Table of contents for July-September 2019 in Selectus Wines

We can certainly all agree that when something is over a hundred years old, it can safely be described as “centennial”, or that an action repeated every 30-31 days can be referred to as a “monthly” occurrence. When we have something that is quantified and delimited, there should be no issue stating it on wine labels (unless someone tells me differently!). But when we enter into the realm of the unquantified, the criteria become very subjective. And, with our comment below, we are not seeking to enter into conflict with anyone, but simply to invite a debate on the subject… In May, the Priorat D.O.Q. presented us with a new classification for its wines, with a series of specifications that will be reflected on the Priorat wine labels. Then in…

SPAIN A CORUÑA AC Hotel Palacio del Carmen. Santiago de Compostela ALAVA Restaurante Zaldiarán (Vitoria) Hotel Marqués de Riscal – A Luxury. Elciego Collection Hotel Restaurant Zaldiarán . Vitoria-Gasteiz ALBACETE Rest. Maralba. Almansa ALICANTE Hospes Amerigo AC Hotel Ciutat d´Alcoi. Alcoi Restaurant Quique Dacosta. Dénia ASTURIAS AC Hotel Forum Oviedo. Oviedo Restaurant Casa Marcial. Arriondas Restaurant La Salgar. Gijón BARCELONA Hotel Mercer Hotel Le Méridien Restaurant Rías de Galicia Monvínic Restaurant Moments Santa Eulalia Joyería Rabat Joyería Suárez Hotel Majestic Hotel Omm Restaurant Windsor Hotel Palace Celler de Gelida Restaurant La Clara Restaurant Nectari Restaurante Cinc Sentits Arsenal Masculino Four Points by Sheraton Restaurant Via Veneto Restaurant Abac Restaurant L´Oliana Hotel Rey Juan Carlos I Restaurant Gaig AC Hotel Victoria Suites Concesionario Mercedes Cars Barcelona Concesionario Maserati-Ferrari-Bentley Cars Gallery Restaurant…

Known both in Spain and internationally, Albariño is virtually always associated with Galicia, although it is also found in Portugal and areas of Cantabria, Castilla León and Catalonia. It is said to have been first planted in the valleys along the Camino de Santiago (Saint James’ Way) by Cistercian monks in the 12th century. As these monks came from Alsace, people have always looked for a similarity between the Albariño and grapes from other countries, such as the Riesling or the Petit Manseng. Albariño is also known as Albarina, Alvarin Blanc, Alvarinha, Alvarinho, Azal Blanc, Galego and Galeguinho. It expresses itself best as a monovarietal, but you can also find it blended with other grape varieties, most often Galician. In terms of styles, there are producers who age it in…

RAIMAT EL NIU DE LA CIGONYA 2016 · RAIMAT D.O. Costers del Segre / Raimat, Lleida - Spain / www.raimat.com / P.V.P.: 13,00€ / 75% Viura, 25% Tempranillo Blanco This new wine was released for last year’s Christmas season. It is made from 3 grape varieties, Chardonnay, Xarel·lo and Albariño, vinified separately, from the harvesting and fermentation with native yeasts to the 9 months’ ageing in French oak. We are pleasantly surprised by how well the oak has integrated into the wine. It gives the wine just what it needs, which is aromatic complexity, without sacrificing any of its fruity expression. The final blend is an attractive and very aromatic wine releasing aromas of acacia and ripe fruit (peaches and apricots). Good acidity and a creamy character are two of the…

ELS "PÁJAROS" 2016 · CELLER DE CAPÇANES D.O. Montsant / Capçanes, Tarragona - Spain / www. cellercapcanes.com / P.V.P.: 37,50€ / 100% Cariñena This is a monovarietal red wine made from old Samsó (Cariñena) vines, some up to 110 years old, growing in limestone, clay and Licorella slate soils. Celler Capçanes has been doing a very good job of differentiating its distinctive wines for some time now. They seek to understand and draw out the very best of each new harvest to create quality wines, which are as consistent as possible. In other words, they strive to interpret the harvest and translate it into the best possible wine. Due to the reductive nature of the grape variety, this wine needs to be properly decanted before drinking. The very intense, bright cherry…

