is not an easy task, first of all you must have a decent place that fulfill the following requirements :

• The right temperature and stable. (12ºC to 14ºC)

• No light

• No vibration

• Right humidity (65% to 75%)

If your future or existing cellar already has the right temperature, somewhere around 12ºC to 14ºC, then you are lucky. It is common to control and adjust wine cellar temperature with electrical motor, especially to achieve stability.

It might sounds surprising to many, but it is widely recognized that light affect wine quality and it can spoil the quality of your wines, consequently avoid keep your wines in a bright room! As you have probably noticed a significant amount of great a wines are using dark glass bottle, and most of the top wines will be protected by some sort of some light protecting paper. Effectively, it may look elegant and sleek but it will will also avoid to damage the label and more importantly it will diminish the light intensity for the wine.

Thus, wines such as La Nieta, Los Yelsones de Cuentaviñas o Lalama de Dominio do Bibei will always carry this kind of protection!

Vibrations are also something to care about as they will harm your lovely bottles. And finally humidity is a parameter you want to keep a eye on! Absolutely, as you might expect we have entered in many cellars and there is nothing worse than a damp cellar, that generally develops mould and that specific smell. the relative humidity of you cellar should be around 65% to 75%. Dry conditions will dry corks, and damp/wet conditions will damage labels, boxes and surely the wines.

Now comes the exciting part : choosing your wines!

First of all, you don’t have to acquire only expensive wines. Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz yields an extraordinay «joven» from Tempranillo/tinta del Pais. No oak treatment, just good quality grapes and a wine that cost less than 6 euros. Yes! I always keep a few bottles of this one . It is usually a bit rustic in its youth, but shows its best after after 2/3 years.

Another one many wouldn’t expect to age well is : Beaujolais. I admit «Morgon Vieilles Vignes» is not the conventional beaujolais, but for less than 20 euros this bottle will amaze you after 5/8 years. Jean Paul Brun is a great winemaker, that focuses on making great and fine wines.

One of Marcos Eguren Flagship wines from La Rioja, more specifically, San Vicente is a good keeper. The first noticeable changes will occur 5 years after the vintage, but they would keep easily up to 20 years!

Another tempranillo based wine is Neo, from Ribera del Duero. It is exclusively produced from old vines and it needs at least 8/10 years to be fully understood. It is actually one of my favorite.

Last but not the least, is Tokaji 5 Puttonyos from Chateau Pajzos. The 2016 is certainly highly enjoyable right now, but you can be sure to enjoy them in 30 years too! but you do not have to wait that long… A legendary wine, sweet but not cloying with a complexity that will blow your mind if you are capable of keeping them a few years.

If you are interested in building up a cellar, do not hesitate to contact us. We will be happy to help you.

Cheers,

Valderiz 2018

A new benchmark wine in Ribera del Duero?

Ribera del Duero has already many star wines that shine all over the place, unfortunately many of them are now terribly expensive too! Great names are now fetching high prices, and recently it has been difficult to find fairly priced Ribera del Duero that would offer a serious wine.

Bodegas y Viñedos Valderiz has done some enormous efforts in the past 10 years. Obviously, in the vineyard and in the cellar, but also more importantly they (Juan and Ricardo) have been tasting a lot of different wines. Wines from different climates, countries, grapes varieties, etc…. Leading them to a better understanding of what they wanted to achieve with their own wine!

As a result, Valderiz, their flagship wine, (although not the top cuvée from the estate) has gone through some significant changes, for better of course!. Vintage after vintage the wine has gained in complexity, deepness but also the tannins are a lot more approachable/gentle. The oak treatment is present without dominating the fruit. Now, it seems that Valderiz is complete! Full-bodied as one would expect from a Ribera del Duero, but also offering layers of aromatic complexity. The wine is persistent, savory, and the finish is long. And even though it is terrific to drink right now, it would age easily another 10 years.

Such a tremendous wine for just 20 euros a bottle is a bargain! We highly recommend anyone to acquire a few bottles.

