The Punta Negra restaurant at the Hotel Les Rotes in Denia provided the attractive back drop for 61 members and guests to enjoy a wine tasting given by the bodega Vera de Estenas from Utiel-Requena. Mario Gill, the commercial manager and Felix Martinez, the oenologist from the bodega introduced the tasting and the five wines and a cava which were tasted during the evening. All the prices given for the wines were a special offer for the evening for the members and even further discounted when bought by the case.

Vera de Estenas is a family owned bodega, the Martinez Roda family being the sole owners. The vineyards are situated on a gentle slope, the highest point reaching 720m. Due to its high altitude and continental position this area is prone to more extreme temperatures than the rest of the community of Valencia. Also a very significant factor is the marked difference between the day and the night temperatures, which can reach 20 degrees difference. On the hills the soil is predominantly a calcareous crust with a stony surface. This relatively poor soil is very suitable for producing quality wines and the yield is not allowed to exceed 3kg per vine.

Each of the first four wines tasted was accompanied by a Tapas starter which was appropriate to the wine being tasted. The first wine tasted was 2011 Vera De Estenas Blanco a blend of 80% Macabeo and 20% Chardonnay. It had a clear bright yellow colour, an intense nose

and a long finish. With an Alcohol by Volume (ABV) of 12% it received 89 points in the Guia Peñin and was offered to members at 3.50€. The Estenas Rosé which followed was 100% Bobal a grape indigenous to Utiel-Requena and which displayed all the characteristics of this grape. It was bright and clear, had an intense fruity bouquet, fresh in the mouth with a pleasant after taste. The ABV was 12% and the wine was offered at 4€ per bottle with a discount for a case.

The first Red was a 2012 Vera De Estenas Matured half Crianza having been aged for 3 months in oak barrels. It was an interesting blend of 50% Bobal, 20% Merlot, 15% Tempranillo and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. A bright and clean colour with shades of purple, a dominant bouquet, it was smooth and well balanced in the mouth with well integrated tannins. The ABV was 13.5% and was being offered at an exceptional value of 5€ per bottle.

There then followed a cava to accompany the Ensalada de Salmón Marinado which was 70% Macabeo and 30% Chardonnay which had been fermented in oak barrel giving it a special touch. It was bright, clear with a straw colour with a hint of green, with a mousse of small bubbles. It had an ABV of 11.5% and was being offered at 8€ per bottle.

To accompany the main course, having in the interim enjoyed a sorbet De Mojito, was the second red a 2009 Vera De Estenas Crianza a blend of Bobal, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, the former two having been oaked in French barrels for at least six months and the latter in American oak. With an ABV of 13.5 it was a well balanced wine, full bodied in the mouth and a long after taste. The Guía Peñín awards it 90 points and it was being offered at 7€.

Finally the piece de resistance served with a rich chocolate dessert which it complemented perfectly was the 2009 Casa Don Ángel Bobal, made as its name suggests from 100% Bobal. The grapes were selected from more than 100 year old Bobal vines, pruned to produce a low yield of 2kg per vine. It was dark red in colour, a full bodied wine with a lingering aftertaste. It had an ABV of 14.5%, scored 93 points in the Guía Peñín and was offered at 16€ per bottle.

Caryl Sellars proposed the vote of thanks to the restaurant staff, the bodega and the presenters

Gaby Ferenczy – May 2013