Bodega Mas de Rander Revisited – The Innovation Continues.

Mas de Rander

It is hard to believe that I have not been back to this eco-sustainable bodega since my initial visit in April 2012, just five months after the bodega opened. ( http://wp.me/p16pqB-p4 ).

Owner Juan Domingo Tárrega had kindly agreed to our request for a visit when we had met him in Peñiscola the week before.

The bodega´s project continues apace and little had changed visibly either inside or outside. Juando explained that the two main wines, `Syrah´ and `Temps´ were well established in the market, still very much the local restaurant trade.The bodega has been gaining recognition, not least winning a silver award for the Syrah in a prestigious International competition for the variety, just one of eight from Spain and in which France, Chile  and Australia had predominated.

Silver award for the Syrah.

Juando told us  about developments and plans for the future before going on a visit to the bodega below us. He explained that he had  plans  to possibly  introduce a new white wine.

White wine lable.

The on-line shop offers a white from Macabeo, Viognier and Moscatel, three of the white varieties that they grow, but he is much more interested in a new variety, Picapulla. This is the same variety grown down the French Mediterranean coast and known as Picpoul de Pinet. There is good reason for him to consider this variety.

In the Vineyard.

Firstly it is a variety, sold from Sete in the Llanguedoc  to the Spanish border, the vineyards close to the sea and which sells out annually,  bought by those in the know to accompany the local oysters and mussels etc grown in the lagoons such as Bouzigues. Mas de Rander may be physically on top of the mountain range which runs down the coast near Torreblanca but it is the closest bodega to the sea in Spain, its vineyards enjoying sea breezes which help keep the vines healthy and the grapes free from stress as temperature changes are less marked.

Further, some of the varieties planted most recently are now ready to produce wine.

Two reds fall into this category, first is Garnacha Tintorera and Juando is interested in making a monovarietal from it which would be the first to be produced in the Valencian Community and sold with 12 months bottle ageing without having been in cask. Normally it would be blended with other varieties.

Second is Monastrell which should be ready to give its first wine in 2016. He is also interested in producing his own monovarietal,  from this autoctonal variety.

We set off on a tour before tasting from deposit, some of the varietals that Juando has ready for his future wines.

Juando selects from deposit.

Some changes were noted and the bodega was awaiting a final clean before the harvest starts the next week.

In the deposit room, there were more of the stainless steel tanks he prefers. He explained he does not use the double skinned type. He prefers to use `plaques´ to control the temperature of the fermentation. This is confined to contact with the core of the wine to avoid heat loss through the walls and is better than cooling random parts of the tanks with the traditional `serpentines´. Moreover, temperature can be controlled more rapidly this way.

In the barrel park.

In the barrel room there were more barricas than on my last visit, French, American and Hungarian but his Russian barrels have now been firmly rejected.

Following a trip around the bottling line etc we returned to the deposit room and found some wine-glasses for the next stage of the visit.

The first wine we tried was the Merlot 2014. This is giving Juando a bit of a dilemma. Should he use it as normal in a blend with Cabernet Sauvignon ( Temps) for example or release it as a monovarietal?

The wine is a vibrant plum red in colour, medium bodied, clean, with very long slow legs. ( This is a vineyard which cannot produce a red wine with less than 14% ABV and usually they are nearer to 15%!)

On the nose the plum and damson fruit are rich and ripe.

In the mouth the wine is immediately rich, ripe, meaty, full of flavours of red and black plums and it has a very long finish.

It is a little lighter in depth of colour than maybe I had expected but it has a very solid structure. One half of VÍ vid thought it might be best in a blend to which that structure would be added and that it might lose some of the  fruit which makes it so currently attractive in the bottling process and not last with time in bottle. On the other hand the other half felt it was worth trying as a monovarietal because the wine is so attractive now as it is. No wonder Juando has a dilemma!