They are just amazing!

Wine Spectator

2018 : 95Pts

2017 : 94 Pts

2016 : 96 Pts

2015 :  94 Pts

Sierra Cantabria Primeurs 2020

Rioja and Toro

Buying «en primeurs» is always a good thing! It is a tremendous way to source some of your favorite wines, at the best best price. In some cases with Sierra Cantabria’s wines, it can be up to 20% cheaper!!! Basically you paying your wine in 2021, and they will be delivered to you in October 2022

All orders must be taken and invoiced before October 2021. Prices do not include IGI!!!

2020 Vintage report in La Rioja

A fairly rainy winter start, but overall temperatures were gentle. Budbreak has taken place quite early, although low temperature in April and May did slow down the vegetative growth. Weather conditions proved to be more difficult than usual, and provoked a 20% loss. Nonetheless, hot temperatures have been avoided during summer, thus conditions were ideal to mature grape slowly till harvest. The result is a very good vintage with aromatic and balanced wines, but less volume.

Vinos de Paganos (DOca Rioja)

El Puntido 2019

From a different parcel than la Nieta but situated just a few meters away from it. the 25 hectares of Puntido offers stunning value, and shows its best after 8/10 years, when the youth has been tamed without loosing its intense dark fruit character.

18 months in new French oak.

75cl – 21.00 Euros

1.5L (Magnum) – 50.60 Euros

3 L (Jeroboam) – 120.90 Euros

La Nieta 2020

On Marco Eguren’s portfolio, this is surely the «Super Grand Cru»! The tiny parcel is situated in Paganos, and just a few meters from Puntido. 100% Tempranillo on 1.7 Hectare. Still affordable for one the most sought after wines in Spain. Avaibility is scarce as is the production : 3000 bottles.

Just like Etienne Guigal’s top wines (La Landonne, La Mouline and La Turque), La Nieta is fermented in new oak, and then racked into brand new barrels. The aim is obtain a extraordinary texture, a supple young wine with round tannins with the capacity to age beautifully.

75cl – 62.30 Euros

1.5L (Magnum) – 146.20 Euros

3 L (Jeroboam) – 321.50 Euros

5 L (Rehoboam) – 602.00 Euros

Viñedos Sierra Cantabria (Doca La Rioja)

Finca el Bosque 2020

Of the Trilogy Bosque, La Nieta and Amancio, this one has to be the most robust and concentrated. Also elaborated exclusively with tempranillo.

75cl – 53.90 Euros

1.5 l (Magnum) – 129.40 Euros

3 L (Jeroboam) – 293.80 Euros

Amancio 2019

Amancio is best defined as the cream of the crop, as the 16 hectares that compose Amancio just the finest fruits are selectioned for the production of Amancio. Although La Nieta seems to be great favorite by most wine specialist and wine critics, mine has to be Amancio. Amancio is usually a bit closed in its youth, with a certain structure and gripping tannins. But after just a few years in a well kept cellars, 5/8 years following released, Amancio is one of the most delicious Rioja you will ever encountered.

75cl – 53.90 Euros

1.5 L (Magnum) – 129.40 Euros

Amancio 3 L (Jeroboam) – 293.80 Euros

Coleccion Privada 2020

A new comer! This is the first year that Coleccion Privada is buyable «En Primeur»! 100% tempranillo, but 50% is vinified traditionally and the other 50% is elaborated using the Carbonic maceration method ( flushing a close tank with CO2, in order to eliminate all the oxygen for yielding a wine rich in coloring compounds but low in harsh tannins). Thus obtaining a smoother wine, highly seductive and addictive;-))

75cl – 21.00 Euros

And From Toro, Teso La Monja

Almirez 2020

Although born in Toro, Almirez always exhibit a great elegance. Not a wine designed to age for decades, but rather a good buy to enjoy with family and friends.

