Vol. 2 No. 3
Standard Selection - (1) Red, (1) White
1995 Viña Ijalba Murice Crianza - Spain
Cava Avinyó Brut - France
A Warm Friendly Face Viña Ijalba is one of the youngest of all great Rioja bodegas. D. Dionisio Ruiz Ijalba who planted his vineyards on the slopes of an ancient quarry near Logrono in the Rioja Alta, La Rioja's finest viticulture district founded the estate in 1975. The winery, or bodega, owns nearly 70 hectares (175 acres) of vineyards in a number of parcels surrounding Logrono. These vineyards supply 100% of the production of the bodega, assuring that all of the Viña Ijalba's wines are estate bottled.
All of the traditional grapes for red Rioja are cultivated at this fastidious estate, and each has been matched to the soil type and microclimate of individual vineyard sites; such is the attention to quality at Viña Ijalba. In addition, the bodega practices biodynamic farming, which means the viticulture at the estate is essentially organic, since no herbicide or chemical fertilizer is used. And, because the vineyards are planted on rocky ground, they must dig deep into the subsoil for water and nutrients, resulting in a pure intensity of flavor from low yields.
Completed in 1991, the actual winery at the Ijalba estate is in the vanguard of modern winery design with the focus on the total quality of the production. The winery includes pneumatic presses, temperature controls, and complete air conditioning of the facility. Yet, there are no chemical products used during wine making and they have returned to traditional methods such as foot treading for the venerable Tempranillo grapes. Such practices provide for the maximum extraction of soft tannins and fruit intensity from the grapes. At this bodega, every grape variety is treated like a celebrity and every aspect of the production is individualized- service with a smile.
Beneath the winery lies a traditional aging cellar, containing 2500 of the finest small oak barrels called barricas, where the Crianza and Reserva wines age to perfection. In a concession to modern technology, the aging cellar is temperature controlled so as not to risk temperature fluctuations that could adversely affect the wine.
Nowhere have we found another winery that combines such painstaking traditional methods, alongside state of the art technology, to produce such warm and friendly wines.
La Rioja:
A Special Wine Like most of the great viticultural regions of Europe, the face of modern Rioja was cast during the 19th century. With the hope of escaping phylloxera, the deadly vine louse found in Bordeaux, many successful Bordeaux growers began moving south across the Pyrenees to La Rioja in the 1870's. With them flowed the capital and the expertise to enrich and improve the already splendid grapes of La Rioja. They instituted extended barrel aging, which remains the signature of fine Rioja wines. Even today, modern Rioja spends more time in small oak barrels than almost any other modern wine. And, like Bordeaux, the wine of La Rioja is a blend of up to four premium grapes: Tempanillo, Mazuelo, Graciano, and Grenache. This unique blend of grapes, coupled with a long, lavish hiatus in small, American oak barrels called barriques, produces a warm, very dry,but richly fruity wine of great finesse and perfume that can be nearly immortal in great vintages.
Tasting Notes: From its tall, slender, one-of-a-kind bottle, with an eye-catching label, to the last drop of this elegant Rioja, the 1995 Viña Ijalba Murice Crianza is pure joy in a glass. Soft scents of fruit with hints of chestnut and vanilla pour from the glass, followed by the warm, fruity, exotic taste of fine Rioja on the palate. True to noble Riojan form, the Viña Ijalba finishes perfectly dry, its aftertaste lingering for nearly thirty seconds before waving good-bye.
Although quite drinkable now, the Viña Ijalba Murice can be put down for at least three to four more years before achieving its ultimate expression of quality and maturity. In order to assure the consumer of the best possible results for storage and aging, Viña Ijalba uses double weight, ultraviolet resistant glass that provides the maximum protection against ambient light and changes in temperature during shipment. The bodega also uses the best natural cork, larger than the standard cork, to protect against rapid oxidation and spoilage. For optimum enjoyment, decant this wine at least forty-five minutes before serving, especially when young.
Accompaniments: Like all fine Rioja, the Viña Ijalba Murice is best with grilled meats. It fares equally well with spicy, traditional Spanish dishes. One of our favorite Rioja accompaniments is a lightly seasoned sirloin steak on the grill. The more flavorful the dish, the finer this Rioja will show. We also suggest a feast of grilled lamb chops, brushed with garlic, olive oil, and rosemary to go with the Viña Ijalba. A roast loin of pork makes for another fine meal. For vegetarians, we suggest vegetable paella. In any case, take time to savor this lovely wine.
Quote for Red Wine:
"Wine is to the parched mind of man what water is to the sun-drenched plain. It releases the brakes of his self-consciousness and softens the hard-baked crust of dust so that the seeds below may send forth sweet flowers."
