VinCO comes into its own in 2013

Last week in Grand Junction, CO the Colorado wine industry gathered for the third annual VinCO conference. The Colorado Association for Viticulture and Enology (CAVE) hosts the three-day event in concurrently with the Western Colorado Horticultural Society’s Annual Convention. VinCO brings together wine producers, winemakers, winery suppliers, industry leaders and expert speakers for a dynamic three-day wine industry forum that offers information, tools and networking opportunities vital to the success of the Colorado wine industry. In just three short years the conference has shown just much the industry has improved.

Battle of the Grapes (Cabernet and Tempranillo Days)

Last Thursday was proclaimed Cabernet Day by Rick Bakas and Tempranillo Day by the Tempranillo Advocates, Producers and Amigos Society (TAPAS). The goal of the concurrent events was to encourage people to open a bottle, enjoy the fun, and share their experiences online with their respective hashtags. While I understand the objectives, I fell that both events are contrived and fail to achieve any real benefits, especially Cabernet Day.

First, cabernet does not need the recognition, it is the king of wines. However, tempranillo is an underappreciated grape in the U.S. that might just benefit from this type of exposure. But how much exposure was really gained from a handful of wine aficionados talking to each other? Rick Bakas claimed that 4,200 unique Twitter users combined to tweet 17,000 times and create 60 million impressions for Cabernet Day. Sounds impressive, but how many of those impressions were limited to just those 4,200 individuals? A group of people can stand around and pat each other on the back hundreds of times and say they received millions felicitations.While a few non-industry people might have participated, on one of the biggest online wine forums, Wineberskers.com, few enophiles had even heard of the virtual event. And, I saw no mention of Tempranillo Day on the forum.

Although, these virtual tweetups may have salience for specific regions or minor cultivars, cabernet does not qualify on either account. I was going to boycott the competing days all together, but had to support the Colorado Wine industry by retweeting a few of the local bloggers' and wineries' Cabernet Day tweets and I even popped the cork on a Colorado tempranillo. I tend to root for the underdog and I figured that a Colorado tempranillo fit the bill.

2008 Woody Creek Cellars Tempranillo

This naturally produced (I'm not jumping into that shark tank) wine is dark purplish red in color. Kirsch is prominent on the nose with hints of tobacco. It tastes jammy with gobs of cherries and blackberries but is a bit grapey, but hey isn't wine fermented grapes? This easily compares to a modern-style Rioja at about the crianza quality level. It is very smooth with very fine tannins and a spicy cigar finish. 13.8% abv Sample $30. Good/Very Good

Ben's Bubbly: Ruinart Blanc de Blanc (also starring Ovid and Drinkward Peschon)

Well, this past week was quite eventful. We brought our little Benjamin home when he was just four hours old and have had a continuous line of friends and family come over to meet him and lend us a hand. The first night was great. He (and we) slept for eight hours. He was quite sleepy after his grand entrance, but after catching up on sleep our little hungry guy emerged. My wife feeds him while I get diaper duty. He is very well behaved and only cries when he gets cold during diaper changes, but he usually gets his revenge during those sessions...

My parents drove out from Wisconsin to see their number one grandson. My sister flew in from college and my brother drove up from Colorado Springs. This was the first time that we'd all been together in almost 18 months and the first time my parents and sister have seen my brother since he got back from Iraq last month. To celebrate these two joyous occasions, we opened a few bottles of wine including the first of fifty-two bottles of bubbly.

While it has taken me almost a week to get this post finished, it is my intention to be more prompt with Ben's Bubbly posts. I do have to leave the disclaimer that countless diapers were harmed during the making of this piece...

2007 Peñascal Estate, Tempranillo Rose, Vino de la Tierra de Castilla y Leon

We opened this rosado to sip while cooking dinner and enjoying the 70-degree weather. Sitting in the refrigerator for more than a few months, it was time to open this one from Spain. Pinkish-copper in color, this tempranillo is a refreshingly dry rosé. Strawberries, papaya and herbs are noticeable on the nose and palate. I really enjoy dry rosés and this one is no different. While it is nothing special, I will look for more tempranillo rosés. 12% abv Purchased $8. Good (tasted 4/6/11)

2007 Drinkward Peschon, Entre Deux Meres, Napa Valley

This Bordeaux-style blend produced by  mothers Lisa Drinkward and Francoise Peschon (winemaker at Araujo Estates) is a blend of 75% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 7% cabernet franc and 7% petit verdot. This opaque purple-black wine packs a lot of aromas and flavors. Dominated by blackberry, cassis and vanilla, smoke, glycerol, and a bit of leather also make an appearance. While the tannins are smooth, the big fruit and vanilla yield a mouth-coating experience. Not for those who are looking for a more nuanced wine.14.3% abv Purchased $55. Very Good (tasted 4/6/11)

