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Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel

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The Spanish Artisan Wine Group Arrives in US With a Plethora of Low Octane Beauties, View From The Cellar by John Gilman, Publisher

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Chef Michael Chiarello, Bottega, Napa Valley, with José Manuel Rodríguez, President of the D.O. Ribeira Sacra and producer of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group wine, Décima, in José Manuel's precipitously steep Ribeira Sacra Mencía vineyards on the Sil River. Photo by Gerry Dawes©2012 / gerrydawes@aol.com / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest.

Long-time Spanish wine expert and journalist, Gerry Dawes has finally tossed his hat back in the ring of the wine trade here in the United States, creating a new Spanish wine import company that is focused on searching out old school Spanish wines of great character that have resisted (or studiously ignored) the modern trend towards high alcohol and over-oaked wines that have plagued many of the most well-known properties on the Iberian peninsula during the last couple of decades.

Señor Dawes is probably the most vociferous opponent of excessive new oak to be found in the world of wine since the passing of Bartolo Mascarello, and he is no fan of the very heady and overripe style of winemaking that has been championed in many other journalistic circles behind the banner of Spain’s “Mediterranean Wine” fiction, which argues unpersuasively that Spain’s natural wine proclivity is to make overripe and alcoholic wines due to the limitations of its Mediterranean climate.  

Spain’s important native wine critic, Victor de la Serna of the publication, El Mundo, has long argued for this fantasy in the face of an historical legacy to the contrary, which helped provide the propaganda program behind which so many Spanish wineries sought to maximize profitability by fashioning wines solely for the over the top tastes of Robert Parker’s associate, Jay Miller, who has just retired from covering Spain for the Parker empire.

Gerry Dawes has long been a journalistic counterpoint to the “Mediterranean Wine” armada, and in the last several months has created an import company to search out traditionally-styled Spanish wines that steer clear of the alcoholic hubris that has marred so many new and formerly great wine-producing estates in Spain in the last fifteen or twenty years.

I have now had a handful of opportunities to taste through the wines in Gerry’s new import portfolio, which he has dubbed The Spanish Artisan Wine Group. Not surprisingly, given Gerry’s long history of visiting in Spain and knowing the wine regions of the country inside out, his roster of small and very serious winegrowers is as fine a group of classic Spanish wines as one is likely to find under one umbrella. I had intended to feature these wines as part of a larger piece on Traditionally-styled Spanish wines in a coming issue, but thought the breadth and depth of selections in the Dawes’ portfolio was sufficiently exciting to warrant a feature on their own particularly since many of these wines are made in very, very small quantities, and if I sat on the notes for a few months and included them in the upcoming feature, it is quite likely that many of these superb wines would already be sold out of the market.

So, I have decided to get these notes published as quickly as possible to ensure that readers who are so inclined might have the opportunity to track down some of these truly exceptional wines prior to their disappearing from the market.

The heart and soul of the Spanish Artisan Wine Group’s lineup are superb bottlings of Mencía on the red side of the ledger, and a great set of producers making stunning Albariño on one hand, and another group working their magic with Godello on the white wine side of the ledger. This is not to say that there are not some equally superb wines to be found here amongst Señor Dawes’ selections that are not made from one of these three grapes (in fact, there is a simply stunning, old vine Garnaxta from Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga that Gerry is not particularly fond of- given its riper style in comparison to most of the wines found in his portfolio- but which should absolutely not be missed!), so one would be foolish to focus exclusively on the small growers producing Mencía, Godello and Albariño in the roster of tinyestates represented here. But, that said, there is no denying that the Spanish Artisan Wine Group’s lineup of producers of Mencía, Godello and Albariño are all absolutely exceptional andevery bit as fine as anything I have ever tasted from these three grape varieties. In particular, his roster of Albariño producers are spectacular, with each estate emphatically showing just how great the wines from this grape can be when produced from low yields and old vines.

Along with Albariño producers represented here in the US by José Pastor, such as Pedralonga, Raul Pérez and Do Ferreiro, the likes of Spanish Artisan Wine Group producers such as Lagar de Broullón, O Forollo, Avó Roxo, Cabaleiro do Val and Rozas are redefining just what Albariño can andshould be and are amongst some of the most exciting new (at least to me) dry white wines that I have tasted in several years. In fact, Gerry’s roster of Albariño producers is so superb that he generally saves them for the end of tastings, starting with reds and Rosado bottlings and letting the Albariño producers finish off the festivities at the two events I attended!

I first tasted several of these wines at the start of March of this year, as the wines were just scheduling to depart from Spain (and I for a month-long swing through France and Germany), and then followed up with a second tasting in late May when the wines had fully arrived here in New York. Both tastings emphasized that Señor Dawes’ lineup is chock full of outstanding producers new to the export markets and who are fashioning absolutely stellar, old school wines that are long on terroir, purity of fruit, tangy acids and great personality that are derived from their traditional places of origin, rather than from a tony French tonnelier or trendy international winemaking consultant.

While I have not yet had the pleasure to visit and taste in the cellars with these producers, it is now at the top of my list for future tasting trips and it will not be long until I have the pleasure to meet these vignerons in person and get a better feel for their philosophies and vineyard landscapes. For, these are really superb wines and some of the most exciting new producers to cross my path in several years. For subscribers not located here in the states, I am sure that these small artisan producers would be delighted to be contacted directly about the availability of their wines, as there is little doubt that they are currently swimming upstream from the more “typical” Spanish wine market at home (still seemingly enamored of alcoholic clout and tons of new wood) and would be amenable to sharing a few of their great bottles with sympathetic private clients from around the continent.

Slide show on The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections
(Double click to enlarge.)

Can Festis Cava (Jaume Giró et Giró)

While I will be doing a full-fledged feature on Cava in the next issue, I wanted to include notes here on The Spanish Artisan Wine Group’s fine Catalan producer, Jaume Giró et Giró and their excellent label of Can Festis Cava. Like virtually all of the top producers I have tasted in recent months, Jaume Giró et Giró is part of the “Six Percent Club” who own their own vineyards and produce Cava solely from their own grapes. As I will elaborate on in my article on Cava, in my experience, this is one of the fundamental building blocks for producing truly world class Cava, and if one were to simply limit one’s consumption of Cava to producers who grow their own grapes and make their own wines, one could steer clear of disappointingly bland examples and come to appreciate just how beautifully delicate and complex top flight Cava can be from members of this “Six Percent Club”. Señor Giró produces three levels of Cava, all fermented in the bottle like Champagne, with the three levels neatly reflecting the Bronze, Silver and Gold medals of the Olympics. These are outstanding sparkling wines that are every bit as interesting as top examples of Champagne in the classic, dancing style of great Cava.

Can Festis Cava “Bronze Label” Brut Nature - Jaume Giró et Giró

The “Bronze Label” Cava from Can Festis is comprised of a blend of ten percent Chardonnay, twenty percent Macabeu, and thirty-five percent each of Xarel-lo and Parellada and is aged for twelve months on the lees prior to disgorgement. The wine is really a beautifully vibrant and racy glass of Cava, offering up a complex nose of lime zest, green apple, gentle notes of bread dough and a beautiful base of Catalan soil tones (similar to garrigue, only more floral in nature). On the palate the wine is medium-full, crisp and dancing, with a good core, frothy mousse, brisk acids and really lovely length and grip on the complex finish. This is an ideal aperitif Cava that is a perfect lead-in to tapas. 2012-2017+. 88.

Can Festis Cava “Silver Label” Brut Nature Reserva - Jaume Giró et Giró

The “Silver Label” Reserva Cava from Can Festis is really a beautiful wine, having aged on its lees for eighteen months prior to disgorgement and preparation for labeling. It is a similar blend to the Bronze Label (ten percent chardonnay, twenty percent Macabeu, and thirty-five percent each of Xarel-lo and Parellada) and offers up a deeper and more complex nose and palate than the vibrant Bronze Label. The bouquet is a fine and classy blend of apple, tangerine, warm bread, lovely, complex soil tones, citrus peel and a touch of lavender in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and rounder than the above, with a fine core of fruit, lovely complexity and focus, lovely, pinpoint bubbles, bright acids and superb length and grip on the perfectly balanced finish. This is lovely wine. 2012-2019+. 90.

