Category: Sheridan’s Wines

Tamaral Roble 2013 – Ribera del Duero, Spain

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Fresh blackberry and currant on the nose, with faint nutmeg spice.  Violets and dark berries, laced with a faint strain of vanilla come together to finish with a solid, abrupt tannin finish.  A chewiness, with peppercorns and aromatic herbs, lingers after the finish.  A nifty little wine, well balanced and nimble, how a Mazda Miata might compare to a Ferrari.

  • Rating: Everyday Red
  • Name: Tamaral Roble 2013
  • Winery: Bodegas y Viñedos Tamaral
  • Region: Ribera del Duero
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: Tempranillo
  • Price: $17
  • Where to Buy: Calvert Woodley Wines & Spirits

Roccamora 2013 – Nardo Rosso, Italy

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The nose here is like black rubber, cherry, and roses, with a faint hint of leather.  What a start.  The front end is juicy, with red berries.  Then something happens in the mid palate – it turns velvety and smooth, making the whole mouth feel coated with velvety iodine.  Yeah, it’s different.  The leather and red fruits melt into darker, chewy dried fruits (think prunes, dates, and currant), joined by a salty minerality.  The finish carries a slight hint of sweeter amaros such as Nardini or Nonino, and a soft hit of white pepper.  Such a fascinating wine.  I picked this one up at Appellation Wine & Spirits in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan on the owner Scott’s recommendation.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Winery: Schola Sarmenti
  • Wine: Roccamora 2013
  • Varietal: Negro Amaro
  • Region: DOC Nardo Rosso
  • Country: Italy

Quindals 2007 – Empordá, Spain

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Powerful blackberry, bordering on blueberry, and slight woodiness notes on the nose. Violets, black pepper, and powerful charcoal and black rubber notes on the palate. Muscular, typically Catalan, tannins keep the powerful flavors all honest. Dark chocolate and roses come on in a soft shift from the rubber and charcoal. Tannins are chewy, raisiny, almost like cherry chewing gum. This is a wine that will teach you why the Catalans call red wine “black wine” – so dark that only words like black-red can describe it. I picked this beauty up at Calvert Woodley simply because it was from Empordá for about $20.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Name: Quindals 2007
  • Winery: Mas Estela
  • Region: Empordá
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: 90% Garnatxa Negra, 5% Syrah, 5% Samsó
  • Price: $20-25
  • Where to Buy: Calvert Woodley Wines & Spirits

Langhe DOC Rosso 2013 – Piedmont, Italy

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Dolcetto, Nebbiolo, Barbera, Freisa, Pinot Noir, and Albarossa. Violet and mineral notes on the nose with just a hint of autumn mustiness. Fresh cherry, plum, and florals attack the palate on the front end, rounding quickly with brief tannins and a longer greenish mineral finish. This is a bright, acidic red just right for the onset of spring. I would call it light bodied, if not for some stubborn tannins on the backend that provide some depth and backbone. With toast and goat cheese, it’s stellar and I could not imagine a better foil. I picked this one up at Calvert Woodley for $16 on Mark’s recommendation. Verdict: Everyday Red.

  • Rating: Everyday Red
  • Name: Langhe DOC Rosso 2013
  • Winery: G.D. Vajra
  • Region: Piedmont
  • Country: Italy
  • Varietals: Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, and Barbera blended with small quantities of Albarossa, Freisa and Pinot Noir
  • Price: $16
  • Where to Buy: Calvert Woodley, 4339 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008

 

Bula 2013 – Montsant, Spain

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IMG_3786Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Syrah. A powerful iteration of the Montsant DO. It comes on strong with bursting black fruit, currant, rose petals, and leather flavors and a full mouthfeel. The tannins are slighter than most Catalan wines, but present enough to provide some structure. Strawberry and flint notes on the nose are subtle, with everything stretching out into a nice, warm peppery finish. This is a great Everyday Red at $13-16 at your local Whole Foods.

  • Rating: Everyday Red
  • Name: Bula 2013
  • Winery: Aviva Vino
  • Region: Montsant
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: Mazuelo, Garnacha, and Syrah
  • Price: $13-$16
  • Where to Buy: Whole Foods, Washington D.C.