100% tinta de Toro (12 months in oak, 30% new)

75 cl – 10.90 Euros

1.5 L (Magnum) – 23.90 Euros

Victorino 2020

Old vines Tinta de Toro (Clone of Tempranillo), that are trained in Gobelet, they deliver highly concentrated grapes, packed with flavor and strength. Although most Victorino’s followers will not wait its optimum moment for opening it, any vintage of Victorino would beneficiate from further aging (8/10 years).

18 months in new french oak

75 cl – 23.10 Euros

1.5 L (Magnum) – 55.40 Euros

3 L (Jeroboam) – 121.90 Euros

Alabaster 2020

Alabaster is elaborated exclusively from fruits from the older vines available in Teso La Monja (75 to 130 years old).  The whole harvest is entirely destemmed and aged 18 months in new french oak.

Small production and low avaibility.

75 cl – 87.80 Euros

1.5 L (Magnum) – 209.60 Euros

3 L (Jeroboam) – 461.10 Euros

Finally, most wine will be delivered in October 2022 with the exception of the Almirez which will be available in May 2022. Again, prices are not including IGI, and all wines will be delivered with no adding cost.

Keep us posted if you are interested!

Virtual tasting with Lopez Cristobal

Quite amazing how the wine industry is evolving nowadays, now we are having special and exclusive wine tasting with connoisseurs from all around the globe without leaving our cozy home! A complete new way to communicate that is terrific and efficient!

24 hours before our virtual event, we did receive samples from Bodega Lopez Cristobal : 1 pink, and 2 reds.

Even though Bodegas Lopez Cristobal was founded in 1994, Galo’s father was involve professionally with the local wine industry. As a matter of fact, some of the vines that now are producing some of their wines were planted in the 80’s. Generally speaking, at Lopez Cristobal we do not buy grape, the estate covers 80 hectares of vines that are split in several parcels.

Galo has now the whole control of the estate, with his wife. Looking ahead with all the brand new and exciting projects, it is clear that Lopez Cristobal has great ambitions.

You probably have tasted several wines from them, the Roble which is surely one of our best seller and the crianza. Recently, Galo released a white wine produced exclusively from a local variety called : Albillo. Their signature wine was Bagus, but since yesterday this might change!

Lopez Cristobal is going pink with the 2020 vintage!

A 100% tempranillo just pressed, no maceration but aged 2 months in oak. Light, pale salmon but a highly seductive nose mixed red fruits with a touch of star anis. The sensation on the palate is gentle and round (high glycerin content, I guess) with a great crisp acidity, helped by the star-anis aromas. Elegant and pleasant, completely different from what we have tasted so far from that part of Spain.

Approx. Price : 12 Euros

«Parcela 1» 2016 .

Not released, this will replace their Reserva. The idea is to offer an up-dated version of the «reserva», fruit-driven with smooth tannins. Nonetheless, Parcela 1 is produced from a single parcel, that was planted by Galo and his father 35 years ago – Finca Valera. Pebbles with sand for the top soil, and chalk which will retain enough moisture for the deeper roots system. Planted entirely with Tinta del Pais, and aged 16 months in oak (70% French, 30% American)

The color is so intense that we barely notice its age, thanks to a purplish rim. The oak treatment is obvious, smoky, vanilla, coconut cream almost buttery. Still the ripe black cherry fruit is showing well, and the tannins are presents but ripe and balanced. Profound, with a long floral finish especially violets.

Approx. Price : 25/27 Euros

Viracocha 2017

The cream of the crop!

Just 925 bottles produced

A small parcel located in one of the most sought after area in Ribera del Duero : Pedrosa del Duero.

Here, the 80 years old Tinta del Pais are located on a red clay soil (rich in iron) with a bit of sand. The rim is almost inexistent, its color is deep and opaque. Butter, cream, cacao but also black truffle on the nose. The mouthfeel is persistent, with round tannins, concentrated but still elegant. The stems are eliminated, but the berries are uncrushed! in order to extract the riper phenolic compounds. Aromatically, anis, caramel, vanilla but nothing is overwhelming. Still far too young, but highly promising. Can’t wait to taste it in 12 months….

