Avenue Vine

Nowhere was this more in evidence than when I decided to revisit some of my favorite Spanish wines. For you see, Spain's top wine producing regions had back-to-back polar extreme years.

While 2001 was stellar, 2002 was, well, let's just say not so hot. Normally that might be meaningless, but we happen to be in that twilight zone between vintages, at least here in the states, where some Spanish wines on the shelves are 2001, some 2002.

And so my hand was shaking when I reached out to purchase two wines from one of Spain's best producers, both from vintage 2002. Dare I? I dare.

This producer, Alejandro Fernandez, has been making fabulous wines in the Riberio del Duero for decades. Certainly he could overcome a bad vintage. Then again, maybe not.

The first wine, Condado de Haza, 2002 Ribera del Duero, $21, truly has been one of my favorite international wines in this price range for nearly a decade. I've had bottlings at close to 10 years old and they're still wonderful.

But, alas. Not that the '02 was bad. It had some of that rustic, musty smell, with hints of earth, plum and berry aromas. Texturally, it had the usual dusky tannins and denseness. But when it came to flavor, I had an extremely difficult time picking out anything. Maybe plum and some earthiness, but not much. The question: Is there enough flavor behind that mask of tannins to sustain it? Probably not.

The Tinto Pesquera, 2002 Ribera del Duero, $28, is supposed to be the big gun in the Fernandez arsenal, and once again, this had some of those same musty, earthy, berry aromas, but a much softer texture and more forward berry and plum fruit flavors. There were also hints of roasted bell pepper and an herbal quality that I associate with underripe fruit.

I'm not totally dismissing these wines. There is a glimmer of the greatness these usually possess, even in just OK vintages. It's a good point of reference. One wine managed to escape the '02 jinx by keeping things simple. Go straight for the fruit, don't worry about beef and stuffing -- just make a nice simple wine.

The Lorinon, 2002 Rioja Red Wine, $12, is just that. No oak was used making it, and it is delicious. Cola, berry and cherry aromas lead to pretty flavors, soft tannins and slim texture. A real nice sipper.

And then there was the Abadia Retuerta, 2001 Sardon de Duero Rivola, $15. Talk about what a difference a year makes. It was splendid. While the above wines are 100 percent tempranillo, this is a blend of 60 percent tempranillo and 40 percent cabernet sauvignon. And that cab really beefs up the wine. Berry, earth and tar aromas give way to robust berry, plum and bitter chocolate flavors. The good acidity assures this of being a fantastic food wine. Paella anyone?

So you're saying to yourself, OK, why not just wait for the 2003 vintage? But think of the producer, importer, wholesaler, and merchant -- they have to sell through the 2002 vintage. There may be some heavy discounting coming up.

Speaking of which, I returned to the wine shop to buy some more of that 2001 Abadia Retuerta, and guess what? Sold out. They were already on the 2002 vintage..

Robert Mayfield's Between the Vines appears every Thursday in Weekend. Mayfield has reviewed wines for Northwest publications for 16 years and is the publisher and editor of the occasional newsletter The Wine Iconoclast. You can contact him at wineicon@aol.com or Robert Mayfield, P.O. Box 741, Ridgefield, WA 98642.

Source: “Between The Vines,” Robert Mayfield, Statesman Journal, February 23, 2006