Author: sharquillo

Territorio ERA

~ sharquillo ~ 13 Comments

It is only five months ago in October last year that I dropped into Territorio Era for the first time and wrote this quick post. Back then I thought it was awesome but even in the short time since then it has become clear that awesome doesn’t cover it.

The bare facts are remarkable enough: 102 wines by the glass, 72 of them generosos, top class (even show) cooking and friendly/cheeky service in a space smaller than some of those bizarre show apartments in Ikea and in a location even more bizarre. To say this is a diamond in the rough is to understate the situation considerably (although the market is gentrifying rapidly).

But the bare facts aren’t even half of it, because we are not talking about any wines here. The half dozen folk that follow this blog will have seen the name Territorio Era in a hundred posts or more, and next to some stuff that you would struggle to find in restaurants of far greater fame. Notable names would include Fino La Barajuela (by the glass!), la Panesa, Encrucijado, Precede, Las Machuqueras, Socaire, and Monopole, but for me the greatest thing is the variety. You can rock up and try stuff you might never have thought about – jura, arbois, coteaux du layon, madeira, macvin, you name it – and if you fancy a champagne by the glass or a bottle of a small grower producer you are also in luck: David, the jefe de sala and executive sommelier, has a terrific range of champagnes.

Neither are we talking about just any food, because this is absolutely top quality. The huevos rotos con atun, las papas rellenas, los boquerones, el salpicon de gambas, el atun, el pargo con salmoretto, el cordero a la pekinesa, los callos a la tailandesa … the list could go on and on. All of them are prepared from top quality ingredients with fantastic imagination and considerable skill by Diego (pictured above). Just this week I had the pargo twice and the second time noticed an additional smokey tang: they had used sarmiento (wood from the vine), which burns very fiercely and creates a pungent smokey taste.

And as if all that were not enough these guys are the absolute salt of the earth. In the five months I have known them they have always been willing to help out, whether with finding a hard to get wine, arranging a special menu or hosting a cata or dinner. On one unforgettable occasion they opened the entire market for dinner on a Sunday night. They are great lads.

So get down to Territorio Era while you still can. I will see you at the bar.

Amontillado El Tresillo 1874

~ sharquillo ~ 1 Comment

What an absolute gem of an amontillado, ladies and gentlemen. Not had a glass of this – for far too long – 2015 if this blog is to be believed. So a happy reunion when I was given this last night by David Robledo at Santceloni, paired wonderfully with a rodaballo confitado in jus de champignon. In fact it showed its class in general – concentration of flavour but elegant, dry and fine.

It was a night of fantastic pairings, and this followed a a 20 year old malvasia madeira wine from Henriques & Henriques. That comparison was itself fascinating – and may have added to the impression of dry elegance in the amontillado, but I also found the amontillado more aromatic, and expressive in aromas of caramel, sawdust and citrus, even a suggestion of brandy.

Fantastic stuff – no way will it be another year before the next glass.

 

 

Fino Capataz Solera de la Casa 

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

At lunch in Territorio Era I had just enjoyed a glass of the Tradición Fino and thought it would be a shame not to compare it to this big boned fino from Montilla Moriles. Two 10-12 year old finos from high quality bodegas, the big difference being the grape involved – here we have pedro ximenez compared to the palomino.

You have to say it is a fantastic wine – real intense roast almond aromas and flavour, and volume but elegance too, with a nice zingy start and a long mouthwatering finish. Doesn’t have the bitter notes of the Tradición fino (although this is a year younger in the bottle) and in fact has a nice little caramel effect as the nuts give way to the minerals that makes the contrast even greater.

One of the outstanding finos. .

Fino Tradicion, Noviembre 2015

~ sharquillo ~ 1 Comment

I have a general sense that these finos from Tradicion are getting steadily better (although at a majestic tasting at Reserva y Cata last year it became clear that the story is a little more nuanced). I also think they benefit from a little bit of time in the bottle.

Whatever the case, this one – which I should reveal was bought for me at the bar of Territorio Era – really hit the spot. A yeasty, dry unroasted-nut fino with nice elegant shape, some bitter almond notes and a fresh finish.

Really excellent stuff.

Ramiro Ibañez and the History of Palo Cortados in Taberna Palo Cortado

~ sharquillo ~ 3 Comments

Fantastic tasting/masterclass by the man tonight at Taberna Palo Cortado, lifted by an excellent Encrucijado 2014 and an absolutely stratospheric Barajuela oloroso (tonight posing as a palo cortado). 

This fella drops knowledge from a surprising height, and let’s be honest this subject is crying out for a bit more knowledge and a bit less blarney. Above all for me the presentation made sense of and brought together a few strands I had picked up along the way. 

I hope I can remember some of it tomorrow.

Las 30 del Cuadrado 2015

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

This is not an easy wine to get hold of by any means, so it was a small thrill to see it on the wine list at Surtopia, still for me Madrid’s supreme temple to all things Sanlucar.

