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Month: December 2024

Wine of the Week

Fresh Mediterranean red

El Tiempo que nos une is one of the entry-level reds from Bodega Cerrón. They regard it as a tribute to family viticultural work. In fact it’s a Jumilla wine that don’t come from Murcia, as the winegrowing area also comprises a part of Albacete (Castilla-La Mancha).

Bodega Cerrón is a family project located in Fuente-Álamo, in Albacete. They are dedicated to recovering abandoned vineyards through organic and biodynamic practices and producing wines with a good balance between acidity, alcohol and fruit.

El Tiempo que nos une comes from pre-phylloxera vineyards with an average age of 70 years. They are old vines planted in mostly calcareous soils at an altitude of about 900 meters above sea level. Organic farming is carried out, and harvest is manual.

In the winery it undergoes spontaneous fermentation with 50% whole grapes in cement tanks, and after gentle pressing, the wine ages in foudres for 6 months.

El Tiempo Que Nos Une 2023 (Bodega Cerrón)

Dark cherry red. Aromas of ripe black fruit, spice and white flowers. Decent concentration. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, balsamic, medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins. Typically Mediterranean and a good representative of its origin.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

The avant-garde of Aragón

Mario López is winemaker for Vinos López and Bodegas Frontonio. These wineries, both in the IG Valdejalón, can be regarded as the avant-garde of Aragón at the moment.

Mario runs the family winery Vinos López together with his brother. It was their grandfather who planted the vineyards in the 1960s.

Aragón is mostly noted for big companies and cooperatives, and DOs that have favoured international grape varieties. The region has a long tradition for the grape garnacha though (along with the white macabeo), and here is where López’ and his companions’ dedication lie.

This wine originates in the La Bodegaza vineyard, a planting carried out in the 1960s. Low yields from organic cultivation without irrigation. Directly pressed, spontaneously fermented with a proportion whole bunches, and matured in old demi-muids (600-liter barrels). Natural fining.

La Bodegaza 2021 (Vinos López)

Ruby red. Aroma of black cherries and plums towards a background of herbs, earth and a hint of licorice. Medium-bodied with juicy berry fruit, delicate texture, fresh acidity and a firm finish. It’s a superbly balanced, drinkable wine.

Price: Medium (very good value)

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Wine of the Week

A fresh ripasso

This wine was presented at a bring-a-bottle tasting in my local wine club. It shows a more fresh side of the ripasso style, as opposed to the more heavy and raisiny wines often found in the category.

The Musella Estate is located close to the village of Ferrazze, east of Verona, where their vineyards are biodynamically farmed.

Their ripasso has been produced since 1995. At the winery, unpressed amarone pomace is macerated with the fresh valpolicella (the so-called ripasso method). This enhances the colour and structure of the wine. The wine undergoes 12-15 days of fermentation and maceration on the skins with periodic racking followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine is then transferred to barrels of various sizes for 12 months.

Valpolicella Ripasso 2020 (Musella)

Cherry red. Some fresh fruit, such as cherry, plums and blackcurrant. Behind is a layer of cinnamon and clove, and dried fruits, and also a hint of chocolate. Medium-bodied, with fine tannins, and a refreshing acidity. Finishes quite long.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Bernabeleva Carril del Rey 2016

Bernabeleva is located in San Martín de Valdeiglesias, in the community of Madrid. They work with a respect for balance with nature, though they don’t aim for certifications. Their wines express the characteristics of the vineyards and their surroundings.

This wine is made from 75 year old garnacha vines in a gently sloping south facing plot. This site has granitic soil, shallow at the top and deep at the lower part. The parcel covers 2.5 hectares.

Maceration lasts over 40 days, during which the wine is pigeaged in the oak tank. Malolactic fermentation takes place in French oak barriques, where the wine remains as long as necessary. It is neither stabilized nor filtrated.

The wine was selected for a private dinner and showed some maturity, but still has much life ahead. Maybe it’s at its peak now.

Carril del Rey 2016 (Bernabeleva)

Very light red. Delicate and complex nose, with red fruits and aniseed. Some warmth, fine tannins, good acidity, good concentration and length. Superelegant wine, it’s individualistic yet a good representative for its origin.

Price: High

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