Sidónio de Sousa 2009 Baga – Bairrada, Portugal

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100% Baga. A traditionally fermented Portuguese table wine, fermented in clay ancas with traditional maceration (i.e. trodden). Crushed cherries and violets on the nose. Chocolaty, velvety body with red fruit and a hint of vanilla flavors. Tough, Portuguese tannins give it a lot of structure. Faint slate and coffee notes on the finish. I picked this up at Brooklyn Wine Exchange for around $35-40. Solid, but I won’t buy it again at that price point. The M2, which we drank along with it, kicked its ass thoroughly. In fact, this wine and its Robert Parker 92 point rating is the poster child for why I started this blog: meaningless ratings by people who have sold their name to producers.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Name: 2009 Baga
  • Winery: Sidónio de Sousa 
  • Region: Bairrada
  • Country: Portugal
  • Varietals: 100% Baga
  • Price: $35-40
  • Where to Buy: Brooklyn Wine Exchange, 138 Court St, Brooklyn, NY 11201

M2 de Matallana 2011 – Ribera del Duero, Spain

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img_3643The nose smells exactly like blackberries. Blackberries. Like blackberry pie. It evens out a bit with some slate and vanilla notes as it opens. A luscious, voluptuous and generous wine. Strong, percolating vanilla, black fruit, and salty stone notes and a great mouthfeel. The tannins pull together in just the right way, at just the right time. It is amazing with pata negra jamón and valdeon cheese. I picked this one up in San Sebastián and am so glad I did. Just a lovely wine. For around 20-25 euros – I will find this one again.

  • Rating: Stunning
  • Name: M2 de Matallana 2011
  • Winery: Vinos Telmo Robriguez
  • Region: Ribera del Duero
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: Tempranillo
  • Price: 20-25 EUR
  • Where to Buy: N/A

Menut 2013 – Priorat, Spain

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img_3648Chocolate, cherry, and raspberry on the nose. Cocoa and tart berry pie flavors and tight, tannic mouthfeel. This is a big beast of a wine. Gorgeous and effervescent (figuratively, not literally). Musty leather and tobacco come together with muscular tannins to make a full body that’s better when slightly warmer than I normally drink a red – right at 70-72 Fahrenheit. Goes great with just about anything, but particularly robust and rich Spanish hams or paella. I picked this one up at Astor in SoHo NYC for around $20-24, and will do so again.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Name: Menut 2013
  • Winery: Clos Martinet
  • Region: Priorat
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: Grenache and Merlot
  • Price: $20-$24
  • Where to Buy: Astor Wines & Spirits*, 399 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10003

*The 2013 isn’t available online, but the 2014 can be purchased via this link.

Castillo de Anna Gran Reserva 2005 – Valencia, Spain

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This has all the hallmarks of a classic Spanish wine: flowers and red fruit on the nose, dark, chocolaty, leathery, and mossy notes with tight tannins on the finish. For whatever reason – perhaps in the traditional style – the bottle tells nothing about the varietals. I picked this one up at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill in DC for $15.

  • Rating: Everyday Reds
  • Name: Gran Reserva 2005
  • Winery: Castillo de Anna
  • Region: Valencia
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: N/A
  • Price: $15
  • Where to Buy: Schneider’s of Capitol Hill, 300 Massachusetts Ave NE, Washington, DC 20002

Coma Vella 2010 – Priorat, Spain

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The nose bursts into a froth of red fruits, violets, white pepper, and freshly hewn wood. This is a deep ruby-garnet, medium to light bodied beauty. Not exactly what I’d come to expect from Priorat. The typically Catalan tannins put a muscular structure on what would otherwise be a light bodied day-drinker. Strawberries, blackberries, and membrillo play on the palate with a faint cocoa-melting-to-slate tannin finish. As she opens up, the body deepens and becomes more powerful, with flavors of cassis, chewy cocoa, pepper, and faint vanilla come on. At 15%, and with plenty of acid, she’s got a kick to her that accentuates and stiffens the spine of the tannin. Very interesting Priorat estate bottling. I picked this up as a recommendation at Goñi Ardoteka in San Sebastián, Spain. Just over 43,500 bottles made. This was bottle No. 03983. Online research says that you can grab a bottle for $30-50.

  • Rating: Impressive
  • Name: Coma Vella 2010
  • Winery: Viticultors Mas d’en Gil
  • Region: Priorat
  • Country: Spain
  • Varietals: N/A
  • Price: $30-$50
  • Where to Buy: Goñi Ardoteka in San Sebastián, Spain