Some tasting notes

• N.V. Bodegas Franco Diamante - Spain, La Rioja (3/6/2005)
  Nice pale yellow with steely highlights. Kind of an earthy nose like a ripe brie, almost a light banana thing, and some peach. Medium body with a light sweetness that lingers on the finish. Sweet fruit and fresh peach with a light mineral/herbal note that hides in the background. Not bad table quaffer. C4+A11+T15+O6=86 (86 pts.)


• 2001 Roger Goulart Cava Brut Nature - Spain, Catalunya, Cava (3/5/2005)
  Light staw with strong efffervensence. Lime with a light breadnote, and faint yeast. Med body with a light sweetness to start that quickly fades into the distance. Lime and oragnew ith a light woodiness and some bread notes. Very tasty with a subtle elegance and a delicate complexity.Very nice wine.
  C5+A12+T15+O7=89 (89 pts.)


• 2001 Dominio de Algara Envejecido en Roble - Spain, Extremadura (3/5/2005)
  Dominio de Algara, 2001 Envejecido en Roble, Extremadura VT 12.5%, Tempranillo/Grenache
  
  Very light reddish purple color. Light smoke, light spice, candy cherry notes and with a bit of time some rhubarb. Med body with med acid and light if any tannin, there is a slight sweetness in the front palate that fades towards the finish. Overall, cherry candy with some black pepper to it. There seems to be some oak though I doubt it to be from barrel, it seems a bit too fresh to have sat in a barrel and the oak a bit too pure! Oh well, really a fun bottle to drink!
  C5+A11+T15+O7=88 (88 pts.)


• N.V. Gonzalez-Byass Alfonso, Jerez, Oloroso Seco - Spain, Spain (3/5/2005)
  Alfonso, Jerez, Oloroso Seco, Palomino – Gonzalez Byass 18%
  
  Georgeous light carmel color brilliant clear with hints of gold that flash as you swirl it in the glass. Carmel, wood, salt air, Raw nutmeg, light roasted nut notes and all supported by a light vanilla underlayer. Light and heavey in the mouth at the same time if possible, the flavors are ethereal with a rich salty, wood laden body that lingers in the mouth. Strong flavors of carmel, salt, citrus, light wood notes, light toffee and more and more. This is my first Seco Oloroso so I won’t rate it but if this is even a decent at best example of the style than I need to buy more of this. Similar to a Fino in that the rich salt quality is there and lingers, but more hefty than the delicate almost feminine nature of the Fino. Both offer so much and in such surprisingly different ways.
  
  The Oloroso is a dry play on the basic elements that make up wine. So much so that I even taste a slight tannin on the mid-palate. But like a chef would a soup, the mire-poix of acid, tannin, fruit, is then sprinkled with a dash of salt air so as to bring alive the sleeping flavors. Too bad so many of us associate sherry with grandma and the sweet wine she drank, unbalanced and heavey, when before us is a treasure trove just waiting to be discovered. I can’t wait to explore further this family of wine and all of it’s manisfitations, hopefully learning what else is out there to stimulate the mind and palate.

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