Tasting Notes (March 27): Put Another Shrimp on the Grill de Carbon

I'm back from NOLA and reasonably caught up with work, so it's time to post my notes from the "Spain and Australia" tasting.

Two things make this matchup interesting to me.

First, there's the fact that Spain, perhaps more than any other of the big four (France, Italy, Germany, and Spain), is where you're most likely to find ripe, lush, new-world-style wines alongside more traditional styles. In Rioja, for example, it's generally acknowledged that there are "traditional" and "modern" styles of the tempranillo-based wines produced there (both can be, and often are, delicious). And the wines of Priorat, as a class, are as big and dense as a ripe and well-structured Napa cab. So, from this perspective, the pairing of Spanish and Aussie wines makes perfect sense.

Second, it's hard not to think that Spain has caught up with and perhaps even overtaken Australia as the world's premier producer of great wines at affordable prices (Chile has to be in the running, too, but that's another post). Sure, Australia's got Layer Cake, Boarding Pass, and Milton Park. But Spain has Altos de Luzon, Las Rocas, and Mas Donis. And the way this tasting shakes out, the contest hasn't been settled. Sure, I just about flipped my lid for a couple of the Spanish wines, while I merely really enjoyed the Aussies (though the Mitolo is actually on par with the Spaniards). But a quick scan of the prices explains that difference. Sadly, more research on my part is obviously needed to sort out which country has the better quality-price-ratio wines.

Now, the notes:

1. Emilio Moro Ribera del Duero 2003 (Spain; $38.99/bottle)
The nose on this beautiful red is rich and spicy, with lots of blackberry and black currant and a healthy dose of toasty oak. On the palate it is medium-to-full bodied, with ripe berry, tobacco, earth, and pepper notes. There is plenty of structure to balance the plush fruit, suggesting a potential for 3-5+ additional years in the bottle. Very nice.

2. Les Eres Priorat 2001 (Spain; $64.99/bottle)
This big, tannic, full-bodied red smells like vanilla-spiked plums, dark berries, and damp earth. On the palate, sweet dark berries and vanilla are quickly followed by a blast of fresh cracked black pepper, with spearmint lingering on the finish. Very good now; in 5-7 years it will be a knockout.

3. Torre Muga Rioja 2003 (Spain; $92.99/bottle)
I was already giddy at this point in the tasting, so I just about passed out when I tried this ridiculously good Rioja. It's delicious, yes, but also complex and elegant. The nose of black plums, chocolate, and oak gives way on the palate to rich layers of dark fruit, tobacco, leather, and oak. Ultra-fine tannins are velvety smooth and gripping at the same time. There is still aging potential here (5+ yrs), but why wait?

4. Jip Jip Rocks Shiraz 2006 (Australia; $16.99/bottle)
On this night, this shiraz had an intriguing nose of blackberries, oak, and Worcestershire sauce. What's more, the Worcestershire sauce was present on the thick, full-bodied palate as well, along with ripe black and blue berries and a dash of salt and pepper. You may not find this description appealing, but the flavors actually harmonized quite well. A wine to think about as well as drink, and a good value at <$20. 5. Fetish Playmates 2005 (Australia; $23.99/bottle) This blend smells like R Wines' well-known Boarding Pass Shiraz, with aromas of blackberry, clove, spice, and violets. Rich and juicy on the palate, with big flavors of blueberry jam and peppery spice. Not overly complex, but very tasty.

6. Mitolo G.A.M. 2005 (Australia; $49.99/bottle)
With blackberry, light oak, and a faint hint of green olive on the nose, this red blend is a rare breed: while it is expectedly ripe, rich, and full-bodied, a strong wave of pepper along with a backbone of lightly drying tannins serve as counterpoints to the lush fruit, resulting in a more elegant (and seemingly lighter) wine than most mid-range Aussie reds. A real winner.

7. Tokaj Kereskedohaz Tokaji Aszu Eszencia
Because, as odd-wine out, this Hungarian dessert wine wasn't listed on the official Stimmel's tasting sheet, I don't have the date or price for it, but I'm pretty sure I have the winery and the wine right. There was some confusion about whether this was an Eszencia or an Aszu-Eszencia, since the bottle uses both terms. But, given the wine's alcohol content (at or above 10%, if memory serves), I have to think it's regular 5 or 6 puttonyos Tokaji with the rare nectar Eszencia added, rather than the pure nectar itself, which has so much sugar that it often doesn't get above 5% alcohol. It's got a nose of golden raisins and honey, with mesmerizing flavors of date, fig, honey, and a little bit of smoke. Nice acidity works hard to balance the sweetness and does a pretty good job of it. The finish is pure wild, raw honey, though after a couple of minutes it takes on a tobacco-like quality. I love tokajis, and I love this tokaji.