Discover the flavours and styles of Spanish wines with these great offers At Karls we have always tried to bring you wines that are interesting, exciting and refreshing both on the palate and on the mind; wines that are made from rare and unusual varieties; wines that are a true expression of where they come from; wines that provoke conversation. Now, we want to make them even more accessible with the first of, what we hope will be many, exciting promotions over the coming months. To kick us off, were looking at Spain. We will be showcasing wines from the high altitude, mountainous regions of Spain such as [vino]Somontano[/vino], [vino]Grenada[/vino], [vino]Terra Alta[/vino] in [vino]Catalonia[/vino] and [vino]Bierzo[/vino]; wines from Northern Spain, particularly from the [vino]Basque[/vino] and [vino]Galician[/vino] coastal regions and also [vino]Rioja[/vino], specifically an organic producer in Rioja Alta who, unusually for Rioja, own all their own vineyards, and producing some of the best Riojas we have ever tasted. Spain has often been dubbed the most exciting wine-producing country in the world and indeed it has seen huge investments in cutting-edge wineries both architecturally and in wine-producing equipment/machinery. As a result, more and more Spanish wines have been produced to an amazingly high standard, accumulating more Parker-points than you could shake a red rag at. My own view? Yes, a sizeable increase in clean, polished, internationalised and cult-edged wines at astronomical prices and wines that scoop an increasing amount of awards at international competitions. However, I have always found the quality patchy with too many one-dimensional flavours. The whites often carry a dull oxidative tinge and the reds a dull fruity soup character laden with oak. Overall, it seems there are too many made using poor fruit and deliberately masked as a result by oak or carbonic maceration. In fact, oak has too often been the foremost flavour in Spanish wines and not enough attention has been given to the expression of fruit. However, the potential is outstanding and we hope this next three weeks of promoting Spanish wines will prove this.
There are some common denominators with these wines the high quality of the raw material, the grapes themselves; the quality consciousness and meticulous approach by the producers to the vineyards and the importance placed on the use of native varieties rather than on international interlopers. There are some real delicious gems here that still surprise me when I see Spain on the label such is their zesty freshness and long, textured flavours and finishes. Several are from absolutely tiny production levels. So, I urge to come down to Karls over the coming three weeks to discover these beautiful and interesting wines of Spain.
THE DEALS7 for 6: Buy any six bottles of Alquezar wines and receive a seventh bottle worth 8.95 FREE Free unique bottle of rose: Spend 60 or more on Spanish wines and receive a bottle of the very unique Tremendus Clarete 2009 worth 9.95 FREE Cheese & wine: Buy any bottle of Spanish wine and a piece of Manchego (choice of six month and 1 year old) from the cheese counter and receive 100g of quince jelly/membrillo FREE In the caf: buy two glasses of any Spanish wine and receive the rest of the bottle FREE Week I Special promotion (Thurs 27th May to Thurs 3rd June): Buy six bottles (mixed if you like) of wine from the high altitude vineyards of Spain and receive a bottle of Moristel from Bodegas Pirineos worth 9.95 FREE Look out for further offers as the weeks progress
We will also have wines out for tasting everyday of the promotion to help you decide
NB: All deals are treated in isolation and are not interchangeable
THE WINES
ALQUEZAR
Named after the picturesque medieval Moorish village overlooking the Vero River as it bursts from the high Pyrenees - the emblem of Spains Somontano district. This range of wines is about fruit; young, fresh, unoaked and unadulterated wines with characters imbued by the mountain terroir.
