Castillo de Fuente, 2007 ($7.99) and Vina Carosa, NV ($7.99) - I won't wax poetic about these easy-drinking, $8 Spanish wines, but they are attractively fruity, cleanly made, and they certainly won't spoil your Wednesday night hamburger.

Señor Sangria, NV ($8.99) - Yes, Charlotte, this is the first time we have ever gotten even remotely excited about a Sangria. I've been following the development of this product since last year when the earnest Rick Martinez came into the store with his girlfriend (now fiancée) and told me he planned to create and market a high quality Sangria using real fruit. What can I say? It won't compete with Chateau Latour or Joseph Phelps Insignia, but this is a delicious, all natural, summer quencher that leaves commercial Sangrias in the dust.

Montebuena Rioja, 2009 ($11.99) - Red wines released this soon have typically been manipulated for drinkability at the expense of texture and complexity, but here the outstanding 2009 vintage in Spain produced intense fruit that is extremely appealing despite the lack of extensive wood aging to soften the tannins. Robert Parker: 90 "100% Tempranillo. Dark ruby-colored, it offers an appealing perfume of spice box, leather, tobacco, and blackberry. It is packed with ripe fruit and has outstanding concentration and impeccable balance. This great bargain offers a preview of the great 2009 vintage in Rioja and northern Spain in general. It should drink well from 2010 through 2018." Montebuena is produced by Bodegas Burgo Viejo, a cooperative that was founded in 1987 by six families of farmers. Leading winemaker Gorka Etxebarria has been working with Burgo Viejo since 2003. Most of the vines are 30 years old.

Ursa Maior Rioja Tinto, 2007 ($9.99) and Rioja Crianza, 2007 ($13.99) - Tasting both of these value wines is educational. The tinto, which sees little if any wood, is quite pleasant, but it is a simple wine. The crianza saw one year in oak and is a much more complete wine with nuances, even better balance, and a smoothness of texture.

Baronia del Montsant Flor de Englora, 2006 ($17.99) - Another Spanish winner! Parker: 92! “A candidate for best red wine value in my Spanish tastings. It is a blend of 63% Garnacha, 32% Carinena (Carignan), and the balance Syrah and Merlot aged in stainless steel. Purple-colored, it offers a captivating bouquet of mineral, black cherry, and black raspberry. This is followed by a plush, rich, layered wine with gobs of sweet fruit and no hard edges. It exhibits superb balance and a long finish. It is all about pure pleasure. Drink it now-2013.”  

Bodegas Lan Rioja Reserva, 2004 ($18.69) - Another Wine Spectator "Top 100" wine! "90 points. A silky texture carries expressive flavors of black plum, violet, licorice and smoke in this focused, balanced red. Has good intensity yet remains vibrant and accessible. Drink now through 2012." Very limited.

Bodegas Y Vinedos Maurodos “Prima,” Toro (Spain), 2005 ($20.99) - This is the new vintage of a wonderful Spanish wine from the Toro district. This obscure part of Spain produces some superb wines. Prima is a big, highly extracted wine that is soft, spicy, and very appealing. It is made from 100% Tinta de Toro (Tempranillo) and was aged 11 months in French and American oak. Both Robert Parker and Stephen Tanzer rated this wine 90 points. Tanzer: “Spicy cherry and dark chocolate aromas are underscored by minerals and orange zest. Sweet raspberry and kirsch flavors are impressively pure and deep... Gains sweetness on the long, spicy finish. This outstanding value offers the complexity of wines costing much more.”  We still have some of the 2004 at the same price - Robert Parker: 90 “The 2004 Prima is 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) aged 11 months in French and American oak and bottled unfiltered. It reveals notes of cedar, pencil lead, black currant, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, the wine’s personality is fruit-filled and flavorful. It has fine depth and concentration, and the tannin is ripe. This strong effort will evolve for 2-4 years and drink well through 2017. It is an outstanding value.”

