November Wine Club Selections 2014

November 2014

Bodegas Bula Montsant red blend 2012

Bodegas Bula 2012 Bula is produced by the Can Blau estate. The D.O. Montsant, where Can Blau is located, is a horse shoe shaped appellation that surrounds the D.O. Priorat on three sides. It should have been included on the Priorat appellation but was excluded. Can Blau is composed of 60 acres of vineyards with an average age of 35 years. The soils are similar to Priorat with Montsant being a bit more complex with a mixture of slate (llicorella), sandy clay and chalk. Bula Montsant is made by blending Mazuelo, Grenache and Syrah. These three varieties are very well acclimated to the historical region that today covers the DO of Monsant. The soil is clay and sandy slate ideal for the cultivation of the previously mentioned varietals blended in this wine. Aromas of roasted coffee, casis liqueur, and mineral open up and intense and attractive nose. Full-bodied with a silky mouth-feel and good concentration and weight. The flavors are lasting and very satisfying. The finish is long with notes of dark fruit and minerals.

90 Rating International Wine Cellar“(40% carinena, 40% garnacha and 20% syrah, from vines that range from about 25 to 75 years of age; fermented in stainless steel and aged in French and American oak for four months): Brilliant ruby-red. Smoky, mineral-laced scents of dark berries and licorice. Chewy and focused, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors enlivened by a note of black pepper. Dusty tannins give shape to the finish, which lingers with very good energy and sneaky sweetness.”

Pazo de Monterrey Godello 2012

Perhaps inspired by the commercial success of albariño in the western Galician region Rías Baixas, researchers in the late 1970s began working with godello in Valdeorras, in eastern Galicia. One of the earliest and best of the modern godello producers, Godeval, was founded in 1986.  Since then, godello has grown steadily more popular. Now, many producers make the wine, largely in Valdeorras but also in other regions of eastern Galicia, including Monterrei and Ribeira Sacra, and the adjacent region Bierzo in Castilla y Léon.

Pazos del Rei boasts the singularity of its origin, Monterrei, the denomination which is least well-known amongst the Galician wine regions. Monterrei shares the cultivation of the varieties with the neighboring regions: Godello with Valdeorras, Treixadura with Ribeiro, and Mencia with Ribeira Sacra, and is the only one of the Galician regions whose territory lies along the Duero riverbank, although it does not forsake the oceanic influence of the rest, a reason that serves to warrant the cultivation of the red varieties.

90 Rating International Wine Cellar“Pale gold. Complex scents of citrus zest, pear, flowers and smoky minerals. Fleshy orchard fruit flavors are firmed by juicy acidity and gain depth and spiciness with air. A ripe melon note comes up on the smooth, spicy, very persistent finish. “