Wine Party – Spanish Summer Wines
Thursday, July 8th, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
4 to 6 pm
$5.00 per person
Home of: ExecutiveGiftService.com
611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite #1, Palm Springs, 92264
760-327-7701, 800-925-0030
We were in Spain four years ago at the time of the world cup and are pleased to see the Spanish team in the finals. This Saturday we will be pouring the types of wines that Spaniards drink at this time of year as we follow Spain to their destiny. If you were there you would be drinking Cava, or Albariño, or rosés or medium bodied reds. We just happen to have such a selection:
n.v. Paul Cheneau Brut Cava
List price 12.00; our price 9.99
Cava was first introduced in 1872 and, by the turn of the century, cava was the wine of choice among the chic patrons of Barcelona’s elegant art nouveau cafes and cava bars. As a tribute to the fashionable ladies who made cava so popular, Paul Cheneau introduced the “Lady of Spain”. This blend of Macabeo 45%, Xarello 40% and Parellada 15% has a formation of small bubbles which generate a gentle crown. It is fine, delicate and very clean, with lightly toasted pastry notes. Fresh and fruity, it is well structured, crispy, and balanced with a long aftertaste.
2008 Bodegas Martín Códax Burgáns Albariño, Rias Baixas
List price 13.95; our price 12.50
We stock this favorite Spanish white wine year round and vintage after vintage. Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar rated this wine 89-points: “Light, bright yellow. Lively lemon and lime aromas are complemented by melon, pear and salty minerals. Juicy and focused, offering brisk citrus and orchard fruit flavors and a late note of smoky herbs. Gains sweetness with air and finishes with an appealing note of fresh pineapple.”
2008 El Coto de Rioja Rosé, Rioja
List price 12.95; our price 11.50
El Coto is one of the leading ‘bodegas’ in Spain. It presently has some 6 million bottles of oak aged red wines enjoying additional aging in its cellars. The blend in this rosé is Tempranillo 50% and Garnacha 50%. The wine spent 48 hours macerating in contact with the skins, after which clarification and fermentation took place at a controlled temperature for 15 days in stainless steel vats. The wine shows a full aroma of strawberry and raspberry flavors with hints of violet petals. It is full, refreshing, quite dry and…tasty.
2008 ZaZa Rosé, Campo de Borja
List price 9.99; our price 8.99
The grapes for ZaZa were harvested by hand during the second week of October from selected old bush vine fruit. The fruit was then crushed and destemmed. Must remained in contact with skins for 24-48 hrs then free run juice was bled to stainless steel fermenters. Once inoculated, the fermenting juice was transferred to new French and American barrels to complete fermentation. After fermenting, the wine was transferred “sur lie” back to tank to be stirred with the lees for another 4-6 weeks to integrate flavors and build up mouthfeel, length and complexity. 86 points from Robert Parker:“Sexy dry Rosado from Spain with classic strawberry’s and cream aromas. Crisp and fruity as an aperitif yet with enough acid and structure to pair with turkey dinner or the weekend picnic.
2005 Solanera Vinas Viejas, Yecla
List price 14.95; our price 9.99
Solanera is a blend of 65% Monastrell, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Tintorera from the warm climate region of Yecla. The bold rich flavors remind one of Cotes-du-Rhone or even Chateauneuf-du-Pape, as there is that same sort of deep tar like concentration, all counter-balanced by a fine, fresh, herbal character. Fine cracked white pepper and meaty aromatics vie with smoky raspberry and cherry fruit. It is bone dry, with a glycerin-like boysenberry fruit feel to it. Gentle tannins arrive late to add structure but this is all about silky, juicy fruit. 91 points and listed as a “Spanish Wine Bargain Under $20″ by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate; 90 points from Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar.
2007 Las Rocas de San Alejandro, Calatayud
List price 13.00; our price 10.99
This wine is sourced from vineyards ranging in age from 70 to 100 years. It delivers alluring aromas of spices, minerals, cherry, and black raspberry. Layered on the palate, it has superb depth, succulent flavors, and a pure, lengthy finish. It is consistently one of the most pleasurable wines produced in Spain. 90 points from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate.