2005 Ovid, Experiment K1.5, Napa Valley
Ovid's flagship wine is a Bordeaux-style cult wine produced from grapes grown on Pritchard Hill to the east of Oakville at 1400 feet above sea level. They are also committed to the idea of experimentation with their wine. Each year they release small amounts of unique Experiment wines. The first offering was the K1.5. This initial release is a blend of 73.5% cabernet franc, 21.9% petit verdot, 3.5% merlot and 1.1% cabernet sauvignon. The wine is dark garnet and yields a unique, yet beautiful bouquet. The earthy and spicy scents are a stark contrast to oak and fruit bombs so prevalent in the Napa Valley. Chocolate, licorice and dark fruits make this experiment a tasty success. 14.5% abv Purchased $85. Very Good/Excellent (tasted 4/7/11)

NV Ruinart, Blanc de Blancs, Champagne

The first bubbly of our 52-week journey had to come from the eponymous region of Champagne. I have not had much sparkling wine and usually do not pick up on the subtle differences these under-ripe grapes and carbon dioxide produce. At an industry tasting last year, this wine stood out from the others to me. Produced from 100% chardonnay, lemon, orange blossoms and a slight yeastiness combined with the fine beads of bubbles made this a lovely opening act. Not as sublime as I remembered it to be, but still this is a lovely wine. 12.5% abv Purchased $50. Very Good (tasted 4/7/11)

1997 Murphy Goode, Vintage Port

Many Port-style dessert wines produced in California are made from zinfandel or cabernet sauvignon. That is why when I was in California three years ago I was surprised to find this very traditional wine made from 70% tinto madeira and 30% touriga and aged in barrels for 20 months. As it was only available in the tasting room, I bought a case and have been slowly going through the bottles. This is about as good of a domestic port-style wine that I have tasted. This wine has notes of toffee, prunes, dried dark fruit, and even a little vanilla. Not overly sweet and showing any of its high alcohol, this is a delicious value dessert wine. I'm glad that I still have five more bottles. 18.5% abv Purchased $24. Very Good (tasted 4/7/11)

Bodegas Emilio Moro

In addition to Colorado wine, Spanish wine is at the top of my list for having high quality for a reasonable price. I also happen to greatly enjoy wines made from the Tempranillo grape. The two most important regions where Tempranillo is grown are Rioja and Ribera del Duero. While I have enjoyed most wines from Rioja for a while now, I have a more recent fondness for Ribera del Duero due to the similarities between this region and Colorado's wine country. Both Ribera del Duero and Colorado are home to each country's highest vineyards and have continental climates that allow hot growing seasons that have large daily temperature fluctuations and cold winters that sometimes cause problems for vineyard managers.

Last summer, my wife and I had the opportunity to explore Ribera del Duero and visit a few of the most prestigious wineries. While there, we visited Bodegas Emilio Moro with export director Barbara de Miguel. Bodegas Emilio Moro is a family-owned winery that has been making wine from Tinto Fino (the local name for Tempranillo) in Ribera del Duero for more than 120 years. They own over 170 acres of vines in and around the town of Pesquera de Duero. Emilio Moro and its sister winery, Bodegas Cepa 21, produces a series of 100% Tinto Fino wines. If you are interested in learning about Tempranillo, I suggest that you find some of these wines to explore how different the grape can taste from one region! We met Barbara in the tasting room, where photos of Tom Cruise and David Beckham posing behind the bar adorned the walls along with other Spanish celebrities and royalty. She led us on a tour of the bottling facilities and the barrel room. We then retreated to a second tasting room in the loft overlooking the barrels. After tasting a few of the 2009 releases, Babara called their sister winery, Bodegas Cepa 21, to set up a lunch for us.

We drove to the new and very modern winery just a few kilometers east of Pesquera surrounded by 124 acres of Tinto Fino vines. The wines are designed to be modern in style with bold aromatics and fruit dominating a soft palate. Currently, Cepa 21 produces two wines. We ordered some of the Cepa 21 wine that we had just tasted with Barbara, ate some fantastic jamon as an appetizer before our lunch as we sat next to the large glass wall overlooking the field of Tempranillo vines soaking up the sun.

Recently, I also had the opportunity to meet with Barbara at an event in Denver during her first trip to the United States and taste the 2010 releases. We enjoyed the late-summer weather while eating paella and drinking wonderful Spanish wine on a downtown Denver rooftop patio.

2008 Hito, Ribera del Duero, Spain
This deep yet bright purple wine offers a clean nose of red fruits with floral notes. It spends only 8 months in used French oak. Raspberries, cedar and dried violets meld with fine tannins to create a good easy-drinking wine that can be enjoyed by itself or with food. Sample (retail $20). Good (tasted 9/13/10)

2007 Cepa 21, Ribera del Duero, Spain
The flagship wine of this new winery is a slight step up from the Hito. The wine spends 14 months in a blend of 85% new French barrels and 15% used American oak. The Cepa 21 is a slightly darker color than the Hito. It shows more darker fruits and a bit of nice minerality. You can tasted dark dried red fruits and a hint of leather mixed in with a more complex tannin structure. Sample (retail $26). Good (tasted 9/13/10)


2007 Emilio Moro Resalso, Ribera del Duero, Spain
This entry-level offering is perhaps my favorite as far as quality to price ratio. The reddish purple juice releases a very floral and fruity bouquet. The simple fruit flavors on the palate are complemented with a spicy earthiness, tart acidity and light tannins. While not an overly complex wine that will make you scratch your head, this wine is a bit more Old World the those from Cepa 21. Sample (retail $17). Good (tasted 9/13/10)


