Spanish fly

No, not the aphrodisiac, nor the book/movie/rock band, not even the themed bar in Hyderabad (for which a review recommends one to “Fly away from here”), but what I’ve done this week has been to fly away to Spain to taste some wine and visit some vineyards.

Barcelona is a fascinating city: wedged between low mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, with terrific weather the year round (it snows only once a year), and easy driving distance to the Penedes area (home to Cava), the Priorat DOC area (some terrific reds) as well as the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. It’s also the party capital of Europe (some clubs start in the am!) — and the island of Ibiza is only a short flight away.

Cava is the sparkling wine of Spain, made from three local white grapes (Parellada, Xarel-lo and Macabeo) that are not found anywhere else; many winemakers also add varying amounts of Chardonnay to the blend. It’s made in the classic Methode Traditionnelle style of Champagne, with the secondary fermentation in-bottle, and the wine then aged in bottle for a minimum of nine months —although most good producers do this for anywhere from 12 months upwards. The area (just one hour from Barcelona) produces some 300 million bottles of Cava annually, and the stuff is lapped up all over — not just for special occasions (as we tend to do in India) but is a staple with everyday dining.

The largest Cava companies are Freixenet, Codorniu, and Torres, but many smaller producers make outstanding Cava. Juve Y Camps (3 million bottles) has an ultra-modern winery amidst 500 acres of vineyards and underground cellars storing 12 million bottles going down six stories, and claim that their best-selling Cava (Reserva de la Familia) has a 50 per cent share of all top-end Cava sold in Spain.

Another star is Giro Ribot, mentioned in both Decanter as well as Lonely Planet, with a smaller output (“only” 800,000 bottles) whose Gran Reserva 2004 combined stunning smoothness and aroma with a crisp, balanced palate that rivaled vintage Champagne.

The Priorat region is totally different to the rolling plains of the Penedes, and is about two hours from Barcelona: the area is very hilly, being ringed by the Monsant mountains, with 40-80-year-old bush vines planted on steep slopes or on terraces that can only be tended by hand. Most of the wineries here are tiny, family-owned properties, and two I visited were in the heart of Porrera — a gem of a village of 150 souls that has 13 wineries! The key grapes here are Garnacha (Grenache) and Carinena (Carignan) — both black grapes, so the area produces only red wines.

And what red wines! Sangenis I Vaque produces all of 40,000 bottles, but the Monello 2000 I tasted blew me away: the wine had an enormous complexity, with intense aromas of fruit and oak and powerful balanced tannins that will ensure it keeps drinking well for at least another 10 years. I gave it 95-96 points, and the price of 24 Euro should ensure availability only in five-star hotels.

Entirely family-run (by a father, mother and two young daughters — no employees), this boutique winery is a tribute to Castilian ingenuity, hard work and sheer brilliance.

Another winery (in the same village) was even smaller: Joan Simo Cellars is a one-man operation (okay, he has three employees) producing 20,000 bottles from 40 acres. His Les Estres 2005 (93 points, 17.70 Euro, ex-works) with 18 months in new French oak, had brambly fruit aromas, firm balanced tannins and a long, lip-smacking finish that kept one coming back for more.

Great stuff: a perfect climate, terrific ambience, hospitable people, good food, lovely wines — what more could one ask for. Salud!

(al.chandra@gmail.com)