Approx. Price : 130.00 Euros

After a brilliant virtual tasting like this one, we feel lucky at Classic Vins! the presentation was perfect and the wines were splendid. Good job!

As always, keep us informed it you are interested.

Old Wines : Rioja and Bordeaux

Recently, we purchased a pristine cellar from a private client. First of all and most importantly, we were highly impressed by the superb quality of the wines. most of them were bought young and probably in during the late 70’s till the mid 90’s. So you will able to source wines for anniversary or any special dates, such as  :

1934, 1940, 1942, 1960, 1970, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1995 or 1996!

None of the wines has been moved around, or has travelled. We actually had to taste, randomly, a few wines from different location, within the cellar, in order to make sure that the quality was regular. Thus, we are now convinced that it is one of the most outstanding cellar we were allowed to enter and to offer  now to you.

From la Rioja you will find :

• Viña Ardanza
• CVNE Imperial
• Viña Real
• Berberena
• Marques de Riscal
• Marques de Caceres
• Castillo Ygay

From Bordeaux :

• Chateau Batailley
• Chateau Malescot-Saint-Exupery
• Château Beau Site
• Domaine de l’Eglise
• Chateau La Tour Figeac
• Chateau Trotte Vielle

We will release some more shortly, keep visiting us

You can download the entire portfolio of oldies, right here :

https://classic-vins.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vieux-vinsdef.pdf

Unfortunately, quantities are tiny so if you are interested in a specific wines or vintage do not hesitate to contact us if you need any further information.

Please feel free, to contact us.

all the best, and keep safe.

Jean Louis Le Guil/Bertrand Ferre

Food and wine matching : Oysters

Oysters, especially raw, are usually consumed simply with a dash of lemon. Some villages have gained gastronomic fame for the quality of their oysters and Cambados in Galicia is one of them. Obviously, we must not forget Brittany with Cancale another serious producer. Often easier to source for us who live in Andorra are the mediterranean products, especially from Leucate (in France) or from the Ebro’s delta.

When it comes to open the right bottle with oysters, we like to recommend wines that dry or bone-dry, unoaked or very gently oaked, light to medium-bodied and preferably youthful and fresh.

Firstly, Chablis is without any doubt the first wine that comes to mind, Petit Chablis would be my second thought!

Domaine William Fêvre produces both! Their Petit Chablis is stunning, light-bodied, fresh and citrussy. A unoaked chardonnay with lee-aging, in order to bring some aromatic complexity and some weight on the palate. Its crispy, bone-dry style will act like a squeeze of lemon! zesty, mouthwatering and delicious. For just 15.00 Euros.

Another option from the Loire valley is the still undervalued Muscadet sur lie. It is produced near Nantes, and it is elaborated with a single variety called : Melon de Bourgogne (quite confusing, isn’t it?). The style is very close to Chablis : dry, crisp and light-bodied. Le Domaine des Hautes Noelles offers a great example for less than 10.00 Euros. What a bargain!

Food and wine-matching’s secret weapon is Champagne. Anyway, for oysters aged champagnes, pinot noir dominated or rich and intense champagne should be avoided. Unless you harmonize your oysters to do so! In our case, a blanc de blancs such as Gosset would be perfect. 100% chardonnay, its creamy bubbles and citrussy aromas will be ideal!

From a different country, but also fizzy, and produced near Barcelona «Viticultors Torrello» produces some truly fine sparkling, dry, limey and refreshing. These wines will do a terrific job on your table.

From the opposite side of the peninsula, in Galicia, we can’t miss the great wines of Rias Baixas. Not all of them will work with oysters, but Fefiñanes a 100% albariño located in the sub-region of Val do Salnes would be splendid. A medium-bodied white, that possesses a certain aromatic complexity without overwhelming the dish. Its natural acidity will concentrate the iodine flavor of your shellfish.

