Month: January 2025

2021 Brovia Dolcetto d’Alba Vignavillej

Good wine is so much better when the it’s shared. If not at the table then swapping a few bottles can work well if you’ve scored a multi bottle auction lot and want to spread the fun. The bottle came my happy way in return for something I can’t remember but can only hope was as good. About as tasty as Dolcetto d’Alba gets, this opened clean and fresh but a little reticent. A good swirl and there’s all that thickness of sour dark cherry and kirsch good Dolcetto does well, ripe but no undue sweetness. Perfectly weighted ripe acidity and tannin, full of that Langhe stony character, float all that goodness to the point of refreshment. It’s easy to see why the Piemontese value Dolcetto like this as the thing to brighten their already delicious food. Sure, Nebbiolo can make you ponder its complications but sometimes straightforward pleasure is more fun, particularly when it’s so much of a place. What a swap.

14% alcohol. Diam. Swap.

94 points, particularly if points are for place and focus.

2021 Vitícola Mentridana Las Uvas De La Ira Sierra de Gredos Méntrida DO

Originally made by Daniel Landi from Comando G but now made separately by Curro Bareño who is in charge of Vitícola Mentriana from this vintage. Seems he’s as much of a local as señor Landi and really invested in both vineyard and winery. Reports suggest a cool vintage in the high hills of Gredos which has done the quality of fruit no harm at all on the basis of this bottle. The naming and detail of these Gredos wines can be confusing as the whole area doesn’t seem to have its own DO but the small area of Méntrida near Toledo does. It’s found in one of the two major Gredos valleys, Valle del Tiétar, which some observers have suggested would be a good on delimitating the area. Add to this confusion the individual names of wine villages overlaid on DOs that don’t make a lot of sense and I’m a bit baffled. It could all simply be Gredos Garnacha as that’s about the only red wine made there is in any quantity or quality. Anyway it’s what’s in the glass that counts and this is very, very good. The Comando G Gredos Garnachas have been a little bit..er..rustic for me at times but this is really clean without losing any of the sense of place or its grace in shape. That lovely relaxed red fruit that Garnacha does well sculpted into focus by pinpoint tannin and again for want of a better words, refreshing mineral acidity. Cherries and ripe stewed strawberries, a brush of pomegranate juice tannin, herby ripe stems maybe and wet granite like pucker. The best bits of Garnacha ripeness contained by a mountain freshness. Gentle power. Another bit of Spain on the wish list.

The back label has some interesting info, vino de pueblo etc…

14.5% alcohol. Cork. Swap.

94 points.