Falset Márça Old Vines, 2003 ($19.99) - Certain wines make you step back and say, “Wow!” This is one of them. From the hills of Montsant, Spain, which is very close to Priorat, this big, delicious blend of 85% Garnacha (Grenache) and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon is fabulous and a real value. The grapes were grown on a vineyard with an 11% slope, which is difficult for the workers, but great for the quality of the wine. The excellent drainage and very poor soil ensures low yields. Jordi Alonso was the winemaker for this 1200-case cuvée. Stephen Tanzer 90 “Inky ruby. Deep, powerful, and exotic on the nose, with intense cola, licorice, cherry liqueur, and oak spice aromas; this smells like a serious, big-bucks wine. Suave, silky, and lush, the cherry and dark berry flavors show great intensity and sweetness and are given focus and support by fine-grained tannins. Pliant and sweet through the strikingly pure, bright, long finish. A superb bargain.”

Obalo Rioja Crianza, 2008 ($20.99) - I was blown away by the intensity and character of this gorgeous crianza. Big, rich, and full, this 100% Tempranillo has a nice touch of oak. Parker 90+: "The 2008 gives up a toasty nose of leather, incense, violets, and blackberry. Structured on the palate with excellent grip and length, this can be enjoyed now through 2020. Bodegas Obalo is located in the foothills of the Sierra Cantabrias."

Earth 2.0 Reserva, Navarra, 2003 ($23.99) – The Navarra district in north-east Spain wraps around the eastern and southern part of Rioja, and it frequently offers better value than its famous neighbor. This blend of 50% Tempranillo and 50% Merlot comes from an organically certified vineyard that has seen no herbicides or artificial fertilizers for three years. After a warm, eight-day fermentation in stainless steel, the wine is transferred to oak barrels for 18 months of aging. The extensive oak aging shows in the wine. Deep cherry color pairs with complex toasted oak aromas and ripe, dark fruit with spices. It is a smooth but powerful wine with lingering but soft tannins. This attractive, modern-style wine is excellent with steaks and roasts.

El Coto Rioja Reserva "Coto de Imaz," 2004 ($23.99) - We’ve carried the El Coto Rioja Crianza since it was our Wine of the Month in 2005, but this is the first time we’ve carried the Reserva. Made from selected Tempranillo grapes from El Coto’s vineyard in Rioja Alta (the Crianza also uses grapes purchased from growers in Rioja Alavesa). It was given a long maceration with the skins and after which it was aged 18 months in American oak barrels. It was further aged for 24 months in the bottle before release. This is just a beautiful example of a traditional Rioja. Soft, oaky, elegant, and very refined, it is a supple, pleasurable, medium-flavored wine. El Coto was founded in 1970 and has grown dramatically since then. The Reserva is named for the estate surrounding the medieval fortress pictured on the label. Monks cultivated vineyards surrounding the Fortress of Imaz as early as the 16^th century.

Martinez La Orbe Rioja, 2002 ($22.99) - This is the replacement for the stunning 2001 vintage. From a clearly more challenging vintage, it none-the-less is a very successful wine with plenty of flavor and finesse. Parker 87: “The 2002 La Orbe spends 12 months in French and American oak, exhibits leathery, spicy, graphite characteristics along with sweet cherry and black cherry fruit infused with toasty vanilla. It is best consumed 2005-08”

Condada de Haza, Ribera del Duero, 2002 ($22.99) - This is a terrific replacement for the 1995 and 1996 vintages. This is a new property of Alejandro Fernandez, the owner of Pesquera. Rich, chocolatey and moderately oaked this is good stuff! Delicious now, but seems to have the stuffing to last a few years. Recent vintages have all received Wine Spectator 92!! ratings.

