Tag Archives: Spanish wine

Wine of the week: Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo 2022

Marqués de Cáceres Verdejo bottle
Marques de Caceres Verdejo 2022/$7-$15

Spanish white is cheap, available, and enjoyable — what more do we need?

The Marques de Caceres verdejo is a long-time blog favorite; three times a wine of the week before this, and always consistent, well-made and a value. Yes, it’s a supermarket wine, but that describes its availability and is not meant as a slight to its quality.

The 2022 ($10, purchased, $13.5%) isn’t quite as impressive as previous vintages, but that there are vintage differences in a $10 wine sold at supermarkets says a lot about the wine, the producer, and the importer (another WC favorite, Vineyard Brands). It means everyone involved understands cheap wine is about more than just being cheap.

This vintage is clean, simple, and enjoyable. There isn’t much going on but tart lemon fruit from the veredejo grape, but there really doesn’t need to be. This is wine for dinner in the middle of the week, whether with takeout chicken or if you want to use up the can of tuna in the pantry with some leftover couscous. Or, even, if you just want a glass during all of the holiday bustle.

No muss, no fuss — because that’s what we really want from wine, don’t we?

Imported by Vineyard Brands

Mini-reviews 175: Black Friday edition 2023

Black Friday at the mall
“I hope we can find that verdicchio the WC has in this review.”

Reviews of wines that don’t need their own post, but are worth noting for one reason or another. Look for it on the fourth Friday of each month. This month: a red, two whites, and a sparkler for Black Friday 2023

• Famille Bougrier Anjou 2021 ($10, purchased, 12%): French white is Hall of Fame quality; the catch is that it’s a Total Wine private label. Otherwise, impeccable chenin blanc from the Loire — a bit of stoniness, a bit of green apple, well balanced, not tart, and refreshing. Imported by Saranty Imports

• Excelsior Syrah 2020 ($10, purchased, 14%): This is the most ordinary of the Excelsior South African wines, which are otherwise terrific values. It’s mostly a supermarket effort, with tar instead of bacon fat and very simple. Imported by Cape Classics

• Fazi Battaglia Verdicchio 2021 ($12, purchased, 12.5%): This Italian white is sort of available — big surprise, huh? Surprisingly creamy for verdicchio; more green apple than citrus, with some almond and lots of minerality. Nicely done. Imported by Palm Bay International

• Wycliff Sparkling Rose NV ($6, purchased, 10.5%): Once more, the WC takes one for the team. This California sparkler is flat, sweet,and flabby, and I’m not sure I’d buy it again even if I wanted a flat, sweet, and flabby sparkler.

Photo: “Black Friday at the mall” by Lars Plougmann is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.

Wine of the week: Luzon Verde 2021

Luzon Verde bottle
Luzon Verde 2021/$8-$15

The name might be confusing, but this Spanish red is more than enjoyable

Finding red wines to feature as wine of the week has become progressively more difficult over the past several years; even before the pandemic, in fact. Yes, price increases and premiumization have complicated things, but I’m also finding fewer red wines that are interesting and varietally correct.

There are still plenty of cheap red wines, but why would I want to write about yet another smoooth one?

So I tried the Luzon Verde 2021 ($12, purchased, 14%). In the old days, I probably wouldn’t have bothered. The alcohol for this Spanish red, made with the monastrell grape, is a bit higher than I like and its name confused me. Verde, in Spanish, means green, which seemed odd for a red wine – and no, I’m not going to recommend a wine just because it’s organic (which, apparently, accounts for the “verde”).

Which is why the first rule of wine criticism is to taste the wine before you judge it. The Luzon Verde is Spanish wine at its everyday best — fruity (dark berries), but not too heavy, hot, or tannic. and quite approachable. It does need food, but Thanksgiving is coming up yes?

So enjoyable, professional, and much more than competent, as well as an encouraging sign for future red wines of the week.

Imported by Aviva Vino

Wine of the week: El Coto Rioja Blanco 2022

El Coto Rioja Blanco bottle
El Coto Rioja Blanco 2022/$8-$12

This long-time WC favorite is as fresh and delicious as ever

Twelve years ago, I got a sample of the 2010 vintage of this wine and tasted it for the first time. My tasting notes: “Very nicely done — a bit of lemon and very clean, very crisp.”

Which is more or less what my tasting notes say for the current vintage of the El Coto white. Is it any wonder I’ve been drinking it — availability willing, of course – since then?

Because, in Dallas at least, availability has been a problem. That’s one reason why I was so glad to get this sample, since it meant the wine should be for sale around here.

The 2022 version ($12, sample, 12%) is a little softer and more round in the mouth than I remember, but still focused on lemon fruit and that clean, crisp finish that this kind of wine does so well, thanks to the viura grape.

Highly recommended, and if it’s not quite a Hall of Fame wine this vintage, it’s damn close. Drink this chilled on its own, with salads, or with something like spaghetti and clam sauce (and use the wine to make the clam sauce).

