Only Red Wines

Following my tour of the Utiel-Requena region this time played visiting a cooperative, in this case we move to the village of Las Cuevas, about 7 km. Utiel, where we hoped Beatriz Requena, our host, who accompanied us and showed how to live the wine in this area. 

La Cooperativa Virgen de Loreto, Covilor, dates from 1955 and has about 500 members, the cooperative was a pioneer in the area include stainless steel tanks and modern winemaking equipment, as we know it today, during the 60s. The building is of face brick and amenities include concrete tanks and still retain and use the 'trulli' or underground reservoirs to produce wine. 

Adjacent to the winery and in a wide area, are the farms and plots, the different partners that belong to the cooperative, cultivated grape varieties that give the wine, dominate over the range 70% Bobal, queen and mistress of these parts, and which provides the highest level of splendor once the harvest begins in late August and September. 

The area where fields are located chalky-clay land and are situated in a vast plain within the Utiel flat, bordering Camporrobles, Sinarcas and Utiel, and tucked into the northeast by the Sierra del Negrete and southwest on Bicuerca saw. The land lies inside a large bag of groundwater, which has been used to dig wells and take water for use in the vineyard in the hot summers of the site. 

We were visiting a vineyard foot plots near the cellar with Cabernet Sauvignon, Macabeo, Tempranillo and Bobal lot. These varieties are planted in glass, the oldest that some are over 60 years and the most modern trellis in time, the grape harvest is done by hand or machine depending on the parcel and if the owner has it or not. 

In the field engineers work and advise the owners to prepare the stocks and the health status of the grape harvest and distribution of it is controlled. Each collection is sent to the Cooperative, the hub of the area, which is downloaded classified for fermentation in the vats and 'trulli'. 

In Covilor produce about 3 million liters of wine, all are intended mostly in bulk so that the amount of bottled or 'bag in box' that the winery produces is for members and for sale in the area. We had the opportunity to taste two wines (although we have some more to enjoy at home and with friends), a 100% Macabeo white and a 'blend' of Bobal, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon with 12 months in the barrel. 

The Alto Cuevas 2009 blanco, made with a 100% Macabeo is a greenish-yellow wine, bright, fresh and fruity, with a touch of natural carbonic fermentation itself, very easy to drink and appropriate for this summer we entered. The red, Alto Cuevas Crianza 2007, is a cherry red wine, well structured, with aromas of vanilla and ripe black fruit, sweet tannin, very pleasant to the palate, aged in French oak and American freshmen, and an extraordinary value for money. 

The rest of the range wines Alto Cuevas also accompany all tastes, so we have a rosé Bobal is spectacular, very fruity and reminiscent of ripe strawberries all with a touch of acidity balanced and highly recommended to accompany rice and pasta . The young red Tempranillo is light enough, yet tannic, a daily wine aromas remind us of wild fruit. 

At high expression wines I recommend 100% Bobal Sucession range, marketing the hold a reserve aged for two years in French oak barrels, a powerful wine of broad tannins, great structure and color, especially red to accompany stews prepared meals A treat for the taste of the variety Bobal has evolved dramatically in the development of this cooperative and enjoy the occasion as noteworthy. 

The visit ended with lunch in the restaurant Genaro, in the town of Fuenterrobles near Las Cuevas de Utiel with a special gourmet menu, well presented and delicious, highly recommended if you go to visit the wineries of the region of Utiel- Requena.

Last Wednesday was inaugurated XXII Mostra de Vins, Caves, Licors i XX d'Aliments Tradicionals de la Comunitat Valenciana (Exhibition of wines, champagnes, liqueurs and traditional foods), and I tried the best of our land and had the opportunity to meet many people and to see old acquaintances. Until I was in the position of Bodegas Porsellanes (DO Alicante) as a commentator on its wines.

Well I leave the pictures in the morning, the late-night did not do any and devoted myself to taste the wines that interested me most, which will give account in the next post.

One of the activities promoted by El Celler de la Muntanya, a winery and oleic Muro de Alcoy (Alicante) that has no vineyards of its own, is the  micro vineyard Project. This is a project that seeks to promote the planting of vineyards in the region of El Comtat in small agricultural plots and advised by the same winery in order to produce quality wines.

Thanks to the enthusiasm and conviction of the project promoters tends to think and its fruits, both in the reception of farmers and the first production of wines, red and white Almoroig and Albir  and having been widely accepted by specialists.

