Table of contents for April-June 2022 in Selectus Wines

THE TIME IS NIGH... It won’t be long now... 3 months, in fact, until Selectus Wines publishes its 40th issue... the 10-year anniversary issue, although, if truth be told, the first edition of the magazine actually came out in May 2012. So, here we are... But let’s leave reminiscences for the next issue... an issue we are putting together with a lot of love and pride... it is going to be an issue packed with some cracking good articles! But this current issue is not short on content either... it features a winery that is rich in many senses (Numanthia), an interview with Julián Chivite whose winery celebrates 375 years of family history (one of the longest in Spain), a piece devoted to the Cabernet Sauvignon varietal, our usual tasting…

JOAN ARBOIX ROURA Mallorca, 1981 @Joanet112 Professional sommelier since 2006, he began his career as a sommelier at the Moo restaurant (1* Michelin) in Barcelona. He has also worked for the Ritz Carlton in Spain and Chile as a sommelier and maître d’. Sommelier and Director of beverages in the Santi Taura Group. Balearic Islands Sommelier Champion 2008. Sumiller profesional desde el año 2006. Trabajó como sumiller en el restaurante MOO de Barcelona (1*Michelin). Ha trabajado para Ritz Carlton en España y Chile como Sumiller y Jefe de Sala. Actualmente, Sumiller y Director de bebidas en el Grupo Santi Taura Campeón de Sommeliers de les Illes Balears en 2008. ANNA VICENS Girona, 1973 @annavicens Professional sommelier since 1997, she is currently President of the Catalan Association of Sommeliers, a member…

HATZIDAKIS WINERY 2020 · HATZIDAKIS WINERY Vino de Grecia / Santorini - Grecia / http://www.hatzidakiswines.gr / P.V.P.: 41,34€ 100% Assyrtiko After the death of her father, Stella Hatzidakis has continued his legacy, maintaining an organic vineyard since the 2018 vintage with reduced yields and low-intervention winemaking. Assyrtiko grown in volcanic soil is fermented using native yeasts and aged on the lees for six months. This white wine is highly aromatic with notes of citrus, white flowers and green apple. With its minerality on the palate, pronounced acidity and hint of salinity, it is an authentic, almost artisanal wine from these historic vineyards. Tras la muerte de su padre, Stella Hatzidakis continúa el legado de su padre, desde la cosecha 2018, manteniendo el viñedo en ecológico, con bajos rendimientos, y vinificando con…

MATARROMERA CRIANZA 2017 · BODEGAS MATARROMERA D.O. Ca. Rioja / Valbuena de Duero, Valladolid - Spain / www.matarromera.es P.V.P.: 20,65€ / 100% Tempranillo This is a wine that is still going strong, year after year, since its first harvest. The Tempranillo grape is bountiful in terms of both the quality of the vineyards where it grows and its excellent results. An excellent choice for wine lovers. The ripe fruit is intensely expressed on the nose, and it is luscious, broad and round on the palate, with ripe grapes and well-integrated oak. With toasted notes, hints of sweet vanilla and cigar box nuances, it hits the palate with great complexity that gradually permeates all the senses. Incredibly flavourful, it has a generous and intense finish, delivering all the qualities we could…

MAS CAVALLS PINOT NOIR 2016 · MARIMAR STATE Sonoma Coast / Sebastopol, California - United States of America / www.marimarestate.com / P.V.P.: 42,86€ 100% Pinot Noir This unique Pinot Noir from the northern coast of California is born at the Doña Margarita vineyard, named in honour of Marimar's mother. The cool breezes and mists from the Pacific provide the ideal climate for the Pinot Noir. High density and low yields are key to obtaining well-balanced, concentrated wines. The grapes were harvested in the second week of September and were fermented with their own yeast. Ageing takes place in selected French oak without clarification or filtration. Red fruit, notes of tobacco and aromatic herbs characterize this intense, fresh, and silky wine. It can be cellar-aged for a long time without losing any…

Born in Pamplona on 19 November 1950, Julián Chivite López is the eldest of Julián Chivite Marco and Mercedes López Balenzategui’s four children. His three siblings, Mercedes, Carlos and Fernando, passed away in 2005, 2006 and 2020, respectively. After extensive training in the running of the family business, Julián joined his father at Bodegas Julián Chivite when he was 21. He has been the driving force behind many of the holding company’s milestones, having worked in all departments: from grape purchasing in the 1970s, to hosting their Majesties King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain in 2002 when they opened the winery designed by architect Rafael Moneo for Propiedad de Arínzano. He negotiated the purchase of the Arínzano estate, which no longer belongs to the Group, and of Viña…

