Ca La Ia Iaia is one of our regular venues and you either love it or hate it, opinion is divided.   However the table arrangement was changed for this meeting, which hopefully should make many people happier.   The restaurant always produces an excellent meal and this occasion was no exception, when 64 members and guests enjoyed the cuisine overseen by Luis-Miguel.   The wines are also always good and this time we enjoyed the produce of Bodega Vegalfaro, each wine being tailored to each course.   The presenter of the wines was Rodolfo Valiente the Manager and owner of the family run bodega.

The average scores awarded by members to each wine are shown in red.   All the wines can be purchased from A Catarla Todo in Teulada.

Bodega Vegalfaro is a 68 hectare estate located in the DO of Utiel Requena, well known for its use of the Bobal grape and in this Bodega Vegalfaro is no exception.   The bodega exports 85% of their wines.   Once the harvest has been finished in the early hours of the morning, and the best grapes have been selected, they proceed to treat each variety and each plot of land of the vineyard independently.   The vines are mainly made on espalier. However, for each plot of land on their vineyards, there are specific cultural practices, depending on the wine to be made.

With the first starter of Jamon Iberico we tasted the Velgafaro Rosado 2013 made from a blend of Merlot and Bobal.   The Merlot is harvested during the second week of September and the Bobal during the second week of October.   The wine has a nose of red fruit with notes of anis and in the mouth it is refreshing.   It has an Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of 13% and costs 6.25€.   A score of 79.8 points were given by members.

The second starter was a salad of gambas and calamares and this was accompanied by a Vegalfaro Chardonnay Blanco 2013, which is in fact a blend of 85% chardonnay and 15% Sauvignon Blanc.   The grapes have been grown in a higher part of the valley and harvested in the first week of September.   The wine is lightly oaked, having spent two months in French and Hungarian barrels.   A bright straw colour, the wine had a nose of tropical fruits and flowers and in the mouth is slightly oily with good acidity.   With an ABV of 13% it costs 8.50€.   The members awarded this wine 82.0 points.  

Finally with the third starter of sautéed mushrooms we tasted our first red, Vegalfaro Baricca 2013 made from a blend of 50% Bobal and  50% Merlot.   This wine is the result of different vinifications which are blended and remain in Hungarian oak barrel for a period of approximately 4 months.   The result is a wine with an ABV of 14% with a good intensity and a nose of red fruit and toasted notes, fresh in the mouth with mature tannins and good acidity.   It cost 5.25€.   This wine earned 82.3points from members.

With our choice of main course we were offered the El Agosto 2012 Bobal, the grapes being grown on 60 year old vines.   The wine has been oaked for 14 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels for 14 months and then spent a year in bottle before  being placed on the market.   The wine was powerful, full bodied with smooth mature tannins.   It cost 11.75€ and had an ABV

of 13.5%.   Members score this wine as 86.5 points

The desert of Torrijas de Pan Brioche with vanilla ice cream was accompanied by a Vino de Pago (see note), Pago los Balgueses Merlot.   The harvest for this grape is made in the last week of September awaiting the optimum maturity of the grape.    Its preparation uses traditional methods, the wine being aged on its lees.     The wine is kept in French oak barrels for 10 months.   The nose is intense and expressive, ripe black fruit, balsamic and a background of soft toast.  On the palate it has a medium body, fine acidity; the tannins are smooth and it is long and balanced.   It costs 14.50€ and has an ABV of 13.5%.   Society members gave it 86.0 points.

A vote of thanks to the speaker Rodolfo, to José our host and Luis-Miguel our restaurateur was given by Gaby Ferenczy

 

Note

Vino de Pago or VP was introduced into Spain in 2003. The Pago concept represents not just a new rung on the Spanish wine classification ladder, but also an entirely different method of classifying quality. Pago means an estate, especially when planted with vines or olives, so the simple explanation of what constitutes a DO Pago is that it is a single estate wine. The more significant judgment rendered by DO Pago status is that the estate can exist outside of an established DO. The wine from a DO Pago must be wholly created and bottled within that domain quality.   Each DO Pago is allowed to set its own rules, the grapes used, and the methods of viticulture, vinification, and aging, providing a flexibility not previously seen in Spanish wine law.

Text  by Gaby Ferenczy, photographs by Margaret Ferenczy