Luis Moya Tortosa Fall 2020 Line-Up

A long awaited order arrives (part 1): new wines from Luis Moya Tortosa

Sometimes, patience is well rewarded.  This is the case here, especially that we are the only ones outside Spain that are lucky enough to have access to some of those wines.

Luis has been working very hard in the past few years, expanding the number of vineyards he maintains and significantly improves.  His love of old vineyards in need  of rehabilitation undoubtedly causes him some headaches, but the rewards are visibly well worth it, especially when even the toughest critics agree the wines are impressive.

Also new from Luis and his friend Gonzalo Celayeta is an expansion of the Kimera project with two “espumosos ancestrale”, or pet-nats as they are commonly known (“pétillants naturels”). You’ll be blown away.

As it is often the case, the quantities are very small, so order your cases without delay.

Luis Moya Tortosa | Ostoki 2018
Luis Moya Tortosa | Ostoki 2018

Luis Moya Tortosa | Malasombra 2017
Luis Moya Tortosa | Malasombra 2017

Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera pet-nat rosado 2018
Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera pet-nat rosado 2018

Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera pet-nat blanco 2018
Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera pet-nat blanco 2018

Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera 2017
Luis Moya Tortosa | Kimera 2017

Do you know Rufete?

Do you know Rufete?

Rufete, the indigenous variant of northwestern Spain, is known as Tinta Pinheira in Portugal and is frequently used in port blends.

In Spain, the rufete vineyards are almost all located in Sierra de Salamanca. Difficult to describe, it is a grape whose aromatic profile is similar to pinot on steroids (!) because of its finesse, its delicate floral notes and its rather earthy or mineral character that will depend on the type of soil on which it grows.

The vines grown by David and Melanie are located on acid soils which differ greatly from the alkaline clay-limestone soils of Rioja, also known for their water retention. Over 80% of the vines they cultivate are at least 50 years old.

The Phinca Encanto 2015 cuvée, still available in small quantities, was produced according to the usual non-interventionist methods of Bodegas Bhilar, namely manual harvesting, destemming above an open oak vat of 500 liters, then foot-trodden to start fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine is racked about 15 days after the start of fermentation, then aged for 30 months in neutral French oak barrels allowing the malolactic fermentation to take place naturally.

Do not miss this.

Thanks to our winemakers !

With a new year upon us, it’s time for a heartfelt thanks to our passionate winemakers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bodegas Bhilar 2018-08

Twelve New Wines

If you follow our Facebook or Instagram pages, you have surely seen the numerous pictures of bottles you might not have been familiar with. In fact, it is an exceptional month for barbuVINS with twelve new wines in stock. Our website is up to date with the description of the new products. Cheers!

How to Clean a Decanter

Cleaning glasses is simple. Cleaning and keeping a decanter clean is another story. Even if you rinse it after every use, because of the shape and hard to reach places, it will stain.

Here is a trick that some of you might have been aware of but I didn’t know.

Here’s a tip by Michel Charbonneau, a friend and client of barbuVINS.

We were in an Ontario winery looking at a display of decanters when Michel points to a beautiful Riedel decanter that has an odd shape (Decanter Twenty Twelve by Riedel). My immediate response to his admiration reflects that I may be too practical when it comes to wine: I wondered immediately how I would keep this decanter clean.

He smiled and said I had much to learn about cleaning decanters…

Here is his trick that works wonderfully. Don’t hesitate to share it with you wine-loving friends.

1. Requirements: stained decanter and denture cleaner

2. Fill the decanter with warm/hot water (not scalding hot)

3. Leave room for the fizz. You can top it up later if you have stains in the neck of the decanter.

4. Add one denture cleaner tablet (2 for really stained decanters like ours)

5. Let fizz and the water will turn blue. Some scum will come off right away.

6. Gently swirl the decanter to help remove the stains and to cover the neck area if you don’t plan to add more water.
Be patient… you could leave it overnight if you wish.
Here is a time-lapse view of the cleaning process.

5 minutes

15 minutes

30 minutes

2.5 hours

 

Empty the denture cleaner solution, rinse thoroughly the decanter and use a decanter brush to remove the remaining stains.

To properly finish the job, use a brush to remove last bits of stains. They will come off really easily.
You can use a flexible decanter brush or the Cuisipro Magnetic Spot Scrubber should do the trick.
I haven’t yet tried the latter but it apparently does wonders.

For drying, use a decanter drying stand and finish the job with a microfiber polishing cloth (Final Touch; Microfiber polishing cloth, available for 7$-10$ at The Bay).

Remember to “prime” your decanter before using it. Not only after a thorough cleaning like this, but before every use. After testing the wine to make sure the bottle is good, pour the remainder of the tasting glass in the decanter. Swirl it around to cover all the surface, then empty the decanter.

 

It’s now ready for use.

Cheers!

 

 

 

Phincas at the theatre ?

In a recent play at the Inifinitheatre, artistic director Guy Sprung decided to put to good use empty bottles of Phincas by Bodegas Bhilar.
Thanks to Guy and Tracie for being supportive clients of barbuVINS!

