Boise Coop Wine Shop

Two from Spain

• May 13, 2009

Quality Wines of Spain has been cited by Jay Miller from The Wine Advocate as one of a smalll number of importers that are “heading off the beaten track and discovering some wonderful wines that we would otherwise never see.” They taste thousands of wines every year and strive to find unique wines made by passionate winemakers. Those winemakers keep yields low and they believe the most important step of winemaking takes place on the vines. They seek to enhance the best attributes of the varieties and the land. Only native yeasts are used and, where possible, the wines are bottled with only minimum or no fining or filtration.

2008 Legado Munoz Tempranillo, $9.99

The Munoz family owns 200 acres of top quality vineyards around Noblejas. Careful selection of the vines, crop thinning and the poor calcareous soils combine to produce concentrated and structured wines. Yields are kept low, significantly lower than what is usual in the region. The average age of the vines is 30 years and only native yeasts are used. The family recently acauired a former Seventeeth century subterranean cellar that had been excavated into the rock. The installations are being painstakingly restored and are already being used to age the top wines of the Estate in perfect conditions of temperature and humidity. Bottling takes place after a very light filtration.  This 100% Telmpranillo comes from a single vineyard, Las Canteras. It offers aromas of cherry and plum, with hints of espresso and bitter chocolate. Juicy and exuberant, theres a bracing acid streak that perks up the red and black fruit flavors. Vibrant, fresh and brisk through the finish, with the cherry flavor that remains focused and bright.

2006 Vinedos Vina Alarba Red, $9.99

The vineyards of Bodegas y Vinedos del Jalon are located south of Calatayud, mostly in the Santa Cruz Sierra and the mountains and valleys along the Jiloca and Perejiles rivers. The vineyards are step and range in altitude from 2000 to 3000 feet. The soils are poor and well drained, with abundant granite, black slate and quartz depending on the slopes. More than half of the Grenache corresponds to old vines (at least 40 years old). While the older vines form the base of the bodegas best wines, even this entry level 2006 red, which is 100% Grenache, contains a substantial core of that juice. This bright red offers straightforward flavors of cherry, dark plum, strawberry  and light herb, with soft tannins and a fresh finish punctuated by a spicy hit of black pepper.