fine wine
Paolo’s three to try
Spain and Italy But when we turn our attention to wines from Spain and Italy, the rules are different. There is still the equiv- alent of the French ‘appellation contrôlée’, but the clas- sifications, the Premiers Crus and the Grands Crus don’t exist. Instead, most appellations have an internal classification, where the better wines are called ‘Reserva’ in Spain and ‘Riserva’ in Italy. The rules vary from appellation to appellation, but the general rule is that the best wines are aged longer before bottling, and then often aged in the bottle at the winery before being offered to the market. In Spain, even longer ageing in wood, followed by
longer ageing in bottle, results in a ‘Gran Reserva’. In some regions a Gran Reserva can be up to three years in wood, followed by three years in the bottle before it’s offered for sale. The idea here is that the better wines can age well, and therefore they are not offered to the market until the wine-maker thinks they’re ready for drinking. There are no Gran Riservas in Italy, just Riserva, but
there is a higher level of DOC – the Italian equivalent to the French AC – which is DOCG, the added ‘G’ standing for ‘guaranteed’. Now that’s something worth bearing in mind next
time you're in an off-licence. For some reason that I still haven’t worked out, the Spanish don’t seem to expect payment for all the years they’ve been storing their Gran Reservas. Of course they cost more than the sim- ple appellation, but not somuch as to be prohibitive, and certainly not as much as the French would ask you pay for wines stored for so long. It’s one area of the wine world where real bargains can be had. The words ‘Reserve’ and ‘Grand Reserve’ can be
found on bottles from the New World, and generally speaking they do represent wines that the wine-maker believes to be better than his ordinary wine, but as yet the words have no legal meaning as they do in Spain and Italy.
Faustino Primero Gran Reserva, Rioja, 1999
This Gran Reserva has now had plenty of bottle ageing plus two-and-a-half years of ageing in oak barrels. The result is a silky smooth wine, with a garnet meniscus and a cherry-coloured body. A long-time favourite of mine, this 100pc Tempranillo will go beautifully with red meats. Available from SuperValu, on offer at €20
Finca Labarca, Rioja Reserva, 2005
Like the Faustino, this Rioja is from the region of Alava. As you’d expect there are notes of vanilla from the barrel ageing and there’s a strong element of berry fruit. Available from SuperValu, €12.99
Baturrica Tarragona Gran Reserva, 2004
This is a blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, and the result is a wine with a deep colour and a fairly intense bouquet. My guess is that in a blind tasting you’d never come close to guessing the price. A bargain indeed, and perfect with roast lamb. Available from Lidl, €6.49
‘In some regions a Gran Reserva can be up to three years in wood, followed by three years in the bottle before it’s offered for sale’
68 Irish Director Summer 2011
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