Conversion
written by Alyson Grant
directed by Guy Sprung
Infinitheatre (From February 6th 2018 to February 25th 2018)
Starring Diana Fajrajsl, Timothy Hine, Mike Payette and Denise Watt

Pago Aylés: The Terroir

Unique Wines in a Unique Microclimate

Where is Pago Aylés?

Located south-west of Zaragoza in Aragón, Pago Aylés started as an agri-food project in 1994 when the estate was acquired by the present owners. They purchased several contiguous properties that had belonged to the clergy and the nobility since the Middle Ages, thus becoming one of the biggest privately-owned estates in the Aragón region (north eastern Spain). The property whose perimeter is fenced to meet Pago regulations, now exceeds 3,100 hectares.

 

Pago Aylés, Mezalocha (Zaragoza), Comunidad Autónoma de Aragón

Pago Aylés is not only a winery; it is a well-defined territory where nature and wine coexist in a very peculiar way. It has its own characteristics that differentiate and distinguish it from other surrounding estates. Thanks to the breeding and restocking of native endangered species, the European Union has the estate in the Natura 2000 network as a Special Protection Area for Birds (ZEPA in Spanish).

The holistic approach to vine growing and grape production has always been much more than a production process. The management of operations and wine production aim to blend traditional cultural practice, the landscape, the flora and fauna that shape these lands giving fruition to such excellent and original wines.

The vineyards have a unique location as they are boxed in between the northern border of the Sistema Ibérico and to the north, the Ebro river and the Desierto de los Monegros.

Sistema Ibérico, Spain

Because of the geographical location, the climate at Pago Aylés is also rather unique and differs from the rest of the region. With an average annual rainfall of 350 mm (in comparison, a desert is defined at 250 mm maximum annually while Bordeaux receives 945 mm annually), the region is defined as having a continental climate with extreme temperatures which reach 38ºC in summer and fall to -8ºC in winter. The very cold wind coming from the north helps to keep the humidity low and the vine rather healthy.

Unfortunately, this also means that grape growers and farmers must fight against hail, strong winds and excessive summer heat. In addition, drought can affect the size of crops. The temperature contrasts between day and night (diurnal variation) help to give the grapes their characteristic intense flavor. The night harvesting helps retain a good acidity, especially that the design of the property allows to bring the grapes inside the winery in less than 15 minutes after harvesting.

Satellite view of the location of Pago Aylés

Given the harsh, albeit cooler conditions due to higher altitude (500m), dominant winds from the adjacent Mount San Pablo, not much grows without irrigation even with the nearby Ebro river. To palliate the hydric deficit that commonly affects this area, two huge rain water retention basins have been built. One of the pictures shows the extensive damage caused by hail where the tarp or membrane must be replaced.

With the unique terroir of the property and a desire to raise the bar, the Ramón family decided to commission a geographical and zoning study to the Polytechnic University of Madrid and another report from the University of Zaragoza in order to determine if the winery would meet the laws introduced in 2003 (“Ley 24/2003”) that defined the concept of a Vino de Pago, or Estate Wine.

Those so-called Pago wines take their name because they belong to a delimited enclave -a “Pago”- whose soils and climate have their own characteristics that differentiate them from other adjacent properties. Pago Aylés obtained its designation in 2010. Ever since, it had to adhere to strict criteria in order to maintain its designation.

Here is an excerpt of those criteria included in the publicly available terms and conditions set out by the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture:

  • The actual alcoholic strength by volume has been set depending on the wine profile (e.g. between 13.5% and 14.5% vol (± 5%) for ‘Tres de 3000’. (±5% of 13.5% is ± 0.675% units)
  • Total sugars is defined by wine type (e.g. Less than 4 g / l (± 5%) for ‘Tres de 3000’)
  • Total acidity (tartaric acid) will be between 4 and 7 g / l.
  • Volatile acidity (acetic acid) is defined by wine type (e.g. less than 0.90 g / l for ‘Tres de 3000’).
  • Total sulfur dioxide will be less than 90 mg / l (± 10%) for rosé wine and for ‘young’ and ‘barrica’ reds, and less than 100 mg / l (± 10%) for ‘Tres of 3000’, which is the limit for “biological” wines.
  • Vine culture:
    • Planting density of 3,300 vines per ha (considered optimal low density)
    • Vine training: Cordon de Royat double
    • Bud density: maximum of 40,000 par ha (requires green harvesting)
    • Irrigation controlled in three phases depending on the growth cycle. For instance, no irrigation is permitted in the 20 days prior to harvest unless the crop is at risk in a severe drought.
    • Irrigation from retention basins
  • Oenological practices
    • Reds: A pre-fermentative maceration will take place that will last from 5 to 7 days. Alcoholic fermentation will last from 10 to 12 days and it will continuously control the temperature, which in this case should be between 24º and 26ºC. It also will take daily control of the density of musts-wine.
    • Rosé: A cold film maceration will be done for 10 hours. Alcoholic fermentation will last from 10 to 12 days and in it the temperature will be controlled continuously, which in this case will be between 14º and 16ºC.
  • Maximum Yield, per hectare
    • 8,000 kg of grapes.
    • 56 hectoliters of wine

Some of these parameters might sound esoteric, so in comparison, most French AOC define the maximum production allowed in the range of 35 et 60 hl/ha. In champagne, the yield tends to vary between 10,000 and 13,000 kg/ha.