SIERRA CANTABRIA BLANCO 2020 VIÑEDOS Y BODEGAS SIERRA CANTABRIA D.O. Ca. Rioja / Páganos-Laguardia, La Rioja - Spain / www.sierracantabria.com P.V.P.: 7,95€ / 35% Sauvignon Blanc, 20% Viura, 35% Tempranillo Blanco, 5% Malvasía, 5% Maturana A curious combination of varieties from San Vicente de la Sonsierra brings us this intense, floral and fruity Rioja white wine. The Sauvignon Blanc provides herbaceous notes that combine with some tropical overtones, such as mango, from the Tempranillo Blanco, and the recognisable Malvasia adds flowers and hints of honey. The barrel fermentation creates a full-bodied, creamy wine that is broad on the palate. With vibrant acidity, it expresses itself very nicely on the palate, offering excellent balance and a long aftertaste. You can drink it now, but it still has great potential to…

VIÑA ARDANZA RESERVA 2015 · LA RIOJA ALTA D.O. Ca. Rioja / Haro, La Rioja - Spain / www.riojalta.com / P.V.P.: 23,00€ 78% Tempranillo, 22% Garnacha The presence of Garnacha, together with Tempranillo, lends a fresh, luscious character to this wine, which is not only a great classic but also manages to appeal to new wine drinkers. Ruby-coloured and full of intensely sweet aromas, it is characterised by ripe, tart red fruit. Cherries, black pepper and tobacco notes also come into play. Velvety on the palate, it has polished tannins and is elegant, complex, and very well-balanced. The long finish is defined by ripe fruit and roasted notes. This Rioja wine is truly harmonious, but it should be even more delightful in a couple of years. La presencia de una proporción…

This ancestral “Dorado” brings us the finest example of an oxidised Rueda wine. After the Verdejo base wine has been created, it is fortified and then starts an oxidative ageing process in open-air demijohns for a year. Following this, It is aged in barrels with the mother yeasts which have been preserved, vintage after vintage, in a system of soleras of over 70 years of age. It discloses a very intense, clean and bright deep amber hue and intense oxidative aromas, similar to those of an old amontillado, giving it a distinctive personality. The nose reveals the wine’s intense, powerful complexity with sweet candied fruit, notes of orange peel, white flowers, sultanas and dried apricots, vanilla and roasted aromas, along with hints of caramel, toffee, toasted hazelnuts and coffee. The…

After two years during which, due to Covid-19, it had not been possible to hold any sommelier competitions, neither in Spain nor its regions, the Catalan Association of Sommeliers (ACS) held its Best Sommelier in Catalonia Competition in mid-March at the Fórum Gastronómio in Girona. The ACS competition’s purpose is to build and disseminate knowledge of the sommelier profession, along with wines and gastronomic products from around the world (but with a special focus on those from Catalan), and to further strengthen the bonds, friendship and collaboration between wine professionals. The ACS has around 500 professional members and is a non-profit organisation that works primarily to promote the profession of sommelier and all the training and promotional activities associated with the world of wine and related products. The competition was…

ASIDE FROM NUMANTHIA, CAN YOU NAME ANOTHER WINERY THAT HAS IMPRESSED YOU?: Además de Numanthia, una bodega que te haya impresionado: BODEGA NUMANTHIA! A WINEMAKER?: Un enólogo: ONOFRE ARCOS, 40 vintages in the pursuit of excellence in the same winery 40 Vendimias buscando la excelencia en la misma bodega A WINE REGION?: Una zona vinícola: CHACAYES, MENDOZA A GRAPE VARIETY?: Una variedad de uva: MALBEC A WINE TO TASTE?: Un vino para disfrutar: CHEVAL DES ANDES A WINE TO SHARE?: Un vino para compartir: COLGIN A WINE FOR A GOOD MEAL?: Un vino para una buena comida: BAROLO THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE YOU HAVE EVER DRUNK?: El vino más caro que ha bebido: YQUEM THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE YOU HAVE EVER BOUGHT?: El vino más caro que ha comprado: CLOS…

ASIDE FROM CHIVITE, CAN YOU NAME ANOTHER WINERY THAT HAS ALSO IMPRESSED YOU? Además de Chivite, una bodega que le haya impresionado MY FAMILY’S NEW WINERY, SUQUÉ MATEU A WINEMAKER? Una zona vinícola: DENIS DUBOURDIEU AND CESAR MUÑOZ A WINE REGION? Una zona vinícola: BURGUNDY A GRAPE VARIETY? Una variedad de uva: CHARDONNAY A WINE TO SAVOUR? Un vino para disfrutar: CHIVITE COLECCIÓN 125 BLANCO 2005 A WINE TO SHARE? Un vino para compartir: CHIVITE LA ZORRERA 2019 A WINE FOR A GOOD MEAL? Un vino para una buena comida: CHIVITE COLECCIÓN 125 VINO DE GUARDA 2017 THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE YOU HAVE EVER DRUNK? El vino más caro que ha bebido: PETRUS 1982 THE MOST EXPENSIVE WINE YOU HAVE EVER BOUGHT? El vino más caro que ha comprado: ROMANÈE…