The framers of the project, alongside Toni Boronat and Juan Cascant  (Celler de la Muntanya) advised by the Priorat group led by Jose Luis Perez Verdu (Marc and Adrian) has coalesced into a coherent project and cost within the idea of making profitable small farms in the Mediterranean area.

This morning I visited Muro de Alcoy and I found this weekend in RNE (Radio Nacional of Spain) devoted its meeting on Saturday and Sunday morning to this project among other agenda items "No es un día cualquiera".

Ah! and with regard to the wines from this winery, tell them Almoroig in red wine made by the winery within the project, I must say I tried it this past summer and found it an excellent wine, very expressive nose, with fruity especially red fruit and some toasty. Flavor good attack, very strong, with an expressive tannin and some mineral or earthy, a wine to leave a couple of years in bottle.

The rest go wine tasting and my references that you may have and look forward to this promising project that aims to be a benchmark in the sustainable economy of this country.

The Shiraz variety, of uncertain origin, perhaps Persian, is one of the most recognised and widespread varieties in the south of France and in Australia. Since it is a variety which needs a good deal of sunshine and gives of its best in hot climates, the acclimatisation of this variety to the Spanish Mediterranean is providing exceptional results, such as this Shiraz produced on the Hoya de Cadenas Estate.

The vineyard, located on the slopes of the Sierra de la Bicuerca, enjoys a particular micro-climate where the day-night heat variations give the grape its own character and promote the accumulation of the much-prized polyphenols.

Vinification is carried out in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 25ºC for two weeks. The maceration of the skins is subject to a meticulous control to extract the best expression of the varietal.

It is aged for 8 months in French oak barrels. The barrels used are medium toasted, which allows very smooth and elegant wines to be produced.

Tnis delicious Shiraz has an attractive cherry red colour with garnt iridescences. Its bouquet reveals a combination of deep aromas of wild fruits and violets, enveloped in light toasted notes. On the palate it is warm, with smooth tannins and spicy finish, and a balsamic aftertaste with blueberry hints.

This week I had the opportunity to try some wines from the DO Valencia and the truth is that the wealth of sites that shows up the quality and variety of wines to be found.

Since the high Túria through areas of Cheste and Godelleta, Turís, Liria, Villar del Arzobispo, Pedralba, as well as Clariano Font de la Figuera, the alcusses area, now called Tuscany Valencia Fontanares, Enguera ... The truth is that we have many varieties of grapes such as Tempranillo, Garnacha Tintorera the Monastrell, Cabernet, Merseguera, Macabeo and Moscatel Romano, of which each production area produces wines of great quality and are getting more press, thanks the work of the regulatory boards and people like Eduardo Mestres Bodeguers Association , who helped to publicize the products of Valencia.

The wines I tried that this week has been mixed, as for wineries Fusta Nova Gandía, a sweet wine Moscatel variety Alexandria, with a temperature of about 14 º C making their 15th of alcohol, along with sweet and fruity and fine to end a perfect meal in the most impeccable.

Villar del Arzobispo also was present at the table with a powerful wine of Bodegas Comeche, Vega rearing Serrana 2005, a wine based on Tempranillo, fleshy, long persistence, with velvety tannins and aging in American oak gives denoting power.

Clariano area to be presented at my table at two of the weekend, my choice was a curiously Megala 2005 from Bodegas Enguera, wine and Shiraz and Monastrell grape, intense, bright and clean, with aromas of roasted fruit and red ripe, structured and balanced, there is aging in French oak, which sharpens the harmony between wood and red fruit.

It was also the choice of restaurant Rascanya of Pobla de Vallbona, who included it in the hold of the feast of the link to go last Saturday, this time a Megala 2006, perhaps more balanced and refined than that of 2005, due to the wood, not being new, it was a shade more tan, more roots, and where there was more smoothly the ripe red berry fruits.

I also tasted a wine from Alto Turia, in this case a young white holds Polo Monleón, Hoya del Castillo, and a variety Merseguera and Macabeo, fruity, pale, yellow-green, with a carbon and elegant acidity.

For a complete cava (for toast) from Paarl, in this case a brut nature Pago de Tharsys the Carlota Suria of Macabeo and Perella, which while not of the DO Valencia, but it deserves highlighting the fineness of their needles, although this far from other cavas Valencianos and not Catalan.

Conclusion that although I am still missing for trying new delicacies, we have a variety of wines Valencians worth dealing with honey, local produce and consume as recommending them to the rest of the country and Europe, as the effort of families and business people who believe in their work and offer quality at extremely affordable prices and that should be on the cards of the best restaurants, to feel represented in our lives Mediterranean.