Notes from a Spanish dinner:
Alvear "C.B." Fino - 100% Pedro Jimenez, 15% alcohol, and clean and quite full flavoured.
1998 Marques de Riscal Limousin Reserva (Rueda) - a very interesting wine, named rather unusually after the wood (Limousin oak) in which it is fermented and matured. Yet this is not one of the old style 'yellow' white Riojas, but a newer style of white wine from the Rueda region made from 100% Verdejo. The colour is light amber, the nose a slightly oily lemon and vanilla, and it had good weight and a balanced finish. Very good with the seafood!1993 Lopes de Heredia 'Vina Tondonia' Rioja Riserva - one of the traditional producers. The wine was showing a fair bit of brickiness at the edges, and had a nose that included spice and toffee. It was pretty high in acidity (though not much in the way of tannin) and presented as a bit lean until we had food, at which point it bloomed and became a different much friendlier wine. Purchased in Granada.
1991 Castillo Ygay Rioja Reserva Especiale - from a vintage generally little respected, but the wine showed quite well. The nose was oak and red fruit notes and a bit of anise, not as sweet as the previous wine. It finished with It was a little thinner than I'd have preferred but generally not a bad showing at all. This one still has time.1995 Pesquera Grand Reserva - big bucks for the next two. The wine is quite dark and showed a nose that could easily have been a Bordeaux, but with a certain amount of raspberry sweetness to it. The entry was easy, but almost immediately the wine tightened up and it could clearly benefit from more cellaring. It is beginning to show some complexity and has good clean acidity. Very nice! Worth $120 Can......?
1995 Hacienda Monasterio Reserva Especial - similar pricing for a very small production wine (125 cases). This blend of cabernet, merlot and Tempranillo showed a much more international profile, which made the Pesquera seem (unfairly) lean in comparison. The wine was even darker, with more sweetness in the nose and smoky chocolate and cedar. Lots of things happening in the mouth, with fruit and spice and a long slick finish. Excellent, perhaps even at $90-100 Can.1983 Fonseca - this wine has always been one of the more forward of the vintage. The colour is paler than when I last made its acquaintance, but the nose is still pretty warm and the heat follows in the mouth. It was a little thinner than I'd have preferred but generally not a bad showing at all.