CABERNET SAUVIGNON There is no denying that Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world’s greatest red wine varietals. Born in France but now grown all over the planet, this grape variety goes into the majority of the wines produced in one of the world’s most prestigious wine regions: Bordeaux. In this part of the world, it is almost always blended with other varietals but, in the rest of the world, it usually comes as a single varietal. Its ability to adapt has brought us an array of wines with a special character. The winemaking techniques used to produce the wines will vary according to the place where the grape is grown. A Cabernet from a cold climate is not the same as a Cabernet from a warm climate, because the…

LEIOA 2019 · ITSAS MENDI D.O. Bizkaiko Txakolina / Gernika-Lumo, Bizcaia - Spain www.bodegasitsasmendi.com / P.V.P.: 24,00€ / 100% Hondarribi Zurie Zerratie This Txakoli, born to defy the rules of time, is selected from 15 unique plots spread across 35 hectares. With a marked Atlantic, saline and electric character, it has a remarkable texture and structure, evolving into a more complex and elegant wine in the bottle. The vineyard is cultivated with the utmost respect for nature and the wine is naturally protected at every stage of the process, using grapes of the highest quality. This 7 is designed to pair perfectly with the region’s rich gastronomy, an objective that it certainly achieves. Its volume and creaminess make it a most versatile wine. De las 35 hectáreas repartidas en 15 parcelas…

SIERRA CANTABRIA RESERVA 2014 VIÑEDOS Y BODEGAS SIERRA CANTABRIA D.O. Ca. Rioja / Páganos-Laguardia, La Rioja - Spain / www.sierracantabria.com P.V.P.: 15,60€ / 100% Tempranillo After five generations, the Sierra Cantabria winery continues to be a gold standard in La Rioja. Its name pays tribute to the natural protection that this mountain range affords the area's vineyards against the cold winds from the north. Tempranillo, with strong and deep roots, expresses itself as ripe red fruit. The barrel’s influence and the pronounced bouquet give it strength and power, taming its tannins and softening its flavour with an intensity that stays with us throughout. Vanilla, spices, liquorice, menthol and an infinite array of the lengthiest, most luscious flavours and aromas. Después de cinco generaciones, la bodega Sierra Cantabria sigue siendo…

PAGO DE CARRAOVEJAS 2019 PAGO DE CARRAOVEJAS (Alma Carraovejas) D.O. Ribera de Duero / Peñafiel, Valladolid - Spain www.pagodecarraovejas.com / P.V.P.: 33,00€ 93% Tinto fino, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot In a globalised world full of great wines, differentiation is key and in this respect, Pago de Carraovejas has been achieving it year after year. The product of a carefully cultivated vineyard and consummate expertise in the winery, this wine is exclusivity in a bottle, delivering fruity, toasted notes with power and intensity. Tinta Fina with a bit of Cabernet and Merlot, varietals refined in French and American oak barrels for 12 months and bottled a year ago, resulting in a wine that is fresh on entry, full-bodied on the palate and exhilarating on the finish. En un mundo tan…

MIRGIN EXEO BRUT NATURE 2016 · ALTA ALELLA D.O. Cava. Paratge Qualificat Vallcirera Alella, Barcelona - Spain / www.altaalella.wine P.V.P.: 55,00€ / 60% Pansa Blanca, 40% Chardonnay When a wine is only released in the best vintages, it means that quality is the top priority. Because of decisions like this, Alta Alella has earned the utmost respect among its loyal consumers, vintage after vintage. Maintaining high standards and rigour, the Pansa Blanca and Chardonnay grapes are picked in this vineyard and allowed to rest on their lees for five years. This cava expresses its essence, full of beauty and sensitivity, transmitting depth and elegance while paying homage to the land. Thanks to a combination of passion and hard work it reaches its full potential. Cuando un producto sale solo en…

ANNA CASABONA • Sommelier and winemaker @universitatURV, diploma @wset_school_london I #WSET4 Sommelier i enòloga per la @universitatURV, diploma @wset_school_ london I #WSET4 • Sommelier and sales manager @juveycamps Prime Brands Sommelier i delegada comercial de @juveycamps Prime Brands • Finalist #ConcursACS: 2nd place in 2019 and 3rd in 2018 Finalista #ConcursACS: 2ª classificada a l’any 2019 i 3ª al 2018 ÀNGEL SEGURA • Sommelier @cett and graduate in Business Administration and Management @uab Sommelier per el @cett i llicenciat d’Administració i Direcció d’empreses per la @uab • Director and sommelier at Els Comdals Restaurant Director i sommelier en Els Comdals Restaurant ANTONI ALBIOL • Sommelier @escolaespiells • Technical director, management and sommelier @edivins Director tècnic, gerència i sommelier en @edivins CHRISTIAN BETORET • Sommelier @joviat and technician in management, quality…