I spent 17 days in Spain and had the most amazing wine & culinary experiences as always. Spain is a country with very diverse climates and regional cuisine. This trip I focused on Northern Spain and visited 2 main DO’s. In Spain a DO is like and AVA or Appelation here in California. There are over 60 in Spain, 2 of which have DOC status which is the highest quality level given to an area. My trip started in Barcelona where I visited Penedes, the sparkling wine region that produces Cava. After Barcelona I took a train to San Sebastian which I can only describe as Santa Barbara meets French Riviera. From there Rioja is about 60km inland and one of the 2 DOC’s in Spain!
Txomin Etxaniz Txakoli | $22
(pronounced shakoli) is a slightly sparkling, very dry white wine with high acidity and low alcohol content produced in the Basque Country. The wine is a blend of Hondarrabi Zuri (90%) and Hondarrabi Beltza (10%), which are harvested at the start of October. It is normally served as an aperitif and drunk within one year of bottling as it cannot be stored for longer periods. The most common variety is pale green in appearance but red and rosé varieties exist too. When served, it is normally poured into tall glasses from height, often as an accompaniment to pintxos.
Marques de Geleida Cava | This tiny family owned and operated bodega is in the heart of Penedes, Spain’s Cava producing region. Penedes is a DO situated just 30 minutes outside of Barcelona, the culinary capital of Spain. Any of the tapas bars you walk into offer local fare and a glass of cava to accompany it whether it’s 9am to 2pm. At 15c we sell lots of cava and it is our house favorite for a couple of reasons. Cava has virtually the same requirements as Champagne. The wine must be bottle fermented and aged on the lees. This results in tiny bubbles that form strings of tiny bubbles that look like pearls. The ageing on the lees offers a rich yeasty creamy texture that you find in Champagne. The only major difference is that the grape varieties used are the traditional Pinot Noir and Chardonnay plus the traditional grapes of Penedes which include; parellada, xarelo and macabeo. The Geleida Cava is produced from all estate fruit and is the world’s first ever biodynamic cava.
Viura 90%, Malvasía 10%. This wine has aromas which tell us that it has spent a little time in the oak, cloaking it with a veneer of vanilla. A very bright, clear white wine which is packed with aromas of citrus and white-fleshed fruit, pears and their hearts. It has a freshness which lingers on the palate, with these citrus nuances which are alive, with this passion which is expressed in all its elements.
70 % Tempranillo, 20 % Garnacha, 10 % Mazuelo y Graciano. This oozes elegance from the outset, with rich toasted aromas telling of elegant wood, accompanied by black- and red-berried fruit, abounding in ripeness and finesse—warm attack and a dense, supple mouth-feel which overflows with plenitude.
70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 10% Mazuelo and Graciano. In Rioja for a wine to be a reserva it must age for a minimum 3 years. The Muga is aged for 6 months in traditional Riojan oak vats, 24 months in small oak barrels and 12 months in bottle. It is classic old world Rioja Tempranillo. It has those aged components of tobacco leaf and sweet spice along with bright red fruit and balanced acidity. For the money this is the best wine Muga makes in my opinion.
Brand new rose grown in their estate biodynamic vineyard in the Edna Valley. It is Grenache based and offers that fresh summer berry and tropical melon flavors that are looked for in a rose.
I hadn’t tasted these wines in a while and wow did they impress me. Anyone who knows my palate knows that I am not a big fan of domestic Sauvignon Blanc and that I usually recommend a Sancerre or New Zealand SB’s. Not this time, I really enjoyed this high acid stainless steel estate and organically grown Sauvignon Blanc from Santa Ynez! I also really enjoyed the price.
55% Grenache Blanc, 35% Roussanne, 10% Viognier. This is a rich yet playful summer white wine that is fermented in stainless but then sees a little bit of Hungarian oak. It has great acidity because of the Grenache Blanc and Roussanne that comes from the James Berrry Vineyard. There is a lot of tropical fruit: pineapple, honeysuckle, peaches and pear with a nice underlying minerality.
The first release of red wine in two years from these guys so get it while it lasts! Only 10 six packs total. According to Robert Parker: "One of the pioneers of world-class Rhone varietal-based wines produced in California’s Central Coast, John Alban had the courage and foresight to plant Viognier, Syrah, Grenache, and more recently, Mourvedre, in a region where no one else believed these grapes would thrive. His wines offer off-the-chart levels of concentration, and many of them are capable of lasting three to four decades. These flavor-filled wines are all made from frightfully low yields, and are now being given extremely long aging in barrel, the top Syrah cuvees spending 36-40 months in barrel. The results are wines that are nearly beyond belief in terms of richness and density. These are true artisanal wines meant for long-term cellaring that should only be purchased by patient connoisseurs who are able to defer their gratification for 8-10 years."
