Wednesday, November 05, 2008

A Royal Favourite

Chardonnay, Riesling....the choice is extensive and varied.....then there is Pinot Blanc, Viognier and a whole lot more. How about a Treixadura? Now..I enjoy the whites of the Languedoc..and this Spanish wine reminds me in style of those delicious alternatives.
Emilio Rojo Blanco 2005
Ribeiro, Spain
Only 5000 bottles are produced...800 to Germany, the same to Switzerland.. a few make it to the U.S.A.... the rest stays in Spain in top Spanish restaurants and the Royal family get a few bottles through the back door!
As mentioned..Treixadura..55%...Loureiro 15%..Lado 10%...Albarino 10% & Torrontés 10%.
The first impression is of steel...as in soft metal..the vineyard lies on granite soils..minerals abound..wrapped in a soft glove..it spends only 2 months in oak...a gentle explosion reveals melons...the flavour is lemony...and complex...this needs airing..and the rest drank a day later showed it. A decant about 5 hours before drinking would give it a real chance to show..it is a complicated wine compared to many other 'up-front' wines on offer....worth looking for if you like something more than 'obvious' fruit and oak. Give King Carlos a phone call..maybe he'll let you have a bottle.
Points 17 and a Royal snip at €20....

2 comments:

Joe said...

This would have been perfect for my sprint to 100 grapes - never seen one of these around. I would never have thought of decanting a Spanish white for 5 hours - maybe I'll call Carlos to see what he thinks.

Barry said...

Joe...some of the whites from the Languedoc really need an airing..this was similar..and the next day it had more body....and I didn't even give it any Botox!