Do Umia, Alipio, and Escolma - 3 Wines from Galicia that Rule!
7/3/11 -
(Sweet dogs at Pedralonga)
An air of mystery and magic pervades Galicia: the misty climate, the green hills, the Gothic stone architecture, the agrarian, restrained, apprehensive nature of the people, their fanatical devotion to seafood by the coast and the native Celtic Pig, in-land. For many years, Galicia has produced outstanding coastal white wines, but it is the tide of red wines that is rising here. Thanks in part to the region’s isolation from the rest of the country, Galicia is one of the only places in Spain where many native grape varieties survived phylloxera and are still being farmed today: Mencia, Brancellao, Ferrol, Espadeiro, Caiño, Mouraton, Albarello... the list does go on. With its exceptional soils, hillside plots, and cool climate, more and more producers have figured out how to make super wines. These are tangy, mineral-driven red wines that are not imposing structurally and offer wild floral, herbal, and fruit scents. These wines often don't take well to oak and are, therefore raised in steel, giving them wonderfully refreshing acidity. Currently there are 3 releases from the Jose Pastor portfolio that are absolutely rocking my world - Do Umia, Alipio, and Escolma- three angles, three glimpses at the mystical landscape of Galicia.
Last year when I visited Adega Pedralonga, I saw a vineyard that was alive and met a winemaker who showed intense dedication to farming his vines organically and to expressing clearly the singularity of his seven hectare vineyard plot. One of the highlights of this visit- of my trip to Spain, generally- was the 2007 Do Umia Tinto, which I tasted out of tank. A blend of Mencia, Caiño and Espadeiro. Aromatically, the wine showed so much white pepper and red fruit character that it seemed remarkably like Loire Valley Pineau D'Aunis. From 25-year-old vines on sand and granite, the white pepper has receded a little bit and the wine is showing meaty aromas of cherry skin, black pepper, black olives, tangy acidity, and a resounding austerity that would make the average person reel, but, hell, we love this kind of thing, so hooray! Do Umia has landed!
Another exciting wine to emerge from the Galician countryside is a new release from former San Franciscan Todd Blomberg of Benito Santos - Alipio. The fruit is sourced from a friend's vineyard in Valdeorras. It is a blend of 70% Mencia and 30% Garnacha Tintorera that is fermented whole cluster (giving the wine some additional tannins from the grape seeds and stems) and raised in tank. It is a wine that shows rich, ripe dark fruits, pulsing floral and herbal aromas, slate-y minerality, and enough acidity to give it liveliness, definition, and cut. Comparisons to 2009 Cru Beaujolais cry out to be made. I love the Alipio for its pure, vivid unctuous qualities and would serve it practically cold at my next barbecue. Did I mention that this wine is only $16 and can only be found in NYC at CSW? Rock on Todd Blomberg!
The last part of our offer is the incredible Escolma Tinto from Luis Rodriguez Vasquez of Ribeiro. Luis farms 95 tiny parcels of old-vines that add up to just 2.5 hectares in the town of Arnoia. He is one of the longest established and most well-respected men in Ribeiro. Luis was in the store pouring recently and we were unanimously blown away by his wines. The word “Escolma” was murmured through out the room, and, on occasion, exclaimed in my face, "ES-COL-MA!". Yes, Escolma is a serious wine with a serious price tag. Only 50 cases of this wine are produced and it is a humble expression of Galician wine-making from a man who is not interested in putting on a show (this is not a barrel-clobbered, Burgundy wannabe). I believe this is one of the great wines- not just of Galicia- but of Spain; it rivals many of the great wines of France. Escolma belongs in any curious collector's cellar or decanted on your dinner table with a well-planned meal. You
will be rewarded! cb