Venta del Puerto Noiz Selección Especial, 2005 ($24.99) - We have often focused on the inexpensive wines of Spain (four monthly selections over the last year have been Spanish), but many excellent values are also being made in the middle price range. Wine making in Valencia predates the Romans, but the region was thought to be too hot for top quality. Recently there has been a dramatic improvement in the best of the local wines. This blend of Cabernet, Merlot, Tempranillo, and Syrah from low-yield, head-trained vines shows the wood influence from 10 months in American oak, but it has vibrant and balanced fruit. It comes from Bodega la Viña de Font de la Figuera, a cooperative that dates to 1944. With vineyards totaling over 5000 acres, it produces wines that range from basic, everyday plonk to this superb Selección Especial.

Los 800, 2003 ($24.99) - Here is another Spanish wine that offers tremendous value. Compare this to a $40 California Cabernet! The name of this Priorat wine derives from the fact that all the vines are planted at an altitude of at least 800 meters. Aged for six months in a combination of French and American oak, this blend of 50% Grenache, 30% Carignane, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Syrah is not a huge wine. But there is good depth of fruit, the balance is superb, and it components are beautifully integrated. Stephen Tanzer: 90 “Bright red. Fresh raspberries and candied cherry on the nose plus a jolt of minerals adding energy. Crisp, nervy red berry flavors are underscored by zesty minerality and gain sweetness on the finish. Very fresh and elegant, especially for the price.”

Adegas Moure Moure de Autor, Ribeira Sacra - Galicia, Spain, 2009 (reg. $45, sale $39.99) - This is our first of the interesting Spanish wines made from the indigenous Mencia (pronounced men-THEE-a) grape. This one comes from northwest Spain, not far from the Albariño district. Itfs delicious! Parker: 91 "The purple-colored 09 Moure de Autor is a blend of 85% Mencia and 15% Tempranillo aged for 22 months in French oak. Pain grille, pencil lead, incense, and exotic spices make for an inviting, slightly kinky bouquet. Elegant, complex, and lengthy, it will deliver prime drinking from 2013 to 2021." I've always wanted to try kinky!

López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Rioja Reserva, 1996 ($44.99) -You may have noticed Eric Asimov’s article in the New York Times about traditional Riojas (www.nytimes.com/2009/08/12/dining/12pour.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=lopez&st=cse). Much of the article was devoted to Lopez de Heredia. I visited this amazing winery in 2003 and was blown away by the cobwebs and the fact that Lopez doesn’t release any of their wines until they are at least six years old. Many cuvées are held back until they are even older. Little about López de Heredia has changed in the 125 years since its founding. The family adheres to the tradition begun in the 1880’s - to make wine only from their own vineyards, using natural yeasts, long aging in wood, and no filtration at bottling. Most of its competitors are now owned by outside investors, but López de Heredia is owned and operated by the family who founded it. The bodega is now in the capable hands of the family’s youngest generation, Maria José, Mercedes, and Julio Cèsar.
        López de Heredia’s greatest wines are their two red Gran Reservas - Viña Tondonia and Viña Bosconia - aged 6 to 8 years in immaculate old barrels which mellows the fruit, allows for natural clarification, and gives the wines great complexity. Tondonia, Gravonia, and Bosconia are single-vineyard sites where López grows all its fruit. The reds are a blend of 75% Tempranillo, 15% Garnacha (Grenache), with some Manzuela and Graciano. Backbone and alcohol are provided by Tempranillo and Garnacha, respectively. The acidity and color come from the Graciano, which is high-yielding, and Manzuela, which has a very long ripening cycle. Neither reach full maturity thus providing the acidity for which López is famous.
         Most of their wines are very expensive, so it is a pleasure to offer one that is affordably priced. Stephen Tanzer: 91 “Moderately saturated medium red. Aromas of cherry syrup and charry oak. Ripe but dry with a lush, dense texture and intriguing flavors of strawberry, cherry, and minerals. A really seamless and mellow Rioja, finishing with soft tannins and lovely ripe, but firmly dry, red fruit flavors.” If you haven’t tasted traditional style Rioja - no chemicals, no pesticides, no chaptalization, no machines, only hand-harvesting, hand-racking with oak funnels, 4 barrel-makers on staff, etc., etc. - López should be at the top of your list.Viña Cubillo Crianza, 2003 ($27.99) - The least well known of Lopez’s four vineyards, Viña Cubillo wines are generally released as Crianzas whereas the other red wines are typically Reservas and Gran Reservas. Lopez chose not to label this wine "Gran Reserva" even though it meets the legal minimum of two years in barrel and three additional years in bottle at the bodega. The 2003 vintage was difficult because the record heat and drought caused most vines to shut down for self preservation without fully ripening the grapes. The old vines of Cubillo were able to draw enough moisture from deep underground to avoid this problem. When rain finally fell in September, the vines were in good shape and were able to finish ripening. The harvest, between September 14th and October 23rd, was one of the longest harvests in the bodega’s history. This unfiltered blend of 65% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha, and the remainder Mazuelo and Graciano was aged three years in wood (the legal minimum for Crianza is only 12 months). It is dramatically rich for Lopez and is capable of aging at least another eight years.
Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, 1987 ($99.99), Viña Tondonia Gran Reserva, 1985 ($124.99), and Viña Bosconia Gran Reserva, 1981 ($124.99) - These are world-class wines that every serious wine lover should experience at least once in his or her life. The Bosconia was aged for six years in barrel; the Tondonia wines saw eight years of barrel aging! Complex, refined, and fully mature, these wines will remain at their plateau for many years.

