Category: Wine of the Week

Pure Pureza

Published 17. September 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This is a wine I enjoyed in southeastern Murcia several times this summer, before and after a visit to the producer in the neighbouring Alicante province. (Read about the visit here.)

Pureza 2019 is a 6 days skin-contact moscatel from coastal Marina Alta (in the cooler La Marina subregión of DO Alicante wine region. It is aged in amphoras, therefore often called Pureza Moscatel Ánfora.

Pepe and yours truly in the bodega this summer

The grapes for the Pureza are moscatel de alejandría sourced from a two hectare vineyard planted in 1943. It is dry-farmed, organically but not certified. It’s made with indigenous yeasts and completely without additives.

The juice is fermented on skins in amphoras, with macerations two to three times a day. After ten days alcoholic fermentation it’s matured on the lees in the same amphoras for a further six months.

Here with the simplest of foods, olives and unpasteurized brie

Pureza 2019 (Casa Agr. Pepe Mendoza)

The wine is light in colour, but has evident citrus peel aromas (orange), fresh rose, mint; some volume in the mouth, with an uplifting acidity and a saline and slightly bitter finish.

Price: Medium

Food: t’s an individual wine for time and contemplation, but should go well with a variety of food. I think of varied salads, such as Caesar and Waldorf (when served only as a salad), light meat and tasty fish, for example salmon.

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Wine of the Week

Hécula of Yecla

Published 10. September 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

This summer I attended a tasting in Murcia organized by the Spanish magazine Verema. You can read more here.

From Yecla, a one-municipality-denomination to the northeast of Jumilla I tasted the wines of its leading winery, Bodegas Castaño. Among these was a favourite for many years, the Hécula, now Hécula Organic in 2019 vintage. It comes from a 750 meter altitude north-south vineyard on limestone, with in average 50 years old vines. Aged 6 months in French (80%) and American oak, and malolactic took place in tanks.

Hécula Organic 2019 (Bodegas Castaño)

Cherry-red. On the nose it shows ripe red berries (morello), aromatic herbs and a hint of coffee. Full in the mouth with mature tannins and a relatively good acidity.

Price: Low

Food: All kinds of meat, stews, salads with meat (such as Caesar), murcian paella…

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Wine of the Week

From the Brda borders

Published 3. September 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

The Movia winery has a history dating back to the 18th century, and has belonged to the Kristančič family since 1820. At the moment they own 22 hectares. half of it in Brda and half in Italy (Collio).

The grape variety is a 100% pinot grigio. The wine originates from a single vineyard called Fojana, that rich in lime, called opaka soil. Very low SO2.

The grapes were harvested late and by hand. Naturally fermented in large tanks with two weeks of skin-contact. Then it was transferred to barriques for 18 months storage. Unfiltered.

Sivi Grigio Ambra 2019 (Movia)

Amber-reddish. Aroma of stone fruits, flowers, orange peel, nuts. Quite full, dry with adequate acidity and a hint of salt in the finish.

Price: Medium

Food: Tasty fish dishes, light meat, salads, various Asian (dependent of a lot) – some importers suggest sauerkraut, and why not.

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Wine of the Week

Drink me Nat Cool

Published 27. August 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Dirk Niepoort is a driving force in Portuguese wine. Born into a Dutch port wine company, now he is “everywhere” with one more interesting project than the other. Various producers contribute to the Nat Cool series, that features light-bodied easy-to-drink wines from several regions. All of them in 1 liter bottles.

The Bairrada version comes mainly from their own Quinta de Baixo, in calcareous clay, vines between 40 and 100 years old, all baga, all handpicked, only stainless steel – with some malolactic fermentation. Unfitered.

Drink Me Nat Cool 2020 (Niepoort)

Light cherry colour. Fresh and fruity character, quite flowery, with raspberry, herbs and a touch licorice. Fresh and juicy in the mouth, low alcohol and just enough acidity. Nat and cool!

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Phaunus pét nat

Published 20. August 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Vasco Croft is a pioneer in biodynamic wine farming since he established his Aphros wine series in 2003. He disposes of some 20 hectares in the Lima Valley, in mostly granitic soil.

The Phaunus line is vinified in the historic medieval cellar, foot-trodden in lagares, then vinified in old amphorae from Alentejo. When I visited a couple of years ago he showed how all work was carried out without electricity, but with water, for instance.

This wine is based on loureio 85% and arinto 15%. It’s made according to the ancestral method. In this case it means pressing and decanting in inox vats, fermentation between 16 to 18ºC, first in inox vats, then finished in bottle, and dégorgement after 5 months. No added sugar nor yeast, unfiltered.

Phaunus Pét Nat 2020 (Aphros Wine/ Vasco Croft)

Light yellow with a green tinge, good mousse. Aromatic with apples, citrus, white flowers and some yeast. Fruity and stony with good concentration, very good acidity (from the varieties), that makes it last long.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

Breuer’s Rosé

Published 13. August 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Domaine Georg Breuer in Rheingau, Germany was officially founded in 1980, but it’s obviously much older. Today it accounts for some 40 hectares, some of them very prestigious, like Rüdesheimer Berg Schlossberg and Berg Roseneck.

