Spanish fiesta
Today, it was raining and miserable in Paris. What better way to lift the spirits than doing some wine tasting with the OECD macroeconomists wine tasting club.
Our president, Bob Price, chose four delightful Spanish wines, a big change from our usual French wines. They were:
— Bodegas Roda ‘Cirsion’ Rioja 2010. This is pure Tempranillo from selected vines where the ripeness of the grapes gives some special characteristics to their tannins, which they consider need a shorter ageing time in wood and make for an exuberant and approachable wine. In short, a good structure, flavourful, round tannins, balanced.
— La Rioja Alta “904” Gran Reserva Rioja 2009. The blend is approximately 90% Tempranillo and 10% Graciano, fermented in stainless steel with a 78-day natural malolactic. This is a driven and super tight Gran Reserva with dark berries and hints of spice and cedar. A spicy red-pepper undertone and some dried flowers. Full to medium body, integrated tannins and a superb finish. It has the kind of robust delicacy that would match seafood paella.
– Vega Sicilia ‘PINTIA’ Toro 2008. Tempranillo 100%. It has a fragrant bouquet with scents of dark plum, mulberry and fresh cherry, the new oak neatly folded into the fruit profile. The palate is medium-bodied with a fleshy, silky smooth entry. The tannins here are very fine with dark cherries, a touch of sloe and spices that become more pronounced toward the focused finish.
– Bodega Numanthia “Numanthia”, Toro 2010. Rooty blackberry, cassis, vanilla and cola aromas are vintage Numanthia.
What better way to finish the day than with a French wine – Huet Vouvray Haut Lieu Moelleux 1997.
Today’s tasting was distinctive in several ways, most notably in that four of the twelve tasters were Australian, including Philip Anderson who I had never met before.
Logistics
From our apartment, I strolled down avenue Victor Hugo.