A retention basin at Pago Aylés – you can see the extensive hail damage (December 2016)

For Pago Aylés, the clay and calcareous (limestone) soil where Pago vines are grown differs significantly from what is found in other areas in the Cariñena region, enough that only a portion of the domain’s 80 hectares where vine is cultivated obtained the Pago designation. The Ministry actually defined the list of plots that meet the criteria and revisits the list frequently. The age of the vines (25-80 years old) and the valley climate are contributing factors to the quality of the wines produced at the estate.

At Pago Aylés, nature decides if the harvest will be better than the last, but everything has been done to ensure the terroir is allowed to express its full potential, including the use of pheromones to manage insect population, and most importantly, having banned the use of herbicides and pesticides.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like opening a bottle right now.

Cheers!

He Shoots, He Scores!

When we talk about scores in Quebec, that’s usually what we talk about: Hockey. Wine lovers also have a tendency to talk about scores. Scores are far from perfect. I’m not particularly keen on wine scores since they tend to be reducing the complex appreciation of wine to something very pragmatic, losing all feeling or emotions about a beverage meant to be enjoyed. On the flip side, I do agree with Jacques Benoit’s view that it gives an instant appreciation… as long as the reader knows the scale of the critic. I don’t mean if 17 is 17/20 vs. 17/100, but rather, what does a 17/20 for Mrs. Robinson equate to when reading Tim Atkin’s reviews that are on a 100-point scale?

Many wine writers have addressed this issue in the past and some, quite eloquently. Some even wrote books about the subject which has fueled discussions for a long time. I included some references below.

What else gets to me? I’m not particularly keen on lengthy detailed descriptions either. It drives me nuts to read about some of the descriptions, because I simply cannot relate to them. It’s a valid exercise but up to a point. Taken out of context, it reads like an inventory or a shopping list. When it comes to food and wine pairings, that’s something I won’t write about either although we could talk about it at length. It’s a challenge I particularly enjoy and that I’m not so bad at (ask Marie-Claude). It makes sense if the dish is the focal point of the discussion about wine pairing, not the other way around. I find it boring in writing, and too limiting and futile if initiated from the wine as there are too many factors involved (cooking method, preparation, condiments, accompanying ingredients, etc.) to make a potentially interesting pairing into a real miss.

Now that I represent wineries, I’m facing a challenge. How do I convince you, the buyer, that I picked great wines? I’m quite flattered by the trust my friends put into my wine selections, but there must be more than trust involved. Unfortunately, the third-party validation comes from the score. So, in all fairness to those who are wine critics and do this for a living because they are experienced and mostly, credible enough to be read time and time again, I will give them exposure and will share what they think, word for word… or score for score. I won’t translate their opinion either. Keep in mind, not all scores are created equal. Yet, if everybody seems to agree it a great wine, it is.

 

Here are a couple of reviews that recently stood out for Bodegas Bhilar.

Wine Spectator reviews of white Spanish wines, March 2017

BODEGAS BHILAR (Rioja White) Terca 2010 Score: 93
This distinctive white is rich and muscular, with light tannins and orange peel acidity supporting dried pear, blanched almond, tarragon and tea flavors. A powerful version of the traditional style. Drink now through 2022. 90 cases made. (Thomas Matthews)

Note: There are 24 bottles of Terca arriving in Quebec by July. You might want to reserve a few….

DSG VINEYARDS (Rioja White) Phincas Thousand Mils 2011 Score: 93
This forceful white shows grip and depth. Honeysuckle, orange peel and vanilla notes frame pear, tarragon and marzipan flavors, with floral and spice details on the finish. Firm acidity and light tannins lend this a muscular structure. Distinctive. Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Malvasia. Drink now through 2021. 90 cases made. (Thomas Matthews)

Note: There were only 24 bottles left of Thousand Mils, so I had Melanie promise she would keep a couple of bottles for my next visit at the winery. Once the next vintage is ready, I promise I will order some. For me anyway…

 

Some links for your enjoyment:

La notation, lancinante question (Jacques Benoit; 2015-10-27)
http://www.lapresse.ca/vins/jacques-benoit/201510/27/01-4914395-la-notation-lancinante-question.php

Scoring wines: does it measure up? (Jamie Goode)
http://www.wineanorak.com/score.htm

A Pragmatic Approach to Using Wine Ratings (Wine Folly; 2014-08-18)
http://winefolly.com/tutorial/wine-ratings-explained/

When It Comes To Wine, What’s The Point Of Points? (Chicagoist; 2014-06-06)
http://chicagoist.com/2014/06/06/whats_the_point_of_points.php