Can Festis Cava “Gold Label” Brut Nature Grand Reserva - Jaume Giró et Giró

The Gold Label from Can Festis is an identical blend to the other two fine bottlings from this lovely Cava specialist (ten percent chardonnay, twenty percent Macabeu, and thirty-five percent each of Xarel-lo and Parellada) and is aged fully thirty months on the lees prior to disgorgement. This is really a stunning bottle of Cava- light on its feet and very vibrant, but with superb complexity on both the nose and palate. The outstanding bouquet jumps from the glass in a blend of tart orange, lime zest, warm bread, wonderful Catalan soil tones, lime blossoms, sea salts and citrus peel. On the palate the wine is very pure, complex and full-bodied, with a rock solid core of fruit, bright acids, very elegant mousse, superb focus and balance and a very long, classy and complex finish. Just a lovely, high class bottle of Cava! 2012-2020+. 93.

Assorted Vinos Blancos

2011 Finca Teira Blanco - Bodegas Manuel Formigo (Ribeiro)The 2011 Finca Teira Blanco from Bodegas Manuel Formigo is a blend of sixty-five percent Treixadura, twenty percent Godello and fifteen percent Torrontés, making it a slightly different mix than the 2010 reviewed below. The wine tips the scales at 12.7 percent alcohol and offers up a fine bouquet of white peach, lemon, a beautiful base of white soil tones, a touch of candied lemon peel (think mature Raveneau Chablis), pretty spice tones and a beautifully musky floral topnote redolent of honeysuckle. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and beautifully balanced, with lovely, ripe acids, fine focus and grip and a very long, classy finish that really does its best work at the table. A really lovely bottle of Ribeiro white wine. Fine juice that is still fairly young and will clearly develop secondary layers of complexity with further bottle age. 2012-2018. 91+.

2010 Finca Teira Blanco - Bodegas Manuel Formigo (Ribeiro)

The 2010 Finca Teira is a blend of seventy percent Treixadura, twenty percent Godello and ten percent Alvilla. It weighs in at a cool 12.5 percent alcohol and is a lovely middleweight, offering up a complex nose of lemon, grapefruit, salty soil tones, citrus peel and a touch of beeswax in the upper register. On the palate the wine is medium-full, bright and very wellbalanced, with perfectly respectable depth in the mid-palate, good focus and fine length and grip on the finish. This is not exactly snappy today, but it remains fresh and vibrant for near-term drinking. 2012-2015. 89.

2010 Teira X- Bodegas Manuel Formigo (Ribeiro)

Young Manuel Formigo de la Fuente is the winegrower now in charge of his family’s vineyards in Ribeiro, tucked in a corner of Galicia just above the Portuguese border in northwestern Spain. The estate’s “Teira X” bottling hails from some of their oldest vines in their top vineyard site, Finca Miño Teira, and is a blend of sixty percent Treixadura, fifteen percent each Albariño and Alvilla and ten percent Loureira. Only a few hundred cases are produced each vintage. This is a more structured and slightly riper (thirteen versus 12.5 percent) wine than the estate’s Finca Teira Blanco, with more mid-palate depth and a superior backbone of acidity. The 2010 is an absolutely superb wine, jumping from the glass in a vibrant mélange of lemon, fresh bay leaf, stony white soil tones, orange peel and a dollop of petrol. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and beautifully soil-driven, with sound acids, lovely focus and simply exceptional length and grip on the finish. A superb bottle. 2012-2018. 92.

2010 Camino Blanco- Terro Remota (Empordá- Costa Brava)

Terra Remota is owned by the husband and wife team of Marc and Emma Bournazeau, who are residents of Perpignan, France (just over the border), as Marc’s family was forced to emigrate from Spain to Perpignan during the Civil War. This very pretty and stylish white wine is a blend of forty-five percent Garnaxta Blanco, thirty-five percent Chenin Blanc and twenty percent Chardonnay. The nose is deep and complex, offering up a very classy blend of lemon, pear, white soil tones, a hint of green olive and a topnote of spring flowers. On the palate the wine is fullish, crisp and nicely transparent, with sound framing acids and good length and grip on the focused finish. This is not the most complex white in the portfolio, but it is a very satisfying bottle that offers up good depth and breadth of flavor, which, I suspect, will growexponentially in complexity as the vines get older here. Very elegant juice. 2012-2016+. 88.

2010 Sabatelius Godello-Treixadura Blanco (Ribeira Sacra)

The 2010 Sabatelius Blanco is a blend of sixty percent Godello and forty percent Treixadura and is a terrific bottle. The stylish and complex nose wafts from the glass in a blend of pink grapefruit, beeswax, tart melon, lemon peel, salty soil tones, a touch of green olive and a top note of resinous herbs. On the palate the wine is vibrant, medium-full and complex, with a fine core of fruit, bright acids, excellent focus and grip and a long, pure and transparent finish.  Fine juice. 2012-2018. 92.

Godello

2011 Don Bernardino Godello (Ribeira Sacra)

Don Bernardino is the wine label for restaurateur, Emilio Rodríguez Diaz, whose O Grelo
restaurant is located in the town of Monforte de Lemos- effectively the capital of the Ribeira
Sacra region. His 2010 Godello is excellent, weighing in at a ripe and pure thirteen percent and
offering up a beautiful nose of peach, lime peel, a lovely base of soil, just a whisper of honeycomb and a gently smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish, pure and very classy, with excellent mid-palate depth, fine focus, crisp acids and outstanding balance and grip on the snappy and soil-driven finish. Just a superb bottle of Godello. 2012-2020. 92.

2010 D. Berna Godello- Adegas D. Berna (Valdeorras)

Adegas D. Berna is owned by the young husband and wife team of Berna Guitián and Elena Blanco, who together with their talented consulting enologist, José Luis Murcia, produce an absolutely lovely bottle of Godello. The deep, complex and very pretty nose wafts from the
glass in a mix of lime, tart orange, salty soil tones, a hint of white peach, olives, white flowers
and a bit of citrus peel in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, medium-full and
vibrant, with lovely intensity of flavor, a fine core, crisp acids and lovely length and grip on the beautifully focused finish. This is a really lovely bottle. 2012-2018. 91+.

2010 A Silveira Godello- Adegas O Barreiro (Valdeorras)

Adegas O Barreiro is owned by Pepe Rodriguez, who retired from his first career to tend vines and make wine in this isolated corner of Valdeorras which looks down upon the Sil River valley. Señor Rodriguez’s 2010 Godello is flat out stunning, offering up a deep and classy bouquet of tart peach, orange peel, beeswax, white soil tones, a touch of green olive and a lovely, delicate topnote of fresh rosemary. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very pure on the attack, with impressive complexity and mid-palate depth, laser-like focus, sound acids and outstanding length and grip on the bouncy and very refined finish. This is a superb example of Godello and one taste of this wine makes it very easy to see why so many Spanish wine aficionados argue that Godello is the country’s greatest indigenous white wine grape. 2012-2020. 93.

2010 Viña de Neira Godello (Ribeira Sacra)

While Ribeira Sacra is obviously best-known for its outstanding red wines based on Mencía, this lovely Godello shows that the steep slate vineyards here are also a fine location for Godello and other white wine varieties. The 2010 Godello from Viña de Neira is a lovely middleweight, offering up an impressively complex and vibrant bouquet of lemon, bread fruit, beeswax, salty soil tones, lemon peel and dried flowers in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish, crisp and complex, with a lovely base of soil, fine focus and good, but not great length on the bouncy finish. If this were a bit longer on the backend it would rate outstanding, but there is an awful lot to like in this classy and complex wine. 2012-2016. 88.
 

 

Spanish Artisan Wine Group founder Gerry Dawes (right), enjoying a glass of Cabaleiro do Val Albariño with winegrower Paco Dovalo López.

Albariño

Albariño has long been considered one of Spain’s finest white wine grapes, but much of its history has been marked by unfulfilled potential, as the low prices that most of these wines sold for on the international market simply dictated that the grape had to be cropped high in order for wine- growers to survive economically and make a living sufficient to keep their families fed and sheltered. Happily, one is beginning to see more examples of Albariño these days that are clearly focused on maximizing the potential quality of the varietal by keeping yields much lower and searching out blocks of old vines, with the resulting wines showing a dramatically different profile of complexity and depth of flavor than was the case when the only way for a winegrower to survive with this variety was to over-crop and try to get by on volume.

