Friday, March 25, 2011
Altitude wines, wine Alboloduy
Taking advantage of a spring weekend and invited by Paco Calvache, put Alboloduy direction, a small town in the province of Almeria, at the foot of the Sierra Nevada natural park.
Our mission was to learn firsthand the terroir and the wine makers of Alboloduy cellar, why not first person and certainly got it thanks to our friends who were perfect hosts.
We stayed at the family home Calvache, kindly gave us his farm, where we breathe peace and quiet both nights we did in this population.
The winery is just outside the entrance to the city, is a small cellar and well-organized and utilized, we can find the reception area of winemaking, barrel aging room and bottled product. Paco then gave us to taste some wines to be launched soon, such as Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon wines Collection Cristina Calvache, of course winemaker and daughter of Paco, it gives the personal touch to the wines after Paco fabulous work in the vineyard.
Sample bottles we tasted some of the first to be produced and stored in the cellar, and we set out to prepare for the journey to the heights, to discover the secret and therefore, this small winery can produce wines as different and fabulous.
The climb to Montenegro, the mountain the right side of the river Nacimiento, Alboloduy view from an impressive massif in which we can see just up the guns that leaves the avenue leading to the valley, creating a natural impressive and hard to describe without seeing it, 'in situ', a landscape that goes up and where we find ways based geological sandstone, slate and quartzite, of a mountain that was once difficult to ascend, but now there is a forest track which gives us access to a normal vehicle, but we climbed to a 4x4.
As we leave the south ascend the Cabo de Gata, west the Sierra de Gador with their snowy peaks to the east Mojácar and the desert of Tabernas and reaching about 1,000 meters. spotted around the highest peaks of Sierra Nevada as the Veleta. We finally got to a shelter where Paco has a few hectares of vines Jaen Blanca centenary, the terroir is striking, compact strains stand out among a sea of slate and quartzite, of an estate of the beginning to see the terraces after the hard work of Paco and his tractor, to give shape to this small mountain area and also allow use of moisture in a dry climate and facing south.
Perfect stop for preparing to provide food, that fire went vines and branches to enjoy gourmet cooking, wine and heavenly with spectacular views and an unimaginable peace and tranquility in this life so hasty that we live.
After this break, we visit places almost a altitude of 1,300 meters, where we find these varieties as native and special, all with more than half a century, that resist the hard conditions that dictated by climate and soil, until then the wine cellar gets the Jaén Blanca remarkable characteristics, fruit, mineral, salt, long after-taste and unique in the world.
Paco has planted more varieties such as Chardonnay, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, ... to know their adaptation to the altitude and region and to develop this type of wine in the future with them.
Tempranillo, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon are also grown in height in places like El Campillo, with a more clayey soil, but also high levels between 700 and 1,000 meters, getting fruits that evolve seamlessly into long aging without losing their origin and gain in freshness and elegance.
After the visit to the farms, we completed the sabbatical day to rest and make a visit on the morning of Sunday the people that make this region of the Alpujarra, as, Terque, Instinción, Ohanes ...
In the end, we close with a meal among friends and of course accompanied by one of the excellent wines that Paco in the field and Cristina in the hold, develop and eventually winning as excellent companions to one end of the visit to the Bodega of Alboloduy.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Presentation of the Association Primum Bobal
On Thursday, day 10, around midday the Instituto Tecnológico de Requena, was presented the association Primum Bobal. This is the bet of seven wineries Utiel-Requena, with common interests to defend the autochthonous variety Bobal.
Vera de Estenas, Criadores y Artesanos, Chozas Carrascal, Dominio de la Vega, Pagos del Molino, Finca Ardal and Dagón Bodegas, are the seven associated with common characteristics and special uses from variety Bobal vines on property, with distinguished terroirs, wine family type control the winemaking process from vine to the bottle, all wine producers and have as its objectives the promotion and popularization of the wines of Bobal variety of wine culture in general, their bet on the quality wine, for the promotion of tourism in the region and raise awareness of the 'brand' in international markets as a sign of quality and character.
To do this, aside from looking for partnerships as a commercial brand, have also signed partnership agreements with technology institutes and research universities such as viticulture and the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the University of Valladolid, in order to have scientific and rigorous than that in practice it is a fact and certainly in the academic progress for the benefit of the processed product, the technological applications in the field in the very variety Bobal.
The event was presented by Felix Martinez Roda, manager of the winery Vera de Estenas and president of the association, and with the participation of other wineries, the marketing and communication equipment and closed by the Director General of Research of the Department of Agriculture of the Generalitat Valenciana.
After the event has offered an appetizer paired with selected wines of Primum Bobal association in tunnel building came from the Instituto Tecnologico de Requena. After the tasting, the association has invited to a meal at the winery Dominio de la Vega, which has offered a menu typical of the area to be paired with wines Las DosCes, Ocho Cuerdas Bobal, Casa Don Angel Bobal, Arras de Bobal, Arte Mayor, Pasiego de Autor and Miquelius , exponents of the selection of wines that make up the first wine of Primum Bobal.
A project for present and future, relating to the global wine scene, with the seal of a district and a few families from the rest by deepening commitment to making quality wines with Bobal grape variety.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Vertical tasting Bobal, Casa Don Angel 1998-2009
I invite you to read the post from Ricardo's Valencian Blog . The article resumes the phabulous experiencie lived in this tasting.
In my spanish blog javiprats.blogspot.com you can find the spanish version of my experiencie.
In my spanish blog javiprats.blogspot.com you can find the spanish version of my experiencie.
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