| iberian criterion |
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| Written by Nikitas Magel |
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The TAPAS 2008 Wine Tasting Event
TAPAS describes itself as an organization dedicated to "promote Tempranillo and other varietal wine grapes native to the Iberian Peninsula and wines produced from them in North America." Having taken place at Copia, The American Center for Wine, Food, and the Arts, this past week's tasting event was touted as "the most extensive tasting of domestically produced Iberian varietal wines ever offered in America." And I have to say, from my own experience, it most certainly was. As I typically do at tasting events, before tackling the reds, I honed in first on the white wines. Among those represented, of which there were relatively few, I was disappointed to find that a number lacked the expression of fruit I would expect from the areas and climate in which their grapes are grown. Nevertheless, there was a handful of white wines that showed a beautiful balance of acidity and fruit, and which demonstrated varietal typicity while still conveying a singularity reflective of their respective vineyard sites. The best examples, I felt, were made from Verdelho, a Portuguese grape known more for its role in what is perhaps my favorite of all fortified wines: Madeira. But the similarity ends there, since these wines were made in an aromatic and lighter style, which I'm guessing was inspired from the Verdelho of Australia, where the grape was first widely produced as a white table wine. A couple of other notable whites at the tasting were made from Albariño and Torrentés, both varietals from the cooler northwestern region of Spain (Galicia). The standouts among the white wines poured at the event were:
Far more heavily represented at the TAPAS tasting event were the red Iberian varietals — notably and predictably, Tempranillo. Often called Spain's answer to Cabernet Sauvignon, Tempranillo is a thick-skinned and deeply colored grape that lends itself to the production of wines with structure and depth of fruit. Like Cabernet, it has somewhat of a broad range of flavor that manifests according to where it's planted. On the Iberian peninsula, it takes many forms — from the regality of Rioja, to the toughness of Toro, to the rusticity of Ribera del Duero — each with clear identity reflective of both site and subculture. I was excited and impressed to see evidence of conscientious, terroir-based thinking among at least a subset of the producers present. In the seminar that preceded the walk-around tasting, one winemaker in particular (Penelope Gadd-Coster of Coral Mustang) presented a side-by-side comparison of her Tempranillo wines from two different sites, making a loose association between hers and the wines of Rioja and of Ribera del Duero. I'm personally convinced that such detailed site analysis — occurring so early in the experimentation with this varietal newcomer — will minimize geographically inappropriate planting, and encourage producers to rapidly maximize Tempranillo's potential on American soil. And that, I believe, ultimately translates into greater chances of success for this varietal in the marketplace. Currently, with so few producers and vintages, it's perhaps too soon to make any generalizations about the future of Tempranillo. I'm heartened, though, with the quality of the red wines I tasted at the TAPAS event. Among those poured at the event, the exceptional reds were:
One wine in particular that I feel warrants special mention is Grace Patriot Wines' 2005 Tempranillo (El Dorado). On top of the fact that this was their first vintage using their own estate-grown grapes, this wine— true to its namesake — demonstrated a remarkable finesse that stood out from the crowd of other reds that were often more rustic in style. Another producer I feel deserving of special mention is Chateau Lorane, located in southern Oregon. Vinified from grapes grown in a region cooler than that of the majority of other TAPAS producers, their 2004 and 2005 vintages of Tempranillo demonstrated an old-world restraint verging on elegance. I was first introduced to this producer during a trip I took with my partner to his hometown in Oregon, where we discovered Chateau Lorane's Pinot Gris — a wine that is quite simply one of the best examples of this cooler-weather varietal, showing a gorgeous balance of acidity and fruit expression that puts it among the finest from Alsace. Clearly, from my experience, there were some impressive wines poured at the TAPAS tasting event. About the organization itself, though, I'm a bit more ambivalent. On the one hand, I deeply admire that a collection of wineries has come together to increase consumer awareness of — and producer participation in — otherwise unfamiliar varietal wines. This is a good thing, because regardless of what's happening on the production side, it all hinges on consumer interest. However, the mission and focus of TAPAS, being a rather young organization, seems to be still in development. Is this a group whose emphasis will intensify on Tempranillo alone, dedicated to strengthening and ensuring the success of that single varietal in the marketplace? Or will it seek to continue being inclusive of producers of Iberian varietals in general, perhaps diluting a mission that may benefit from a tighter focus? It remains to be seen, but I'm nevertheless optimistic. In the meantime, I plan on supplementing my collection with a few of the fantastic wines I discovered at the 2008 TAPAS tasting event. Thanks to Heidi Stine for all her hard work in helping to organize the trade/press registration of the event. For more information about the Tempranillo Advocates Producers & Amigos Society, visit the TAPAS website or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it directly. |
Wine, like pretty much every other consumer product, experiences trends of interest in the marketplace. In the '90s, Merlot was the hot wine in the U.S., followed by a surge in Syrah, with the most recent varietal enjoying interest these days — perhaps due to a certain 2004 movie to which everyone under the sun attributes this trend — being Pinot Noir. But a lot of wine consumers tend to get bored very easily. They ultimately tire of buying the same varietal wines, and jump at the opportunity to try something new. Could Spanish and Portuguese varietals be the next wave in the ocean of wine in which consumers often find themselves aimlessly paddling? I attended the 2008 Tasting Event of the Tempranillo Advocates Producers & Amigos Society (TAPAS) to get a better idea.