The only other time I had tried it before it was still a prototype just over a year ago, and that time in the bottle has really helped it come along.  Almonds and sweet herbs on the nose and the dry/sweet flavours of almond and herbs on the palate too. Mineral and saline with those tasty mountain herbs and a fresh finish. After a little while open the aromatics and flavours grow a little more intense and become almost stewy.

A really nice balance of subtle fruit and savoury. I can’t help seeing these wines as evidence in the argument about the qualities of palomino and its ability to make quality white wine. This one certainly shows that it can.

 

El Colectivo Decantado

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

Colectivo Decantado

High time I dedicated a few words to my good mate the Decanted Collective, one of the most dedicated and amusing drinkers of the good stuff on the Madrid (and Brussels) wine scene. His greatest works are his video “instacatas” (“instatastings”) in which he launches an array of wine and pop culture knowledge at his audience from behind a big glass of well chosen wine. They are pretty funny and if you reckon you can speak Spanish  you should have a look (unless you are “winelover” or a “jipster”, in which case you might want to save yourself the aggravation).

This week it was Fino Imperial (and Ninja Turtles) but I recommend looking back at all of them – some really good wines and some half decent jokes on display, including the following sherries (aka katanas) and other wines you may have read about on here:

Your man knows his onions – last year he and Jimmy Bubbles (who co stars in some instacatas) picked up a big cheque at the Vila Viniteca cata por parejas – and clearly enjoys the occasional dip into the wines from El Marco. Colectivo Decantado, we salute you!

 

CGWF17: Part 6 – Bodega de Forlong 80/20

~ sharquillo ~ Leave a comment

More shocking blogging here – thought I had saved it as a draft and in fact it has been posted for the last two days with nary a word of explanation. I might just bluff it out and claim it was a trailer – might work.

Anyway this is a wine I have been after for a while and was really happy to finally catch up with. Forlong is a class operation down in Puerto de Santa Maria, making table wines with classic local varieties: palomino,  pedro ximenez and tintilla (and some wild cards like a Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé). The name of this one is clearly a reference to the famous Pareto ratio and means that they make 80% of their sales to just 20 really keen bloggers. Alternatively, it could refer to the fact that this wine is 80% palomino and 20%, er, more palomino, from a different pago.

More to the point, although it is 80% palomino and 20% palomino, this has had some contact with the skins of the pedro ximenez, which have been macerated in the wine and give it a rich aroma, buzz and volume – almost tannic. As you can see above it has a deeper colour than you might expect (did I try a rosé before? can’t remember). Then the aromas are of honeysuckle, citrus and salty chalk and the flavours aren’t far away from there, before a long, intense finish.

Really liked this one – as tasty as it is inventive.

 

CGWF17: Part 5 – Cota 45

~ sharquillo ~ 1 Comment

Pretty shambolic blogging effort here – note how I cut one of the four bottles out of the picture. The Pandorga 2015, no less.

To be honest though I was most interested in the new UBE Maína 2016. The original UBE, the exceptional unfortified 100% palomino (the 2014 pictured in the centre above)  is from Miraflores, probably the most reknowned of the pagos influenced by the Atlantic. This wine, which will only have had a few months in the barrel and has a good way to go yet, is from Maína, probably the most reknowned of the river influenced Sanlucar pagos. Really interesting to try them together.

Although the Miraflores is vertical and fresh for me one of its strengths is how aromatic it is – particularly after a little while open – and the potent little bomb of sapidity. Compact and refined but full of almost savoury flavour.

By comparison the Maína seems heavier (but has only had a few months in the barrel after all) and has a lot more structure and upfront power – whereas the Miraflores slips in this seems to kick the door down. Bags of flavour there too – this has the potential to be a quality wine alright.

And after that it would have been rude not to try the Encrucijado 14 that was available, and if I thought it was elegant and defined before, after the young Maina it was positively silky (to be fair it has had a few months under flor).

Fantastic stuff – going to be a long wait for the UBE Maína 2016 but looks like being worth it.

CGWF17: Part 4 – the Barajuelas 

~ sharquillo ~ 3 Comments

I have written about these wines before but would never miss the opportunity to have another dig, so when I heard the capsule coming off from across the room – even early doors – my feet seemed to move by themselves.

First the Fino 2013, a wine with a massive range from low to high, with a yeasty fruity nose, big intense concentrated fruit, sharp, deep salinity and a crisp finish. A fruit full fino, or a superpotent white wine with added mineral kick. Absolute belter whatever you call it.

Second, the as yet unreleased Oloroso 2013 – here the minerals are turned down a touch but if the fino was full bodied this is immense. That oxidation is still getting to grips with the wine – not caramel juice here just concentrated fruit with a bit of burn to it. Above all there is an impression of solidity about this wine. Love it and hope it will be released soon.

Not a bad breakfast by any standards.