Home Drinking: 2004 Bodegas JC Conde "Neo" Ribera del Duero Spain

Hi everybody,

About 2 years ago, I went to Ribera del Duero (like I use to do every year in my previous job) to visit many wineries and taste wines at the barrel from the newest vintage and re-taste some of the newly bottled wines from the previous year and older vintages.

Amongst many other wineries visited over 2 or 3 days, I went to Bodegas J.C. Conde, Delgado y otras. Javier Ajenjo received me and my colleagues and gave us a little tour of what was, at that time, still a work-in-progress winery.

Bodegas J.C. Conde is somewhat a fairly new project founded in the late 90's by Julio Cesar Conde, Javier Ajenjo and Jose Luis Simon.

The vineyard-driven project was started without a vineyard by this small group of friends with 3 goals in mind: respecting the region traditions, aiming for high quality rather than quantity and producing great Ribera del Duero wines by searching the essence of wine.

They aim to produce wines with a balanced harmony between the ripe fruit aromas and flavors for early consumption and the oak influence for good ageing potential and structure.

The first few vintages were made out of purchased grapes and farmed grapes from local 50 years+ old vines. They slowly bought some vineyards and built a winery with the suggestions and winemaking expert knowledge of their winemaker, Isaac Fernandez, former cellar-master of Vega Sicilia.

Isaac's philosophy is:

"I try to make wines of the highest possible quality based on each year and look to be able to offer them to the world with reasonable and competitive prices. I try to respect to the maximum the identity of the vineyards and of the grapes with which I work, despite this is not an impediment to be able to develop my wines and to equip them with an elegance that differentiates them from the rest." Isaac Fernandez

Quite a few months later, Javier Ajenjo gave us a surprise gift for supporting his wines, to each of us, a bottle of Neo 2004 with our name on the label. It was very nice of him and I'm hoping to go back to the winery within the next few years.

2004 Bodegas J.C. Conde "Neo" Ribera del Duero Spain

Suggested retail price $55-$60

Distributed / Imported by Grapes of Spain in NYC (see also Aurelio Cabestrero)

Production: Produced from 50-60 years old vines planted in clay-limestone soils, located near the village of la Horra, this wine is a great example of the quality and the density that can be achieved in Ribera. Coming from vineyards managed with a specific intent to produce low yields of ripe, healthy fruit, the Tinto Fino or Tinto del Pais grapes (a synonym for Tempranillo in Ribera) were sorted and destemmed before being macerated-fermented for 20 days. The wine was then aged for 15 months in 80% French and 20% American new oak barrels (medium-plus toasted). It was finally bottled without fining, clarification or filtration. They produce about 16,000 bottles of this great 2004 vintage.

Tasting Note: I made a terrible mistake, 2004 Neo wasn't meant to be open two years after bottling. It was definitely long enough for this wine to really express itself. I decanted it twice and left it to rest for about 2 hours in the decanter before trying to drink it over the dinner.

The robe was really sombre. At first, the nose was a bit closed and discreetly delivered aromas of "opaque" dark fruit, earth, smokiness and hints of alcohol. The palate was very rich, opulent and dense yet tight and tannic with dark ripe fruit, earth, garrigues and smokiness. Even the finish seemed strong, oaky, and alcoholic. So we left the wine to rest in the closed decanter until the next night. My wife and I found it much better, open and in better condition than the previous day, but still tight.

Time will tell for this wine. It is way too soon to open it and really enjoy it. It needs to settle down and relax. Let's hope that time will tame this dark beast and that within the next 3-5 years, the tannins and the alcohol will be more integrated and in harmony with the fruit.

The wine was a real expressive, powerful and structured fruit bomb at the winery when we visited it. Maybe the wine just entered a sleeping phase and will reopen within the next few months or years. We will see.

Enjoy! (but not now!)

LeDom (du Vin)

Info partly taken from: www.grapesofspain.com and www.bodegasconde.es

Home Drinking: 10.08.08

Tonight, I brought home 2 wines that I just discovered and really enjoyed.

2007 Capestrano Passerina Marche IGT Italy

and

2005 Lucie et Auguste Lignier Morey Saint Denis "Les Sionnieres" Burgundy France

When I went to the VIAS tasting at the Marriott Marquis last September, I unfortunately didn't have much time to taste (because that day I went to Jenny & Francois Selections / World Wide Wine, Martin Scott Wines, then VIAS just before ending the day at a Laboure-Roi tasting on the terrace of the China Club...). However, Donato from VIAS showed me a few things including a delightful little white made with an indigenous grape that I didn't know: Passerina (also known as Biancame).

FYI: Passerina (or Biancame) is an ancient white grape variety mostly planted on the east coast and central part of Italy. Capestrano is the name of a little village located in the mountainous province of L'Aquila, part of the Abruzzo region where they also produce wines with the Passerina grape.

Fact: Capestrano is (in the case of this wine, I think) just a name (that may or may not correspond to the village, I do not know), because the Passerina grapes used to make this wine come from the Marche region (the region above Abruzzo on the Adriatic coast). Strangely enough, it has been bottled in a winery called Peperoncino located in the village of Ripa Teatina, also located in Abbruzzo but closer to the coast than Capestrano...?!!?