Bodegas Tritium Tempranillo, Rioja, 2003 ($36.99) - Robert Parker: 91 “The delicious 2003 Tritium, 100% Tempranillo, was bottled for the importer by Vinicola de Alcanadre, a cooperative. It is medium to dark ruby in color with aromatics that just won’t quit. Spicy red and black fruits with hints of cedar and smoke are followed by an elegant, medium bodied wine with a velvety texture and intense, lingering flavors. Close your eyes and you might think you were drinking great Burgundy.” Montegrossi Chianti Classico Riserva San Marcellino, 2003 ($49.99 net) - Robert Parker: 91 “The 2003 Chianti Classico Riserva San Marcellino (100% Sangiovese) saw 18 months in small oak barrels. It represents a sweeter, fatter interpretation of Chianti Classico in super-ripe dark fruit, chocolate, and toasted oak nuances, with excellent length and fine overall balance. It should drink well for another decade and will show its best if opened a few hours prior to serving. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2017.”

San Vicente, Rioja, 1999 ($44.99) -  One of Rioja’s perennial winners, San Vicente makes wines that are Pomerol-like, but with more intensity. It is made from 100% Tempranillo, spends 20 months in new American and French oak, and is bottled unfiltered. This 1999 is developing nicely, but it’s already plump and seductive. Parker: 92 “The dense, hedonistic, jammy 1999 boasts loads of fruit and glycerin, as well as additional ripeness, volume, fat, and depth. Displaying the same black currant, jammy cherry fruit, and copious toasty new oak characteristics, it will provide enjoyment during its first decade of life.” I would age this another year or two.

Burgáns Albariño, Rias Baixas, 2004 ($14.99) - This second label of Martin Codax is stunning. Harvested 10 days after most Albariños, it shows more ripeness of fruit, a wonderfully floral bouquet, and remarkable balance between its fruit, body, and acidity. A touch of carbon dioxide gives it a lively, crisp finish. One of our best $15 white wines.

