spanish wine dinner fri 6.12.09

Bon Appetit
Wine Dinner, Friday, June 12: The Wines of Torres
with Michael Pare of Capitol-Husting/Allstate Liquor and Wine with tapas meal

2007 Sangre de Toro Blanco/Viña Sol
100% Parellada, a traditional white grape, is what gives Viña Sol its distinctive fresh fruitiness. Tasting Notes: Elegant, fresh, fruity aromas with fine spicy hints. Smooth, rich and crisp on the palate, with plenty of fruity flavours (apples and pineapples) and a touch of spice (fennel).

2007 Vina Esmeralda
In the mountainous area of the Upper Penedès the more delicate and aromatic white grape varieties are grown. Moscatel and Gewürtztraminer form the basis for Viña Esmeralda, an exceptionally delicate and strikingly fragrant wine. A voluptuous, exotically perfumed nose, with deliciously well-defined primary aromas (some floral notes, roses, lilies...), complemented by secondary aromas derived from the wine’s controlled fermentation. Silky and sappy on the palate.

2007 Rose de Casta
A rosé wine, made from a combination of two traditional grape varieties: Garnacha and Cariñena. Tasting notes: Elegant cherry colour over a light purple background. Fine floral aroma reminiscent of flowers such as mimosa and iris, complemented by discreet fruity hints (plums, cherries). Its smooth, rich palate and delicate aromas are prolonged in the finish.

2004 Sangre de Toro Tempranillo
100% Tempranillo from Catalunya. Delicate floral aromas over a background of very ripe fruit, oak and truffles. Its tannins have a fruity, meaty structure that evolves into velvety touches of smoke and spices acquired during aging.

2006 Ibericos Rioja
Ibéricos takes its name from the Iberian Peninsula, a land of lonely oaks and ancient vineyards. 100% Tempranillo. Deep red cherry colour. On the nose, it reveals notes of forest fruits (blueberries and blackberries) balanced with dark-toasted notes from the wood. On the palate it has smooth tannins and fine fruity sensations.

2004 Gran Coronas
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Tempranillo. Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo are the grapes that bestow their nobility on Gran Coronas, a wine of a deep red hue, with ochre and brick-red touches from its ageing. The rich, sensual aroma is typical of the grape varieties recalling small red and black berries (cherries and blackcurrants), green coffee beans, liquorice and the characteristic vanilla and leather notes from ageing. On the palate the wine is full and silky with dense, well-structured tannins.