80 members and guests gathered at the Marriott in Denia to taste wines presented by Vinos Autóctones de España, based in Valencia.   Preident Tim Fawle welcomed new members and also new members of the committee and then introduced the managing Director of the company, Guillermo Ferrer.   He explained its philosophy as selling, distributing and exporting wine from bodegas with a small production which share their philosophy of respect for the man and the earth.   He had brought along five wines, two white and three reds, for tasting which fitted this company philosophy.   Anyone wishing to, can purchase any of the wines tasted direct from the company, on-line from the bodega or should contact Tim Fawle who will put in an order

However this was a tasting with a difference, as Tim Fawle assisted by Gaby Ferenczy ran the tasting as a tutorial on wine tasting.   The aim being to give new members, of whom there are now quite a few, some tips on wine tasting and scoring and for the old hands to provide a refresher.    The tutorial discussed the merits of each wine as it was tasted form a point of view of appearance, nose and taste and the sort of marking that might be given under each of these categories.   Views on the issues raised were sought from the assembled members.  Tasting and marking is covered on the Society Web page under Wine Tasting and Marking Notes

The first wine tasted was Pétrola Sauvignon Blanc 2012 from Bodega de Alort Premium Wines in the DO of Castilla de La Mancha.   As the name suggests the wine was 100% Sauvignon Blanc with an Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of 12%.   A limited edition, short run wine it was a clean, bright, very pale golden yellow with green edges and with a slow tear. The nose was tropical fruit and citrus and the palate fresh with balanced acidity and in the mouth it had a very elegant clean finish.   The wine costs 8€ scored 86 points in the Guía Peñín and Society members gave it an average of 80.8 points.

The second wine was Seminare 2013, a Vino de la Tierra, from the bodega of that name, located in Val do Miño in the area of Ribeira in Galicia.   It is highly unusual in that it is a blend of Albariño, Godello and Treixadura which the web site Wine-Searcher calls a Rare White Blend, meaning that it is made from uncommon or unusual grape variety blends.  

The wine is clear,clean and bright and a pale yellow colour with greenish reflections.   It has an intense and elegant nose with primary aromas of peach and apricot and light tropical notes of pineapple and mango.   In the mouth it is full, round, smooth and slightly sweet, with excellent acidity and structure. Slightly bitter and very long finish.   With an ABV of 13%, it costs 12€ and it scored 90 points in the Guía Peñín and members scored it 84.8.

The next two wines were reds from Bodega Keininger, located in Ronda in the Malaga area, which was established by an Austrian, Martin Keininger, in the year 2000.   The first wine was a Vinana Pinot Noir 2011 Crianza, which is a blend of 85% Pinot Noir and 15% Merlot.   The wine  spent 12 months in new and used French and American Oak barrels.  Cherry coloured with a violet rim, the wine had an aroma of wild herbs, was well balanced and in the mouth powerful, rich, spicy and with a long elegant finish.   Production was 1,173 bottles.   The wine has an ABV of 14% members gave it 85.4 points, it received 92 points in the Guía Peñín and costs 17€ a bottle.

 

The second wine was very unusual in that, Martin Keininger started a wine growing project by importing 4,000 vine stumps and planting them on his estate in Ronda.   The vines were Blaufraenkisch, Blauburgunder and Zweigelt varieties which were totally new to the area.   The product we tasted was 7 Vin Zweigelt 2011 Crianza which is a monovarietal Vino de Mesa made from 100% Zweigelt grape.   It had spent 6 months in French and American oak 1 to 3 years old.   Production was 1,200 bottles with an ABV of 14%.   The wine was cherry coloured with a violet rim, with an aroma of ripe fruit and spices.   In the mouth it was powerful, rich and with ripe tannins.   The Guía Peñín awarded it 91 points members scored it as an average of 88.6 and it costs 15€.

The final wine which we tasted was a Rompesedas 2007 Tinto Crianza produced by the Coral Duero winery located in El Pego, Zamora in DO Toro.   It is 100% Tinta de Toro, which is genetically a Tempranillo grape.   The wine was produced from hand-selected grapes, with an 18-month ageing period in new oak barrels (70% French, 30% American) and a minimum of 12 months in the bottle.   Cherry red in colour with medium-high intensity, it has subtle and complex aromas dominated by notes of black fruit, combining hints of cinnamon and chocolate. This is a powerful wine in the mouth, with soft and sweet tannins giving it a silky feel; accompanied by pleasant aromatic sensations in the nose.   It was given 89.4 points by members, received 92 points in the Guía and costs 16€.

A vote of thanks to Guillermo Ferrer and the two tasting presenters was given by the Vice-President John Sloggie.

Text by Gaby Ferenczy, Photos by Margaret and Gaby Ferenczy                                                                                                                                                                                 March 2015