Monday, October 20, 2008

The Right Brew

A cellar quite full...even though the days of mass buying have been curtailed...and I sometimes stand there and search...too young, too old, had that recently..blah blah blah...
What do I do...get in the car and take the short drive to my local wine merchant. A 10 minute chat about fruit bombs and Parker points..then Robert recommends a Spanish wine...a Parker favourite..OUCH....but..he assures me it has balance..we will see.
To be fair to Mr Parker..I used to use his points to buy Rhône wines.....but some of the New World ratings are a mystery to me...me being a gentle soul who wants more than a fruit cake..I need a touch of cream..a light sauce...character..you catch my drift amigos?
Castell del Remei Gotim Bru 2005
Costers del Segre, Spain
The new style Spanish wines I have been a fan of since before they became famous....the grainy tannins attracted me..and so it is here. Cherry fruit up front...liquorice sticks ( a childhood memory)...soft..grainy tannins (just in case you missed the initial comment)...very well-balanced. High portion of Tempranillo..with some Cabernet, Merlot & Garnacha...this could have meant a jammy wine...but this is well made and has fine structure..good acidity..spicy finish.
Bottom of the range in price...I read somewhere that one critic said this was more Australian than Spanish...not true in my mind....
Points 16.5..and excellent value

2 comments:

Joe said...

I have the same problem, a full cellar and nothing ready to drink...I have recommended the Gotim Bru as a great value, but the 'jamminess' varies from vintage to vintage - personally, I found this a tasty, balanced and decently structured wine at this price point. What did you pay for it?

Barry said...

Joe
From my merchant I paid 12 Euros..but at discounters..it can be had for under 10