Thursday, September 2, 2010

Swirl Wine Club September Wines

Espana es en fuego!


That's right, Spain still remains as an outstanding viticulture area producing excellent wine particularly in the areas we selected with Tempranillo and Albarino leading the way. Club members, your wines are in and ready for you... we look forward to seeing you soon... Our club meet-up and social is Friday September 10th from 6 - 8:30pm. Not a club member yet? Stop on by or visit us on-line at www.swirlmywine.com. Here are our tasting notes for these fantastic wines of Spain:


Cataregia Gran Reserva – 24.99
(Terra Alta, Spain)


Wow, I love my job… especially when being forced to taste Grand Reserve Tempranillo/Cabernet Sauvignon from Terra Alta. This wine is all that. Ruby red in colour with garnet tones. It’s aroma is intense and reminds ripe red fruits, cacao and vanilla. In the mouth it is powerful, mineral and full-bodied with a lush and chewy approach, great fruit concentration on the mid palate and a wonderful finish combining its overall balance with good structure and a lasting finale. This 2001 Gran Reserva was created with great care, aged 2 years in french and american oak along with 3 more years in the bottle before release…. Enjoy!


Pazo Pondal Leira Albarino– 19.99
(Rias Baixas, Spain)


Albarino is one of our favorites and is indigenous to the Spain/Portugal border in Rias Baixas. This 2009 Albarino is fantastic and we were extremely fortunate to be able to import this in for our club. Leira Albarino has been rated by WA with 90pts in previous vintages and the 2009 is not an exception. It’s medium straw-colored with an attractive perfume of spring flowers, lemon, mineral, and sea breeze. On the palate it is crisp, dry, and vibrant with bright acidity. Smoothly textured with good concentration, this outstanding Albarino will pair nicely with tapas or seafood over the next 1-2 years.


Pinord Clos de Torribas – 18.99
(Penedes, Spain)


Made from 100% Tempranillo in the acclaimed Penedes, this 2006 Crianza is aged two years with slow fermentation in stainless steel followed by aging in the cask for nine months and additional bottle ageing. Beautiful intense aromas of dried flowers, ripe plums and spices woven into chalk and violets... this is a wild wine showing leather, smokey oak and vanilla and to my dismay, I was blown away by delicious blood oranges and a great fruit finish with lively acidity and firm tannins. Is summer still here? If so, fire up the barbeque and enjoy this as a fantastic food wine with, rib eye, filet, lamb, whatever your cookin’… or just cuddle up with some chocolate at the campfire or a good movie and enjoy!


Gran Vinaio Grenache – 19.99
(Montsant, Spain)


I’ve yet to have a wine from Montsant that I haven’t loved! This is a marvelous and unique 2007 Grenache… really good juice! Deep concentrated fruit shows through with black opal and brick red at the core and throughout. The nose offers bright red fruit layered with white pepper and herbaceous anise. This wine has a twist: The approach is soft and elegant, the middle is fat with good fruit and the finish brings a masculine and powerful onset of tannin – top side, barrel, spice, deeper fruit on the middle-side and well deserved alcohol on the back. I think the finish is killer... I’m getting a case; men will love and women yearn for more! Seriously, unique and solid Grenache… 3 bottle reds, enjoy!