Much the same phenomenon can be seen in a French appellation such as Sancerre, where there continues to be oceans of rather dilute, simple and easy-drinking wine produced from very high crop yields, but where the greatest producers of the region- people such as Edmond and Anne Vatan, the Cotat cousins, Gérard Boulay and others have shown just how profound a wine can be produced from sauvignon blanc in the best terroirs of Sancerre when yields are kept down and the wines are crafted to maximize quality and complexity, rather than simply aiming to make a profit through volume. A similar push upwards in quality can be seen in the region of Rías Biaxas with Albariño, and the last couple of years have seen some absolutely brilliant examples cross my path from some of the top producers in the region. Prior to tasting these wines, I never imagined that Albariño could produce such profoundly complex, intensely flavored and ageworthy wines, and this new trend may well be one of the most exciting today in all of Spain.

Two decades ago, a group of fourteen growers who specialize in Rías Biaxas Albariño decided
to form a quality-oriented growers’ association, which they dubbed the “Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas”, and six of these estates are now part of Señor Dawes’ portfolio. One of the chief tenets of the producers in this association, besides low yields and old vines is the use solely of indigenous yeasts for the fermentation of their wines. These top estates also differ from much of the more commercially-oriented Albariño out there in choosing to bottle their wines significantly later than is customary in the more quantity-oriented houses, allowing the wines to nurture on their fine lees typically until mid-summer of the following year after the harvest. The growers reported on below from The Spanish Artisan Wine Group are certainly amongst the very finest of this new genre of “quality over quantity” Albariño producers, and there are very few other vignerons working with this grape with whom I have experience that can match the stunning quality of these wines.

2010 Albariño - Avó Roxo (Rías Biaxas)

Adega Avó Roxo is currently run by Antonio Gondar Moldes, who took over the management of the family estate only in 2007. His grandfather, Serafin Gondar began production here in the 1930s and this was at one time one of the most famous wineries in the region, winning several awards as late as the 1970s. The family vineyard is one and a half hectares in size and planted entirely to Albariño and Antonio Gondar Moldes is dedicated to taking the quality here to the highest level, and Avó Roxo is one of the most recent inductees into the growers’ association in the region. His 2010 Albariño is a stunning wine, soaring from the glass in a blaze of tart orange, lime, stony, salty minerality, a touch of green olive, ocean breeze and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very transparent, with a great core of fruit, crisp acids, outstanding focus and balance and superb grip on the very, very long finish. This is a stunning example of Albariño! 2012-2020. 95.

2010 Albariño - Cabaleiro do Val (Rías Biaxas)

The Adega of Cabaleiro do Val is owned by Francisco “Paco” Dovalo López, who founded and is the current president of the Growers’ Association here. While the winery was only officially incorporated in 1989, the family winegrowing traditions here go back centuries and Señor Dovalo López has some extremely old vines in his vineyard. He has taken selection massale cuttings from some of his one hundred and fifty year-old vines to use for replanting purposes, thus retaining the unique character of his outstanding Albariños. The 2010 offering from Cabaleiro do Val is absolutely outstanding, jumping from the glass in a deep, complex and gently leesy mélange of grapefruit, orange peel, stony minerality, lemongrass and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with snappy acids, laser-like focus and simply exquisite length and grip on the perfectly balanced and soil-driven finish. This is a brilliant Albariño! 2012-2020+.  94+.

2010 Albariño - Lagar de Broullón (Rías Biaxas)

Lagar de Broullón is owned by José Pintos, who farms this two and a half hectare vineyard in the village of Meaño, which is one of the very finest for Albariño in the Val de Salnés section of Rías Biaxas. The vineyard is situated with a south by southwest exposition, allowing the grapes to reach fine ripeness each year and still maintain a great base of minerality.  The 2010 from Señor Pintos is a beautiful wine, offering up a deep and vibrant nose of fresh lime, green apple, salty oceanic tones, citrus peel, a bit of lemongrass and a great base of stony minerality. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and classy, with a superb core of fruit, crisp acids and lovely length and grip on the perfectly focused finish. High class juice! 2012-2020.  93.

2010 Albariño - Lagar de Candes (Rías Biaxas)

Eulogio Gondar is the owner and winegrower at Lagar de Candes, and he represents the fourth generation of his family to head this small estate, which is also located in the village of Meaño, in the Val de Salnés section of Rías Biaxas. The soils here are granitic in nature, producing beautifully mineral expressions of Albariño. The 2010 from Lagar de Candes is a lovely wine, wafting from the glass in a complex mix of tangerine, elegant leesy tones, pulverized stone, lime zest and a saline topnote of the ocean. On the palate the wine is pure, medium-full and zesty, with lovely complexity, very good mid-palate depth, sound framing acids and lovely length and grip on the focused and classy finish. This does not quite possess quite the same “electricity” on the backend as the very best Albariños in this lineup, but it is a superb bottle of wine. 2012-2016. 90+.

2010 Albariño “O’Forrollo” - Bodega Meis Otero (Rías Biaxas)

Bodega Meis Otero is owned and operated by the Fernando Meis Otero, who is one of the very youngest members of the Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas. He took over the reins of the family bodega in 2001. Like many of his fellow members of the growers’ association, his vineyards are located in the Val de Salnés. The family’s one and a half hectares of vines used to be planted to a mix of regional grapes, but Fernand Meis Otero’s father took the step to plant exclusively Albariño here in the early 1980s. Thus, the vineyards are just now coming into their prime as they close in on thirty years of age. The 2010 O’Forrollo Albariño is an outstanding wine, delivering a deep and very complex nose of sweet grapefruit, pulverized stone, orange peel, briny oceanic overtones, lemongrass and a touch of acacia blossom in the upper register.  On the palate the wine is deep, fullish, complex and very classy, with a superb core of fruit, laser-like focus, outstanding intensity of flavor and superb length and grip on the beautifullybalanced finish that closes with a distinct note of orange peel. Lovely juice. 2012-2020. 93.

2010 Albariño - Rozas (Rías Biaxas)

Adega Rozas is located in the village of Meaño in the Val de Salnés and is run by winegrower Manolo Dovalo. This family estate goes back several generations, and its 6.3 hectares of vineyards are loaded with old vines- many dating back more than two generations!  Señor Dovalo insists that it is the very high percentage of old vines in this very favored section of the Val de Salnés that allows him to make such outstanding Albariños. The 2010 Rozas is simply stunning, soaring from the glass in a complex blaze of lime zest, tart orange, kaleidoscopic minerality, lemongrass, gentle leesy tones and a smoky topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very racy, with a rock solid core of fruit, brisk acids, laser-like focus and simply stunning length and grip on the very minerally and magically complex finish. This is as magical a glass of Albariño as I have ever had the pleasure to taste! 2012-2020+. 96+.

Rosado

2011 Lagrima de Garnacha Rosado - Bodegas Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga (Navarra)

The 2011 Rosado from Viña Aliaga is a beautiful bottle of dry Rosé that is drinking superbly out of the blocks, but shows every indication of improving with a year or two of bottle age. Made from one hundred percent Garnacha, with its color arrived at by a bit of skin contact, the 2011 offers up a deep and stunning nose of blood orange, cherries, rose petals, lovely, chalky soil tones and a bit of orange peel in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, fullbodied and beautifully balanced, with a lovey core of fruit, bright acids and excellent focus and grip on the long and classy finish. Just a beautiful bottle of Rosado, with great purity and no “candied” aspects on either the nose or palate. 2012-2016. 92.

