Only Red Wines

In the town of Requena, right in the village of El Derramador find a beautiful building and is noted for its domed tower and a surrounding balcony and minaret for the control of the surroundings. 

The building dates from the late XIX century and was commissioned by a family from northern Spain, which did business in the booming silk industry in Requena in previous centuries and until the end of XIX century. The winery-palace of the Oria family was sold in the 50s of the twentieth century to five families  from Requena who founded a cooperative that ultimately Torre Oria named in honor of their fold propietary. Today belongs to the group Natra, related group the cocoa industry. 

In today's visit we entered the house that is kept in the same state as it was when they bought these families, we visited the rooms and then we come to watch the old winery, which today are the old desks for the cava and the trulli or wineries where the wine was fermented and stored. 

The walk through the subways, which are the same but reported trulli, are used to relax the cellars, which Requena at the end of the 80 officially began to develop within the CR Cava, although in previous years were already being successfully . The most emblematic cellars winery rest for 4 years and are prepared manually desks, cava Centenario (100) Torre Oria is prepared in this way. 

The rest of cava production relies on the modern ship port that communicates with the old, and where we have seen up to 3.5 million bottles of cava in its different varieties, as well as machines that mechanically replace the old desks and turning the bottles ranging in metal cages with many bottles at once. 

As for the wines, produce enough quantity and trademarks and aging room containing some 3500 Bordeaux barrels of 225 liters, which can produce more than 1 million bottles of red aged wine, in addition to the young, rosé and white are produced more wine than cava.

The rest of the store communicates with the houses used by the employees at the time that today are used to tasting room and shop. Today we tasted the cava Centenario, a Brut Nature Cava, with 44 months in bottle, golden yellow, dry and with fine bubbles, very fruity and soft on the palate. 

We tested also the young white Macabeo and rosé  Bobal, the first with aromas of banana and pineapple, yellow color and very fresh and fruity. The rosé bobal was delicious, pink and violet aromas with strawberries and raspberries, it is very aromatic and fresh. These wines are marketed under the brand Marqués de Requena.  

The red Nu, part of the DO Valencia and is a varietal Syrah, very meaty, dark and roasted aromas of old leather, with a raising of nine months. The winery produces for more Utiel-Requena wines Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva with brands Marques de Requena and Torre Oria, we could not prove for lack of time, but we really liked the attention of Irene and their explanations , which have helped us know this winery as emblematic of the area.

This weekend has been special for us, we have come to the province of  Tarragona (Catalonia) , in particular the town of Porrera , in the heart of Priorat . There we enjoyed the nature and unique landscape, able to concentrate on the fabulous wines we have tasted and a hallmark of the people who inhabit it.

The first wine we tasted was Vinyes Baixes 2006, came mostly from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon , the vinyard that are on flat ground and 10 to 11 years old. We observed a dark cherry color edge nose granate with complex and persistent aromas of red fruit and toasted wood, balsamic aromas and a touch mineral end.  In the mouth, powerful, but with a well balanced palate with good structure, is a fleshy wine with soft tannins and good acidity.

Clos Petó 2007, made with Cabernet Sauvignon (over 50%), Grenache and Carignan, was the second wine we tasted, say it is the smallest in the range, but I was astonished, of fairly intense cherry red color, striking purple rim tear, the nose is dominated by overripe red fruit with a fine aroma of wood, we can see a slight floral notes and mineral memory.  In palate soft and elegant, correct and well balanced acidity, silky tannins integrated its end pleasing and long with good persistence.

Of course, all this magic would not be possible without the 'terroir' that survive on these plants, work in the field, where plants are pampered almost one by one, the climate, the absolutely handicraft production, breeding and unhurried, the art of Dominic and Paco  transmits in the wine its character and love of making things well, live and wine they produce and with the hope that increasingly exceed these fabulous wines. Thank you for your hospitality.

Red wines produced have a distinctly Mediterranean, with the common note in all seamless integration of the varieties with the Alicante mountains.

Thus we find Mas de Caraita 2007, a half aged wine, with three months in American oak, with a 'blend' of grenache, syrah and tempranillo, has a cherry red color with shades of brown in their trim, tears dense and greedy, the nose alcohol noticeable aromas integrated with typical Mediterranean maquis (thyme, rosemary, etc.) and reminiscent of poppies, the acidity in the mouth just in the first attack, pleasant on the palate with hints of freshly torn roots, wet limestone and fruity aftertaste the forest.

Entrepins 2007 with 12 months in American oak barrels, we found a spectacular 'blend' of Merlot (82%) and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, has a cherry red color with violet tones in their trim, alcoholic nose is reminiscent of fresh baked dough , cedar wood and caramel aromas, tannins on the palate, hints of Mediterranean pine resin, very easy to drink, toasted aromas, earthy nutty moist forest.

Agulló 2007, a 'blend' of Tempranillo (80%) and Cabernet Sauvignon, with a cherry red with orange tones on the rim, has a more floral nose, reminding the mountain flowers mixed with orange blossoms in the mouth is strong wine of serious demeanor with a sense astringent and somewhat bitter, reminiscent of last drink mosses, roots, liquorice and notes some vegetables.

 For dessert we made a liquor wine Moscatel La Sort, Roman Muscat grapes overripe on the ground, which paints a very bright golden color with aromas of honey, dried fruits (apricots, prunes, dates, ...) In the mouth, just sweetness, not being cloying, with hints of orange, pine resin and unnoticed just alcohol in your finish.