Epoch | Epoch Estate Wines, producer of ultra-premium Rhone variety wines from west Paso Robles releases their first vintage. With Matt Hobbs as the General Manager and Justin Smith from Saxum as the winemaker this is the hottest thing to come out of Paso since…well, Saxum!!!
Founded in 2004 by prospectors and oenophiles Bill and Liz Armstrong, it is committed to becoming one of the region’s leading wineries. More than 95 acres of estate vineyards, including the legendary Paderewski Vineyard, have been planted to 10 different Rhone variety grapes and a select amount of a zinfandel and tempranillo.
A blend of 48% grenache, 39% mourvedre and 13% syrah, the 2007 Philosophee was reticent on the nose but opened up nicely with air to show pure, fresh aromatics. Beautiful blackberry jam notes are mixed with spiced meat, underbrush and a hint of sweet oak on the nose and these carries over onto the palate where the wine is medium to full bodied, textured, balanced and silky. This showed more structure on the second day and is a knockout wine to drink over the next 10 years. 93 pts.
A blend of 46% grenache, 43% syrah and 9% petite sirah with a dash of mourvedre and zinfandel thrown in for good measure. On the nose, this has an almost funky earth slant and I thought there was more mourvedre than there actually was. Spiced meat, underbrush, leather and a little game notes are framed beautifully by serious dark fruit and licorice aromas. The palate is even better and is full bodied, perfectly balanced and stacked with a mouth coating, rich texture. The structure here is notable but the tannins are perfectly ripe and silky, making this enjoyable now. This is another winner to drink over coming decade or longer. 326 cases. 94 pts.
The Boqueria Market, as it is known today, has been through many phases of life. In the following words I'll try to give a faithful description of that rich history as we understand it. Where this market comes from is uncertain; what we are sure of is that it was born as a travelling market, placed in the Ramblas of Barcelona. La Rambla acquired growing importance as a pedestrian lane, and the market was set in the best place to attract the large numbers of passers-by and local inhabitants.
EVERY WEEK...
Mondays | Industry Night 20% off at the bar with your business card. For wine and restaurant industry
Wednesdays | Happy Hour 4 to 7, $3 glasses of wine and beer
Thursdays | Tapas nite, enjoy a bar topped with traditional Spanish tapas. $2 each
Fridays | Champagne, oyster and caviar bar all day! Oysters and caviar provided by Pier 46, along with 3 bubbles available by the glass, in a flight or choose from our wide selection of bottles
Saturdays | Flight night, featured wineries of regions or varietals.
Sunday 4th | Changed hours 11 to 2pm, come early to get all your supplies for 4th of July!
Saturday July 24th | Abalone BBQ
Join Brad Buckley of the Cayucos Abalone farm. He will be kicking off our new patio with an abalone BBQ! 6 to 9pm, $35 per person no reservations needed.
Mid State Fair | Mission Square
Ali will be doing mini wine educational seminars in the Mission Square weeknights during the fair.
Saturday 7th | Justin Vertical tasting
As my birthday approaches (Aug 1 is a big one), I decided to go through all my “old” wines I’ve collected over the years and do a little late Spring cleaning. What I found was a lot of wine that I should have enjoyed a few years ago.
I often get asked at the shop how long a wine will age or when is the prime time to consume a wine. The general rule to follow is that as wine ages the first thing that goes is the fruit. Therefore, if the wine in question is an extremely fruity wine like Zinfandel or rosé, or a lot of crisp fruity whites then the wine should be consumed within a year or two of its release vintage. The other general rule is that the more balance a wine has, mainly speaking about acid and tannin, the longer a wine will age and as it ages the more integrated the components of the wine will become. Therefore, if the wine in question is an overly tannic, high acid red like Barolo, some Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon then it will age for quite some time, 10 to 15 years if not more. If it is a high acid, mineral driven and sometimes sweet white then the wine may also improve with age, some examples include Chardonnays and Rieslings.
If you are not sure about a wine, email me or swing by 15c and we can discuss it together but remember wine is meant to be enjoyed so drink it while it still tastes good. And, if you are lucky enough to have a wine cellar make sure you are putting the correct wines in that cellar.