Alquzar, Young white wine - 8.95 A refreshing and unoaked blend of 50% Macabeo, 47% Chardonnay and 3% Gewurztraminer, bursting with citrus and tropical fruit flavours. Aromas of pineapple, bannana, apple and peach, overlay a background of aromatic herbs. Dry, smooth & fresh, with well balanced fruit to acidity and a surprisingly long finish. Ideal aperitif or for accompanying white fish, oysters and a variety of other seafood and salads. Try too with pork & poultry dishes and lightly spiced food
Alquzar, Young ros wine - 8.95 Cool climate Tempranillo (85%) and Garnacha (15%) are bled to give a deep pink dry Rosado jam-packed with strawberry & raspberry fruit. Wonderfully clean, it has an appealing and intense aroma of red fruits like cranberry, violets and a hint of sandalwood. Suitable to enjoy on its own, with fish, seafood, rice dishes, light grilled or barbecued meats and tomato based pasta
Alquzar,Young red wine - 8.95 An interesting blend of Tempranillo (70%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and the almost extinct Moristel (15%), this wine is fermented in stainless steel at controlled temperatures for seven days. Intense cherry red colour with aromas of violets and hints of forest fruits on a floral background with crunchy fresh red fruit acidity. Very flavoursome on the palate, smooth and well structured with some grip & good length. It is remarkably versatile, delicious with red meat and poultry, meaty fish, tomato based dishes and cheese or roasted vegetables. Can be served slightly chilled
WINES FROM THE HIGH ALTITUDE/MOUNTAINOUS VINEYARDS
Bodegas Pirineos One of the most important and dynamic producers in the region, has, together with Enate and Vias del Vero, put Somontano on the quality viticultural map. Somontano, meaning under the mountain is in the province of Aragn, NE Spain, near the foothills of the Pyrenees. Vineyards are mostly located around 500-600m and the wines, as a result, tend to be fresh, elegant with good aromatics and acidity, generally providing better value than many Spanish regions
2008 Pirineos Gewrztraminer - 13.95 The Gewrztraminer grape variety has in Somontano a special personality and a ripe fruitiness that is fermented to a dry style. Lemony yellow with silver tones. Fragrant nose with aromas of rose petals on a background of balsamics, lychee and citrus. Fine and elegant with a fresh fruity palate. Well balanced with a lingering finish. Great with spicy food, as an aperitif, to compliment fresh foie gras, blue cheese, flavoursome seafood & fish or other rich dishes
2005 Pirineos Moristel - 8.95 100 % Moristel which is one of the two indigenous grape varieties in Somontano. Not to be confused with Monastrell (aka Mourvedre). It has small berries with thin skins and is low yielding. Intense fruit driven wine with good varietal characteristics, subtle oak and sweet tannin combined with fresh mouth-watering acidity and good colour extract. Complex aromas of ripe peach, cherry jam, toast, plums, cinnamon and balsamic notes. Mouth-filling and well balanced, with appealing fresh acidity. Ideal for barbequed meats, full flavoured fish and white meats as well as mature goats cheese and robust vegetarian dishes
Iniza, Bodega El Cortijo de la Vieja, Grenada
The village of Alcolea in the Sierra de Gador, located in the beautiful Alpujarra mountain range in Almera province, South East Andaluca, in Southern Spain. The high altitude vineyards - minimum 800m have stunning views of the Iberian Peninsulas highest mountain range, the Sierra Nevada, and its highest mountain, the Mulhacn.
The bodega El Cortijo de la Vieja was established by the Lpez Glara family over 30 years ago to make artisenal style wines using traditional methods. The familys philosophy is to create biodiversity within their 25 hectares of vineyards which are farmed organically in order to provide the highest quality grapes to express their unique Alpujarran terroir. Yields are low and production is limited to 50,000 bottles!!
Grapes grown on the estate include Syrah, Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Garnacha Tinta, Garnacha Tintorera for reds, Jan, Vigiriega, Chardonnay and Macabeo for whites. All grapes are hand harvested. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel using only wild yeasts. Low levels of sulphur are used and the wines undergo only light fining and filtration
2008 Iniza Tinto, Bodega El Cortijo de la Vieja, Almeria - 9.95 Aged for three months in US oak, the style is of soft, sweet red fruits, a touch of cinnamon spice with a fresh, elegant finish. Fantastic alternative to other more expensive reds from better known Spanish regions. Ideal with char grilled lamb cutlets and hearty stews. Production levels here are remarkably low at 20,000 bottles but, the production level of the other Iniza wine below is astonishing low at 8,000 bottles!!