D.O. Ribera de Duero Peñafiel - Valladolid - Spain www.pagodecarraovejas.comP.V.P.: 16 0, 00 100% Tinto fino Each year, Nature decides whether or not this wine is going to be produced. Only in good vintages will you enjoy Cuesta de las Liebres, Pago de Carraovejas’ most precious wine and, in 2014, Nature allowed it. This wine is a faithful reflection of the seasons, it is a true reflection of life, of adversity and daring, of successes and mistakes, and in this case, it is also a blessing. The wine is crafted from Tinto Fino grapes from Peñafiel, harvested on a steep slope situated at 800 metres altitude where the vines are vertical bush trained and this is what gives it its distinctive power and personality. At its highest altitude, the vineyard…

In the fabulous setting of the fully renovated "Château de Saran", the French Champagne House celebrated this landmark anniversary in style with a unique culinary experience courtesy of not one, but two, 3-starred Michelin chefs. The event was attended by personalities and distinguished guests from all fields, including the tennis player Roger Federer (ambassador for Moët & Chandon), actresses Natalie Portman and Uma Thurman, British actor Douglas Booth, journalist Derek Blasberg and influencers Alexandra Pereira and Pelayo Díaz. After a very special aperitif, a "four-handed" dinner was served by chefs Yannick Alléno, ambassador of the brand since 2014, and Dominique Crenn, chef at the Atelier Crenn restaurant in San Francisco. Afterwards, the guests were treated to a live concert by British singer-songwriter Freya Ridings, who had a platinum disc in…

Bodegas Osborne is, without doubt, the jewel in the winemaking crown of Puerto de Santa María, one of the three points of the famous “Sherry Triangle” along with Jerez de la Frontera and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Founded in 1772, it has the distinction of being one of the oldest wineries in the world, as well as a reference for those wishing to learn more about the history and unique character of the wines from this corner of Andalusia. Osborne’s importance, however, goes beyond mere wine production, since its most iconic advertising image, the famous silhouette of the bull often found on hills alongside the roads of Spain and created in 1956, has become a symbol of Spain itself. As with other large family wineries in the Jerez region, the beating…

Since the trip from my home city to our destination was long (over 10 hours’ drive, including breaks), we decided to stop over in Lyon, which is situated about four hours’ drive from our final destination. We arrived in the middle of the afternoon and after leaving our luggage at the Hotel Mercure Lyon Centre Saxe Lafayette (4*, a bit outside the main centre, but very practical, clean and offering all the services you’d want for a one-night stay), we headed for the city's historical centre. There, we walked around the city's old quarter, visited the cathedral, and soaked up the city’s atmosphere. For dinner, we had made a reservation at a typical Lyonnais restaurant, one of the so-called “bouchons lyonnais”, Daniel & Denise, with cuisine by chef Joseph Viola.…

D.O.Q. Priorat Porrera - Tarragona - Spain www.vallllach.comP.V.P.: 98,00 100% Cariñena This is a red wine made with grapes from the “paraje” known as Mas de la Rosa. This is part of a classification system that is very common in certain wine regions, including Burgundy, and which is gradually being adopted in Spain. The Priorat D.O. is the first Catalan region to be working with this classification system, which associates the wines with their vineyard of origin. Mas de la Rosa is one of the first estates in Porrera to have its winemaking tradition documented and it is currently considered to be one of the finest “parajes” in the Priorat DOQ. Two wines from this estate are already on the market, the other is owned by Torres. Vall-Llach knows that…

TORELLÓ BRUT RESERVA 2014 CORPINNAT TORELLÓ Corpinnat / Sant Sadurní d'Anoia, Barcelona - Spain / www.torello.com / P.V.P.: 15,10€ / 38% Xarel·lo, 40% Macabeo, 22% Parellada Macabeu, Xarel·lo and Parellada from Can Martí, an estate covering 135 ha in Gelida, Alt Penedès, that has belonged to the Torelló family since 1395. The winery’s advanced technology is combined with more traditional practices in the vineyards and in the production process. Torelló Viticultors is a reference winery when it comes to long-aged quality sparkling wines. They adopted the Corpinnat brand, a collective EU trademark with the strictest of quality specifications, a few months ago. Since joining Corpinnat, Torelló has included the date of disgorgement, the month and year, on its back labels to provide the consumer with more detailed information about production.…