We find that these wines, whose distribution is still mainly in European markets, integrated perfectly the traditional Mediterranean and into the mountains of Alicante and its coastline, in turn are perfect for food pairing in the area, such as rice, the blue fish, grilled vegetables and meat dishes with red and white. 

Firstly thank catavino.es, the regulatory council DO Utiel-Requena and participating wineries, that together made the day 1st Meeting for Wine Bloggers a fun, entertaining and above all rewarding.

There were 17 wineries in the D.O. Utiel-Requena who showed us their flagship products, the variety Bobal as the star of the event, but also had fabulous varietal itself fostered discussion and chat among attendees and winemakers.

I would say that all the wines tasted are backed by the professionalism of everyone involved in it, the end of the day people are those with their chores and tasks, put your senses from the field to the cup, excellent treatment by all those who were at the event.

Highlight, without detracting from anyone, wines that I was fascinated by my character, texture and always trying to give my personal impression, that like all things, may or may not like. That is why I want to emphasize the two single-varietal Bobal that my particular taste were the best of the evening. 

The first is "Olivastro" of Bodega y Viñedos Carres, a young winery run by Jose Luis Torres Carpio, I think many will agree to sell and I knew I was captivated by its powerful color and texture with vivid violet, very satiny, with aromas of ripe red fruit just biased by a fragrant wood, tannin still persistent, with an invitation to drink for a toast and persistent aftertaste of ripe fruit. A very good choice of this varietal. 

After tasting wines are very interesting as "Bobal" of Dominio de la Vega, very fruity, fresh, with purple tones are very interesting, good presentation, but perhaps too fruity in the mouth and over-roasted and licorice, goes on sale the month next (May) and I hope to be successful, the rosé "Viña Enterizo" and "Marqués de Caro" I was surprised by its fruitiness and freshness, the variety Bobal note that this wine was given a clean color and very evocative aromas of strawberries and raspberries, and rosé bobal hit hard in this segment, sparkling bobal Pago de Tharsys I was in the ink, but I promise to try and discuss their impressions. A young red varietal bobal was the Bodegas Utielanas  "Vega Infante" very powerful and meaty, ideal to accompany a meal of sausages in the area. But the second bobal which was excellent, too, was "Bobalia" Vereda Real, a wine after aging for 3 to 5 months in oak from different sources implying a much more brick red color, more mineral, balsamic and high polish in the mouth, perhaps more traditional and yet different from what was tested in the evening.  

The different varieties of Bobal were also in good shape, I am also with two, although there is a third that I liked a lot. It surprised me a varietal Merlot  Vera de Estenas "Martinez Bermell" fermented in new oak, ruby color with a clean, very jovial and serious at once, with a memory of red fruits, vanilla and toast, very surprising to the palate well put together with wood and perhaps lacked the presence of Felix Martinez, we have further explained the secrets of this wine. The more complex wine to my taste was "Las Ocho" of Chozas Carrascal, one that combines 8 different varietal grapes with a 'coupage' very difficult to achieve, but you have a tremendous complexity, balaj ruby color, bright and clean first glance, the nose it shades fruit, some cinnamon and vanilla and toasty aftertaste reminiscent of far away, especially chocolate and a touch mineral is not very marked. "Excelencia Edición Limitada" of Emilio Clemente, wine author, was the last wine I could test and it seemed a good choice, ruby red hue, with powerful aromas of ripe fruit, balanced, invited to drink in the mouth is noted sweet tannins lead to a tour postgustal a toasted and roasted aromas with light chocolate. 

In the end a perfect evening, where I met other bloggers of Alicante, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, I was very well received by people of the  Regulatory Council Utiel-Requena and of course thanks to the work of the winemakers and winery representatives who delighted us with their best products and hope to appointments as interesting as this.  

This is a low-priced red wine (less than 2 euros) made with Tempranillo, Valencian Wines Cooperative Sinarcas La Protectora. Sinarcas is a municipality located approximately 100 km from the city of Valencia (Spain), belonging to the county Requena-Utiel and about 900 meters high. on sea level.

This town is accessed via the N-330 road, from Madrid or Valencia from A-3 road and from the same N-330 road from Teruel, Alicante, Albacete and Cuenca. Her extension is largely made up of vineyards and cereal crops, the first being that more hectares occupied and have realized that wines like this comment.

About 10 years ago I had the opportunity to taste a wine, Cerro Carpio, bought from the same winery and it was just bottled, it was a 6-month aging in oak, Tempranillo and still oozing think the purple, tannic and some vegetal character on the palate, after 2 years in my house (not for wine storage in summer) changed the tone to a more orange color, velvety in the mouth and is delicious for the occasion.

   

Last week we bought a selection of reds, Arcaz reserve aged and Terra Ibera young wine, which the latter have opened a bottle and I enjoyed a young wine with a moderate degree alcohol, 12.5 º, a bright ruby color and very clean. On the nose full of red fruit, floral and fresh. Already in the mouth has good acidity, a balance between acid and sweet aftertaste with a wine that evokes its roots. 

 

A Tempranillo 100% wine from the D.O. Utiel-Requena to take every day and accompany this cold winter, ideal to take along a good cheese and accompanied by some dry rice and pork sausage or a good stew with beans or chikpeas .

Are yet to try the red Arcaz aged with Tempranillo and Bobal, the jewel of the land in the region Utiel-Requena and I think we can surprise addition to the prices of these two do not reach the 4 euros per bottle.