2011 Viña Catajarros “Elite” Rosado - Bodegas Hermanos Merino (Cigales)

The Viña Catajarros Rosado from Bodegas Hermanos Merino is made up of a blend of eighty percent tempranillo, five percent Garnacha, and fifteen percent of two white wine grapes, Verdejo (ten percent) and alvillo (five percent). This winery is run by two brothers, Eugenio and his brother Merino, and the estate is a Rosado specialist, with the vast majority of their production comprised of dry rosé (augmented by a bit of red wine). The 2011 Viña Catajarros Rosado offers up a superb and vibrant nose of cherries, orange peel, salty soil tones and a topnote of dried roses. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and tangy, with a superb base of soil, excellent focus and bounce and a very long, complex and classy finish. I would give this superb wine another year of bottle age to really let it blossom, as the 2010 shows that there is more yet to come as this wine develops with a bit of cellaring. High class Rosado here! 2013-2018. 93.

2010 Viña Catajarros “Elite” Rosado- Bodegas Hermanos Merino (Cigales)

The 2010 Viña Catajarros Rosado from Bodegas Hermanos Merino is made up the same blend as the 2011, and the additional year of bottle age has really let this wine come into its own.  The 2010 version is a superb bottle of rosé, jumping from the glass in a complex and classy nose of cherries, melon, pomegranate, a touch of spiced meats, orange peel, complex, soil tones and a nice touch of smokiness in the upper register. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with a lovely core of fruit, with gentle framing acids, superb soil signature and excellent length and grip on the complex finish. High class and serious Rosado that shows every indication of continuing to drink well for several more years. 2012-2016+? 93+.

Assorted Viña Tinto

2010 Tempranillo - Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga (Navarra)

Carlos Aliaga’s tempranillo never sees any oak and is raised entirely in stainless steel tanks. It hails from the family’s limestone-based vineyards located in the center of Navarra and is a superb value. The 2010 tips the scales at a very civilized 13.5 percent alcohol and delivers a lot of aromatic and flavor complexity for its very modest price tag. The bouquet is a blend of black cherries, new leather, a touch of chocolate, lovely spice tones, a bit of meatiness and a topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is medium-full, complex and has a bit of ripe tannins on the backend, with a sappy core of fruit, good focus and fine length and grip. This will be even better with a year’s bottle age, but it is already an awful lot of wine for a bargain price! 2012-2020. 87+.

2009 Camino Vi Negre - Terro Remota Camino (Empordá- Costa Brava)

The 2009 Camino Vi Negre from Terro Remota Camino is a lovely red wine from Empordá, with its alcohol nicely scaled at fourteen percent and the beautiful terroir found here front and center in the wine. The blend on the 2009 is comprised of forty percent Garnaxta, thirty percent Syrah, twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and ten percent Tempranillo. The outstanding nose offers up a deep, pure and very refined blend of cherries, blood orange, a touch of cocoa, lovely spice tones, fresh nutmeg and a violet topnote. On the palate the wine is deep, medium-full, bright and tangy, with lovely intensity of flavor, melting tannins and a long, complex and beautifully focused finish. This is a beautiful bottle that shows off just how special this region can be when new oak is not the focal point of the equation. 2012-2020. 92+.

2008 Dhuoda Tinto (Catalunya)

This lovely red is a fifty-fifty blend of Carignane (which is known locally as Samsó) and Garnaxta. The vineyards lie at an altitude of nine hundred meters above sea level, which keeps the nights cool and the alcohol level down a bit. The 2008 Dhuoda Tinta weighs in at a very civilized 13.1 percent alcohol as a result. The soils here are brown slate and very similar to those found in Priorat, but the evenings are cooler here. The 2008 Dhuoda was fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in a mix of new, one wine and two wine barrels of French origin. The 2008 Dhuoda Tinto offers up a deep and classy bouquet of red and black cherries, new leather, nutskins, garrigue, a lovely base of soil and a nice touch of fresh herbs in the upper register.  On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and very suave on the attack, with a lovely core of fruit, soft tannins and a long, complex and very classy finish. This is quite low octane by Catalan standards and shows little influence from its one third new wood. Lovely juice. 2012-2020+. 92.

2008 Montsant Vi Negre- Herestat Navas (Montsant)

Montsant is the mountainous region that surrounds Priorat and shares many of the same grapes with its better known neighbor. There is very good potential here, but it is a hot region and there is, of course, still more incentive these days to fashion wines of power that might capture the attention of Priorat fanciers looking for a bit better value in this neighboring region, rather than try to harness the ripeness here and look for a Montsant version of elegance. This 2008 from Herestat Navas is one of the more restrained examples I have tasted from Montsant which admittedly is a very small sampling. The 2008 Montsant Tinto from Herestat Navas is comprised of a blend of forty percent Garnacha, twenty percent Cariñena (Carignan), twenty percent Cabernet Sauvignon and twenty percent Syrah. It is a deep, ripe and classy wine on the nose, offering up scents of cassis, garrigue-like spice tones, baked black cherries, a bit of tarriness and a nice base of new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and rock solid at the core, with good focus and a bit of uncovered wood tannin currently poking out on the complex backend. There is enough stuffing here to eventually carry its new wood and the wine is not particularly out of balance, but this is a wine that would have been dramatically better with a bit less oak. But, not bad. 2012-2020. 87+.

Vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean Sea in Empordá,
one of the most beautiful vineyard areas in Spain.

2007 Garnacha Vieja - Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga (Navarra)

The Aliaga family’s old vine Garnacha bottling, which hails from forty to fifty year-old vines is outstanding. Not particularly ripe by contemporary grenache standards, the 2007 weighs in at 13.9 percent alcohol and is raised in a blend of French and American oak- a small percentage of which is new - for six months. Gerry Dawes is quite funny in commenting that he really does not like this wine, but his customers keep asking for it!  It is really an exceptional bottle of Garnacha, offering up a deep, impressively complex and sappy nose of crushed raspberries, a touch of meatiness, gentle notes of chocolate, garrigue, bonfires and a lovely base of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with melting tannins, a fine core of fruit, superb focus and balance and lovely length and grip. This is a high class bottle of grenache that never strays over the line into jammy obsequiousness and is another dynamite value from this superb producer. 2012-2020+. 92.

2007 Colección Privada Tinto- Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga (Navarra)

The 2007 Colección Privada Tinto from Camino del Villar Viña Aliaga is a blend of eighty percent tempranillo and twenty percent cabernet sauvignon and is aged again in a blend of French and American oak, this time for twelve months duration, and with the percentage of new wood slightly higher than for the Garnacha Vieja. The nose on the 2007 is deep and complex, with a nice, old school feel to its mélange of black cherries, grilled meats, coffee grounds, cigar some and a lovely base of dark soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and “nobly rustic”, with a superb core of fruit, modest tannins and excellent length and grip on the backend. This is not quite as complex as the Garnacha 2007, but it too is a very good bottle of wine. 2012-2020. 89.

Ribeira Sacra (and other Mencía-based Reds)

2011 Don Bernardino Mencía (Ribeira Sacra)

As noted above, Don Bernardino is the wine label for restaurateur, Emilio Rodríguez Díaz, whose O Grelo restaurant in the town of Monforte de Lemos. The steep vineyards for his red wine lie in the village of Amandi, overlooking the Sil River. I tasted two vintage of this terrific Mencía, with the 2011 being the slightly riper of the two vintages at thirteen percent (incomparison to the 12.5 percent of the 2010), but with both wines proving to be absolutely outstanding. The 2011 Don Bernardino offers up a vibrant nose of pomegranate, black cherries, a beautiful base of slate, a touch of lead pencil and a gentle topnote of woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very classy, with excellent intensity of flavor, bright acids andexcellent length and grip on the focused and bouncy finish. Just a classic example of Mencía. 2012-2020. 92+.

2011 Décima Amandi Mencía- José Manuel Rodríguez (Ribeira Sacra)

José Manuel Rodríguez is the head of the growers’ association and regulatory agency of Ribeira Sacra, and makes one of the finest examples of Mencía I have ever had the pleasure to taste. Like the Don Bernardino Mencía, these two lovely vintages of Décima hail from very steep vineyards overlooking the Sil River in the village of Amandi. The 2011 Décima weighs in at a very classic octane of 12.5 percent and roars from the glass in a sophisticated and utterly classic nose of pomegranate, lead pencil, slate, a nice touch of gamebird, coffee bean and a gentle medicinal topnote that is vaguely reminiscent of Hermitage. On the palate the wine is fullish, complex and very intensely flavored, with laser-like focus, fine mid-palate depth, tangy acids and great length and grip on the very softly tannic finish. Utterly classic Mencía! 2012-2020+.  94.

