Spain's lesser-known treasures

Spain is Western Europe’s second oldest wine producing country. Wine gurus invariably agree it is producing wines that are among the most modern in Europe. The majority of Spain’s finest wines come from the northern half of the country where the mountainous landscape provides cool vineyard sites even in the hottest of summers.
Some of the best wines from this region graced the recent World Gourmet Festival at the Four Seasons Bangkok, through local wine distributor Independent Wine & Spirit (Thailand), which imported top-quality Spanish wines among others.
These include great vintages from one of Spain’s pioneering winemakers Alvaro Palacios, who owns acclaimed vineyards in three regions of the northern half of Spain: Descendientes de J Palacios in Bierzo in the northwest, Palacios Remondo in La Rioja and Alvaro Palacios in Priorat in the northeast.
Julien Bonnard, Alvaro Palacios’ Asia Pacific export manager, joined the gourmet festival to convince Asia’s wine lovers who tend to drink French wine that Spanish wine is just as impressive.
“We’re here to identify the right partners for us and to create brand awareness and simply present the wines we are making,” said the Frenchman.
Bonnard sees mature wine markets in Hong Kong and Singapore, where wine lovers are knowledgeable and like to try something different like Spanish wine, which he says pairs well with certain Asian dishes. There’s some demand for Spanish wine in this region, he insists.
Bonnard said the three wineries have a lot to offer Asian wine lovers in terms of quality, culture and history.
In Spain’s northeast is Alvaro Palacios, the winery in Priorat, which produces highly acclaimed Finca Dofi. Palacios, son of the Rioja family of the same name, was the most successful of a group of pioneers who planted vines on the inhospitable slopes around Gratallops in the late 1980s. In doing so he helped to change the perception of Priorat’s wines forever.
All of the wines produced from his vineyard are impressive. Standing out from the crowd is the fabulously fragrant complex and rich L’Ermita. This is produced mainly from 100-year-old Granacha vines from steeply sloping vineyards, as well as a little Cabernet. It has become the most sought after and most expensive wines in Spain.
Also in the northeast is Palacios Remondo, which is right in eastern La Rioja, the region that lends its name to Spain’s flagship wine. Locals there grew the grapes for this easy drinking, fresh red even before the Romans came in the second century BC. Over the centuries, merchants, pilgrims and settlers have passed through Alfaro. Nearby, on Yerga Mountain, the Cistercian order founded its first monastery in Spain. Since days long past, these legacies have joined together in the development of wine culture.
Typical Rioja has over the years been made from a blend of grapes. The usual combination is about 70 per cent Tempranillo for freshness and fruit, 20 per cent Garnacha for weight and alcohol, and the final 10 per cent a mix of Carinena for colour and warmth, and Graciano for finesse.
Bonnard brought among others La Vendimia 2011, a blend of Grenache and Tempranillo, to the gourmet festival. This is an easy-drinking wine with lots of acidity and fruitiness.
“The Grenache grape is very citric and refreshing. Wine without acidity is like humans without backbones,” said Bonnard, adding: “It’s very soft and pleasant. It’s great to pair with finger food.”
The third winery, Descendientes de J Palacios in Bierzo, is a collaboration between Alvaro Palacios and his nephew Ricardo Perez, a former student at Chateau Margaux in Bordeaux. Both are the descendants of Jose Palacios, a venerable local legend in Rioja. They arrived in Bierzo in 1999 to explore wine-growing possibilities. Bierzo mainly specialises in light reds made from Mencia.
Among the notable wines from this winery is Petalos made entirely from old vines in Corullon and other municipalities. This is a young, fragrant wine which is able to express all the hues and shades of the region.
    TAP THE CASK
For more information about Alvaro Palacios wine, contact Morgan Morel of Independent Wine & Spirit (Thailand) via www.IwsThailand.com.