SIPPING INTO SUMMER…
By Seema Tikare
Sometimes it is difficult to know if you are a trend follower or not. For the past few years, since my wine studies have ramped up to the Master of Wine level, people have asked me which wine regions I find most intriguing. For some time now, I have always had Galicia and Castilla y Leon in Northern Spain at the top of my list. The white wines, which similarly, have come into fashion, have also been at the top of my list as I waxed lyrical about Godello and Albariño. Furthermore, Jancis Robinson, doyenne of the world of wine, wrote an article recently about these very wines for her website, weeks after I committed to writing this article and planned a trip there in May. So, is it that the wine world works in lockstep by some mysterious cosmic rules, or are we all victims of groupthink?
While there is no Pantone to set the color (or flavor or region or style) for the new year like the fashion industry, there are certainly fads and trends. No one likes to admit that they follow trends – at least no self-respecting wine professional. But I have to admit, I liked big, oaky Cabs 20 years ago and now I prefer more nuanced, less palate-fatiguing wines like Pinot Noir and Gamay and Trousseau. Is that because of changes in wine trends or because my palate has “matured,” and I prefer ethereality and ephemerality to a bit of a slap in the face?
There is also the question of who sets the agenda in the wine industry. Is it the celebrity Somms who have large followings and talk about nose and palate, or the nerdy, academic-style wine writers and wine makers who like to talk about trellising and soil composition and whether gravity-driven vs. peristaltic pumps in winemaking preserve more flavor compounds with less aeration? As a nerd and a teacher, I would vote for the latter as it is a more cerebral approach, but wine is a fickle master. It easily dominates the senses when one is enjoying food, certain company, a particular sublime location, or just a mood. So perhaps it is hedonistic Somms who drive industry preferences. In any case, we are often able to build a consensus about what is good, what is great, and what is worth a splurge. Therefore, I would also like to think that there is an objective standard for classic, age-worthy, immaculate wines that garner universal respect and applause.
Having said all that, these wines from Galicia and Rueda are beautiful, refreshing, and extremely well-made. With summer fast approaching, they will pair wonderfully with all the delights I am looking forward to — light meals with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit, bright flavors, spices and herbs, and creamy textures.
2023 GRANBAZÁN ETIQUETA VERDE ALBARIÑO
RIAS BAIXAS, SPAIN
This bottle with its ornate green label is not one I would normally choose off a shelf if I did not know it to be such a tasty wine. The label is a bit too colorful and showy, like it is trying too hard. But if you can overlook this small flaw, it is a wine that bursts with flavor. It is macerated on the skins for 8 hours to extract flavors before it is cool fermented and left on the lees for 4 months. The combination of skin contact and lees contact takes this from a light, fruity, simple wine to one that has the added complexity of more floral aromas, a bit of creamy yeastiness, and a satisfying but crisp finish. It is a lovely coastal wine that retains some of the salinity of the turbulent ocean breezes to give it an additional dimension that allows it to pair with a wide variety of summer dishes, including salads and cold soups. Available from MS Walker.
2023 VERDAD ALBARIÑO SAWYER LINDQUIST VINEYARD
EDNA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, USA
While this wine hails not from Spain, it is nonetheless a lovely Albariño that reflects the unique beauty of California wines. Notably, California wines from the cooler pockets such as Edna Valley, have a very long growing season. The vines bud early but because of the cool temperatures at night, the fruit tends to stay on the vines for more than the normal 100 days of the European season and therefore, ripen slowly. This long hangtime encourages the berries to develop a suite of complex flavors and compounds that bring out riper aromas without increasing the sugars too much. Thus, one is able to make wines that are richer and fruitier without being alcohol bombs. This Albariño for example, goes beyond the typical citrus and green orchard fruit aromas into more peach and apricot flavors. It has a depth which is delicious and can be savored as an aperitive or as a food wine. Available from MS Walker.
2022 BODEGAS GODEVAL CEPAS VELLAS GODELLO VALDEORRAS GALICIA, SPAIN
Godello tragically almost went extinct as recently as 40 years ago. However, around 30 years ago, Bodegas Godeval began the project of reviving this amazing treasure and was the first winery to begin making a monovarietal Godello wine in 1986. They started with just 2 hectares but the wines were so well-regarded that they soon expanded production from their initial 18,000 liters to the current 150,000 liters from 25 hectares of Godello a year. These efforts have paid off handsomely as this grape has become a signature variety in several denominations including Valdeorras and Ribeiro in Galicia and Bierzo in Castilla y Leon. Cepas Vellas means “old vines” and these grapes come from their oldest vines of up to 50 years old, adding to the concentrated flavors of apples, melon, and apricot balanced by notes of fresh herbs and the minerality of slate soils. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it sees 5 months on the lees to bring a creamy texture and full body to an already big wine. It will pair beautifully with roast pork, grilled seafood and rich pasta. Available from Boston Wine Company.
2022 FINCA REBOREDA A TELLEIRA GODELLO RIBEIRO
GALICIA, SPAIN
A Telleira, in contrast the Bodegas Godeval, is a lighter expression of the exceptional Godello varietal. It is a bit livelier and simpler than the Cepas Vellas, but nonetheless exhibits notes of nectarine and ripe pears, some honeysuckle and a pleasant grapefruit bitterness in addition to a very nice acid balance. I would term this a summer poolside wine. It still has a depth that is satisfying but is also light enough to sip on a hot day. It is a wine that will go well with pre-dinner nibbles like crab salad, whipped feta and crudités. Available from Carolina Wine & Spirits.
2022 BODEGAS ORDOÑEZ NISIA LAS SUERTES VERDEJO
RUEDA, SPAIN
I find this wine to be absolutely fascinating. Because they are old vines, they are not trellised but rather grow low to the ground and spread their canopies wide, requiring hand harvesting at a back-breaking angle. Furthermore, because they are old and grown on sandy soils, they are ungrafted, meaning they are not grafted onto American rootstocks like the vast majority of European vines because phylloxera does not thrive in these dry soils. It is a 6-hectare parcel of land planted in 1886 that produces small, very intensely flavorful berries and a very serious wine. To soften this amazing cepage, the wine is aged in oak barrels on the fine lees for 10 months and can be kept for up to 5 years when it reaches its peak. This aromatic wine is redolent of apple-pie and butterscotch, tangerines and hints of ginger and spice. It is a wine that goes well with summer sandwiches, like cream cheese and hot pepper jam, chicken salad, or a BLT. Available from Classic Wine Imports.
2016 LADERA SAGRADA A PORTELA MENCIA VALDEORRAS GALICIA, SPAIN
It would create an incomplete portrait of Northern Spanish wines to exclude Mencia, another variety indigenous to Galicia. Mencia, a rare red grape in this area, has been an underappreciated grape on the international wine market until recently because it does not pack the power of Cabernet Sauvignon or Syrah. Traditionally, it was used to make a light, somewhat astringent wine but now, with careful viticultural practices that limit yields and increase the quality of the fruit, the wines are being recognized as high-quality. They have an earthy and stony character balanced with summer berries and a certain herbaceous quality that many people confuse with Cabernet Franc. This particular bottling comes from high-altitude vineyards in Valdeorras and is aged in French oak barrels to round out the cherry and berry flavors and soften its minerality. It goes well with smoked meat and fish as well as grilled mushrooms and vegetables. Available from Ruby Wines.