2011 Toalde Mencía- Roberto Regal (Ribeira Sacra)

Roberto Regal’s production is miniscule, as he owns only about one hectare of Mencía vines here in a very steep vineyard overlooking the Miño River. There are just a handful of older indigenous varieties also in the vineyard here, so Señor Regal makes a field blend of these with his Mencía to produce this superb wine. The 2011 Toalde is outstanding, offering up a deep and complex bouquet of black cherries, pomegranate, a touch of nutskin, a lovely base of slate and granitic minerality, smoke and a gentle topnote of fresh herbs. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish, long and very sappy in the mid-palate, with fine focus and balance and a long, suave and bouncy finish. This is a lovely wine. 2012-2018. 91+.

2010 Viña Barroca Mencía- Bodegas Adriá (Bierzo)

The Viña Barroca Mencía bottling from Bodegas Adriá hails from thirty to sixty year-old vines grown on hillside vineyards that range from 450 to a 1000 meters above sea level. The soils here in Bierzo are not the pure slate one finds in Ribeira Sacra, but rather a mix of quartz, clay and slate. The 2010 Viña Barroca Mencía was aged entirely in stainless steel and given four months additional bottle age prior to release and weighs in at a ripe 13.5 percent alcohol. The nose is deep and classy, offering up a youthful mélange of dark berries, medicinal black cherries, a touch of tree bark, graphite, garrigue and a fine base of soil that seems to show a slightly ferrous complexity. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and intensely flavored, with lovely transparency, a solid core, fine focus and excellent length and grip on the complex and classy finish. I should note that I tasted this wine twice, with the wine once popped and poured and on the other occasion given one hour in decanter prior to serving. The additional aeration made a world of difference in allowing this young wine to blossom fully and decanting is very much recommended for this fine wine. This is a stunning value! 2012-2020. 92.

2010 Mencía d’Berna- Adegas D. Berna (Valdeorras)

Adegas D. Berna is a specialist in Godello, but their 2010 Mencía d’Berna is also a splendid wine and not to be overlooked with all the white wine fireworks being crafted in the cellars and vine- yards here by the estate’s (regionally) well-known and very talented consultant, José Luis Murcia. This is an absolutely classic example of Mencía, offering up a superb aromatic mélange of dark berries, pomegranate, a touch of tree bark, spice tones redolent of cumin, a bit of bitter chocolate and a lovely base of complex, stony soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very intensely flavored, with a sappy core of fruit, tangy acids, excellent focus and grip and a very long, complex finish that stays light on its feet all the way to the conclusion.  There is just a faint touch of volatile acidity to this beauty when it is first opened, so a short stint in decanter is quite beneficial. Fine, fine juice. 2012-2017. 92+.

2010 Don Bernardino Mencía (Ribeira Sacra)

I am not sure if it is the extra year of bottle age or the slightly lower octane level, but the 2010 Don Bernardino Mencía is even a small step up from the excellent 2011 version. The stunning nose soars from the glass in a blaze of black cherries, dark berries, a touch of tree bark, dark chocolate, smoky overtones and a gloriously complex base of slate soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and superbly complex, with outstanding focus and balance, tangy acids and truly exceptional length and grip on the scintillating finish. This is a beautiful bottle of Ribeira Sacra! 2012-2025. 94.

2010 Décima Amandi Mencía- José Manuel Rodríguez (Ribeira Sacra)

2010 Décima Mencía from José Manuel Rodríguez is another absolute classic in the making. The deep and utterly refined nose soars from the glass in a mélange of black cherries, pomegranate, a touch of road tar, bonfires, fresh herb tones, cracked pepper and a gloriously pure and complex base of slate. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and very intensely flavored, with a sappy core, tangy acids, exquisite balance and a very, very long, focused and refined finish. The 2010 Décima Mencía is a beautifully crafted, complex and refined wine that is very pure and precise on both the nose and palate. It is still a young wine that will continue to blossom with further bottle age, but there is nothing structurally forbidding about the wine today and it will be a very difficult task keeping this wine in the cellar and not drinking it right away. Great juice. 2012-2025. 94.

2010 Sabatelius Mencía- Primitivo Lareu (Ribeira Sacra)

Primitivo Lareu is a superb winemaker on the far western end of Ribeira Sacra, located in the sub-region of Chantada, which happens to be the coolest vineyard area in all of Ribeira Sacra. In addition to his winegrowing responsibilities, Señor Lareu is also a sculptor and painter, but first and foremost these days, he is a serious viticulturist bent on extracting as much terroir from his vineyards and producing as transparent a glass of wine as possible. His 2010 Mencía is outstanding, offering up a stunning and sappy nose of pomegranate, black cherries, woodsmoke, beautifully complex herbal tones, espresso and a superb base of stony, slate soil. On the palate the wine is deep, medium-full and dancing on the palate, with superb lightness of step coupled to excellent intensity. The wine is impressively complex and focused, with bright acids, little tannin and outstanding length and grip on the bouncy finish. Superb juice. 2012-2020+. 93+.

2010 Toalde Mencía- Roberto Regal (Ribeira Sacra)

The 2010 Toalde from Roberto Regal is excellent, wafting from the glass in a smoky mélange of dark berries, black cherries, espresso, tree bark, stony soil tones, fresh herbs and woodsmoke. On the palate the wine is deep, fullish and intensely flavored, with lovely transparency, very good mid-palate depth and superb length and grip on the focused and complex finish. This wine is very light on its feet and yet packs plenty of intensity. I suspect it will prove to be a touch longer-lived than the equally fine 2011 Toalde bottling. Classic Ribeira Sacra. 2012-2020+. 92.

2010 Viña Cazoga Mencía - Jorge Carnero (Ribeira Sacra)

Viña Cazoga has a long history of fine wine production in the Ribeira Sacra and was once one of the largest and most important estates in the area, but during the nadir of the region’s fortunes- which really started at the dawn of the twentieth century, when so many of these steep vineyard sites were abandoned and young people emigrated en masse in search of more profitable work- Jorge Carnero’s family’s vineyard holdings in the village of Amandi dwindled down to almost nothing. Jorge’s grandfather, Raimundo Vidal, was instrumental in starting to resurrect the Ribeira Sacra region in the 1970s and today the family owns a single, 3.9 hectare parcel of vines right above the Sil River that was long recognized as the finest vineyard in Ribeira Sacra. Almost the entire vineyard is planted with vines in excess of one hundred years of age, with ninety-five percent planted to Mencía and the balance made up of a mix of Tempranillo and Merenzao. The 2010 Viña Cazoga Mencía is a beautiful wine, offering up a deep, very intense and complex nose of black cherries, pomegranate, black pepper, a touch of spiced meats, slate soil tones, espresso and a topnote of cigar smoke. On the palate the wine is deep, fullbodied and very sappy at the core, with great focus and grip, excellent balance, bright acids, virtually no tannins and outstanding length and grip on the dancing and palate-staining finish.  Great Ribeira Sacra! 2012-2020. 94.

2008 Viña Cazoga “Don Diego” Mencía - Jorge Carnero (Ribeira Sacra)

The Don Diego bottling from Jorge Carnero spends six to twelve months of its elevage in four year-old, five hundred liter French oak barrels prior to bottling and is released after further bottle age. Even using four year-old barrels, the Mencía grape still shows a fair bit of wood influence in this wine, which does make for a markedly different impression than the stainless steel-aged regular bottling. The 2008 offers up a very deep and classy nose of black cherries, bitter chocolate, woodsmoke, lovely soil tones and a nice, generous touch of vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and quite suave on the attack, with a bit less overtly terroir-derived soil tones in evidence. The finish is very long and moderately tannic, and though the wine is focused nicely, there is not quite the same purity and blazing transparency here as is found in the 2010 regular bottling. This is still a very well-made wine, but it seems that the oak takes away a bit more than it adds to the final blend. 2012-2025. 90.

Gerry Dawes can be reached at gerrydawes@aol.com

Guide to The Wineries & Artisan Grower-Producers of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections

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(Click on yellow headings to read more about each winery.) 

