CellarTales International Wineroundtable Edition No.9

Almost one year ago we have had this wine for the last time. Back then it showed well but quite mature. So I was very keen to see its actual performance not least because of a couple of disappointments in the past with Fernandez wines. But not today because unlike the previous bottle this one showed a very clear, intact garnet red color with a soft red brown margin and just a fine, dusty depot. Also the nose was much more pronounced and defined with multilayered, wood characterized scents of blackberries, black elder, cherry liqueur, leather, Havanas and some orange zests. A nice acidity and solid but fine grained tannins gave structure , balance and a very good length. The wine developed well in the glasses, became rounder with a medium+ body and a bold minty note in the bouquet. Yummy and in this shape much better than the last bottle. The trick is now to tell the good ones from the mature ones …

Another family member of this good house and once again everything but mainstream. Simply a wine showing character, recognizable origin and an own hand writing starting already with its color. A bright but lighter garnet red color flattered our eyes and made lust to take the first whiff. No big surprises here as well – in a very positive way. Red currant plus red berries underlined by softer flavors of clove spiked oranges together with fresh tomatoes and spicy scents of cinnamon. Immediately after opening the bottle the wine showed also slight traces of volatile acidity but those disappeared rather quickly. All in all a very elegant and balanced bouquet of a still young Rioja classic. So was the palate with an almost racy acidity paired with delicate, very fine grained tannins, a medium body and a very good , ethereal finish. Still young but classic and with a very good aging potential.

The Reserva Especial is made exclusively in very good vintages. After 36 months in barrels and 54 months in bottles this wine goes on sale. Unlike the predecessor it showed a very intense, ruby red color and a surprising full nose of dark fruit. Blackberry, black currant and cherries interwoven by vanilla plus cinnamon aromas and topped of by a dash of mandarin zests. With more time the intensity declined a bit and the bouquet became more complex with additional scents of red berry compote, baked apples and nougat. Also in the mouth very corpulent with fine tannins and a well integrated acidity. The very persistent aftertaste topped of the picture of a very luscious, rich Rioja wine. But due to its “baby fat” it is still a bit of a dumpling and lacks balance. Should be granted some more time (3-4 years) of aging to find its equilibrium.

Puelles is still a real insider’s tip for honest, classic made Rioja wines. We enjoyed this wine for numerous times during the last years with big pleasure. Unfortunately it seems to be actually in a closing phase because it took a lot of time for the wine to open up. So in the beginning we just could enjoy its clear, healthy garnet red color in the glasses but the restrained bouquet demanded patience. After more than one hour of aeration the wine finally granted us some clearer ideas about its potential. Very complex in the nose with red fruit, apples, mandarins and oriental spices like star anise. In the mouth it opened up nicely showing cherry liqueur and a lot of green. ethereal spices like rosemary and thyme. Ripe but still present tannins and a fine, bold acidity provided structure and balance until the very elegant finish with soft dark chocolate and bread crust flavors. In the end a medium bodied, distinctive Rioja “old school” with a high complexity which started in the beginning with an applied handbrake. It needs extended aeration or even better some more time in bottle to age. Interestingly this rather complicated, demanding wine has been rated as one of the best wines of the evening. Like it !

1995 has been a great vintage for Rioja wines. This and the experience of a famous producer should be more than a solid basement for maximum indulgence in wine. So expectations have been very high of course. The wine showed a deep, clear garnet red color and a typical Rioja nose with a lot of cranberries, liquorice, leather, orange zests and milk chocolate. At the palate a well balanced but rather slender body with good pressure, fine grained tannins, a good acidity and especially in the medium to long aftertaste an almost minty freshness. The stylistics showed similarities with the 2000 Reserva of de Heredia. After a disappointing ‘89 and a still too young ‘01 this ‘95 performed in the expected way. Perhaps it would have been even more impressive without the possibility of comparison…

Immediately after uncorking the wine some of us suspected a cork taint. A quite moldy nose with scents of wet dog hairs, wax and mushrooms made this conclusion plausible. But in the mouth there was no noticeable defect and also the cork smelled neutral (but that’s no sure indicator). So we gave the wine a whirl in the pool and the wonder happened. After little bit more the 1,5 hours all the bad scents were gone and made room for a very smoochy, multilayered bouquet with a lot of black berries, coffee, cinnamon and oranges spiced with cold smoke/ashes, old leather and flint. The wine showed pronounced garnet- to ruby red color and a medium+ body with a good pressure and a fine balance until the long finish. Despite of its power a clear acidity and an intact, superb tannin structure took care of elegance and a velvet mouth feeling. A great Rioja with a bright future ahead and for me the red wine of the evening.

After such blockbusters (in the positive way) every following wine has a hard stand. But a mature Priorat should do the trick. The start was very promising with a clear and not too inky ruby red color and an intense bouquet of cherry liqueur, Cassis, mint chocolate, coffee underline by ethereal, mineral scents of fresh ground stones and dried, green spices. But with more time the nose became less pronounced and complex because the high alcohol level started to dominate the fruity components. At the palate medium bodied with rather dry tannins and a pretty smooth acidity. In comparison with the Rioja style the wine appeared less complex and more alcohol based. So here it couldn’t keep up with the promising first nose. Also the medium length aftertaste showed a high concentration of alcohol what made me think of coughing syrup or eucalyptus candy. Also extended aeration didn’t do any good to the wine. For me the wine was simply to concentrated with too much overripe fruit respectively alcohol and on the other side too less balance and equilibrium. All in all a well made Priorat wine for fans inclusive the typical fancy pricing.

This time we had a real cork taint after the book ! Also at the palate very hard, thin and soured – simply horrible …

For our dessert, an excellent carrot cake, we needed a powerful counterpart and we found it with this PX. Oily, with a nice and clear amber color it poured in our glasses, exuding right from the start intense flavors of pickled, sweet walnuts, roasted hazelnuts plus loads of cream caramel and sugar molasses. Intensive, creamy and full bodied at the palate with a very balanced sweetness and an endless aftertaste. Here it showed also a lot of ethereal notes like sage and menthol . A very good, typical PX without that sticky, simple character one finds often under that term. Unfortunately this wine can only be sipped because due to its opulence it’s saturating quite fast. But never mind. This kind of wine can be kept open in the fridge for weeks without loosing too much of its quality. Aging potential ? Ask your grandchildren …