Imported by Opici Wine & Spirits

Wine of the week: Two Vinos de Arganza Mencias

Vinos de Arganza wine bottle and glass
This is one of the wines, anyway.

Once again, wine availability is a wonderful thing

These wines are made by the same Spanish producer from the same mencia grape and come from the same vintage and the same region. They’re mostly the same price and they taste mostly the same.

In this, they’re both fine $10 red wines and worthy of the blog. My question: Why are they both on sale at the same time from the same retailer?

Chalk it up to the mysteries of wine availability.

Because, like the Rapitala Grillo a couple of weeks ago, none of this makes much sense otherwise. Just know there is a lot of wine on the market (“Shh, don’t call it a glut”), and producers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers are doing all they can to sell it.

Hence, the Arganza Flavium Premium 2020 ($10, purchased, 13%) and the Arganza Flavium Seleccion ($10, purchased, 13%).

The Premium is the more interesting of the two — earthy, some tart berry fruit, and just enough tannins to have some, but not enough to get the way. Call it highly recommended and a candidate for next year’s Hall of Fame. The Seleccion isn’t as deep or as layered as the Premium, but still a fine bottle of $10 Spanish red wine. There’s a little smokiness on the back that I didn’t expect; otherwise, some not too ripe berry fruit and even some herbs.

So, like the Rapitala Grillo, buy either or both if you can find them. Just don’t try to figure out why all of this is going on. Trust me — it’s not worth it.

Imported by Monsieur Touton Selection

Labor Day wine 2023

people sitting in front of table talking and eating
“I told you the WC’s wine recommendations were super good.”

Enjoy these four bottles for Labor Day wine 2023

Labor Day traditionally marks the end of the summer in the U.S., which will be most welcome this year. Even the WC, who vowed never to shovel snow again, was getting overwhelmed by 105-degree temperatures. And then some more. And then some more.

So bring on fall, cooler weather, some chilled reds, and relaxing on a shaded place on the porch. And maybe some lemon roasted chicken?

These four bottles will give you a start — and don’t forget the blog’s porch wine guidelines:

• Jolie Folle Sauvignon Blanc 2021 ($13/1-liter, purchased, 11.5%): This French white is more New Zealand in style this vintage, with grapefruit instead of lime and less minerality. But it’s still a fine value. Imported by T. Elenteny Imports

• Umani Ronchi Podere 2021  ($13, purchased, 13%): A surprisingly fresh and berryish Italian red from Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, though it’s not as light as some. But that doesn’t mean it can’t be chilled slightly and served with bacon cheeseburgers.  Imported by Vineyard Brands

• Castle Rock Rose 2022 ($12, sample, 13%): A California pink that is crisp, fresh, and enjoyable — and dry, dry, dry. Look for rose petals on the nose (honest), plus barely ripe berry fruit and a very pleasant stony finish. I’m told it’s available, so its Wine-Searcher entry is probably wrong.

• Campo Viejo Cava Brut Rose NV ($11, purchased, 11.5%): This Spanish bubbly is made with trepat, which is a good thing. But it’s a little less crisp than it could be and it’s not quite up to the standards of what great cheap Cava once was. But it has nice wild berry fruit with decent bubbles, so it will do. Imported by Pernod Richard USA

Photo: Priscillia Du Preez on Unsplash

More about Labor Day wine:
• Labor Day wine 2022
• Labor Day wine 2021
• Labor Day wine 2020
• Wine of the week: Zestos Blanco 2021

Wine of the week: Zestos Garnacha 2020

Zestos garnacha bottle
Zesto Garnacha 2020/$10-$15

Trust importer Ole & Obrigado to produce a fine wine in trying times

Regular readers know how much I respect importer Ole & Obrigado – I don’t know that I’ve ever tasted one of its wines that didn’t offer value for what it cost.

And this wine may demonstrate that better than any other.

The 2020 vintage in Spain suffered a double whammy – the pandemic and the Trump wine tariff, which slapped an extra 25 percent on red wines less than 14 percent alcohol. Many produces and importers responded by raising the alcohol to more than 14 percent, even if the result was crummy wine.

But not Ole & Obrigado.

The 2020 vintage of the Zestos garnacha ($12, purchased, 14.5%) is not the best ever. But given the bump in alcohol, which can turn this style of wine into frat party jungle juice, it’s an amazing wine.

Garnacha – Spain’s version of the grenache grape – can be jammy and ripe, even at lower alcohol levels. And the 14.5 percent here makes it a little more ripe than I like. But, somehow, it’s still varietally correct, it’s not hot, and you don’t feel swacked after a couple of glasses.

Look for red fruit (black raspberry and cherry?) and even a tiny hint of pepper at the back. The wine is mostly balanced and not too jammy, though it does need food. Burgers, anyone?

Would that all producers cared as much about their wines as this one shows it does with this wine.

Imported by Ole & Obrigado.