Thursday Newsletter- August 15th

August 15, 2013

Let’s take a trip to Rueda….Old Vines on the high-plains of Rueda,
100 miles North-West of Madrid

Michael Franz, winereviewonline.com: “Rueda is a legally delimited winegrowing region (or “D.O.” in Spanish wine lingo) located northwest of Madrid in the province of Castilla y Leon.  Wine grapes were grown there by the Romans, and it seems clear that the Verdejo grape was brought to the area by the Moors about ten centuries ago.  Rueda is situated cheek-by-jowl with Toro, which is famed for robust reds, but almost everything vinous in Rueda is white.  Although other grapes like Viura and Sauvignon Blanc are grown there (along with a few very rare red varieties), Verdejo has emerged as the undisputed star of the region.  And when I say “undisputed,” I mean it:  I never heard anyone offer a single syllable in favor of anything else, whereas everyone working in Rueda seems to believe that Verdejo is their ticket to the top”

Bodegas Ordonez Verdejo Nisia Rueda Old Vines 2011 ($14.95) $9.90 special

Josh Raynolds 90 points “(aged on its lees in stainless steel tanks and large French oak casks):  Pale gold.  A highly perfumed bouquet evokes pear, melon, anise, pungent flowers and candied ginger, with a stony nuance adding vivacity.  Sappy and focused, offering taut orchard fruit and citrus zest flavors and notes of honeydew and herbs.  Finishes with firm grip and very good clarity, leaving anise and floral notes behind.”

Robert Parker 91 points “The 2011 Nisia is made from 100% old vine Verdejo (the youngest vines were planted in 1942, and others are nearly 100 years of age). The wine is aged sur-lie, and fermented in both stainless steel and large format French oak. It is undeniably one of the finest Verdejos I have ever tasted. Yields were less than three tons of fruit per hectare, which is noticeable in the wine’s old vine intensity. Notions of caramelized white citrus and tropical fruit blossoms along with a naked, natural texture as well as finish make for a terrific dry white with loads of personality and complexity. This beauty sells for an absurdly low price.”