Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019 - 111

33RD A NNUA L B U YING G U ID E
mer peach and completely refreshing. Ignacio Valdera makes this wine without any oak,
using a local variety thought to be a cross
between malvasía di Lipari and marmajuelo.
(W&S 10/19) § David Bowler Wine, NY -J.G.

flavors carry notes of turmeric and cumin,
earthy, brisk and finely knit. For roast lamb,
currant jelly on the side. (W&S 10/19) § Phase
2 Cellars, San Luis Obispo, CA -J.G.
273242

GALICIA

2015 Montsant Crianza ^ Thisblend of garnatxa, cariñena and syrah feels cool and velvety, with notes of blackberry jam, baked
strawberries and meaty, savory tannins.
One panelist, taken by the floral and herbal
notes that pointed up the syrah, said, "I
would drink this over a lot of more expensive Rhône-style wines." (W&S 10/19) § Winesellers, Niles, IL -J.G.

271708

95 | Luis A. Rodríguez
Vázquez

$32

2016 Ribeiro Viña de Martin Os Pasás ^
Farming small parcels of vines in the hills
of Arnoia, his hometown in southern Galicia, Luis Anxo Rodríguez Vásquez consistently produces some of the greatest wines
in Spain. This is his young-vine blend. Working with local varieties-treixadura, albariño,
lado and torrontés-he captures springtime
in Galicia's coastal hills, a delicate scent of
apple blossoms lasting through the freshness
of rain. By fermenting the wine spontaneously and aging it on its lees in stainless steel
for a year, he concentrates those flavors and
textures into the tingling crunch of apples
contrasted by umami notes as resonant as a
broth of mushrooms, herbs and pork. Rodríguez Vázquez elevates the terroir of Ribeiro
to the world stage without compromise, presenting a beautiful, satisfying wine. (W&S
8/19) § José Pastor Selections, Fairfax, CA -J.G.

91 | Clos de Nit

271838

$24

S PA I N RE D

2016 Monterrei Candea Tinto ^ This is the
kind of red wine that makes me smile-fresh,
bright and pretty, with nothing complicated
to get in the way. It tastes like a red-raspberry
shrub made from deliciously ripe fruit; then
it lasts with tart flavors of plum skin and bitter chocolate that give it an elastic snap. It's a
blend of equal parts mencía, bastardo (trousseau), garnacha tintorera and araúxa (tempranillo), grown in the hills just north of the
border with Portugal. If you love great cru
Beaujolais, check this out. (W&S 8/19) § Olé
& Obrigado Imports, New Rochelle, NY -J.G.

CANARY ISLANDS

RIOJA
273066

272945

93 | Suertes del Marqués

$22

2017 Tenerife Valle de la Orotava 7 Fuentes ^ This is a blend of listán negro, with about
10 percent tintilla, including fruit from 35
parcels ranging in age from 10 to 180 years
old. The concentration of the old-vine fruit
and the chunkiness of the younger makes it
complicated-a powerful wine that looks
more to the African desert than to the Spanish coast. As it integrates with air, the bright
fruit comes out in scents of plums and strawberries, the tannins take on a black-satin
quality and the coastal freshness makes it
refreshing. Decant a bottle for a trip to Tenerife. (W&S 10/19) § Polaner Selections, Mount
Kisco, NY -J.G.

93 | Viña Olabarri

RIBERA DEL DUERO

$12

GALICIA

93 | Jose Luis Mateo

Wine & Spirits

$30

2011 Rioja Gran Reserva ^ Established at an
old winery in Haro in the 1950s, Viña Olabarri now works out of two wineries, sourcing from estate vineyards and from growers
on long-term contracts. This brings graciano
and mazuelo into a blend with 80 percent
tempranillo, the vines between 20 and 50
years old. It's youthful and fresh, standing
tall as an eight-year-old wine, with cranberry
and cassis notes to its brisk red fruit. Showing
the quality of an exceptional vintage, this will
continue to age well. (W&S 10/19) § Hidalgo
Imports, Miami, FL -J.G.

270220

91 | Dominio de
la Abadesa

$17

2016 Ribera del Duero Roble ^ This is a powerful Ribera that needs time in a decanter to
settle down. It's volatile at first, with vegetal
scents, until air brings out the fruit and tones
the volatile acidity into a lifted sense of spice.
It mellows into a sweet and spicy flavor of
raspberries, cherries, cedar and pencil lead, a
rich red for grilled lamb. (W&S 6/19) § Gabriel
Wilson Selections, Seattle, WA -J.G.

URUGUAY
TA N N A T
123867

91 | Pisano

$18

90 | Bracco Bosca

$11

2017 Progreso Río de los Pájaros Reserve
Tannat ^ This tannat builds its cool, spicy flavor out of the Atlantic winds. From vines
planted at the turn of the century, rooted
in calcareous clay just north of Montevideo,
it's lovely juice, generous and zesty, with
tannins that need some time to integrate, or
some country pâté to make them disappear.
(W&S 6/19) § Total Wine & More, Bethesda,
MD -J.G.
123905
2016 Atlantida Ombú Tannat ^ A light and
crunchy tannat, this grows just inland from
the Atlantic. It's a salty, spicy, coastal red,
with scents of black currants and cracked
black peppercorn-a great match for grilled
sardines, and a super buy. (W&S 6/19) § MYB
Imports, Houston, TX -J.G. n

C A TA L U N A
272462

93 | Perinet

$30

2016 Priorat Merit ^ Glove-leather soft, this
is two-thirds merlot and syrah, one-third garnatxa and cariñena, from estate vines planted
in 2002. The wine is long on red fruit and
deep mineral spice, completely saturated
without any sense of heat. The fresh currant
WINE & SPIRITS

BUYING GUIDE 2020

111

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Wine & Spirits - Winter 2019

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