Friday, May 25, 2007

I don't drink this much Spanish Wine....really I don't . . .

. . .but last night I went to my favorite joint in all of New York, good 'ol Tia Pol and had to try this crazy albarino I have been hearing so much about. The Do Ferreiro Albarino "Cepas Vellas" is made from allegedly 200+ year old vines. If true it sure tastes like it. This is remarkable transcendental lifechanging albarino. Can you tell I liked it? At first pour it is a bit unyielding and stony but it starts to open aromatically with some white peach, apricot, white flowers, stone fruits and intense minerality. The palate reminds me of top-notch Chablis with some drier Rheingau Riesling thrown in. Incredibly harmony and delineation with astounding purity and depth. This wine is deep. Very mega mucho deep. The flavors are all minerally stone fruits and the finish goes on and on . . ..The concentration is astounding. This is amazing and can be counted among the great white wines of Spain. I need some.
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7 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 25, 2007 at 2:36 PM

    Lyle, you should try this with some age on it. Incredible. I've got some 2000 that's just starting to come into its own. I suspect it could evolve for a few decades more, much as great Muscadet does.

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  2. Lyle FassMay 25, 2007 at 3:02 PM

    I would love to get my hands on some as this is extremely tough stuff to get. I got offered it when I was at Crush but passed as I thought it was too pricey. A mistake I severely regret.

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  3. manuelMay 25, 2007 at 10:13 PM

    Lyle,

    I still hold some 2000 and 2001 Cepas Velhas, according to my cellar inventory. I took a bottle of the 2001 to Artisanal the last time Joe Perry was in town. I believe Chris Coad posted notes on this on Wine Therapy, though I can't recall the title of the post. You would do well to read Gerry Dawes' latest article on Galician whites in The Wine News (March/April/May 2007 issue) titled "Galician Gold". I beleive Do Ferreiro is one of the protagonists.

    An equally good Albariño to try, at half the price of this, is the Palacio de Fefiñanes.

    Beyond that, if you're looking for transcendental Albari˜õ, you need to cross the Miño and go where the grape's name is spelled with "v" and "nh", and try Marcial Dorado's amazing wines.

    Just curious: How much did the Cepas Velhas run you at Tía Pol? I haven't seen it in shops and am wondering how much recent vintages are costing. The 2000 and 2001 were something like $20 a bottle.

    LL

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  4. Sobre VinoMay 26, 2007 at 3:38 AM

    Lyle,

    This is probably the best albariño you can find in Spain, along with the Fefiñanes that Manuel mentions. The basic Do Ferreiro (not Cepas Velhas) is also a stunning wine, for a few bucks less.

    Another great Alvariño I have discovered lately is the Lusco do Miño "Pazo Piñeiro ", a winery that is partiallly owned by Dominio de Tares (the Bierzo producer).

    Best Regards,

    Sobre Vino

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  5. Lyle FassMay 26, 2007 at 7:30 AM

    LL,

    I will do a search for a note on the 2001 Cepas Velhas. I vaguely remember it being a hit. Do you have the Dawes article? is it online, print?

    It was $70 on the list which is steep. $5 more than Lopez Tondonia Blanco '88 and I have that wine almost every time I go to Tia Pol so I thought I needed to broaden my horizons. I think Chambers had it last year late for $34.

    I actually have a sample of Fefinanes '06 around Chambers Street somewhere. I love Dorado's wines and also the wine of Palacio de Brejoeira which I find the most profound Alvarinho is Spain. The '04 and '02 were great with the '03 reflecting the vintage.

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  6. Gerry Dawes's SpainJune 6, 2007 at 6:04 PM

    Here is the link to my Galician article, Galician Gold, http://gerrydawesspain.blogspot.com/2007/05/galicias-green-gold-white-wines-from.html

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  7. Lyle FassJune 6, 2007 at 7:38 PM

    Thanks Gerry

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