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2007 D. Ventura Vina Caneiro Ribeira Sacra

May 8, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

The UnCorker moves it’s way through yet another obscure Spanish DO – this time a tiny neighbor to Bierzo that also specializes in the Mencia grape – DO Ribeira Sacra. Here is an appellation curiously immune to international “tastes” and the Spanish tendency to oak and/or blend their way towards uniform flavor 21413_lg profiles. A region that emphasizes natural wine-making, vine-to-bottle minimalism, finesse, and terroir – a Spanish wine region that’s basically, well, umm… French – at least the pre-modern, pre-Robert Parker France of Kermit Lynch’s imagination. Comparing this wine to a cru Beaujolais is not a stretch – it’s fruity and soft, combines freshness with minerality, and has acidic grip and expressive terroir. It’s fun to drink and great at table, and it doesn’t kick your (or your palette’s) ass. Is it worth $27? Well, that’s another story. That all depends on your point of view, and how much of a wine-store-clerk reactionary anti-snob you are against black, tannic, extracted oak-monsters. We like it all, but frankly – based on pure taste, if this wine was $5-$8 less we would feel better about the deal.

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2007 Descendientes De J. Palacios Bierzo ‘Petalos’

May 5, 2009 | In WINE REVIEWS | No Comments

The soils of the Bierzo D img-display O, in the northwest of Spain, are primarily slate, granite and schist- not its only parallal to Priorat; there were also old neglected hillside vineyards full of low yielding mencia, showing potential for terroir driven wines. And like Priorat, ambitious quality minded producers flocked, much to our benefit. Of course the rush was followed by those that planted mencia on unsuitable, fertile soils, producing light and often insipid wines with no character and lots of dilution. The similarities don’t end there-the Palacios name is one of the giants in Priorat, and they have done for Bierzo what they did for that region, reclaiming small old vineyards and making deep wines.

The 2007 Petalos is the entry level wine from Descendientes De J. Palacios and is The UnCorker’s vote for best wine under $20- just a touch of new oak before being put in big old tonneaux this wine is concentrated, with dark berries and accompanied by some smoky, crunchy minerality. Blackberry on the nose accompanied by smoke and flowers, fields of flowers! Violets and white flowers- a well integrated and sweet tannic bite on the back end adds complexity and a tautness that surprised us- really, the pleasure this wine provides is immense- the kind of wine that makes us UnCorkers gush.