----André Simon (1877-1970)
Cava Avinyó: A Pearl of a Wine
Cava Avinyó is produced by the Esteve Nadal family of Avinyonet del Penedès. The winery is located at their home, Can Fontanals, in the heart of the Penedès region of Catalonia, near Barcelona. The family's delicious cava, or sparkling wine, produced by the painstaking champagne process, is the only wine the family makes for sale, preferring to concentrate their talents on what they do best.
The patriarch, Juan Esteve, planted vines of Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo 25 years ago so that he could have a fine sparkling wine for his family and friends. Today his two sons and his daughter carry on the tradition of Avinyó, providing a very small quantity of this exquisite bubbly for export.
Avinyó is produced from 40% free run juice. The resulting wine is aged in the cellar for a minimum of 18 months. The use of such a high percentage of free run juice gives the wine its fresh, but non-astringent character, while the extended bottle aging practiced at this estate winery contributes to a very long, flavorful finish. It is this long, distinctive finish that remains the signature of the estate's outstanding Cava.
On the Avinyó label, there is an inscription in Catalan that aptly represents the philosophy of the Esteve Nadal family. The inscription roughly translates into the following: "From the must of the flower, or free run juice, and with the rigor of a work well crafted." There also appears a tiara from the church of the local village. Indeed, the Esteve Nadal family has crafted a jewel that many in the wine trade have called "other worldly."
The masio, or farmhouse, that housed the winery is also the workshop of Fina Via, the wife of Juan Esteve, who is a renowned ceramic artist. Her works appear throughout the region and all of it is done according to the same traditional methods that were used during the seventeenth century in Catalonia.
"How much more beautiful the world would be with a little more art, a little more love, and a few more wines like the Avinyó Cava! Gracias Señor and Señora Esteve Nadal for doing your part- your pearls are not hidden, they shine forth in my glass," commented one of Avinyó's admirers. Certainly this tiny estate is doing its part to make the world smile. Salut!
Cava: Catalonian Bubbly
Cava may sound like java, but it tastes a lot like champagne. Produced by the traditional champagne method of fermenting the wine in the bottle, cava is Spain's answer (some would even say rebuke) to champagne.
Although cava can be made elsewhere in Spain, it is the Catalan versions from Penedés that have captured the world's attention. In fact, more fine champagne-method sparkling wine flows out of Catalonia than any other place on Earth, including Champagne. The limestone hills beyond Barcelona provide the ideal soil condition, nearly identical to that of Champagne, for the cultivation of the native Xarelo-lo, Parellada, Viura, and Macabeo grapes for sparkling wine. With the addition of champagne yeasts during the fermentation, the high-acid musts of Catalonia yield sparkling wines of rich flavor, softness and finesse to rival those of Champagne itself. Where cava may even have the "edge," is in its soft, round, lingering finish, the antithesis of French Champagne which can often possess just a bit too much nerve and acidity on the back end.
Centered around the town of San Sadurni de Noya, 20 miles west of Barcelona, the production of cava has taken the world by storm. In the past thirty years, the export of the cava has grown from a relative trickle to Spain's leading wine export; cava is presently the world's number one selling champagne-method sparkling wine.
Tasting Notes: Made in the same painstaking way as French Champagne, the Aviny Brut is a classic cava. A lovely pearl of a bubble beads to the top of the glass: soft scents of fruit, fresh bread and Chardonnay-like fruit delight the nose: apple, pear and the faintest hint of cinnamon caress the palate. Fun, flavorful, and easy to drink, the Avinyó Brut is one of the most enjoyable sparkling wines we've tasted in a long time. Kudos to the Esteve Nadal family for producing such charming, well-balanced champagne, or rather, cava, with such a beguiling aftertaste; it lingers for nearly a minute. Exhibiting neither an acidic bite nor a flat, flabby finish, this wine will change your mind about sparkling wines or make you wonder why you paid $125.00 for a bottle of Dom Perignon.
Accompaniments: Hors d'oeuvres such as smoked salmon with capers and onions, or that special someone are our favorite accompaniments to the Avinyó Brut. Like all fine sparkling wines, less is usually more. Usually, neither "heady" nor "heavy" will accentuate the subtle delicacy of sparkling wine. Although our preference is to consume the Avinyó Brut as an apéritif with family and friends, we do like what it does for lightly grilled or sautéed fish, and the fact that it will stand up to salmon in a fennel sauce attests to its diversity. You may also want to try it with veal or chicken. There are even a few among us who insist upon saving the bottle for dessert to finish with fruit, cheese, or simple biscotti. Perhaps you'll need to have a few bottles on hand-it goes down easy.
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