2007 Iniza 4 Cepas, Bodega El Cortijo de la Vieja, Almeria - 14.50 - MY TOP RED WINE PICK OF THE PROMOTION Made from a blend of 30% Tempranillo, 30% Syrah from 10 year old vines, 20% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot from younger vines only giving an astonishing 250g of grapes per vine. Ageing is for eight months in new US oak. Only the fruit from the best vineyards is used. The wine has plenty of oomph with spices, coffee and leather but here the style is more terroir driven, very mineral, the fruit is in great balance with the oak. A really interesting wine for the money. Production: 8,000 bottles!!
ARTESANO, Terra Alta
The D.O. of Terra Alta is situated south west of Tarragona in the southernmost zone of the Catalan vineyards. Terra Alta is an extraordinary landscape of limestone terraces and steep slopes and provides a Mediterranean climate for vine-growing with strong continental influences. The strong diurnal temperature variation, accentuated by the altitude of vineyards at 350-600m ensures the slow ripening of the grapes, allied to lovely natural acidity. Low annual rainfall with no resultant rot and very few parasites means that a natural organic viticulture can be practised
Artesano Blanco, Terra Alta 2006 - 11.50 Garnacha (60%), Macabeu (30%), Pedro Ximenez 10%. All the grapes are manually harvested and each variety is vinified separately without sulphur and without recourse to artificial yeasts. Bright straw colour. Aromatic, white flowers, citrus and melon fruit and spicy notes on the nose. This wine is rich and fresh, well balanced with a good acidity. A long and persistent spicy finish. Nice with oven roasted fish, chicken and stuffed peppers
Artesano Tinto, Terra Alta 2007 - 11.50 The final blend here is Grenache (40%), Carignan (30%), Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) and a mixture of Syrah, Tempranillo and Lledoner Pelut. All the grapes are manually harvested and vinified separately without sulphur and without recourse to artificial yeasts. The wine is matured partly in tank and partly in French barrels before assembly of the blend. The nose is so appealing - red and black fruits mingled with flavours of liquorice and dried herbs. The palate is smooth and consistent and the acidity just perfect. Nice served slightly chilled with a cold beef or lamb salad
RIOJA
Rioja Hacienda Grimon, Organic Hacienda Grimn is run by the Olivns, a family with a long winemaking tradition in Rioja. All their wines are made from their own grapes, a rarity in La Rioja. Alexandra Schmedes is the young winemaker. She has made wine in many areas of Spain as well as Vergelegen in South Africa, and brings a refreshingly innovative attitude to the sometimes cautiously traditional approach to winemaking in Rioja
Tempranillo 2008 - 10.50 85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, with no carbonic maceration which is the usual method used for joven style Riojas. The wine is made from exactly the same fruit that goes into the Crianza, the only difference being the use of oak. It really shows Tempranillo without any oak influence in all its juicy glory
Crianza 2007 - 13.95 Made from the same blend as the Tempranillo, 85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano, the wine is aged for 16 months in French & American oak. Aromas of black fruits with black pepper and sweet spices. The palate is quite full bodied for a Crianza due to the quality of fruit used and longer than average ageing in oak. The ripe tannins and fresh acidity balance the richness of the fruit which results in an elegant and classy Rioja, a serious Crianza and cut above most others you will try
Reserva 2005 - 22.50 85% Tempranillo, 15% Graciano. Again, the same blend but aged for 24 months in French & American oak. The wine is intended to express the character of the best Reserva wines of years gone by. Big structure, perhaps a bit more showy than the other wines but in no way as oaky and confected as many a modern Rioja
WINES OF NORTHERN SPAIN
Bodegas Honorio Rubio, Tremendus Clarete 2009 (Rose with a twist!) 9.95 - MY TOP UNUSUAL WINE PICK OF THE PROMOTION This is the nicest rose I have tasted in many years. Cordovn is widely known because of the unique style of Rioja wine produced in the region, the so called clarete. It is mistakenly classified by many as ros. Clarete visually resembles a ros but the method of production is different. Maceration is on the skins of both white and red grapes before the juice is drawn off and fermentation takes place. This process essentially creates a white wine with a pale pink colour rather than conventional rose which is essentially a pale red wine. The blend consists of 50% Garnacha, 50% Viura. Production levels are relatively low at 50,000 bottles
Bone dry and fresh with subtle red fruit flavours and a pleasant creaminess from lees ageing. A sort of Spanish equivalent of Provence pink.
