Iberian Wine News 10/4/2011:

By: Joe Manekin | K&L Staff Member

 

 

Spanish & Portuguese Wine News 10/4/2011

Plenty of new stuff this week.

 

1.) Great wines from Michael Sullivan/Beaune Imports

 

At the risk of leaving out any number of our terrific suppliers, I do not intend to regularly feature any one importer's wines, but this week warrants an exception.  Beaune Imports, whom you may recognize as the importer of many top French properties including:  Clos Rougeard, Didier Dagueneau, Francois Chidaine, Domaine des Comtes Lafon, Domaine de Montille and others, has recently expanded his Spanish selections.  We have enjoyed Sullivan's Spanish wines over the years, but Michael has dug a bit deeper this time and added some very cool wines.

 

Francois Chidaine "Tres P" Tempranillo y Monastrell Bullas - $15.99

Rich, sauvage, exotic, yet balanced.  For the braised meat!

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1076962

 

2010 Adega Vella Mencia Ribeira Sacra - $15.99

Bright and snappy, precise red fruits.  Yes.

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1076971

 

2010 Diego de Lemos Mencia Ribeira Sacra - $21.99

Deeper bass tones, quite mineral, impressive depth of flavor, all without any oak and at 12.5% abv. 

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1076972

 

2.) Madeira

 

Need a fairly dry madeira to cook with?  I recently made one of the tastiest soups I have ever cooked:  onions, garlic, bacon, black lentils, san marzano tomatoes, water, smoked paprika, parsley, kale and a few healthy glugs of Barbeito 3 Year Old Seco.  So simple, but so good.  I also was reminded that, as an aperitif served at cellar temperature, this madeira is delicious.  Staff really enjoyed this one; even Jim Barr (not always the biggest fan of the fortifieds) liked it.  This is my fortified wine of the moment.

 

Barbeito 3 Year Old Seco Madeira - $17.99

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1075846

 

3.) DI update

 

We tasted the Miguel Merino wines and I was very happy with how the Redwood City staff received them.  Lots of good feedback.  And, to my relief, I would agree that the wines were showing well - still recovering from their journey but certainly ready to go now if need be (personally I would wait another few weeks to let them settle in).  Especially tasty were the 2005 Miguel Merino Reserva and the 2008 Miguel Merino Viñas Jovenes.  Even the staunchest of Rioja traditionalists will appreciate the textures and purity of fruit in these - as Miguel describes them - updated classics.

 

2008 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jovenes" Rioja

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1071080

 

2005 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja - $29.99

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1071082

 

4.) Tasting events

  

Friday October 7th 

Vibrant Rioja tasting (featuring a few of the new DI's!) in San Francisco store (5-6:30pm). $5

Vibrant Rioja tasting (featuring a few of the new DI's!) in Hollywood store (5:30-7pm). $5

Bodegas Ontañon (great up-and-coming Rioja property!) tasting in Redwood City store (5-6:30pm). $5

 

Friday October 14th

Sherry focused tasting  in Redwood City (5-6:30pm).  From quaffers to collectibles. We will be pouring Remelluri's terrific Rioja as well. Price TBD.

 

Sunday October 16th

For the SoCal people and folks who may happen to be in Los Angeles this weekend. Vibrant Rioja walkaround tasting at Campanile (4-6pm).  $25 to taste at least 25 wines, including some top producers and our new direct imports from Miguel Merino and Bodegas Puelles. Tickets available online:

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1075851

 

Thursday October 20th

Vibrant Rioja tasting in Redwood City store (5-6:30pm). $5

 

Have a great week everyone.

 

Saludos,

Joe

 

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Joe Manekin

Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American Wine Buyer

K&L Wine Merchants

Ph: 877.559.4637 ext. 2748

joemanekin@klwines.com

Iberian Wine News 9/28/2011:

By: Joe Manekin  | K&L Staff Member

Spanish & Portuguese News - 9/28/11

Greetings, everyone,

Happy Wednesday, Erev Rosh Hashanah, and (to the Bay Area folks) summer.  Last week felt good - busy in the shop and outside of work eating and drinking- a fun meal out at Aziza (including an amazing older magnum of Miguel Merino Gran Reserva - damn that was good), and some quality time with David "barrel o' whisk(e)y " Driscoll and Jason Marwedel, who made his famous leg of lamb paired with some OLD Bordeaux - hey, this is K&L and we do occasionally drink Bordeaux.

Alright, short and to the point this week:

1.)  SHERRY

Why don't you drink more of it?  If you haven't done so in a while, please browse our section, ask one of us about it (the staff loves this stuff nearly as much as I do), and start learning more about what are arguably the best values in the wine world.  Here are two "brown sherry" picks.  Fortified and intense, but actually quite dry.   I would drink these anytime, but especially love them as digestifs after a meal.

Gutierrez Colosia "Sangre y Trabajadero" Oloroso El Puerto de Santa Maria (375ml) - $15.99

For the money, this is one of my favorite olorosos.  Surprisingly elegant.

http://www.klwines.com/content.asp?&N=0&Nr=OR%28OutofStock%3AN%2CInventory+Location%3ASpecial+Order%29&Ns=QtySoldLast30%7C1

 

1979 Gonzalez Byass Palo Cortado Añada Jerez - $129.99

Drank this last week.  SERIOUSLY GOOD.   To give you an idea of how good, it's better than an Equipo Navazos bota punta palo cortado I once drank.  It's one of the most memorable wines I have drunk. Awesome.

