The Restaurant Abiss in Calpe was a new venue for the Society. Although small, it was well appointed and the good food a worthy complement to the excellent wines offered for the tasting by Bodegas Bleda from Jumilla. The wines were introduced by Antonio Bleda the winery manager and fourth generation of the Bleda family and our old friend Luis Reynolds, the export manager. Bodegas Bleda is a family company whose origins date back to 1915 when it was founded by Don Antonio Bleda. In the summer of 2008 the bodegas headquarters was moved to Valle de Omblancas where it is surrounded by their vineyards at a height of 650 metres. The property covers 250 hectares of vineyards and the predominant grape variety is Monastrell. Even though the bodega employs the Monastrell as a fundamental base to their wines, they also produce other grape varieties such as Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah and the white varieties of Sauvignon Blanc and Macabeo.
Bodegas Bleda
All the wines tasted during the evening were available for purchase on the spot, and Luis pays regular visits to Moraira (Los Leones), bringing pre-ordered wines with him
The first wine tasted was a Pino Doncel Sauvignon Blanc 2010, a young white wine with French oaking. With a pale shiny colour and a complex aroma, it was fresh and fruity with tropical notes. In the mouth it tasted creamy with a smoked oak flavour, and with a good final acidity. It had an Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of 13% and could be purchased for 4€. This was followed by a Castillo Jumilla 2012 Rosado made from 100% Monastrell. The grapes were harvested during September and it was fermented for 20 days at a temperature of 18º C and then bottled after 3-4 months. It had a strawberry pink colour, a clean powerful bouquet with an intense aroma of fresh fruit. The ABV was 13% and the price was 3€.
The first red wine was an ecological Flor del Carche 2012 with an ABV of 15%, (actually 15.26%) which is very strong, made from 100% Monastrell. A dark cherry red colour, this wine had a bouquet of mature red and black fruits, very intense and complex. It was very well balanced with sweet and fruity tannins leaving an exquisite persistent aftertaste. Then came the pièce de résistance, a Pino Doncel ‘Cinco Meses’ (5M) 2012 made from 50% Monastrell, and 25% each of Syrah and Petit Verdot. The wine is made from selected handpicked grapes from the first week of September to midmonth October. Each grape undergoes separate fermentations under controlled temperatures between 20º C and 26º C, it is then aged five months (5M) in both French and American oak with a unique selection of different types of toasts. The wine was very yummy in the mouth, very expansive and round. It had intense aromas with a complexity which highlights the red fruit and its sweet and spicy nuances. The wine obtained the Gran Baco De Oro 2013 as the best red 2012 vintage wine of Spain and the Berliner gold Medal at the Berliner Wein Trophy 2013. It had a 14.5% ABV and cost 5€.
A Divus 2012 made from 100% Monastrell grown on 50 year old vines was tasted next. The grapes were harvested during the second week of October and underwent a long skin maceration of 25 days. For the ageing process, the wine was kept in new French Allier oak barrels with different toasts for a minimum of nine to ten months. It had a very intense and deep cherry red colour with purple and violet glints with bright nose aromas of spices, red and ripe fruits. In the mouth it was tasty and rich, very powerful with good acidity and with well-joined tannins.
The final offering was Amatus 2011 a premium sweet red wine made from 100% old vine Monastrell. Hand-picked harvest of selected grapes from old vineyards located 700 metres above sea level with the right ripeness of a late harvest. The grapes were subjected to a delicate cold maceration process for six days to obtain the highest concentration of colour, dry extract and fruity aromas. It had a dark red cherry colour with violet borders and a powerful aroma of red and ripe fruit. It tasted creamy with plenty of sweetness and intense fruit concentration. It has an ABV of 17% and cost 8€ for a 375ml bottle.
Rod Anderton proposed the vote of thanks to the speakers.
Gaby Ferenczy 20 Oct 2013