Kosher For Passover – Kosher Le Pesaj

Kosher wines from Capcanes
Celler de Capcanes is a pioneer among Montsant region bodegas. They began as a farm cooperative in 1933, went through a phase as a bulk wine source for Torres and other larger wineries before bottling wine under their own labels starting in the 1990s. They are best known for expressive Garnacha based reds such as Mas Donis, Costers del Gravet and Cabrida. In 1995 they began making Kosher wines in a separate facility supervised by local Rabbis. The two wines are “Lo Mevushal – Kosher Le Pesaj” (non-meshuval-Kosher for Passover). They are the best Spanish Kosher wines that I have tried among the dozen or so that are produced.

2007 Peraj Petita The younger of the Capcanes Kosher wines is a mulberry hued blend of 60% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo and 20% Samso (Carinena). The varieties are fermented together before a small portion (15% more or less) is drawn off and aged in barrel of 10 months, after which the final blend is briefly aged in tank before bottling. The fresh, tangy (classic Garnacha) fruit character of the wine finds counterpoint in gently persistent tannins and underlying minerality. $26.99
2005 Peraj Ha’abib Flor de Primavera The flagship Kosher wine from Capcanes is this dark, brooding, rich red. Made up of 35% old vine Garnacha, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Samso (Carinena), the varieties are fermented together before the blend is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. The inky dark color indicates the style of this wine. Ripe berry fruit character blends with tannic oak, dense tannins, and notes of pepper and flinty minerality. $58.00

New Vintages of Gran Feudo from Julian Chivite
Bodegas Julian Chivite is the oldest winery in the Navarra region of Northern Spain. The original winery was established in the town of Cintruenigo in 1637. More recently, in the nineteen sixties, Julian Chivite Marco (1910-1997) was instrumental in the establishment of the Navarra D.O. (denominacion de origen). Today, Bodegas Julian Chivite is one of the most respected wineries in Spain, and produces several wines under the Gran Feudo label as well as small production reserve wines under the Chivite Coleccion 125  brand. All Chivite wines show remarkable balance and finesse.

2004 Gran Feudo Crianza This wine is composed of a blend of 70% Tempranillo, 25% Garnacha and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is aged in French and American oak barrels for twelve months, with further aging in the bottle before release. In the glass, Gran Feudo Crianza is bright cherry red with a pale violet rim. Aromas of sweet oak and dried fruit blend seamlessly with soft flavors of dried plum and cherry. The small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon gives the wine structure, but not so much as to detract from the lighter bodied Tempranillo character. The new vintage is nicely priced at $13.99
2003 Gran Feudo Reserva This Reserva wine spends 18 months in oak before bottling, giving the wine a rich texture and mature barrel tannins supporting dark berry fruit character. The wine is 80% Tempranillo with 10% each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. This mature red is drinking well right now, yet could be put down for an aditional 3-6 years to continue ageing in the bottle. The new vintage comes in at$17.99
2001 Coleccion 125 Reserva This wine comes from the superlative 2001 vintage and is composed of the best fruit from the Chivite estate vineyard in Alberin. Long, slow bottle maturation follows 14 months in French oak. The final result is a dark, expressive, elegant wine with mature character and great longevity. $43.99

These wines may be purchased online at www.spanishtablewines.com

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Vintages Past & Present

Special deal on Rioja Alta
The wines of Rioja Alta (not to be confused with the region of the same name) have a long history dating back to 1890. The winery was founded to meet the needs of wine drinkers in France when the French vineyards had  been devastated by the phylloxera mite. A bodega was built in Haro near the train station where wines could be shipped to the coast by rail and from there by boat to thirsty customers in France and all across Europe.
Today this winery still produces barrel aged wines in the same Bodega in Haro. The wines of Rioja Alta SA are slowly aged for years in the cellar before sale as is the local tradition. We just received a batch of two wines from the last decade which are mature and ready to drink right now. Of course, if you are not in a hurry these wines may be put down for some point in the not too distant future (like the next 10 years or so).
For now we have these two wines well off of normal pricing. These prices will stay the same until the wine is gone so now is a perfect opportunity to pick up these excellent wines at a nice discount. All of these wines may be purchased in our store or on line at spanishtablewines.com

2002 Vina Alberdi Reserva The entry level Reserva from Rioja Alta is this 100% Tempranillo wine that displays garnet color, aromas of dark berries and earth with well integrated barrel notes and bright fruit character. This was $21.99 the last time we carried it. Now it is $15.99.
2000 Vina Ardanza Reserva The wine that made Rioja Alta famous is this oh-so-traditional Reserva. This blend of 75% Tempranillo and 25% Garnacha is a earthy and smoky at first with a supple undercurrent of dark fruit character. The classic Rioja notes of cigar box, saddle leather and dusty earth are all present as background notes. This complex, elegant wine was going for $38.99 but while the current supply lasts we have this one for $29.99.

New Vintages of D. Ventura from Ribeira Sacra
In the Ribeira Sacra region of Northwestern Spain, Ramon Losada makes 3 distinctly different wines from the local Mencia grape. The old vine vineyards are located in the steeply terraced river valley that cuts through the heart of this ancient region. These terraced vineyards, originally built by the Romans, had long ago fallen into ruin and are only now being rebuilt and reused.
These are all excellent expressions of an ancient region that is just beginning to renew its true potential. They are also some of my current favorite wines in the shop.

2008 Vina Caneiro The boldest of the D. Ventura wines, this exclusive bottling sourced from small plots of old vine Mencia grown on the steep slopes of the Sil River Valley is opulent and silky while still retaining a fresh, lively balance of flavors. Notes of cranberry and pomegranate mingle with flinty minerality. This dark and abundant wine never veers into the overly extracted or the syrupy. $24.99
2008 Pena do Lobo This wine, from one of the two the Sil River vineyards is 100% Mencia from vines that are over 80 years old. This dark ruby colored wine displays great purity with  subtle mulberry fruit character balancing flinty background minerality. $19.99
2008 Vina do Burato Composed of 100% old vine Mencia from D. Ventura’s Minho River property, this light red is fresh and youthful with the dried leaf aroma that is typical of Mencia. This is the leanest of the D. Ventura wines. It maintains a fine balance of flavors with moderate alcohol content (12%) and will compliment fresh vegetables, poultry, rice and pasta. $17.99

Upcoming Events:

We are hosting an exciting Lopez de Heredia wine tasting next month.  Join us in the Mill Valley store onThursday, April 15th as Maria Jose Lopez de Heredia takes us through her family’s rich history, traditional wine-making process, and of course, many of their world-class wines from La Rioja Alta.

We’ll start at 6:30 pm and will spend two hours enjoying their current releases, a handful of older bottlings and even their 1970 Vina Bosconia.  We will also pair these great food wines with a few of our favorite Rioja-inspired Tapas – lamb anyone?
To read up on the winery before the event, here’s a link to the Lopez de Heredia website and another link to a New York Times article that ran last year.  Eric Asimov makes the point that this classic winery has in a way become cutting-edge, as many winemakers are now following classic, natural and artisanal practices in their vineyards and winemaking.
We are taking reservations for the event now, so come in or give us a call to confirm your attendance (415 388 5043).  The tasting is $45 per person.  We are really looking forward to this event – see you there.