From the Cellar

Palacios Remondo 2015 La Montesa (Spain)

Details

Category: Uncorked Tonight

(March 12, 2020) ... I will be honest, Rioja is one of those regions that I have never really been a fan of ... I love Spanish wine and think they offer some of the best values on the market, but Rioja has just never been what I am looking for ("not my bag" as the kids used to say) - I have Rioja in my cellar, so I am not totally against it, but those old styles leave me cold. The good news is there's a new school or winemaker that seems to be coming along and creating buzz not only throughout Spain, but within the Rioja hierarchy as well.

Exhibit A: this Palacios Remondo 2015 La Montesa, sure it carries with it some of the baggage of Rioja's olden days (ie: herbal and dried fruit notes) but it does not define this wine, in fact there is more to enjoy fresh fruit-wise, like cherry, blackberry, black raspberry plus white pepper and cinnamon; along with great acidity - making it a perfect food wine, but also an easy sipper of sorts.  I found this wine developed slowly in the glass, but also very well, as more spice seem to works its way in and onto the finish , which seemed to go from medium to long as it opened. This is a perfect example of what I was talking about, a cross between modern and old-style Rioja ... now this style Rioja I can totally get behind.

Bodegas Terra Sigilata 2010 Filon (Spain)

Details

Category: Uncorked Tonight

(March 5, 2020) ... This used to be such a treat of a wine when I first bought it, but it has been in the cellar for awhile as I kept finding other things to drink, now it's time to see what 10 years on has done to it:

Aromas start out with dried fruit with a more pronounced prune note, there's even a touch of chocolate liqueur that gives me hope ... maybe.

On the palate it starts off very peppery and spicy, but more wood than fruit derived. I used a small decanter to see if I was able to smooth it out with air ... and it does, kinda. The fruit is dried and slightly sweet-ish in nature, the pepper and spice have backed off but that is fleeting ... as the wine sits in glass and breathes the more the oak begins to show through (this is mirrored in the un-decanted bottle portion as well). Sadly, it has not aged particularly well ... time to move on ... and if you have any in your cellar, you'll want to as well.