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1070645

 

2.) October events

  

Friday October 7th 

Vibrant Rioja tasting in San Francisco store (5-6:30pm). $5

Vibrant Rioja tasting in Hollywood store (5:30-7pm). $5

 

Friday October 14th

Sherry focused tasting  in Redwood City (5-6:30pm).  From quaffers to collectibles. We will be pouring Remelluri's terrific Rioja as well. Price TBD. Check our event listing on Facebook or K&L Local Events for updates.

Sunday October 16th

For the SoCal people and folks who may happen to be in Los Angeles this weekend. Vibrant Rioja walkaround tasting at Campanile (4-6pm).  $25 to taste at least 25 wines, including some top producers and our new direct imports from Miguel Merino and Bodegas Puelles. Tickets available online:

http://www.klwines.com/detail.asp?sku=1075851

 

Thursday October 20th

Vibrant Rioja tasting in Redwood City store (5-6:30pm). $5

Lineups are generally confirmed and posted the week of the tasting, so check our Facebook page or K&L Local Events for updates.

 

As promised, we're keeping it short this week to prepare for lots of new arrivals we'll have in stock next week.

 

Saludos,

Joe

 

---

Joe Manekin

Spanish, Portuguese, Latin American Wine Buyer

K&L Wine Merchants

Ph: 877.559.4637 ext. 2748  |  joemanekin@klwines.com

Iberian Wine News: Miguel Merino and Bodegas Puelles

By: Joe Manekin | K&L Staff Member

Exciting week, let's get to it.... 

1)  DI's! Direct Imports!  Direct from the farm to our stores to your cellar!

Well, the unthinkable is happening this week:  we are actually receiving a container from Europe on time in 2011!  And not just any container.  We are introducing our first two purely direct (unbrokered, visit the folks, shake hands, agree to be partners) wines which we have worked with in Spain.  They are both Rioja producers  and I'd love to introduce you to them.

Miguel Merino is a bodega, the man behind the bodega, as well as his son Miguel who - you guessed it - also helps out at the bodega.  Located in the beautiful town of Briones in Rioja Alta, Miguel Merino describes his wines as "updated classics."  The classic component would include very well situated, mature vines planted in calcareous clay in a cool part of the D.O.  These roughly eight hectares of vines are cultivated organically, still plowed by horse, and owned both by Miguel and a close friend of his.  "Updated" likely refers to Miguel's penchant for used barrels (used meaning 2-4 years old, not 2-4 decades old), coopered from a blend of French and American oak.  The wines taste like Rioja but are less marked by wood than many examples of both the traditional and more modern styles.  All of the Miguel Merino wines should age quite nicely.  I really look forward to turning people on to these wonderful wines.

Bodegas Puelles is a winery located in Abalos, another small Rioja Alta town, and it is run by Jesús Puelles and his brother.  Jesús works the vineyards, his brother handles the cellar.  Their vines are also farmed primarily organically, with a minimum use of treatments and naturally growing cover crops utliized between the rows.  They face north towards the majestic Sierra Cantabria mountains - they are very, very close affording the visitor quite a view.  Though we currently only carry a wonderfully bright and satisfying 07 crianza along with what is perhaps my favorite unoaked white rioja, we hope to bring in a few more wines from these folks; these wines are seriously good values.  And, if you are ever visiting in Rioja, the Puelles family runs a lovely inn with a few rooms offering beautiful views of their vines.  I hear that Jesús is quite the host, and having spent a brief amount of time with him, I do not doubt it.

2008 Miguel Merino "Viñas Jovenes" Rioja Alta - $19.99 

2005 Miguel Merino Reserva Rioja Alta - $29.99 

2004 Miguel Merino Gran Reserva Rioja Alta - $39.99  

 2009 Miguel Merino Mazuelo de Quinta Cruz Rioja Alta - $24.99 

2009 Bodegas Puelles Blanco Rioja - $11.99 

2007 Bodegas Puelles Crianza Rioja - $15.99

 

2) Txakoli Tasting this Friday!

 

Cold Basque white wine - does it get any better on a Friday??  There will be some fresh 2010 Isastegi cider as well.  Apples never tasted so good.

 

Txakoli Tasting with Holly Wing of De Maison Selections at K&L Redwood City  

Friday, 9/23/2011 5pm-6:30pm $5

TXOX! (if that's a new expression for you, you'll learn all about it on Friday)

3) Non-DI Spanish Wine of the Week

 2009 Vera de Estenas "PG" Madurado en Barrica Bobal Utiel-Requeña - $14.99

In a world where commodity wines with goopy textures and sweet oak flavors tend to garner much of the attention, it provides some level of comfort that affordable, rustic wines of character such as this one still exist.

Hasta la proxima semana....

-Joe

*** 

Joe Manekin is the K&L Buyer for the wines of Spain, Portugal, and South America. He is committed to supporting the hard-working folks out there making honest wines that show a sense of place. When he is not at K&L, Joe enjoys cooking, traveling, supporting his friends at Terroir, doing occasional PR, booking and recording work for reggae band JohnStone, and writing for his wine, food and music blog, Old world Old School (www.oldworldoldschool.blogspot.com).