So, to resume the situation, I think that this wine is made out of grapes harvested in the Marche region, but it has been vinified and bottled in Abruzzo.

Description:

2007 Capestrano Passerina Marche IGT Italy

Suggested retail price $9-$11

Imported and distributed by VIAS Wine imports

This is a fun little wine. The color is super light, ultra pale yellow, kind of transparent almost like water. On the nose, one can enjoy discreet (but expressive enough) fresh aromas of pear, apple, lemon with minerals. The palate is dry and light bodied. However, a light touch of fruitiness, a mix of ripe pear with peach and lemon mixed with minerals and balanced by a great acidity, make this wine very enjoyable, well rounded and quite versatile. Overall, it is simple, clean, crisp and fruity white wine (just a bit short in the finish). A good value for money and an ideal wine for thanksgiving as an aperitif with appetizers.

The 2nd wine was a fantastic

2005 Lucie et Auguste Lignier Morey Saint Denis "Les Sionnieres" Burgundy France

Suggested retail price $57-$62

Distributed by Liz Willette wines in NYC

The nose expresses ripe aromas of red cherries, raspberry with floral and earthy notes, somewhat rustic and quite characteristic of red Burgundy. The palate is elegant, medium bodied to light, really smooth with lovely ripe red cherry flavors, a good grip of acidity and some firm, present yet very integrated tannins. The finish is a bit dry and earthy somewhat adding texture and length. Overall, it has a good harmony and a balanced attitude between the fruit, the minerals and the acidity which make this wine a really enjoyable mid-range Burgundy. I personally liked it a lot and will definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good example of red burgundy in this price range.

I could tell you more about the property and its history, however I rather just suggest you to check this great, very informative website www.burgundy-report.com

or cut and past this link:

http://www.burgundy-report.com/wp/?page_id=856

Enjoy,

LeDom du Vin

Home drinking: 10.07.08

2004 Chateau Musar "Musar" Cuvee Rouge Bekaa Valley Lebanon

Gaston Hochar et fils  (distributed in NYC by Lauber Imports)

Suggested retail price $14-$16

Have you ever tasted a wine from Lebanon? No? Well, in my opinion, you should at least try one once. Brands like Ksara, Massaya and Kefraya are making very good, consistent wines. However, one of my old time favorites is: Chateau Musar.   

So tonight, I came back home with a bottle of Musar Cuvee rouge 2004 (2nd wine of Chateau Musar) and I need to admit that I was pleasantly surprised. I have been selling Chateau Musar for the past 10 years at least (in restaurants and retails) and I've always enjoyed it (even when some vintages were tannic, thin, dirty and tight...). However, it seems that the wine is even better and cleaner now than it has ever been. 

I remember drinking the 1991 by the late 90's, the wine was really earthy, slightly dull, full of sediments, very interesting but mostly for wine connoisseurs and wine geeks. It seems that this time has past and that Musar has evolved to please a much larger crowd (don't get me wrong, I didn't say that it was commercial, only that now even none wine connoisseurs will have a greater interest to taste it and appreciate it).

Description:

A blend of Cinsault, Carignan, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Syrah, produced with the same philosophy as the first wine, Musar Cuvee Rouge 2004 (which is the second wine of Chateau Musar), is a great little wine, juicy and very approachable. The color is light, bright ruby red. The nose is ripe with red cherry and wild dark berry aromas enhanced by floral and spicy notes. The attack on the palate is juicy, vivid and quite fruity (not as in sweet, but as in able to distinguish and taste the fruit flavors).  Overall, the balanced mid-palate offers great acidity and lovely flavors of wild red and black berries, with hints of purple flowers, leather and spices. The finish is fairly long, earthy with present yet integrated, refined tannins. I liked it a lot (and my wife too). 

It is a good compromise for somebody who is looking for a good, affordable, everyday drinking, earthy wine that is not too light not too heavy but has good structure, texture, freshness and character. It has a certain way to express the uniqueness of Lebanon Terroir. In a blind tasting, one could easily compare it, in some ways, to a Bordeaux, a Rioja or even a Tuscan wine. 

For some of you that stopped drinking Musar a few years ago for some of the bad flaws mentioned above or any other reasons, trust me, it is time to give Musar a second chance and realize how new technology and organic farming really increased the wine qualities of this famous winery. (Gaston Hochar has always used organic farming within the vineyards and during the vinification in the cellar, but the winery is now certified which should increase the image of the brand and generate more sales from the fast, growing organic wine buyers market).    

It will be interesting to taste the Chateau Musar 2004 (itself), but the current release is 1999, so we will have to wait a few more years. However, if it is (as usual) bigger, better, richer, longer and more complex than Musar Cuvee Rouge, the 2004 Chateau Musar should be great and worth waiting for it.   

for more info go to their website at: www.chateaumusar.com 

Enjoy!

LeDom du Vin