Nessa Albariño, Rias Baixas, 2007 ($15.89) - Adegas Gran Vinum is a small, modern, family-owned winery that opened in its current form in 2002. It was founded on land owned and lovingly cultivated by the owner’s grandparents so that the winery employs old traditions to balance its modern equipment and methods. The winery is located in Galicia, in northwest Spain on the border with Portugal and on the Atlantic Ocean. This Albariño was made from a combination of young estate-grown vines and purchased fruit, fermented in stainless steel, and aged on its lees for a few weeks. It displays fresh orange and lime citrus with a lively fruity structure, a crisp, refreshing flavor, and an easy drinking profile. It should be perfect with seafood, light salads, Asian cuisine, or chicken with plenty of citrus fruits or glaze. Stephen Tanzer: 87 “Green-tinged gold. Wonderfully pure and bright nose features pungent, mineral-laced apple, pear and nectarine accented by crushed stone, jasmine and pungent herbs. Racy, focused orchard and citrus flavors show excellent spine and thrust. Persistent finishing flavors of pungent herbs, minerals and lemon zest.”

Martin Códax Albariño, 2008 ($16.59) - If you are a fan of the lovely Albariños from north-west Spain, or if you just want to try a new one (or even your first), this is the wine for you! The Albariño grape is distinguished from others in that it grows in very small clusters and contains a high sugar content and high acidity that give the wine softness yet freshness. The Martin Códax Winery (named for a 13th century Galician minstrel whose preserved manuscript is in the Morgan Library) is essentially a co-op founded by a group of grape growers in 1986. Luciano Amoedo, one of the founders of the co-op, is the winery’s enologist and head of R&D in conjunction with local universities. The wine is straw-colored and bright with a hint of sparkle. There’s a special intensity and elegance to the aroma which is reminiscent of fresh herbs and semi-ripe apples. The palate shows good body and a freshness of fruit that is alluring. At only 12% alcohol, it is balanced and refreshing. This beauty pairs magnificently with scallops, mussels, and lobsters, but it is quite at home with all seafood. The co-op also makes the slightly sweet Burgáns Albariño that we carry, as well as a barrel-fermented Organistrum.

Paco & Lola Albariño, Rias Baixas, 2008 ($18.99) - I just love a good Albariño, and this is one of the best! Rich in apricot/peach/citrus/green apple fruit and round in texture, it is very well balanced and sports a modest 12.5% alcohol and a very modern, polka-dot label. This delicious wine is perfect with sushi, fish, tempura, pasta, risotto, and white meats. P&L is a cooperative of over 400 growers and 200 hectares under the direction of winemaker Antonio Porto. Only 30% of production is selected for this premium wine. To fully enjoy its beautiful fruit, the  recommended serving temperature is between 50 and 54 degrees F.

Gravonia Blanco Crianza, 1999 ($27.99) and Blanco Gran Reserva, 1987 ($39.99) - Speaking of challenges, this Rioja winery, pronounced LOW-payth day (h)ay-RAY-dee-ah, was one of the highlights of my recent trip to Spain. It is an extremely traditional winery, one of the last in Rioja to use only wood for fermentation and aging. The only stainless steel in the entire winery is on the inside of some of the spigots, and that is only because it is mandated by law. Lopez is a dinosaur and proud of it. This family-owned property is on its way to being run by a totally committed third generation. Two sisters do the wine-making and oversee the winery operation; their brother does the marketing. Our tour was given by one of the sisters. Only 2 Rioja wineries still make white wines in the traditional manner. Lopez ages theirs in oak barrels for as long as they age their reds, 6-7 years! They are then aged in bottle an additional 6 years.  

Made from 100% Viura grapes, the 1999 Crianza is Lopez’s current release! The yield in 1999 was naturally reduced by a severe April frost. The wine was aged four years in barrel with racking twice a year after which it was fined with fresh egg whites but not filtered. Pale gold in color, it shows complex yet fresh aroma and flavors and tertiary components as opposed to primary or even secondary fruit. This amazingly interesting and complex wine will continue to evolve for years. Perfect with fish, white meat, and pasta.

The 1987 Gran Reserva is a wine unlike any you may have tried. No fresh, fruity, bright, short-lived wine here. Instead, it is mature, complex, and crisply acidic. It will continue to age well. Of all the wines we tasted at Lopez, this is the one Judie and I kept going back to. Unique, food-friendly, and fascinating!