Thursday, February 10, 2011

Petalos Bierzo 2008

The first time I tried this (2006 vintage, perhaps?), it was a gift. It was a calculated gift from one of my favourite suppliers. Calculated gifts are very different from samples. Samples can be any old rubbish that needs to be sold. Calculated gifts, however, are things that people believe in, and want you to believe in too.

It worked. We stock the wine. I cracked this open to teach a promising young staff member about Spain's upcoming groovy region.

Violet-edged and quite dark.

The nose is floral and dusty with crushed violet petals and a juicy dark fruit lingering behind them.

Gentle dust coats the palate with dried flowers, violet and lavender and then the fruit emerges, quite juicy and purple - plum and blackberry. Really a joy to drink and kind of a wine of itself. Not terribly derivative or reminiscent of any other region. Bravo.

****

Tasted 2 Feb 2011 at Luvians Bottleshop.

2 comments:

MeL B. said...

Hello Richard! It is great to read your posts. I am from ITaly, I work for a wine producer here and I'm interested in getting in touch with you. Can you give me an e mail??? Mi e mail is: melina.bertocchi@gmail.com. Hope to hear from you!!!

ALISON DILLON said...

Hi Richard, another approach via your blog! I work with the Wine Society and we are holding a Press Tasting in London 24th March and wondered if it might be of interest (perhaps if you were down this neck of the woods around that time) otherwise there will be a tasting in Scotland later this year which perhaps might be more convenient? If you are interested please drop me an email at alison@dillonmorrall.com and I can give you more details
Thanks
Alison