538 THE ADVOCATE
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
Riesling is the winery flagship, held back two years prior to release. With a
limited production of 205 cases, it is made in an Alsatian style, with 11.5 per
cent alcohol. At six years old, it is aging beautifully and will do so for some
years to come. The grapes are bunch-sorted and de-stemmed with a four- to
six-hour cold soak before gentle pressing. Slightly settled juice is fermented
on wild yeasts in stainless steel. Bone dry, it has aromas of sharp lime, white
grapefruit and Granny Smith apple with notes of lanolin and wet stone. The
flavours are similar, with added green pear and quince. The finish is long
and bracing. Match it with smoked salmon or trout, or go Alsatian with
chicken in wine sauce (coq au Riesling) or with fish dishes with a creamy
sauce. Again, spicy Asian foods are a good match, as are rich meat dishes
such as pork belly. The wine is available from the winery or private wine
outlets. I purchased it from the BC Wine Information Centre in Penticton,
which does online ordering and shipping.
CALATAYUD OLD VINES GARNACHA ANCIANO 2020
DO Calatayud, Spain #167740 $19.99
From vines with an average age of 35 years, and with an alcohol content of
fifteen per cent, this is a big wine with intense aromas of plum, black currant
and raspberry, and jammy flavours of black raspberry, black plum and
black currant, with notes of cigar box, ash and green tobacco. The finish is
full and long with soft tannins. Try it with a rich lamb or beef stew, or roast
chicken or a BBQ steak. Or go Spanish with chorizo and a Manchego cheese.
We tried it with a chorizo pasta with spinach and Manchego.
DOMINO DE TARES CEPAS VIEJAS MENCÍA 2017
DO Bierzo, Spain #251256 $37.00 (approx.)
Mencía (“Men-thee-ah”) is a medium-bodied red wine grape that produces
high-quality wines with floral and red fruit flavors. If you have never heard
of it, that is not surprising, as it grows only in Spain and Portugal and is not
high on their export list. But it ages well, and if you love Pinot Noir and
Gamay, then Mencía is worth investigating. The Vineyards and Winery of
Dominio de Tares is a winery of note in the Bierzo region in León. The climate
is continental yet mild due to moisture from the Atlantic. This wine
comes from a single variety of the Mencía grape, from vines that are more
than 60 years old and grown at an altitude of 600 metres above sea level. It
is tank-fermented on wild yeasts for 15 days and then transferred to American
oak barrels to undergo malolactic fermentation, then matured for 9
months in a mix of American and French oak barrels before bottling and
held another year before release. The intense vibrant nose displays black