Tondonia Reserva (Blanco) – 1998

The usual sort of gold with amber highlights quite typical in aged, oaked white wine.

Quite a creamy, oxidative palate with that bit of burnt oak. Does the oxidative acid dominate a little too much? American oak, but not highly dominant, primary new oak. Attractively bitter; while I often find the white Tondonias remind me of Seville orange, the citrus quality here is definitely grapefruit. A little less density than is typical in the Gran Reservas. Fine, dry, oxidative, acidic.

Conde de los Andes – 1989

A Gran Reserva red Rioja from the bodega Paternina.

Elegant but also big, with mostly resolved tannins, a little truffley and pencilly when we open it, it’s more savoury than fruit-driven; what fruit there is is more orange than brambles. Not especially oxidative for a maturing Rioja. DL, not normally given to maturing wine overlong, remarks that this is still meaty and might quite be quite happy in the cellar for another 20 years. I’d have to concur, given that good Rioja can cellar for very long times.

When we open it, it’s relatively restrained, but there’s an amazing amount of evolution over the evening; it goes through liquorice and after an hour, it’s a gamey, raging mix of mushrooms and sweetbreads. (I’ve noticed before that older wines from this bodega do get very, very mushroomy.) I love it – I’m trying to decide if this is the best Rioja I’ve had to date, and I think it may be.

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande – 1983

The Pichon Longueville Comtesse is a Deuxième Cru from Pauillac, easily confused with Pichon Longueville Baron (also a Deuxième Cru); it is not surprising to learn that the Comtesse and the Baron were once part of the same property. The Comtesse has a relatively high proportion of Merlot for a left bank property (45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, as opposed to the more Cabernet Sauvignon heavy Baron: 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot) and it is typically said to have softer tannins than other classified Pauillac properties.

Dusty black fruit beautifully matured, still fairly solid, the first impression is exactly what I’d expect from a good, mature, left bank wine; within half an hour it has acquired a strong tobacco character which I’m more used to in reds from the Graves. Other voices at the table wondered if it was a little past its best, I thought it was characterful and well aged.  

Les Roches – 2002 – Chinon (Blanc)

I used to muddle Chinon and Chenin; Chinon is an appellation within the Loire Valley that (unusually for the Loire) makes mostly red wine (mostly from Cabernet Franc), but which also makes some white wine from (here the confusion) Chenin Blanc. So this is a Chenin from Chinon.

Quite a gold colour. The nose is an unusual blend of honey, firecrackers and beeswax; the palate is dry, acidic and waxy. The effect of struck matches in a waxy lemon would make me guess it was from the southern Rhône if I were to taste it blind. While there’s no oaky taste to it, the character does suggest a wine that has seen the inside of old (and hence non-flavour-imparting) oak barrels.

Its stands up well to vinegary, mustardy foods. A decade old from a superb vintage, this powerful wine seems to have already reached that happy timeless stage from which it will hardly budge however  long it’s kept.  

Rioja vs. Ribera del Duero

I was at a fascinating tasting recently comparing these two great Spanish wine-making areas. Although they are not very far from each other geographically, there are important differences; the dominant American oak in (traditionally made) Rioja, the acceptance of French varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec in Ribera. When put side by side, they are usually quite distinctive; what the tasting brought out very clearly was that Riojas tend to have softer fruit, softer tannins and, very distinctively, lower acidity than Riberas; Riberas tend to be drier, more structured and more acidic. (Riberas also come to the market earlier and consequently tend to get drunk too soon!)

Genoli – 2011 – Rioja Blanco

I’m not the greatest fan of the new wave of unoaked white Rioja as, to my way of thinking, it precludes what white Rioja used to be best at – acidic, well-oaked wines that age well. Viura (a.k.a. Macabeo) is the most characteristic white grape variety in La Rioja; it doesn’t have very pronounced fruit character, and a defined fruit character is more important in unoaked wines. I tend to find the new wave white Riojas (such as this) rather uninteresting.

Green apple, a whiff of fennel, fine for a glass but not very structured; I suspect it would get flabby and unappetizing if not served well chilled.  

Conde de Valdemar – 2004 – Rioja Gran Reserva

A fairly classic Rioja sort of profile (vanilla, red berry fruit) but rather light, with fruit on the bright side – a little bit simple. Not too much going on, rather disappointing (especially at £25). 2004 was an uneven vintage across Rioja, and I think it shows here. The fruit here probably should have been used in a less grand wine than a Gran Reserva.