2006 Ferrer Bobet

20 May 2011:  Richard and I felt very privileged to be trying this wine, as it was specially recommended to us by Gerard Basset of Hotel Terravina (http://www.hotelterravina.co.uk/), where Richard enjoyed a very pleasant meal and stay recently.  (Well, Richard asked Mr. Basset if he could recommend a wine that would be a nice surprise for me to try!)  I had had the wine double decanted, to accelerate the aeration process.  I did a little research on this relatively young winery (2005 being the first commercial vintage), the result of the passion of two friends (http://www.ferrerbobet.com/). The 22 hectares (out of 70 hectares) are mainly planted with 100-year-old Carignan and Grenache vines, on terraced vineyards in Priorat, emphasizing the cooler climate character resulting from the higher altitudes and the minerality and complexity deriving the local slate, llicorella. Other international varieties have been planted alongside the indigenous varieties, including Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. The owners take care not to use any insectisides and herbicides and to ensure that biodiversity is respected.  Very careful sorting is paramount to the selection of the best (hand-picked) grapes being turned into wine. The blended wine is aged in French oak barriques for 15 months, followed by 11 months in bottle before release.  (The winery says the vintage of 2006 consisted of a blend of 70% Carignan and 30% Grenache.)  I've been a big fan of wines from Priorat and I definitely think this is one to look out for! 

Purple ruby. Intense nose of summer pot pourri, red and black berries, plum preserve, very ripe figs, liquorice, layered with mineral, bacon and smokey character.  Smooth ripe tannin, well-integrated acidity, giving a balanced wine, bursting with fruit concentration and intensity, and a long sweet finish.  The high alcohol (15%) rather well disguised.  This wine can do with a couple of years of cellaring and will continue to develop over next 6 - 8 years.  Very remarkable effort, expressive of the purity of the fruit and the minerality of the terroir.  17/20

A Spanish Wine Evening

3 Sep 2010: Dinner at Twyst with Melanie and Claude. I had underestimated the amount of rainfall and probably looked rather miserable on my slightly tardy arrival at the restaurant. Melanie's suggestion to open the Egly-Ouriet that she had brought to toast to my new job was a much welcomed one! Francis and Michel Egly (son and father) own 8.5 ha of grand cru vineyard in Ambonnay, as well as another hectare in Verzenay plus a few rows in Bouzy, all grand cru quality.  In addition, they own a plot of old Meunier vines in Vrigny, for single-vineyard bottling.  The Eglys probably make some of the finest blanc de noirs in Champagne.  The Brut Tradition Grand Cru is a rich style champagne, pinot noir-based, with a lot of honey, acacia, macadamia nuts, ripe pears, citrus peel and toasty character. Creamy, weighty, rich and well balanced with fresh acidity. Good length. 17.5/20

We started our Spanish wine adventure with 2007 Ossian from Rueda. 100% Verdejo, with barrel fermentation and maturation. Complex, well-integrated oak components, showing floral, guava, honey, nutty, subtly smokey with an underlying core of minerality. Medium-full bodied, well structured, balanced, with a fine backbone of acidity, make this a really fine example of white wine from Rueda, showcasing the weight, richness, complexity and depth normally associated with a cool climate classic variety, like Chardonnay, grown in typical terroir. This is very fine indeed and at such an attractive price-quality ratio, I give it 16.5/20

It went very well with the foie gras dish, I could tell.....as Claude and Melanie both praised the wine! It equally paired well with my pasta with anchovy with its fine acidity and slight smokiness.