Bodegas Ameztoi, Txakoli di Getaria, Basque Located just outside the small fishing village of Getaria, where the best wines of the region are produced.
2009 Txakoli de Getaria Blanco - 12.50 - MY TOP WHITE WINE PICK OF THE PROMOTION One of the most unique wines I have tasted in many years. Made from the local Hondarrabi Zuri variety, this is sea-spray in a bottle! Slightly effervescent displaying a pale green colour with faint aromas of green apples and yellow plums, bright, sharp and salty on the palate with a biting, crunchy acidity and savoury finish
2009 Txakoli de Getaria Rubentis Rosado - 12.50 Fragrantly floral hinting at irises and violets and slightly effervescent as the white above. Perfect as an alfresco aperitif, for summer salads and BBQs
Bodegas Pittacum, Bierzo, Northern Spain Located in Arganza, a town of longstanding vine-growing and wine-making heritage, nestled in the beautifully hilly landscape of the Bierzo region
2005 Bierzo Tinto - 15.50 Made from 100% Mencia, a local variety, and sourced from 50-80 year old vines. Intense cherry-red colour with a striking purplish rim, very clean and brilliant. Marked by a complex bouquet - lovely fresh, almost peppermint aroma as well as red fruits (raspberry) and blackberry, liquorice and mineral tones. Spices and herbs - pepper and oregano also linger. Complex also in the palate rich concentrated fruit with dense fleshy sweet tannins and persistent savoury finish
Bodegas Terras Gauda, Rias Baixas The Galician vineyards of Rias Baixas are dominated by the influence of the Atlantic. This is a green, cloudy, damp region of pine, chestnut and oak clad hills with a coastline punctuated by rias (coastel inlets). Terras Gauda is renowned for producing the finest wines in the region and is located in the subzone of O Rosal on the terraces that rise steeply above the river Mino which divides Spain from Portugal. What distinguishes the winery is the presence of the indigenous Caino variety which makes up 15% of the top wines and a variety that is almost exclusive to Terras Gauda
2009 Terras Gauda Albarino Abadia de San Campio - 16.50 Produced from 100% Albarino, this is very attractive with citrus, grapefruit, pineapple and mandarin flavours
2009 Terras Gauda O Rosal - 17.95 A blend of the best Albarino grapes mixed with Loureira and Caino Blanco aromas of white flowers and green plums filling out in the palate to also include fresh grape and apple compote as well as peach kernel. Edged with a superb acidity and bristling minerality. Oz Clark rated this wine as Number four in his annual list of his top 250 wines!
We hope you enjoy the wines as much as we have enjoyed bringing them to you
Karl & Aileen Karl's Good Food 43 St Peter's Street Canterbury Kent CT1 2BG
Tel: 01227 764 380 www.karlsgoodfood.com
This is my site The 'Gerald that I built in a fury of excitement when I first came to Folkestone in approximately 2004. I'd been a frequent visitor for a few years before that but I am technically one of those Down From Londons you get now. The site was updated more frequently with a gig calendar and voting for favourite places and things, and I know it was a handy resource for those who were thinking of moving to the area. Now I've moved out of Folkestone again (though just to Hythe) it doesn't get as much attention as it used to. Ironic really as The town is now becoming the exciting place we knew it was about to become. I am not Gerald BTW, the name comes from a pretend paper in an episode of Brasseye or something, the Portsmouth Gerald, and how there is a local newspaper here called the Folkestone Herald. Puns like this are GRATE aren't they? Do contact me if you have something to contribute, email anythign @ this domain, or try @folkestone or @pauly on Twitter.