Articles and Comments About The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections

Castilla y León

Bierzo

Bodegas Adriá, Vilafranca del Bierzo (León)

Viña Barroca Mencía Tinto 2010 Bierzo 13.5% 12/750ML $14.99 SRP

This still very young Mencía red wine, which spends 4 months on its lees in stainless steel and 4 months in bottle before release, benefits from contact with air and continues to improve over the course of the bottle.  

The color is deep pomegranate-like black ruby.
 

The nose shows pomegranate-cranberry fruit typical of Mencía-based wines.

On the palate that depth of pomegranate fruit battles for prominence with striking minerality, which makes this wine very reminiscent of a serious Loire Valley cabernet franc-based Chinon, though the minerality comes from quartz and slate, not calcareous soil as in the Loire. 

Good with grilled and roasted red meats, charcoal-grilled lamb chops, chorizo, rice dishes, pasta dishes, pizza and cheeses

 
Cigales

Viña Catajarros, Bodegas Hermanos Merino, Corcos del Valle (Valladolid)   

Viña Catajarros Rosado 2011 Cigales 13.0% 12/750ML $13.99

A blend of 80% Tempranillo, 5% Garnacha Tinta, 10% Verdejo, 5% Alvillo.

Appearance:  Pretty, bright, strawberry-raspberry rosé (please don't call my rosados pink).
 
Nose:  strawberry-cherry fruit with hints of spices such as cloves and cinnamon.

Palate:  A delicious, lively wine with excellent acidity, bright strawberry, cherry and cranberry flavors and spices, with a dry classic finish and nice light, but firm tannins from the red grape skins and a lingering minerality that makes it a great food wine. 

This is wine that begs for a second bottle.  I would not hesitate to cellar this wine for three to four years. 

Galicia

Ribeira Sacra

Spanish Artisan Wine Group Stars from Ribeira Sacra: The most awesomely beautiful wine region on earth

"Tasted the new Holy Grail of Ribeira Sacra producers yesterday - Don Bernardino, Decima, Sabatelius, Toalde, Cazoga - just insanely good, low octane fireworks."--John B. Gilman, Publisher of View From The Cellar

(Click on above link to see notes on five great producers.)

Ribeiro

Adega Manuel Formigo (Grand Cru Quality Treixadura-based White Wines), Beade (Ourense)

Finca Teira Blanco 2011 (D.O. Ribeiro), 12.7%  alcohol 12/750ML $19.99 per bottle SRP.

Treixadura (65%) , Godello (20%), Torrontés (15%).  

Exclusively from free-run must from selected grapes from the Miñoteira y Portela vineyards. 92+ points.


Teira X 2010* (D.O. Ribeiro), 13% alcohol 6/750ML $26.99 per bottle SRP.

Production:  335 6-bottle cases, of which 60 cases are available for the U.S. market.  We received just 30 6-bottle cases on the first shipment.

Made from  grapes from selected 30–year old Treixadura (60%) grapes, along with Alvilla (15%),  Albariño (15%), Loureira (10%), all from the Formigo’s top vineyard, Finca Miño Teira.


Valdeorras 

Valdeorras: Spain's Great White Hope in The Valley of Gold 

In Spain, the Promise of Godello by Eric Asimov

The New York Times, Saturday, May 26, 2012

Excerpt:   ". . .Some people have already made up their minds about godello.  Gerry Dawes, who has been writing about Spanish wines for decades and who recently went into the importing business, has called godello “Spain’s emerging hope as an equivalent to the great white Burgundies.”  

 

Adegas D.Berna, Córgomo, Villamartín de Valdeorras (Ourense)

D. Berna Godello 2010 Valdeorras 13.0% 12/750ML $24.99

“The 2010 godello, a white from the small-production Bodegas D. Berna, in Valdeorras, was splendid.  Pointillistic, lithe, long, delivering visceral and cerebral pleasures, it was reminiscent of white peaches.  The property, Dawes wrote, is advised by “a great local, enologist, José Luís Murcía, who may know more about godello than anyone in Galicia.”  Murcía, he went on, “advises nine wineries” but “does not mark the wines with a one-fits-all winemaking stamp.” - - Howard G. Goldberg, who writes for The New York Times, Decanter and other publications.

Adegas O Barreiro, Seadur (Ourense)

O Barreiro 'A Silveira' Godello 2010 12.5% 6/750ML  $19.99 SRP

Retired electric power line builder 'Pepe' Rodríguez retired from his own company and now, with hired help from his 140-person village of Seadur, farms his vineyards in this isolated village, which is reachable only by a pair of serious cork-screw roads leading up from the Sil River valley.

Pretty, brilliant green-gold.  Whiffs of white peach.   Fine, racy, acidity with restrained white peach, stone fruit and bitter almond flavors.  Its tartness is balanced by lovely fruit and moderate alcohol, which makes it an exceptional food wine.  In the third glass, it's raciness is somewhat reminiscent of great Savennières and the quality, flavor and finish is as good as many white Burgundies.

Rías Baixas

Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas, Rías Baixas, Galicia

“When Gerry discusses his albariños his voices rises and his enthusiasm goes into high gear, as does the prose in his tasting sheet on albariños from members of the Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas.

 

 Back label in Spain for the Asociación de Bodegas Artesanas, Autores do Viño.

Bodegas Artesanas, Rías Baixas, Galicia: Avó Roxo, Cabaliero do Val, Lagar de Broullón, Lagar de Candes, O’Forollo & Rozas

The association, he relates, is “A group of small grower-producers who rebelled against commercial wine styles in Rías Baixas and produce their own unique wines using native yeasts.” He continues: “Each wine is distinctly different from the others.  There are 14 members of this association.  I have six of them, with probably four more to come. Why? These wines are among the greatest white wines of Spain, that’s why.”

I am not knowledgeable enough to say whether they are the greatest or not, but I loved the scintillating, complex 2010 Albariño from O’Forollo ($23.99); enjoyed the lush, flavorful 2010 Avó Roxo ($24.99); and admired the lithe, fresh 2010 Cabaliero do Val ($24.99).

I wish I had drunk these wines with seafood, as Gerry did, in Rías Baixas, a marine paradise. They would have been accompanied by ostras (oysters), almejas (clams), cigalas (langoustines), nécoras (small hard-shell crabs), vieiras (sea scallops) and zamburiñas (bay scallops, sort of).” - - Howard G. Goldberg, writer for The New York Times, Decanter and others.

Catalunya

Cava  

Can Festis, World-Class Champagne Quality Artisan Cava From Catalunya

Three exceptional elaboración artesanal (artisanally produced) Cavas from the cellars of Jaume Giró et Giró.


Empordà (Girona)

Terra Remota Caminante White and Camino Red

The vineyards are farmed with the maximum of respect for the environment and are now in sixth year of ecological cultivation. Delicious First-Rate Wines From Marc & Emma Bournazeau. 

Montsant (Tarragona)

Terrasses del Montsant Heretat Navàs

Heretat Navàs (Red Wine) 2008

History and tradition join with innovation to create the wine Heretat Navàs Vi Negre under the direction of the great Catalan winemaker Joan Milà, a great aficionado of the history of this house and this land. Joan Milà, who died in a traffic accident in January 2010, vinified this wine in 2008 and guided it through until it was bottled in September 2009.

What They Are Saying & Writing About The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections (Click on titles.)

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Spanish Wines — A Seductive New Crop Godello, mencia, and other less-than-famous Iberian grapes shine in a new selection from Spanish wine expert Gerry Dawes - - Colman Andrews, Editorial Director, The Daily Meal

  

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Spanish Artisan Wine Group Stars from Ribeira Sacra: The most awesomely beautiful wine region on earth. "Tasted the new Holy Grail of Ribeira Sacra producers yesterday - Don Bernardino, Decima, Sabatelius, Toalde, Cazoga - just insanely good, low octane fireworks." - - John B. Gilman, Publisher of View From The Cellar

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In Spain, the Promise of Godello by Eric Asimov, The New York Times, Saturday, May 26, 2012

Excerpt: ". . .Some people have already made up their minds about godello.  Gerry Dawes, who has been writing about Spanish wines for decades and who recently went into the importing business, has called godello “Spain’s emerging hope as an equivalent to the great white Burgundies.” 

