Tn – 2002 Uttaris Bierzo Crianza
After having written a short article on the grape [MencÃa->http://www.catavino.net/archives/244/2005/12/20/] I thought I would go and spread the word to others on this grapes potential for making great
The back history on this wine is a tale of two brothers. José Manuel y VÃctor Núñez owned vines in [Villadecanes->http://www.aytovilladecanes.com/default2.asp], some of which date back to the 1930’s, which they sold off from the harvest every year to wineries who actually produce wine from their grapes. It wasn’t until 20000 that they decided to jump into the mix and try to make a wine themselves from their own grapes. The entire vineyard at the start was 16 hectares of MencÃa, all trained in the goblet fashion. Quality was high and all they needed now was for their enologist, Ada Prada to draw it out.
For the most part I think they succeeded – if anything a bit too well. The problem I ran into was one of low expectations. I really didn’t expect an eight Euro wine to need air, time to breathe and even time to age. At first, I was worried I might have an off bottle as the tannins and acids seemed out of balance and a bit acrid. In truth, most of my tasting note only comes from the last sips as I realized that what was in the bottle wasn’t “off” wine but rather wine that needed some air and movement. In the end I was surprised at how well the wine came around and I can say honestly that this was a very nice bottle and good example of all that MencÃa can be.
Till next time,
Ryan Opaz
- 2002 Uttaris Bierzo Crianza – Spain, Castilla y León, Bierzo (12/26/2005)
Deep maroonish and very cloudy with a good deal of fine sediment.
Nose shows barnyard, with chocolate, strong herbal notes and rich fresh raspberry. Soft in the mouth with a bitter finish that eventually softens with a bit of time in the glass. Flavors of raspberry, and cherry are predominant with mint, and fresh cut herbs. The body is light with charcoal notes rounding it out.
[...] This month’s Wine Blog Wednesday wants us to explore the shops that bring us the juice, and where we “feel the loveâ€. Reserva y Cata is the one I choose. Currently, they only have two employees, Margarita and Ezequiel, which allows you always know who to expect when you climb down the stairs into their subterranean store. You also know you’ll find something new or have a chance to taste something different. Most of the time, there is a bottle open to try; however, make sure to ask for it, and if you speak Spanish, you’ll have a trained sommelier, Margarita to banter back and forth with about the wine in question. As far as selection, it is limited and small. When I asked the owner, Ezequiel, about his selection; he said that they focus on small producers with interesting products. Currently, they stock 300 of these intriguing labels. Along with this, they offer a small selection of incredible olive oils, some high end spirits and assorted wine accessories. For the most part, his customers are local residents, though being located near the popular night spots of Chueca has led to some tourists taking the time to stop in. When I asked him what he found interesting right now in Spanish wine, he stated that the best part of the job is finding a wine that both he and his customers can get excited about – and with the amount of wine that is currently being made on the Iberian Peninsula, he is always finding new exciting wines. Two of his favorites are Uttaris Mencia 2002 – a wine I recently reviewed here at Catavino, and Martinsancho Verdejo 2004 – one I look forward to trying. [...]