When Markus Molitor inherited a small property in the Mosel region of Germany at the age of 18, he set about becoming the best producer of Riesling wines. He started wine growing back in 1984, and, with the 120 hectares he currently owns today, including 21 ‘Grand Cru’ vineyards, he has indeed become one of Germany’s top producers with 8 of his wines having obtained 100 Parker points out of the total 23 wines to have achieved this feat in the history of the country. The Mosel region was world-famous a century ago and has been an important wine region ever since, but its real renaissance perhaps coincides with the arrival of the young Markus. When he came of age, he took over his father’s winery with a clear and…

The proof that the Torres family has had a relationship with the Priorat since the turn of the last century, comes in the form of a bottle of 1923 "Priorato Superior", bottled in 1932 under the Coronas brand name. But they became more involved in the region in the mid-nineties, cultivating and rebuilding the name of the Priorat after a certain period of “decadence”. They decided to return to the area and plant vineyards in Porrera and El Lloar, where they also built a small winery. But they waited 10 years before making wines from the Garnacha, Cariñena and Syrah vines they planted there at that time. Two decades since the first plantations and the majority of grapes go into the production of Salmos, a wine made with the three…

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’. He currently works at the Andreu Genestra (1* Michelin) restaurant in Mallorca. 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 en el restaurante Andreu Genestra (1*Michelin) en Mallorca. 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…

AMAZONA - AIRE ROSADO 2018 BODEGAS TÁRSILA Vinos de la Tierra de Castilla y León / La Cisterniga, Valladolid - Spain / www.bodegastarsila.com / P.V.P.: 7,50€ / 100% Petit Verdot The Amazona range of wines was presented last March to coincide with International Women's Day. This is a new line of wines that is more modern, current, fresh, carefree and very accessible and intended as a tribute to women, and especially to Társila Fernández, who has been running the winery for 50 years. The labels, which also sport a very youthful and original look, have been designed by Raquel, Társila’s granddaughter, the latest generation of the family to join the winery. Inspired by Matisse, in a collage style, they depict women sitting astride animals that can be found on the…

DOMINIO DE TARES CEPAS VIEJAS 2015 DOMINIO DE TARES D.O. Bierzo / San Román de Bembibre, León - Spain / www.dominiodetares.com / P.V.P.: 13,50€ / 100% Mencía The Mencía is no longer that delicate variety producing light, low alcohol wines that it was a few years ago. Currently, it is considered to be one of the best Spanish grape varieties. And this is amply demonstrated by this Bierzo Alto winery in San Román de Bembibre, and specifically by this wine, made from Mencía vines of over 60 years of age growing in gravel and slate soils. Bright, very intense cherry red hue. Very complex aromas, ranging from ripe wild red and black fruit to toasted, smoky and cocoa notes. The wine is very appetizing on entry to the palate and…

D.O. Cava Sant Sadurní d´Anoia , Barcelona - Spain www.raventoscodorniu.com17,00 85% Pinot Noir, 15% Xarel·lo, Trepat A Gran Reserva cava, 36 months old, made from the Pinot Noir and Trepat red varieties and the white Xarel·lo. The Pinot Noir (85%), from the Costers del Segre area, gives us this fine cava’s characteristic elegant notes and ageing potential; the Trepat, the iconic of Conca de Barberà and sourced from there, brings acidity and structure; while the Xarel.lo, from Penedes’ central plain, gives the wine freshness and an aromatic touch. This wine is a blend of various grape varieties and different areas in order to create complexity and expressiveness. It reveals a salmon pink hue along with fine, delicate and long-lingering bubbles. The nose is very aromatic with notes of cherries and…