When looking around for a bottle to open tonight I read this fantastic interview (in Spanish) by the always excellent Spanish Wine Lover of Fernando Angulo, the guy behind Alba Viticultores. I couldn’t agree more with the article – which talks about how not enough recognition is given to the growers in the region – … Continue reading Alba Sobre Tabla 2014
I wrote about a really fun tasting of the wines of Alba back in the spring and since then have picked off another couple of bottles individually – most recently at a champagne heavy barbecue this weekend. It wasn’t an occasion for much note taking but it was still a good opportunity to see how … Continue reading Alba Brut Nature – and some superb champagnes
It has been a really tough week but what a great way to head into the weekend – a really cracking lunch with some fascinating, delicious wines from Alba Viticultores, a group of young winemakers that are pushing the boundaries in every direction down in Sanlucar. They are all (with a couple of noted exceptions) palomino … Continue reading The wines of Alba Viticultores, Spring 2016
It has been quite a week and tonight was special – a chance to try some really great wines from Toro Albala, side by side, in really knowledgeable company and in sherry headquarters here in Madrid. Frankly amazing wines – 1951 Marques de Poley Amontillado, 1965 Don PX Selección, and the Don PX Convento from … Continue reading Cata de Toro Albala in Taberna Palo Cortado
Am trying to put my thoughts into some kind of logical order after my visit to Jerez and Sanlucar with Ramiro Ibañez of Cota 45 and Federico Ferrer of Cuatrogatos Wine Club. As I mentioned yesterday our trip through the pagos had taken us on a zig zag route from one extreme to another, from el Corregidor … Continue reading Pagos, albarizas, palomino, and the wines they can produce
By Toro Albala, the top men when it comes to PX, and a vintage too. Has a cracking Ficha. Anyway, this is late night material. Dark black brown, gloopy, nose of black raisins and spices. On the palate it is sweet and concentrated, grapey raisins. Concentrated raisin – lightly spicey, sugary. It is a … Continue reading Pedro Ximenez Toro Albala 1986
This is quite something – a 100% palomino from the “Confitero” vines in Pago Miraflores that has been made into sparkling wine by the “ancestral method” (essentially, fermentation in the bottle using its own sugars and yeast). It is a lively gold in colour – a hint of green. A nice nose of cider apples, … Continue reading Alba Confitero Metodo Ancestral 2014
A white wine from a single vineyard of palomino in Pago Miraflores this has apparently been fermented in a tank and spent 7 months in a bota, no sulphites added and presumably no filtering. The colour of it is remarkable – it is semi opaque and looks a bit like a very light style of honey. It also looks … Continue reading Alba Confitero 2014
This is wine from palomino that I bought as a wine of the week from the discerning chaps at Coalla Gourmet. Frankly there is a lot I could say about it if I were a proper journalist. It is made by four real live wires who probably deserve a post themselves (like this one by Paz Ivison) it is … Continue reading Alba Sobre Tabla 2013 – Lot I
This is just a monster of a wine – so potent, savoury and saline. It is made by Ramiro Ibañez from 100% palomino fino grown on barajuela albarizas in Finca la Charanga, Sanlucar. It has a marked “river influence” – relative concentration compared to the much fresher “atlantic” influenced wines from Miraflores and Atalaya, in … Continue reading Ube Maina 2016
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