The Event: Alvear Family wine tasting – Bodegas Alvear DO Montilla Moriles and Bodegas Palacio Quemado DO Ribera de Guadiana with Maria Alvear.

The Date and Time: Monday April 4, 2016, 2 – 4 PM

The Event: Alvear Family wine tasting – Bodegas Alvear DO Montilla Moriles and

Bodegas Palacio Quemado DO Ribera de Guadiana with Maria Alvear.

The Venue: Mideastro Yorkville

The Target Audience: wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: there are a few items at the LCBO, but the rest would be private orders from Kirkwood Diamond.

The Quote/Background: The Alvear family established their original bodega in Montilla Moriles, near Cordoba in 1729, now guided by the 8th generation. The Alvear wines from Montilla share similarities with Sherry some 211 kilometres to the south-west — but the two regions are distinct. In the Sherry region the Palomino Fino is used, and in Montilla the Pedro Ximenez is grown to create the same styles of bone dry or semi dry. And the Pedro Ximenez in Montilla, as in Sherry, is used to create unctuous and world renowned ultra-sweet wines. Palacio Quemado wines are New World in style with a focus upon the personality of the grape types Tempranillo, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, with experimentation involving other local varieties. For the most part, oak aging takes place in 500 litre Fr barriques and less so in US barrels.

The Wines:

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Alvear Fino en Rama 2008 DO Montilla Moriles. $19.95 500mL bottle, cases of 6: unfiltered, unfortified Fino from Pedro Ximenez grapes aged under flor for three years. -Palacio Quemado Reserva 2011 DO Ribera de Guadiana, $21.95, cases of 6: all Tempranillo from oldest vineyards, aged 70% in Fr oak and 30% in US oak for 16 months. -Palacio Quemado, Los Acilates 2013 DO Ribera de Guadiana, $25.95, cases of 6: single plot field blend with different varieties depending on the vintage, aged a year.

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Alvear Fino DO Montilla Moriles, +112771, $12.45.

-Alvear Medium Dry Amontillado DO Montilla Moriles, +112789, $12.45.

-Alvear Solera 1927 Pedro Ximenez DO Montila Moriles 375 mL, +383422, $15.55 (moving to Vintages)

 

*** GOOD -- Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Palacio Quemado, La Zarcita 2014 DO Ribera de Guadiana, $16.95, cases of 6: Tempranillo, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 8 months in Fr oak.

 

The Food: bread and water

The Upside: we had a chance to sample the wonderful Brandy Alvear Presidente Gran Reserva Brandy (nutty, pungent) $59.95 bottle, cases of 6.

The Contact Person: Barry Brown  <info@spanvino.com>; Rsandham@kirkwooddiamond.com; maria.alvear@alvear.es

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 89.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com