The second wine was the Syrah 2014, destined to be the next vintage of the wine which is sold as a monovarietal. Annual production of this wine is about 20,000 and this will be bottled in October. A short period to handle bottle-sickness and it will be on the market in the new year.

Garnacha ( left ) and Syrah.

Medium bodied wine, a little deeper cherry in colour, again with long slow legs. On the nose this is what the Spanish call a `bomba de frutas!´ It is full of raspberry fruit. In the mouth it is fresh, fruity and a big mouthful. It is no wonder this is a popular wine.

Third wine was the new Garnacha Tintorera, 15% ABV, with 10 months in deposit. . Very deep black cherry in colour, dense, opaque. Youthful long legs, coloured the sides of the glass.

On the nose blackcurrant, Cassis, mature black fruits. In the mouth initially a little astringent it had a creamy side to it as well. Full bodied, meaty, fruity, with depth, this too could end up as a monovarietal, with around 1500 bottles only it will be a flagship wine.

Finally with 10 months in oak, then 6 months further in deposit to stabilize the wine we tasted the base of the 2012 `Temps´.

A pure Cabernet Sauvignon this was garnet in colour with long legs.  Very reminiscent of the variety with lots of characteristic notes, slightly vegetal, fruity, with menthol and herbs in the background.

In the mouth, it is strong, very rich and round, full of mature fruit, long , full complex finish and a little salty. Elegant, but it faces blending later with Syrah and or Merlot.

VÍ vid in the barrel park.

Once again we had spent a very useful morning learning more about the wines from Castellon and the development of wines and their evolution. On reflection we both noted that wines from this bodega have much more notable fruit in their make-up than those from inland near Les Useres and Benlloch itself. We could not help wondering if this was at least in part due to the location of the vineyards closer to the sea. Certainly their counterparts from just 15-40km away have more `terroir´than Juandos wines.

The future wines from Mas de Rander certainly have potential!

 

Roll of Honour, the Syrah awards.

 

 

 

 

 

Los Mejores Vinos de la Provincia de Castellon- Castellon´s Best Wines Fair 2012.

After  visiting the 2nd edition of this fair last January I wrote about the fightback in terms of its wine-making in Castellon province.  I am glad to say that having  just returned from the 3^rd edition of the fair, once again held in the gardens of the Old Casino in the heart of the city the fightback continues. One of the features of both events has been the number of new Bodegas which are springing up all producing quality wines, some within the Vins de Terres de Castellon classification, others Vinos de Autor ( expressions of the wine makers style-and often outside all the rules) and still more under the now agreed  IGP Vinos de Castellon qualification…..one step away from full DO status.

The fair is organized by the Asociación de Sumillers de Castellon y Provincia and sponsored by the Regional Government and this year was not just opened by the Agriculture Minister but counted on a visit by none less than the new President of the Valencian Community who awarded the certificates for the best wines.

Wines From Banús.

Amongst the new Bodegas was Banús, which I had visited in November last ( see Archives) and José Luis Sanchez updated me on the progress with the building works for the barrel park and new shop as well as giving us a taste of the entire range, now all bottled. I am pleased to report that the wines have developed well since the November sampling from deposit.

The Rosado , with its pale pink strawberry colour and a blend of Garnacha, Cabernet Sauvignon and Monastrell  was creamy with a long minerally dry finish. The Tinto, a light cherry red with black fruits and cherries was also nicely balanced and easy drinking. At 2.95€ both are now on sale under the Banús label.

ILDVM is the label for the next range, mono-varietals of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo. Both wines were youthful in appearance, the Cabernet a medium density bright cherry and the Tempranillo,  darker and fuller. The Cabernet still retains its peppery nose  whilst the Tempranillo is jammier in the mouth. Lovely wines and both available for 4.95€ a bottle.

Top of the range are José Luis´s Alvaro Gil Vinos de Autor. The best of the Merlot and the Syrah which were so impressive in deposit have had around 4 months in medium + toasted French oak and have just been bottled.  The Merlot is deep purple in colour and full of jam, a very full wine and the Syrah is spiky, dry with chocolate in the finish. Both have very good varietal characteristics. They sell for 5.95€.

