Marquesa Valserrano Reserva, Rioja DOCa, Spain

馬爾克斯酒莊瓦爾塞拉諾珍藏紅葡萄酒

點擊次數(shù)：648

Cropped from a challenging vintage and showing some herbal aromas, the 2013 Valserrano Reserva feels polished and ready, with developed aromas and resolved tannins. It has all the balsamic notes you might expect: cigar ash, incense and noble woods. 51,500 bottles produced.

The 2011 Valserrano Reserva had a nice nose, quite classic, a textbook blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano aged for some two years in barrel. There is good aromatic intensity, with some ripe fruit and smoky spices. The palate seems to have polished the tannins that were a bit aggressive in past vintages and is now much more drinkable. This is remarkably similar to the 2011 El Ribazo. 54,000 bottles.

Quite classical, the 2009 Valserrano Reserva is a textbook blend of Tempranillo with 10% Graciano. Supple and tasty, it has classical flavors fused with hints of leather, ripe black fruit and plenty of spices, but unfortunately also has harsh tannins that detract from its pleasurability. It felt a bit too astringent on its own, but I'm sure it would be different with food. I previewed the 2010, which showed fresher, with better integrated wood, something to look forward to in my next round. 70,000 bottles.

The 2008 Valserrano Reserva has more notes of black fruit and shows a bigger imprint from the wood and perhaps a slightly more modern profile, but manages to deliver a complex bouquet of fruit and spice and a medium-bodied palate where the tannins are interfering a little and might require some time in bottle to get resolved. Drink 2015-2018. Bodegas de la Marquesa, better known by its brand name Valserrano, is one of those wineries that through the years has maintained very consistent quality in its wines, combining both modern and classical bottlings in their portfolio, applying their know-how to the fruit of 70 hectares of vineyard to produce an average of 400,000 bottles per vintage. Honest and well-crafted wines here are highly recommended. Various American importers, Total Wine & More, PS – Wines, and Classic Wines.

The 2006 Valserrano Reserva was a small production and is already sold out. The 2007 Valserrano Reserva is Tempranillo from older vines blended with some Graciano raised for around 20 months in American and French oak. The nose is well-defined with notes of dark chocolate, dark berry fruits, a touch of mint and singed leather. The palate is medium-bodied with lively red berries intermixed with orange peel and white pepper on the entry. It is well-balanced with good volume, fanning out nicely with some cloves and sage towards the finish that is crisp and does not outstay its welcome. Drink 2013-2018. Bodegas de la Marques own 70 hectares of vine located around Vallebuena, from which their entire fruit is sourced. Proprietor Juan Pablo de Simon, the great-grandson of its founder, told me that his aim is not to be a big winery, but remain boutique and strive for typicity in their locality. They have a long history during which they have adopted different titles includes “Marques de la Solana” and “Bodegas de Crianza SMS.” They have a strong, consistent portfolio of wines that are struck through with a sense of honesty, wines made to accompany food. Stylistically they embrace both modern Rioja, epitomized by their single varietal bottlings, and classic Rioja, for example, by only just releasing their 2001 Gran Reserva specifically to appeal to those who appreciate that style. I will commence with their impressive white wines. It is unusual to find a producer who bottles monovarietal Garnacha or Mazuelo. In selected vintages, Bodegas de la Marques produce approximately 3,000 to 4,000 bottles of each, fashioned in a more modern style and aged in barrels that have been used for the white wine. The Finca Monteviejo is the estate’s single vineyard bottling from mainly Tempranillo vines planted in 1948 by Marie-Theresa Solano, the same year as Juan Pablo’s father was born. It was partly re-planted 18 years ago. The malolactic is done in barrel and it is aged in a majority of new French oak for 16 to 18 months. Importer: Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel: (781) 352-1100