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Waiting for Godello: The New Wines of Spain by Rozanne Gold, Huffington Post

"There's a "new kid" on the wine trail. After hawking other importers' wines for 30 years, Gerry Dawes is now selling his own discoveries. And discoveries they are!"

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The Vinos of Gerry Dawes: To Some Americans, Mr. Spain by Howard G. Goldberg

"Gerry’s knowledge of Spanish culture is so encyclopedic that Don Quixote paid him a travel consultant’s per diem.  Zurbarán painted his portrait (as a saint, which mystified his  friends). Ferdinand and Isabella allowed him to run sherry, stored in the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, to the New World; all that sherry so impressed Dawes’s first customer, a Jewish merchant named Lehmann, whom the Inquisition had expelled, that he took the whole line and named his store Jerez-Lehmann."

Food, Wine & Cultural Travel in Spain with Gerry Dawes

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"In his nearly thirty years of wandering the back roads of Spain," Gerry Dawes has built up a much stronger bank of experiences than I had to rely on when I started writing Iberia...His adventures far exceeded mine in both width and depth..." -- James A. Michener, author of Iberia: Spanish Travels and Reflections

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On a private customized tour of Spain with Gerry Dawes.  
Food Network Next Iron Chef contestant Michael Chiarello, 
Chef-owner of Bottega (Napa Valley), Pasterlería Oyarzun, San Sebastián.
Photo by Gerry Dawes©2011 / gerrydawes@aol.com. 

Slide show of the trip I took Chef Michael Chiarello (Bottega, Napa Valley & Napastyle) 

and his Executive Sous Chef Ryan Mcilwaith (Bottega) on in October 2011.

(Double click on the images for a larger version of the show.)

In addition to Michael Chiarello and Ryan Mcilwaith, the following food personalities have been on customized wine and food tours with me to Spain:

Thomas Keller, The French Laundry, Per Se, Bouchon
Ally Barker, St. Joseph, Michigan
Michael Lomonaco, Porter House
Terrance Brennan (twice), Picholine, Artisanal
Mark Miller (four times), Santa Fe
Mark Kiffin, The Compound, Santa Fe
John Gottfried (twice)
Michael Whiteman. Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Restaurants Consultants
Greg Drescher, Culinary Institute of America - Greystone

Chefs and food personalities whom I have accompanied on shorter excursions such as mini tapas hopping tours, luncheons and dinners in Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián, Valencia, Alicante, etc.: 

Michael & Ariane Batterberry, Antoinette Bruno, David Burke, Andrew Dornenburg
Cara da Silva, Greg Drescher, Michael Ginor, Christopher Gross, Greg Grossman, 
Maria Guarneschelli, Brice Cutrer Jones, Stephen Kalt, Peter Kump, Harold McGee,  
Rick Moonen, Drew Nieporent, Ken Oringer, Karen Page, Cindy Pawlcyn, Jim Poris,  
Ruth Reichl, Jimmy Schmidt, John Sconzo, Jeffrey Steingarten,  Charlie Trotter, 
Tetsuya Wakuda, Michael Weiss, Norman Van Aken, Tim & Nina Zagat, Rachel Zemzer


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Leading a group, including Chef Terrance Brennan (Picholine / Artisanal, New York City)

on a week-long culinary, wine and cultural adventure in Valencia and Alicante.

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"Gerry has an extraordinary knowledge of Spain, not just the cuisine and wine but the geography (little tapas bars on tiny streets in villages up in the mountains), history, culture and people. One of the highlights of the trip for me was not a 3-star Michelin meal, but a lunch at a winery. Gerry, of course, knew the winemaker, and we dined in a large beautiful room with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the vineyard. We ate simply: tomato salad, jamón ibérico, great bread and olive oil, baby lamb chops grilled over grape vines cuttings (exquisite), ewes’ milk cheese and, of course, great wine. What was special about this was the people, who invited us into their home with warmth and genuine hospitality, their alegría de vida (joie de vivre). I don’t speak Spanish but didn’t have too, we communicated through food, wine, banter, laughter and facial expressions." - - Terrance Brennan, Chef, cookbook author, creator-owner of New York’s Picholine and Artisanal restaurants. Brennan rates this trip, which predates the film pilot, as one of the top two gastronomic experiences of his life.

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Foreword by Gerry Dawes for the English Version of Boquería Gourmand (Published in October by Viena Edicions), a New Book about Barcelona's Fabulous La Boquería Market

Huffington Post, Kirsten Dixon: "Dawes described the Boqueria, a famed public food market in Barcelona, with such vivid and passionate detail, I knew I had to go."

Testimonials on Gerry Dawes's Spain Expertise from Food World Stars

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To inquire about customized gastronomy, wine, photography & cultural trips to Spain, Contact:  gerrydawes@aol.com

 

Phone: 1-914-414-6982
Teléfono movíl (during stays in España): (011 34) 670 67 39 34

 

Website: Gerry Dawes's Spain: An Insider's Guide to Spanish Food, Wine, Culture and Travel.

Articles and Comments About The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections

It has been just eight months since The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections entered the market and this is what food and wine writers are saying and writing about us.


Waiting for Godello: The New Wines of Spain by Rozanne Gold, Huffington Post, March 15, 2012

"There's a "new kid" on the wine trail. After hawking other importers' wines for 30 years, Gerry Dawes is now selling his own discoveries. And discoveries they are!"

Gerry Dawes conducting a tasting of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selection Wines at a tapas luncheon at Despaña Soho, March 13, 2012. Attendees (clockwise: Director of Wines From Spain Katrin Nalaepaa, author Robert Spitz (biographies of Bob Dylan and The Beatles and a major book on Julia Child coming this fall), blog author Rick Fisher from San Diego, CA (Bodega: Adventures in Spanish Wine and Food), cookbook author Rozanne Gold (Huffington Post), wine and food writer Philip Kampe (The Wine Blog), Michael Whiteman of Joseph Baum & Michael Whiteman Co. International Restaurants Consultants and Conrad Adillon, owner of Ole Ole Imports (NJ). Photo: Dana B. Staley©2012 / gerrydawes@aol.com / http://thespanishartisanwinegroup.com / http://gerrydawesspain.com.

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"The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections wines are, like the man, unassuming, sophisticated, and constant source of joy. . . Those wines you left were delicious, Dawes.  you're an amazing man" - - Dan Barber, Chef-partner, Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

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"Thank you so much for your visit and kind words about what we are doing here! It really means so much coming from you.  It was our pleasure and a true honor to have you come by, and I very much look forward to having your The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections wines at Estadio in the near future, as well as spending more time with them myself!" - - Max Kuller, Wine Director, Estadio, Washington, D.C.

Slide show, Estadio, Washington, DC

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The Vinos of Gerry Dawes: To Some Americans, Mr. Spain 

by Howard G. Goldberg

Wednesday, April 25, 2012 on Facebook

"The word “aficionado” was invented to describe my old friend Gerry Dawes. In his veins the blood of Spain flows at perpetual flood tide.


Gerry’s knowledge of Spanish culture is so encyclopedic that Don Quixote paid him a travel consultant’s per diem.  Zurbarán painted his portrait (as a saint, which mystified his  friends). Ferdinand and Isabella allowed him to run sherry, stored in the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria, to the New World; all that sherry so impressed Dawes’s first customer, a Jewish merchant named Lehmann, whom the Inquisition had expelled, that he took the whole line and named his store Jerez-Lehmann.


No one is likely to call Gerry a shrinking violet. He is a man of opinion, strong opinion, strongly expressed; he does not tend to invest in understatement. If he had been a matador, Spain would have run out of bulls.


For Dawes, Iberia’s food universe is nearly as important as its multiple wine regions. He has crisscrossed Spain seeking out, relishing, photographing and publicizing small but stellar restaurants and their chefs --- un trabajo de amor (a labor of love).


All this explains why I welcomed spending a few hours in early April tasting Gerry Dawes Selections, imported by his new company, the Spanish Artisan Wine Group, at Despaña, a SoHo cafe and grocery steeped in Iberian specialties aromas, flavors and atmosphere. The 22 wines sampled, all of  character and interest, were well worth the detour." (Click here for the whole article.) 

