Trying out a new Basque restaurant here in Miami, decided to bring two subreddit favorites along for the ride!
Quick notes on the Ardanza – stellar rioja, one of my favorite red wines at this $35-$40 price point. Paired with this wonderful beef roast. Nose of bountiful oak – smoke, cedar, tobacco, old cigar box (though nowhere near Viña Arana levels). Still green at opening – bell pepper, vegetables, dill, which opens up to plums and blackberries with air and time. Great acidity, with grippy tannins that also mellowed. Lovely flavors, lovely structure. One I always recommend, the third bottle I've opened of the 16s, a few more to go. With at least an hour of air, this hits on all counts.
As for the Gravonia – well, this bottling needs no introduction! If my research is correct – 100% Viura, four years of American oak with their famous oxidative method – the barrels are not topped off, allowing in slow, steady air during the aging process. The latest release is the 2017 – found here for $70 – but I tracked down a pair of 2015s hiding in the back of a local store for $45, picked them up to finally try – paired with this serrano ham rice dish.
On the nose, those oxidative notes took center stage – nuts, baked goods, browning banana, sherry, bruised apple. Very little fresh fruit to me – I could even swear brownie and cake as it warmed! Wood, wood, wood. Even though I had read up on these wines previously and knew what to expect, I was still caught offguard – which makes me chuckle, as my first 7 years in wine were all sherry & port, so oxidation was nothing new to me!
On the pala — okay, first things first — I am not sure how to feel about this wine. That was my first thought after a taste, before deconstructing the components. My thoughts went from "I like it" to "I don't" over and over again. Anyway – onto the structure. Searing acidity, unnoticeable 12.5% alcohol, but goodness, you feel those four years of oak, in an interesting tannic sensation for a white wine. Oily mouthfeel; with walnut, sherry, and faint citrus flavors in a very, very long finish. This one has the spine to last decades!
I understand why this one is so polarizing – it's certainly a very unique experience. As someone whose preference leans to oaked whites as it is, I'm still unsure how to feel about it, even as I write this. The meal pairing was fine – certainly doesn't feel like a wine one can just sip casually! It'll be a while before I try my next one, despite having another 2015 (as well as a 2016), I think my plan for the latter is to leave it until 2031 at best, and as for the '15 – open it at home, and try it over 2-3 days.
by JJxiv15