2006 Emilio Moro, Ribera del Duero, Spain
This step up from the Resalso is definitely a fine example of Tinto Fino. The color is more dark than purple and the aromas on the nose are complex. A good amount of acidity is balanced by dark fruits, a concentrated earthiness and dried leather. This wine demands food more than the previous three but still is quaffable in its own right. Sample (retail $28). Very Good (tasted 9/13/10)


2007 Emilio Moro Malleolus, Ribera del Duero, Spain
Now we're getting into the big bold triad of Emilio Moro's ultra-premium wines. Concentrated and complex fruit aromas along with lavender and rosemary emanate from this big deep-purple wine. The Malleolus is like a velvet balance beam of high acidity and dense tannins. Prounounced spice and earth match the dark fruit flavors. Sample (retail $65). Very Good (tasted 9/13/10)


2007 Emilio Moro Malleolus de Valderramiro, Ribera del Duero, Spain
The cream of the crop. This single-vineyard wine is from the oldest 11 acres of vines owned by the estate. The blackish/purple wine gives off a complex bouquet of of deep, dark fruits followed by a slight scents of sweetness. The Valderramiro tastes of freshly brewed mocha espresso combined with blueberry and blackberry jam with a dusting of herbes de Provence and graphite. This wine is a tightly-wrapped little boxed gift that will require at least 5-10 years before it will be ready to unwrap its complex and powerful personality. Sample (retail $189). Very Good/Excellent (tasted 9/13/10)


2007 Emilio Moro Malleolus de Sanchomartin, Ribera del Duero, Spain
The other sacred cow produced by Emilio Moro. This wine is more powerful and aromatic than the Valderramiro but also shows a bit more alcohol on the nose and palate. The same rich dark fruits, spices and pencil lead flavors are present but with the addition of a roses. Another complex and powerful wine that needs time but that is slightly less balanced than the Valderramiro at present. Sample (retail $209). Very Good (tasted 9/13/10).

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A Once in a Lifetime Visit Behind Closed Gates at Bodegas Vega Sicilia

Passing through a guarded gate, my wife and I, on an anniversary trip to Spain, entered the bucolic 1000-hectare estate of the storied Vega Sicilia. This Bordeaux-style winery, founded in 1864, originally was a small village inhabited by the wineries’ employees and connected by rail to Valladolid, 40 kilometers to the west. We walked by the façade of a chapel that was built for the employees and residents, accompanied by Puri Mancebo, Export Manager at Grupo Vega Sicilia, for a private tour of these hallowed grounds.

The Álvarez family, with Pablo Álvarez as director of the winery operations, purchased Vega Sicilia in 1982—the same year that Ribera del Duero achieved Denominación de Origen (D.O.) status. Vega Sicilia makes only three wines: Valbuena 5° is aged 5 years (the five is used to differentiate from the now extinct Valbuena 3°); Unico, made only in exceptional years, is aged a minimum of 10 years; and Reserva Especial is a house-styled blend of three vintages of past Unico releases and is an homage to the traditional-style Ribera del Duero wines. They are all celebrated examples of a special tempranillo clone with smaller amounts of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec from 200 hectares of estate vines.

You can read the rest of this story at Palate Press

Canyon Wind Cellars

Norm Christianson, a trained geologist, founded Canyon Winds in the easternmost and warmest part of the Grand Valley. The vines, mostly Bordeaux varieties, are rooted in alluvial soils, reminiscent of Bordeaux, filled with cobblestones and sand. With 14 different wines, Canyon Wind offers something for everyone. Here are three recommended wines from Canyon Wind:

2008 Canyon Wind Tempranillo, Grand Valley AVA

A brilliant deep purple yields to a dark rose rim. Pronounced fruit and floral aromas fill the glass. Red cherry, strawberries, violet and dried cranberries entice you to take a sip. Good acidity is matched with dried strawberries, plum, leather and a minerality in the mouth. Well balanced but with a short/medium finish. Get this one now because a freeze killed the vines to the ground this past winter and they have been replaced by Malbec. 13.4% abv. Sample (retail $20). Good (tasted 7/19/10)

2007 Canyon Wind Petit Verdot, Grand Valley AVA

The glass is filled with an opaque black/purple wine. The nose is very subtle with blueberry, violet and graphite detectable. Robust yet velvety tannins are balanced with medium-plus acidity. Blackcurrant, cocoa and charred wood highlight this full-bodied beauty. This unique varietal is concentrated, very complex and offers a long finish. 13.1% abv. Sample (retail $25). Very Good (tasted 7/19/10)

2006 Canyon Wind Cabernet Franc, Grand Valley AVA

Clear red juice. Attractive aromas of wild strawberry and hints of spices. Fruity flavors of mulberry, strawberry, black currant complement the tobacco and herbaceousness. A well-balanced wine with good acidity and complementary fruit and spice leave a long finish. 14.3% abv. Sample (retail $18). Very Good (tasted 7/19/10)