This week we feature a sampling of two small, but very powerful portfolios. Join us this Thursday to taste a chardonnay aged in stainless steel. The trend toward unoaked chardonnay is growing and many of us have embraced this friendly, unpretentious, yet refreshing style. Our garnacha is a ripe, spicy, and generous wine with soft tannins and a mouthwatering acidic snap. Because of its lower tannins, this garnacha goes well with lighter foods. We really love the shiraz from Padthaway. The iron rich soils are magical for hearty red wine grape varieties. This shiraz has lots of cookie dough, black fruit flavors, and spice. And last, but not least we are featuring a new Spanish wine made from tempranillo and aged in a combination of French and American oak barrels.

Thursday, March 11th, 2010
Per Bacca / Veraison Distributors
Humanitas Oak Free Chardonnay $15.79
Rojo Garnacha $10.99
Morse Code Padthaway Shiraz $12.49
"NEW" Tinto Figuero Roble 4 Month $21.99

Stop by on THURSDAY to sample each from 4:30pm to 7:00pm. Receive a 15% off discount, for any wine being poured as an in-store sample, during the tasting hours.

Read about the names Spain gives to its wines

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The Names in the Aging Process of Spain

Most wine improves when it is aged for a few months after fermentation, before it is bottled. Better quality wine often needs to age for a few years to tame the tightly wound tannins and cutting acidity. The better the quality of grapes, the longer the wine will be viable and able to benefit from aging. Winemakers must determine how long a wine will age before releasing it to the market. Wine can be aged in stainless steel tanks, concrete vats lined in glass, or oak barrels. Aging red wine in oak barrels has become a very popular practice, especially when the wines are marketed to the United States.
      This juggling act between quality, time, and the vessel is a skill all good winemakers must posses. A winemaker must also weigh whether a young wine should rest in oak barrels before bottling since oak barrels are expensive, adding another factor in the equation. (This article we will not discuss oak chips, dust, or pellets.)
      There are no laws governing the language on domestic wine labels when it comes to aging or oak barrels. Most domestic labels will mention the aging regime. Regions in Spain have implemented a multi-level structure for aging wine, legislated by each overseeing authority. The naming conventions have been modeled after Spain's most famous growing region, called Rioja.
      Below is a listing of the general terms used to categorize wine in Spain. Remember, these terms mean the amount of time the wine was held at the bodega and each level can vary slightly from region to region.

Joven is the category of wines produced to drink immediately. They are generally not aged in oak barrels at all, but there may be exceptions. There is no minimum the wine must be aged at the bodega. Usually Joven wines are only at the bodega for six months, from crush and fermentation, then to bottling and being released to the public.

Semi-Crianza or Roble wines have been aged in oak barrels for a few months but not long enough to qualify for Crianza status. This usually means they've seen oak aging for a few months. We are seeing this category more and more in the Denver market, perhaps because they require oak aging, where Joven wines do not.

Crianza is a wine that has been aged in oak barrels for one year. This wine might also be required to rest in the bottle at the bodega for an additional year, depending on the regional expectations. While Crianza is considered a younger wine, it has a stature among Spanish wines.

Reserva is a wine that has been aged before bottling for two years. One of these years must be in an oak barrel. Some producers will rotate the wine between barrels and vats, some will age the wine in oak barrels for the entire two years. Spanish winemakers like to use both French and American oak barrels. Many Reservas are required to be held at the bodega after bottling for an additional year.

Gran Reserva is a wine that has been aged in oak barrels for two years and aged in the bottle for three. (This means you will never find a Gran Reserva with a recent vintage.) While the preceding aging levels tend to vary from regions to region, Gran Reservas are usually aged for five years or more, following the original Rioja template. Some Gran Reservas are aged in oak barrels for longer than two years and can be held at the bodega for more than five years. The quality of grapes determines how long the wine can be aged.

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