James Ratcliffe, Co-Owner of The Black Bull, Discusses Riojas
Spanish wine is not just about bold and brassy Riojas… here are a couple of alternatives to get you going…
When it comes to Spanish wine, it’s a bit like coming home. My parents moved to Spain a few years ago, so visiting them was always fuelled with red wine. Looking back, the wine was homely, full-bodied, mainly Rioja, which I enjoyed, but it was before my own lightbulb moment came when thinking about wine.
Tempranillo has always been the star grape of northern Spain, indeed for all of Spain. It’s the main grape found in Rioja, and as a result, it’s often referred to as Spain’s noble grape, which is why it inevitably springs to mind when we think of Spanish wine. Don’t get me wrong, there’s some great Riojas out there…
But there’s much more to Spanish wine… There are some amazing grape varieties that really pack a punch… Mencía is one such example. It has become, at least for me, my ‘go to’ grape when I see it on a wine list. It’s a grape that only grows in the north west of Spain and Portugal, which is why it’s not that well known. It produces wonderfully complex and interesting wines with hints of raspberry, liquorice and pomegranate, not entirely unlike Pinot Noir or Gamay.
One fantastic example we have on the menu at the Black Bull is called ‘Quite,’ produced by Veronica Ortega, one of Spain’s leading young wine producers. She makes some cracking wines in Spain’s Bierzo region, using organic methods and even using amphorae (clay vessels) for part of the ageing process.
‘Quite’ is a real food wine bursting with herbal notes, strong red fruits, dark berry, warm spices and black tea – perfect with roast pork, beef brisket, a whole range of charcuterie, and cheeses like Manchego and Cheddar.
Her higher-end wines blend Mencia with other local grapes, often white grapes, producing very elegant, structured wines. She spent a lot of time learning and working in Burgundy, which influences the wines she produces. Her whites are made mainly from Godello, producing mineral wines with notes of zesty fruit, Chamomile, fennel, and almonds.
Vine Trail stocks most of its range online, and I have seen major wine and whisky websites carrying them as well.
Another grape from Castilla y León, also shared with neighbouring Portugal, is Rufete, which is even rarer than Mencía. Wine makers who use it are creating some truly fantastic wines… There are two types of Rufete: a light red grape and Rufete Blanca, which is rarer still, a white grape that produces textured, aromatic, and mineral-driven wines.
Vina del Cambrico, Sierra de Salamanca, is an organic winery that has specialised in reviving these two local grapes in its region. Not just happy to revive local grapes, they have also worked with the Agricultural Technological Institute of Castilla y León to conduct a scientific study. To date, they have saved 130 micro-plots in the area, which have been maintained or recovered from the undergrowth. The vines are in the Sierra de Francia National Park, so biodiversity and integration with the surrounding wildlife are important considerations. The winery is well developed as a heritage recovery project that encourages visitors, including anyone looking to wander off the beaten track in Spain.
‘Vinas del Cambrico Rufete’ is their red, brim-full of fruit, with hints of balsamic, raspberry, and blackberry, with wild herbs.
The highly acclaimed white, ‘Vinas del Cambrico Rufete Blanca Granito,’ is simply outstanding, with incredibly complex notes of green apple, fennel, and stone fruits, finished with a hint of oak and a sherry-like character throughout. I remember the first time I tried the white. During a tasting among hundreds of wines, it was one of the last, after I had failed to spit increasingly as the day progressed. Yet it sat bolt upright, and both Nina and I were instantly enchanted.
Although rarer, these can be found online fairly easily. They have a variety of other wines, including some made with Tempranillo, if you want ones that you know have been produced with traditional farming practices and biodiversity in mind.
These are just a couple of producers in a sea of quality Spanish wineries, not just in the north. Grapes and regions are resurfacing that should never have fallen off our radar. If there’s one thing to thank the ‘natural’ wine movement for, and you don’t have to appreciate them all, it’s putting these regions and grapes back in the spotlight. Our growing and much-needed interest in the environment should further our support for smaller, independent producers. As much as this column is to recommend wines, I’d really like to think it inspires people to explore that little bit more.