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
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!

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

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

It’s coming !

Our first order:
101 cases of 6 bottles
6 cases of 12 bottles
12 magnums

A total of 690 bottles of which more than half have been reserved!
Did you reserve yours?
Our order form is here!

Available soon: Pago Aylés “Y”. This is a bottle of 2010 that traveled a lot…

Cheaper is better !

Call it experience… estimating the wine selling price with using the SAQ calculator tool is more guessing that anything else. This tool takes into consideration the exchange rate, transport, case format, alcohol percentage, location of the winery, etc.

The good news is that newbie here overestimated the price. Yep, you read well… when does it happen these days that people tell you it will be cheaper than planned. Think about this next time you pick up your new car.

Differences are rather important: 

A: 21.50$ vs estimated 24.50$; E: 26.25$ vs estimated 34.50$; Très de 3000: 38.50$ vs estimated 53.00$; etc.

Next time, it will be closer to reality!

A New Partner !

barbuVINS is proud to announce its partnership with Bodegas Bhilar, located in Elvillar (Álava province, Spain).

This gem is owned by the dynamic duo of David Sampedro and Melanie Hickman. They make wines that are extremely respectful of nature and express the terroir beautifully. All their plots are either in biodynamic conversion or are have already been managed using biodynamic farming for several years. The first order is being prepared. We just can’t wait!

barbuVINS | Our New Website

Welcome to our new website. In fact, it’s the first website we ever make, so we’re quite proud.
We will do our best to make it bilingual and fix the bugs, but it’s a good start!
Thanks for sharing our passion about wine.