Tag Archives: wine of the day

Wine of the Day: Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 2007 6-21-16

Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, Spain 2007 750ML ($379.95) Buy Now: $249 special

Unico2007If Spain had an aristocracy of wines, Vega Sicilia would be king. (Pingus you could call a usurper to that throne.) Founded in 1864, over a century before creation of the Ribera del Duero DOC, the estate’s various owners have made singular wine ever since. In fact, Vega Sicilia can hardly be compared to other Spanish wines, not even the greats of La Rioja. For one thing, the grape varieties originally planted and still grown in Vega Sicilia’s 500-acre limestone-soil vineyard include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Malbec, though eighty percent of the vines are Tempranillo. As a result, Vega Sicilia doesn’t taste like other Tempranillo-based wines from Spain. It is dense and sumptuous, intense but full of finesse, complex and long-lingering on the palate, with the individuality of a monarch. This is like Spain’s First Growth, its Dominus.

Vega Sicilia bottles its Unico only in quality years. After very low yields on old vines, the wine spends time in wooden vats and oak barrels of different sizes before resting in bottle. Release of a vintage usually takes ten years or more, and the wine can develop for many decades in the cellar.

The cool 2007 vintage produced lively wines on the lighter side of the scale. Classic notes of cherry and plum, fresh flowers, leather, and tobacco combine with velvety tannins and firm acidity in a fragrant, bold wine that will impress now or in ten years. Long live the uncrowned sovereign of Spanish wine! – Daniel

Wine Advocate 95 points “They have kept 2005 and 2006 for now, and they are releasing the 2007 Único from a lighter vintage that is accessible already; they will even sell 2008 before 2005 and 2006. 2007 was a cold vintage in Ribera and it produced lighter, fresher wines (perhaps not as problematic as 2008, but there was also frost in 2007). The wine might be a tad lighter than other vintages, but it’s more structured than 2008; it combines elegance and power, is nicely balanced and should be able to develop in bottle for many years, although the quick evolution of the bottle once opened made me hesitate about its drinking window. Let’s hope I’m wrong. 80,000 bottles produced.” WA

Wine Spectator 94 points “This harmonious red is balanced and deep, offering ripe plum and currant flavors, with black pepper, tobacco, licorice and mineral accents. Delivers plenty of structure, with well-integrated tannins and lively acidity. The wine remains graceful through the long, spicy finish. Drink now through 2027”

Wine of the Day: Bodegas Emilio Moro Finca Resalso, Ribera del Duero 2014 6-21-16

Bodegas Emilio Moro Finca Resalso, Ribera del Duero 2014 750ML ($17.95) Buy Now: $11.90 special

emilmoroSometimes summer isn’t hot enough – or it’s too hot – and I need a burst of wine from a place known for summer heat (and winter freeze). In such cases, I head for a Ribera del Duero. The 2014 Emilio Moro Finca Resalso fits the bill, for just over ten bucks. Made entirely from young Tempranillo vines planted in Emilio Moro’s original vineyard, this wine warms the palate while refreshing the spirit. Four months in American and French oak lends backbone and sweet smokiness to this fruit-forward tinto. The tannins are smooth and round, as is the finish. Try it with paella, grilled veggies, or anything barbecued. Also try Malleolus, Emilio Moro’s luscious, premium cuvee, like AC on a sweltering afternoon. – Daniel

Josh Raynolds–Vinous 90 Points “Bright violet color. Spicy dark berries on the nose, with a suave floral quality building in the glass. Round and seamless in texture, offering sweet black and blue fruit flavors and a touch of smokiness. Shows more red fruit character on the finish, with silky tannins coming in late to add grip. This fruit-driven Ribera is pretty delicious right now.”

Wine of the Day: Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 6-20-16

Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ML ($24.95) Buy Now: $21.90 special
Case-12 Bodegas Muga Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain 2011 750ML ($299.95) Buy Now: $236 special

muga2011Imagine you are sitting in the hot Spanish sierra, eating handfuls of cherries with ripe, tart and sweet frutas del bosque (berries) from a satchel that smells of spicy leather, with hints of fresh-rolled tobacco on your fingertips. A breeze carries floral notes under your nose, and suddenly you realize that you’re not in the hills at all, or even in Spain. You’re sniffing a glass of 2011 Muga Reserva, and when you take a sip its fruit-forward character unfolds alongside rounded tannins, warming the mouth and begging for a bite of cochinillo (suckling pig, a Riojan specialty) and for another sip of this classic-yet-modern Rioja red. Open another bottle, after indulging in a siesta, and continue basking in Spain’s unique cornucopia of vibrant flavors. This is a wine to enjoy regularly. – Daniel

Wine Advocate 91+ points “The 2011 Reserva is mostly Tempranillo complemented with some 20% Garnacha, 10% Graciano and 5% Mazuelo. There are no stainless-steel vats at Muga, so everything is fermented in oak vats and this wine is then aged for one year in new French oak barrels and a further year in used ones (three to six years old), fined with egg white and bottled. It is a Rioja that mixes the traditional and modern character with ripe fruit and contains oak aromas that are quite spicy and have some toast and smoke that should integrate with a bit of time in bottle. The palate is medium-bodied, has clean flavors that are balanced with sweet tannins. This is easy to drink, pleasant but not banal, and delivers a lot for its price. An impressive half-million bottles are produced of this wine, which is sold as Crianza in Spain and as Reserva in the rest of the world. Year after year, one of the most reliable and affordable Reservas.” LG

Wine of the Day: Vincent Paris Cornas ‘La Geynale’ 2014 6-19-16

parisgeynalecornas14Domaine Vincent Paris Cornas La Geynale, Rhone 2014 750ML ($69.95) Buy Now: $59 special

Native to Cornas, Vincent Paris has been making wine since 1997. If it counts for anything, he’s got good neighbors looking after him – Auguste Clape and Thierry Allemand are both next door. Once Vincent’s uncle Robert-Michel – an esteemed grower – retired from winemaking, a bidding war ensued for his land which included the likes of Chave. Robert-Michel preferred to keep things in the family, selling to Vincent for below market value. Through hard work in the field and cellar alike, the ensuing years have proven Robert-Michel’s gesture to be as worthwhile as it was wise.

“La Geynale” is fermented with 100% whole cluster and aged 18 months in old oak. The flavor profile is dark, big, full, and boisterous. Seething minerality plays off of the bold fruit and violet flower notes; this cuvee has earned a reputation for being assertive and wild in addition to providing true value and a wonderful view into the capabilities and breadth of Cornas. – Tyler

Wine of the Day: Cameron ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir 2014 6-18-16

Cameron Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills 2014 750ML ($31.95) Buy Now: $24 special

cameron dundeeWith each release from Cameron,  don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone? Each time the wine comes into the shop, five-or-so cases high, I wonder how soon until our shelves need replenishing. The point being, this stuff sells – with good reason, too! We’ve secured another stash, but that’s not to suggest this little guy will be around forever…

The Dundee Hills cuvee is declassified Abbey Ridge + Clos Electrique selections from younger vines; the body is light but not flighty body, with rambunctious cherry and raspberry fruit leading into an herbal and measured finish. It’s probably the most precise and elegant release from Cameron in 2014, and warrants a drinker who occupies the space between decadent and disciplined – that is, to say, I suggest you buy ten or twelve bottles and drink a few now and a few later. Oh, Dundee Hills ’14. I could drink a case of you, darling. Still I’d be on my feet. I would still be on my feet. – Tyler