The Whites

The Reds

• Crianza, minimum 12 months in barrels with 1 year of bottle ageing.
• Reserva, minimum ageing of 36 months between oak and bottle, of which at least 12 months should be in oak casks.
• Gran Reserva, minimum 2 years in barrel and 3 years in bottle, wine cannot be released until its 6th year.

The first flight of reds were wines containing 50% to 100% Tempranillo. The first, Palacios Remondo La Vendimia 2007, is a blend of 50% Tempranillo and 50% Garnacha. This wine had aromas of blackberry and raspberry. Most agreed that it was young and could stand some ageing. This wine received the least number of votes as the favourite wine in the flight. The next wine, Jean León Terrasola Tempranillo/Monastrell Crianza 2005, from Catalunya, is a blend of 88% Tempranillo and 12% Monastrell. This wine had aromas of blackberry and tobacco, good balance between fruit, acidity, and tannin, and a long spicy finish. The final wine, and garnering the most votes as the favourite wine of the flight, was the El Curato Old Vines 2006—a 100% Tinta de Toro (local name for Tempranillo). This wine had aromas of blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, reasonable acidity, smooth tannins, and balance between the fruit and tannins. It also had a long smooth finish.

The second flight of reds featured wines from Navarra, Ribera del Duero, and Rioja. Quaderna Vía Tempranillo 2005, 100% Tempranillo from DO Navarra, had overwhelming aromas of earthiness and tobacco, as well as anise and cherry. What it lacked in intensity was made up by its complexity. This wine had smooth tannins and was considered ready to drink. The second wine, and the favourite wine of the flight by most of the group, was the Marqués De Velilla Crianza 2003 at $24.95. The group found aromas of cherry, strawberry, sweet spice, and leather, and found it to be a soft, round, well balanced wine with good alcohol and slightly higher tannins than the previous wine. It had a moderate cherry finish and was considered ready to drink. The final wine of the flight was a Rioja—Lealtanza Crianza 2004—sourced from 30 year old Tempranillo vines. The aromas included dark fruits (blackberry and cherry) and tobacco. There was good balance between the fruit and tannins but the wine could stand more ageing.

Robert saved the best for the last flight—three 2001 wines from Rioja—thus allowing participants to do a true comparison of three similar styled wines. The first, Ontañón Reserva, is 95% Tempranillo and 5% Graciano, aged 24 months in a combination of French and American oak. The group found aromas of raspberries, plum, spice, earthiness and leather. There was a good balance between the tannins and the fruit and a long dark berry finish. The Conde De Valdemar Gran Reserva is a blend of 85% Tempranillo, 10% Mazuelo, and 5% Graciano from the winery’s oldest vineyard. It was aged 26 months in a combination of French and American oak and other 48 months in bottle. This wine was a complex and smooth wine with dark fruit, leather, cigar box aromas and flavours. Extremely easy to drink and good tannin, this received the majority of votes from the group as the best wine of the flight—good structure, balance, and aromas at a cost of $39.95. Marqués De Cáceres Gran Reserva, the final wine of the night, is a blend of 85% old vines Tempranillo and 15% of Garnacha and Graciano. It was lighter on the nose in terms of fruit but there were licorice and tobacco flavours. Unfortunately, many were disappointed with how this wine showed, especially the short, flat finish at the price of $39.95. Out of the group, only one participant found this to be their favourite wine of the flight.

It was an enjoyable tasting, allowing participants to decide whether they’d be lining up at their local LCBO on the Saturday morning. The information, provided by Robert, on the various regions and ageing requirements made for an interesting and educational evening.

The wines

Flight 1

• Alamos Torrontés, 2007, Argentina, $13.95, 81539
• Wits End Free Settler & The Convict, Chardonnay/Viognier, 2007, Australia, $13.95, 90928
  

Flight 2

• Palacios Remondo La Vendimia, 2007, Rioja, Spain, $15.95, 674564
• Jean León Terrasola Tempranillo/Monastrell Crianza, 2005, Catalunya, Spain, $16.95, 114298
• El Curato Old Vines 2006, Toro, Spain, $19.95, 117879
  

Flight 3

• Quaderna Via Tempranillo Crianza, 2005, Navarra, Spain, $18.95, 115758
• Marqués De Veilla Crianza, 2003, Ribera del Duero, Spain, $24.95, 103515
• Lealtanza Crianza, 2004, Rioja, Spain, $19.95, 114835
  

Flight 4

• Ontañón Reserva, 2001, Rioja, Spain, $24.95, 725895
• Conde de Valdemar Gran Reserva, 2001, Rioja, Spain, $39.95, 114504
• Marqués de Caceres Gran Reserva, 2001, Rioja, Spain, $39.95, 976670