Berhard Breuer, a well-known promoter of dry riesling, left this world much too early in 2004. And then 19 year old Theresa Breuer, 4th generation, was suddenly in charge of it all. Now oenology educated, she has for years handled the family plantings of riesling and red with great virtuosity.

Here is a link to another wine of the domaine, and the article also contain a link to Theresa’s visit to a wine fair in Stavanger, Norway.

Spätburgunder Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 (G. Breuer)

Lovely pink-orange colour. Floral aroma with cranberries and cherry, some lemon/lime. Fresh citric acidity, yet a smooth feeling that makes it excellent drinking, with and without food. Finishes dry. A very delicate wine.

Price: Low

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Wine of the Week

Bargain from Bujanda

Published 6. August 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Much can be said of the family Martínez Bulanda, and some has also been said in these pages. They have several properties in Rioja, Rueda and La Mancha. See for example an article that features some of their wines here.

This is a simple, delicious and economic Rioja. It’s a 100% tempranillo, steel-raised, modern, for the wave of gastronomy that more and more people take on these days.

Viña Bujanda Tempranillo 2020 (Martínez Bujanda)

Dark cherry red, blueish hint. Fruity, with mature dark berries (blackberry), plums, green herbs, some licorice. Slight touch of tannin, just enough acidity to make it easy to drink yet refreshing, berry fruit and some herbs following up in the mouth.

Price: (Very) low

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Wine of the Week

Candí of Corpinnat

Published 30. July 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

I met Ramón Jané and his wife Mercé at a fair in Penedès a few years ago and was very impressed. This can also be said about a third member of the team, Toní Carbó, and his side project with an even more natural approach (read here).

Mas Candí disposes of 55 hectares organically farmed vineyards near the Massif del Garraf in Alto Penedès. They are now members of the Corpinnat group, that seeks to reestablish a faith in Spanish sparkling wine by differentiating between the various soils, promote organic farming and otherwise holding strict rules in every aspect.

This sparkler comes from a vineyard planted in 1955 on chalk and fossil ground. It’s a varietal xarel.lo. Minimum ageing on lees for Corpinnat is 18 months. Total sulphur is less than 30 mg/L.

Segunyola Corpinnat Brut Nature 2016 (Mas Candí)

Light gold colour; citric with green and red apples and a hint of yeast and almonds; creamy mouthfeel, medium full with good acidity, finishes dry.

Price: Medium/low

Food: Aperitif, fish, shellfish, salads, tapas…

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Wine of the Week

Tavares de Pina’s Rufete

Published 23. July 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

As I this year concentrated on new Portuguese discoveries at the Simplesmente… Vinho fair, there were several great producers that I didn’t manage to visit. João Tavares de Pina was one (as were Aphros, Folias de Baco, Quinta da Carolina, Dirk Niepoort, Álvaro Castro, Quinta do Mouro…)

I visited their Quinta da Boavista in 2018, so you can read here for more background. But in short, this is a producer in Penalva do Castelo, northern Dão, who makes both delicious and fresh young wines to the natural side and wines with a long life.

João uses chamomile a.o. as protectors of the vines

This wine was kindly offered by João and his wife Luisa at the first outdoor lunch at the Faculty of Architecture (University of Porto), where the tastings were held this year. It’s based on the variety rufete, well suited for the local terroir, where it produces grapes with good acidity.

Torre de Tavares Rufete 2019 (João Tavares de Pina)

Dark cherry. Smells of quite mature berries (blackberry), and is balanced by a nice balsamic note (pine/resin). Medium bodied, with a smooth structure, lots of fruit and a fresh acidity.

Price: Medium

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Wine of the Week

A leading light in Jumilla

Published 16. July 2021 by Vidar Kenneth Johansen

Casa Castillo has for long been considered one of the leading producers of Jumilla wines, today with José María Vicente in charge.

The winery is located to the west of Jumilla town, on the slopes of Sierra del Molar. Here, up to 760 metres, they own a big estate with diverse plantings including pine and almond trees, while 170 hectares are covered with vines. Under José María many of the international varieties have been replaced with monastrell and other Mediterranean grapes, and also garnacha, that is thriving well here.

Much of the soils are limestone, often with sand. Most of the wines are made fermented in steel or concrete, often with some amount of whole bunches, to counterbalance the ripeness in the grapes. Ageing is in concrete, foudre or old 500 liter French oak vats.

This wine is a blend of monastrell, syrah and garnacha.

with pulpo (squid) at the Rincón de Joaquín restaurant, San Cayetano (Murcia)

Viñedos de Altiplano 2018 (Casa Castillo)

Dark cherry. Aroma of black pepper, blackberry, herbs (thyme, anise), and a hint of chocolate. Medium body, mature fruits balanced with a nice acidity and a slight bitterness at the end. Very Mediterranean, very good.

Price: Medium

Food: Hearty dishes, stews, most kinds of meat, Murcian paella…

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