Friday Flight 4 - 8pm $16 to taste 5 wines with 3 additional for purchase.
The Flight: Spain
Spain sits among the world’s most important wine countries, with over one million hectares under vine across 139 wine-producing regions. But while Spanish wine is no longer unfamiliar to the U.S. wine trade and consumers alike, the sheer range of quality wines produced across this Iberian country is often underestimated.
To classify the wines of Spain under a single style or character would be impossible. This is a country of exceptional diversity, with vines planted across a huge range of climates and geographies. Vineyards stretch from the lush and rainy coasts of Green Spain to the extreme and arid plains of the Meseta, from the valleys carved by the Ebro River to the volcanic Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa.
The sheer number of grape varieties also widens the spectrum of Spanish wines. More than 200 grape varieties are grown here, from international favorites to the country’s many local specialties, like Tempranillo, Mencía, Albariño, and Verdejo. While local winemakers carry on the traditions passed down through Spain’s winemaking history, they also look to push their industry forward, experimenting with styles and increasingly focusing on organic viticulture.
Zarate Albariño 2025 Rias Baixas $28 - Rias Baixas is located nestled on the Atlantic Coast in Galicia in the Northwestern corner of Spain. It is a relatively new appellation, the DO having only officially formed in 1988. However, the history of this region goes back much further to the 12th century when the Cisterian Monks are reported to have introduced the Albariño grape to the region. It is actually made up of five distinct sub-regions, each with its own soil type and microclimate.
Zárate Albariño 2025 is an elegant and vibrant white wine, where the sea breeze seems to waft into the glass with hints of lime and oyster shells. On the palate, it unfolds fresh and lively, balanced and harmonious, leaving a persistent saline touch reminiscent of its granitic soil origins.
Viña Zorzal 2024 Garnacha Tinto Navarra DO $17 - This wine presents a brilliant, intense ruby color with deep, purple edges. On the nose, it offers clean, high-intensity aromas of ripe strawberries, red currants, raspberries, and red cherries, complemented by floral spices, black pepper, with subtle licorice and earth notes. The palate is dry and fresh, showcasing soft, food-friendly tannins and a medium body.
Quinta do Estranxeiro 2022 Ribeira Sacra Tinto $28 - Ribeira Sacra is a stunning, deeply forested wine and nature region in inland Galicia, Spain, renowned for its dramatic river canyons and ancient monasteries. The 2022 O Estranxeiro fermented in concrete and oak vats. They gave up the stainless steel, where they feel Mencía gets more reductive, and this matured in oak and concrete for seven months. It has notes of wild berries, herbs and flowers, with a spicy twist.
Eguren "Condado de Eguren" Tempranillo 2023 $13 - 100% Temprañillo from Castilla la Mancha just east of Madrid. Inky red with brambly fruit and subtle tannins.
Olivares 2023 Altos de la Hoya Jumilla $16 - The Olivares' family vineyard, Finca Hoya de Santa Ana, is a very special place. It is planted at 825 meters on very sandy soil with a high percentage of chalk. There are also a very high percentage of old vines, with the oldest planted in 1872. Because of the sandy soils of the region, the old, ungrafted, bush-pruned vines at the Bodega never succumbed to phyloxerra. It offers chewy tannins, with flavors of black cherry, bell pepper, and savory smoke.
Bonus
Bodega Hermanos Mesa 2023 Locartas Blanco Tenerife $29 - The Canary Islands comprise seven main volcanic islands in the Atlantic Ocean that are celebrated for their dramatic landscapes, unique microclimates, and indigenous grape varieties. The archipelago is a premier destination for adventurous travel, stargazing, and discovering distinctive, high-quality volcanic wines. The blend comprises eight individual parcels throughout the valley, planted nearly entirely to Listán Blanco (with 2-3% Albillo Criollo) and generally situated at lower altitudes than the single-vineyard bottlings. Vinified in stainless steel and aged for six months in 90% steel and 10% French oak, “Locartas” leads with sumptuous aromas of apricots and fresh almonds, and delivers mouth-watering, grippy salinity on its taut, kinetic palate.
Alvaro Palacios Les Camins Priorat 2023 $30 - Racy red bramble berries with notes of hibiscus, pomegranates, cochineal and cherries. Some chewy tannins add more gravity to the otherwise medium-bodied palate. Juicy, firm and stony in the medium-long finish.
Bonus Bonus
Marques de Legarda Gran Riserva Rioja 1999 $45 - 37 months in American casks. Maroon with middle depth, and a rim that marks its evolution through aging in oak. Clean, brilliant and intense.Medium-high intensity. Fruity bouquet with toasted notes. Ripe fruit with a spiced background.