A bit more exotic, but can be amazing, is to match your oysters with a clean, dry riesling. Castell d’Encus in Costers del Segre yields an tremendous Riesling called Ekam. Ekam is light to medium-bodied riesling that is fresh, dry, aromatically more adventurous as you get lime, elderflower, green apples. Its long aftertaste will also increase the flavor of your sea-food. A beautiful wine for 22.50 Euros.

Finally, do not hesitate to call us for any further information or recommendation.

New references and new vintages!

Bertrand and I, have been truly busy lately! It is not an easy job, is it? We had to sample wines from different places, styles and grape varieties. Most of the time, we tried to taste them blind in order to spice up the tasting sessions but also to avoid any prejudice that might be caused by a label or a previous experience with similar wines.

Some friends from the trade in Bordeaux warned us that Château de Retout, a Classified Cru Bourgeois from Haut-Médoc was a terrific Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Effectively, we were highly impressed with their 2015 vintage. Dark, concentrated but classic! Leather, blackcurrant, smoky. Dry tannins that require rich food to tame them up – not an aperitif wine, in other words. It could be easily cellared another 5 years. Surely one of our favorite buy from Bordeaux, at a tremendous price : 18.00 Euros.

It has been quite a while that we were searching for a moderately priced Bordeaux where the leading role was played by Cabernet Sauvignon. Merlot-based wines are not that challenging in that sense, but don’t get us wrong, we love them too!

Domaine de la Janasse is a brand new reference for our portfolio, and so far, we are delighted with the wines. The first bargain is their white viognier. A grape variety most commonly planted in the northern part of the Rhône, in wine regions such as Condrieu or Château Grillet. It is also grown in Australia or California (Rhône rangers). It is slightly oak aged. The nose shows apricot and melon notes with a touch of vanilla. The palate is soft and mellow, although technically dry, but absolutely not acidic. The finish is long, and the style is totally mediterranean. A botttle that is worth every single penny – 12.50 Euros. It could do an amazing combination with unpasteurized Camembert or brie (if it is still legal, of course!).

Interestingly, Domaine de la Janasse’s strength is their red! first of all, their entry level 2019 Côtes du Rhône is simply splendid. Savory, concentrated with dried herbs and plums. A beautiful blend of Grenache, Monastrell, Syrah and Cinsault for less than 10.00 euros. Their Châteauneauf-du-pape 2018 is ripe, full-bodied and elegant. Fresh mouthfeel, persistent with figs, dried herbs (garrigue), leather with a long juicy finish. This fine drop deserves a roasted lamb shoulder with mediterranean herbs. 37.50 Euros a bottle. It could be age another 5/8 years.

The city of Alba is world-wide known for the quality of its diamonds : White truffle! Nearby 2 famous wine regions produce some of the greatest red wine in Italy : Barolo and Barbaresco. Both wines are produced from the nebbiolo grapes. And La Spinetta has just released their Nebbiolo 2018! If follow us on Facebook or Instagram you have probably noticed that we did enjoy that one a lot!

First, we were amazed by the fine quality of this Nebbiolo. The nose offers freshly crushed blackcurrant and rose petals with a hint of sandalwood. The palate is rich and complex, with dry tannins but they are not overwhelming. The wine is persistent, with good fruit intensity and a seducing lingering finish.

Second, we were amazed by the price! Less than 20.00 Euros for a fantastic nebbiolo is almost Mission impossible! Here, at Classic vins, we love it!

Compañia de Vinos Trico grows its Albariño in the easternmost sub-regions of Rias Baixas : Condado DO Tea. Jose Anton, the owner, has a long career in the local wine industry and knows the region like the back of its hand. The 2016 Trico has been aged 12 months on its lees, and the result is mind blowing. Profound and exotic nose, packed with ripe fruit such as quince. The palate is rich, concentrated and fresh. Round, with an addictive rich texture that is electrified by mouthwatering acidity. Probably one of the most intriguing white we have tasted so far. 20.00 euros a bottle.

Keep us posted if you are interested in anything! We will post you some more tasting notes later, as we do have a few more samples to analyze.

Keep safe!