All in all a very impressive start for this new Bodega in Benlloch.

Vicente Flors.

In January last year I had visited the bodega of Vicente Flors in Les Useres ( see archives ) and been very impressed with his two wines, Clotas and the more youthful  Flor de Clotas. The new vintage of Flor de Clotas 2010, pure Tempranillo ( the 2009 had about 5% of Cabernet Sauvignon) medium density cherry red with long legs. On the nose liquorice, chocolate , red fruit jam, spice and in the mouth round tannins and a very long finish. The 2008 Clotas remains excellent, all the better for another year in bottle! I am looking forward to the new Monastrell which should be presented in May and to a future vi dolç which Vicente hopes to have ready next year!

Favourite wines for the Vilamarxant wine club are the Magnanimvs range from Gabriel Mayo Garcia of Vilafames. So a visit to his stand was a must to introduce him to new members! The white is still a lovely fresh wine, light, fruity with citrus and apricots and a beautiful balanced long finish. The Platinum, the top red has a wonderful coffee and cream nose and smooth oak in the mouth…….wonderful and Gabriel received a prize for his wine!

Segorbe is home to Devinos y viñas, the bodega producing Odisea and Perdición to much critical acclaim.

The white, Macabeo, is pale with a very fragrant nose, bananas, ripe melon, and in the mouth is light with good acidity and a long finish. The Rosado from Cabernet  Sauvignon had the expected strawberry and cream nose but in the mouth demonstrated ripe redcurrant which persisted before a good long dry finish. Very well-balanced this was a favourite on the day.

The third in the Odisea range is the Tinto Roble, a blend of Merlot, Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon with three months in oak, a youthful cherry colour , fruit and round tannins, very nice. Finally the Perdición a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon with twelve months in oak is cherry red with long legs, quite smooth on the nose,  mature red fruit,  spices, liquorice. In the mouth green pepper, toasted oak and red fruit jam. This is a wine which needs time.

La Mariana.

Also  new were `La Mariana´ a blend of Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon, project of Miguel Juan Vidal and produced in Les Useres although the vineyards are in Benlloch. The 2010 has a little more Garnacha than the 2009 and was youthful, very fruity and easy to drink. The 2009 was more vegetal on the nose,  mature and drier on the palate, a wine for food. I look forward to trying these wines again in Benlloch in April and talking to the winemaker.

Barranco Magro is a Vino de Autor from Villahermosa del Rio . The vines are at 750m above sea level on the slopes of the Penyagolosa, the regions highest peak. A blend of Garnacha Tintorera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah the 2009 was an intense cherry red, on the nose red and black fruits, spices and touches of the French oak in which it has spent a year. In the mouth red and black fruits,  round tannins, long finish. A powerful wine which needs to be kept and drunk with food.

Barranco Magro.

We tasted wines from other bodegas such as Clos Déscarragordes, Masia de la Hoya , Vega Palancia, Vinya Natur , Alcovi and Mas de Rander , catching up with some old friends and tasting new vintages.

Special mention must go to the Barranc d L´Infern 2010, the new vintage from Vinya Natur and the Lagrimas, a wine made from over mature fruit which was very popular.

I very much hope to visit this bodega in the next few weeks.

Finally also worth special mention were the two sweet wines from Mas de Rander, a mistela and a Vin de Licor both from Moscatel de Hamburgo,  Moscatel de Alejandria and Garnacha. The difference between the two is that the latter has had six months in oak. Both are unctuous and a fine way to end a meal and a wine tasting!

Another bodega on the `to visit´ list this spring.

This a fair not to missed in the future. The progress being made to give wines from Castellon their rightful place and recognition and the enthusiasm which is producing quality wines from new bodegas should be supported.

Esteban Martinavarro of Vinya Natur.