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Arthur Lubow on The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections

"The wines that Gerry Dawes is importing from Spain are appealing because they are affordable and yet have individual character. They haven't been smoothed out to be merely drinkable or, even worse, just to make a big first impression.


They go brilliantly with food, which is the right place for wine. And they speak of of the land and the winemakers that gave birth to them.


I was delighted by the multi-layered Hermano Merino Catajarros Rosado 2010 Cigales, which is a rosé that conjures up a perfect summer afternoon.

Among the reds, I particularly enjoyed the peppery Viña Cazoga Tinto 2010 Amandi, the lighter, nicely balanced Décima Mencía Tinto 2010 Amandi, and the complex Toalde Tinto 2010 Ribeiras do Miño.

The whites that stood out for me were the crisp, stony Manuel Formigo Finca Teira 2010 and the peach-and-almond redolent Adegas D. Berna Godello 2010 Valdeorras."

 
Author Arthur Lubow (The New York Times Magazine, Smithsonian Magazine, Inc.com) 
and Chef Ferran Adria.  
All photographs by Gerry Dawes©2010. 
Contact: gerrydawes@aol.com / www.gerrydawesspain.com.

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From George Faison, CEO Debragga, New York's Butcher":  The extraordinary wines from Ribera Sacra and the beautiful tapas for Mani Dawes's Tia Pol made for a brilliant afternoon.  

Your Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections wines  are unique and vibrant, whether alone or in combination with the food.  They truly stood out as expressions of exquisite fruit, distinctive "terroir" and talented winemaking, a combination all too frequently missing these days. Thank you so much for having me."

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Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg, authors of The Food Lover's Guide to Wine, about the No Paraskevidekatriaphopbia - No Fear of Friday April 13th The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections Tasting & Tapas Luncheon at Tía Pol Restaurant & Tapas Bar in New York City: "With heartfelt thanks for the personal pleasure and professional insights you've shared with us - - including today at Tía Pol." 

"Gerry, Andrew & I loved having the opportunity to taste such a consistently impressive array of well-selected Spanish wines with you -- and we have to congratulate you on what you're doing with The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections. We're already looking forward to next time!" - - Karen Page on her Facebook page.

Karen Page & Gerry Dawes schmoozing at the JBF Awards 2012.

    

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"Thank you for the great The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections wine recommendations - they are so delicious and my guests were awed and impressed. Several asked where they could purchase them. You made me look good!!" - - Jenifer Lang, wife of the late, great George Lang and former co-owner of Cafe des Artistes, NYC  May 2012.  

Wines for a Jenifer Lang dinner party for 14 people on May 11 in Manhattan.  Festis Silver Label Brut Nature Cava 2009, Viña Catajarros Cigales Rosado 2011, Toalde Mencia Tinto 2010 Ribeira Sacra.

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Carol Berman, wine radio personality (Martha Stewart and Arthur Schwartz radio shows) Class in a Glass, The Traveling Sommelier:"  "It was more than a pleasure meeting you and tasting through your splendid The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections portfolio. Really, really special wines and I think that I was still tasting a hint of them last night. Perhaps it was wishful thinking . . . or wishful drinking!

I get many invites to these luncheons and honestly in the past few years, I have declined the invites because I simply was not interested in tasting the 'commercial' crap that was mostly being poured.  Not interested.  Your stuff is right up my sipping alley. . . and I do have one! The wines and your philosophy are one and the same as mine, so I felt energized and refreshed at table, and still.

There is not a bad wine in the entire collection. All were wonderfully balanced and as I said yesterday after tasting the Ribero whites: "I feel like I just walked through a beautiful springtime garden and took a bite!"  We the purely passionate want "REAL wine, not REALITY wine!" It's that simple, and these truly fit the bill."

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Janet Cam Consulting (a top restaurant consultant in Washington, D.C.): "You have been the lone voice of Spanish food and wine for many, many years.  Finally, the people in the United States heard you about wine!  I’ve known you since your early beginnings in the wine trade and always appreciated your fine palate.  Now you can truly share your wine discoveries in your portfolio The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections.  I am thrilled for you.

You had introduced me to a rosado which is my favorite rosé and I have purchased yearly since I tasted it with you.  Now I will need to look at your rosados!   Congratulations to the most deserving person of heroic efforts of a lifetime."

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 "Enter Gerry Dawes. Gerry is the antithesis of Parkerization. He is a highly opinionated and an extremely passionate Hispanophile who has been living and touting the good life in Spain for decades. He is also just the person I would expect (and want) to champion the cause of the “little guy” (smaller, undiscovered wineries) in the ever-changing and competitive world of Spanish wine. 

Fortunately, that is exactly what he is doing with his new venture: The Spanish Artisan Wine Group – Gerry Dawes Selections. The project’s aim is to introduce “Artisanal wines from talented wine makers who respect the delicate balance between tradition and innovation, while remaining true to their unique terruño (sense of place).” 

It is also an opportunity for him to rail against “sledgehammer” (as he refers to them) wines – heavily (over) oaked, high alcohol wines which many Spanish wineries have now gravitated towards.” - - Tasting the Future (and Past) of Spanish Wine - Rick Fisher

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Report from Docsconz and some opinions from John Gilman, Andy Pforzheimer and Chef Jeremiah Tower.

"Robert Parker’s opinion has held sway in the wine world for a long time, first coming to prominence with his pronouncements on Bordeaux’s famed 1982 vintage. His palate is attuned to “big” wines. Full throttled okay monsters and high octane “fruit bombs” have tended to rule his influential roost since that time. . .

Fortunately, alternatives to Parker styled wines managed to survive his onslaught and wines with nuance, character and little oak still exist. The world, thirsty for variety and individual personality is starting to take notice again. These wines are easier to pair with unique and nuanced dishes and the lesser amounts of alcohol add pleasure rather than fatigue. . .One person who has been at the vanguard of those battling Parker’s extensive homogenizing influence has been the noted American food and wine writer, my friend, Gerry Dawes. . ." - - Read the rest of John Sconzo's extensive report on Docsconz: Musings on Food and Life. 

Spanish Wines with Character from Gerry Dawes – Part One: Reds

 
Spanish Wines with Character from Gerry Dawes – Part Two: The Glorious Whites of Galicia

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And John B. Gilman, Author-Publisher of View From The Cellar, on Twitter after The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selectionstasting lunch (described above by Docsconz) at Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant in Greenwich, CT on
@JohnBGilman on Twitter:  " 2010 Albariño - Rozas - Maybe the greatest Albariño I have ever tasted - kaleidoscopic minerality, blazing purity."

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Andy Pforzheimer, Chef-Founder-Partnerof the Barcelona Wine Bar & Restaurant Group:  "Great wines, Gerry. You really came through. I came down just to see you, but I stayed for what was in the glass. Can't wait to pour some."

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Legendary Chef Jeremiah Tower on The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections on Twitter after a dinner featuring a dozen of the wines on Tuesday night, March 6 at cookbook author and cooking class star, Gail Monaghan's stunning apartment on E. 30th St. in Manhattan.

"Spanish Artisan Wine Group, the new wines of Gerry Dawes. These are an affordable, delicious, 'must' for your table. Recommend highly. . . Fabulous dinner last night with Gerry in NYC, the new wines spectacular, real, affordable, and a 'must' on any table. Thanks. . .@PPXNewOrleans VintageOrleans @GerryDawes  Yes, those Aliaga wines were stars. Hope that Tia Pol gets the rose!  @TiaPolWonderful lunch, told Gerry Dawes he should call on you again for the rosados . . ."

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Gael Greene on Twitter "Gerry Dawes, guru of all things Spanish. launched Spanish Artisan Wine Group Feb1 Now at BlueHill/StoneBarns. Boqueria,wine shops. #fb"

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Chef-partner Michael Lomonaco of Porter House New York tasting the wines of The Spanish Artisan Wine Group - Gerry Dawes Selections wines. "What an incredible experience!" Michael said after he sat down to taste a wine or two and was so intrigued that he continued, tasting more than a dozen wines. Porterhouse Michael Lomonaco 2-24-2012

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