Entrechuelos Vino Tinto Premium 2012 14.5%, Miguel Domecq

Appearance
Deep black cherry red fading to brick at the rim showing maturity.

Nose

Predominantly ripe fresh blackcurrant from the Cabernet with a faint smokey note from the Syrah and fleshed out by the Tempranillo and Merlot, the aromas are now well harmonised with nearly seven years of ageing having shed all their puppy fat. It is at a nice stage of development and probably at its best but will continue to give pleasure for a while yet.

Palate

Quite full bodied, textured and firmly structured with a certain grip from ripe but not excessive tannins, and it is very smooth with plenty of balancing black fruit like bramble, mulberry and black cherry. Acidity is perfect for a wine from so far south and it has excellent length.

Comments

This very fine Vino de la Tierra de Cádiz is made from Tempranillo, Merlot, Syrah and cabernet Sauvignon grapes hand picked at night in the firm´s Cortijo de Torrecera vineyard a little south east of Jerez which sits on albariza soil. Night picking and careful grape selection give maximum freshness and help control the start of fermentation which takes place in stainless steel tanks. After fermentation, the wine is racked into French oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic and ageing for 14 months before bottling. It is then stored in bottle for a further 22 months of ageing before labelling and distribution, and while it is ready to drink on release, it improves for a good few years more as this example eloquently shows.

Price

14.30 euros, De Albariza

Entrechuelos Rosado 2017 13.5%, Bodegas Miguel Domecq

Appearance

Very pale, bright faintly copper tinted wild salmon pink with pinky gold highlights.
Nose
Fresh and fruity with hints of raspberry, strawberry and a trace of peach and gently tangy with a slight floral note and some white wine character and confectionery following through.
Palate
Beautifully balanced, clean and elegant, very refreshing with great depth of flavour with lots of soft berry fruits. Attractively tangy, subtle and decently long.
Comments

While this most attractive wine is made in the currently fashionable very pale style,what it may lack in depth of colour it certainly does not lack in flavour. It is made from night harvested Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot grapes grown on the firm's own vineyards at the Cortijo de Torrecera. Each variety is harvested separately when it is perfectly ripe, and on arrival at the winery the grapes are put in stainless steel tanks and the juice is allowed to drain under gravity, without pressing. This gives very fine juice with very little colour which is fermented slowly at 15C over three weeks before spending a few months on lees before bottling. I am presuming this is from 2017 as a vintage is not stated. If it were older the colour would be more orange. It would help shops rotate stock if a year or clear lot number was stated, not to mention consumers.

Price

4,50 euros, Licores Corredera

Alhocen Chardonnay 2015 13.5%, Miguel Domecq

Appearance

Pale gold with bright golden glints.

Nose

Big, soft and nicely balanced between French oak and ripe Chardonnay. Lots of fruity notes like banana and paraguayo then vanilla custard, butter and slightly toasty spice notes from the oak, but there is a refreshing hint of zippiness as well.

Palate

Again, big and soft, plump, those banana and vanilla notes carry through, but while there is no shortage of that fat clean oaky Chardonnay flavour, acidity is low and the wine lacks bite. Perhaps the grapes could have been picked a little earlier. Still, it has good length and is very honestly made.

Comments

This is the more upmarket version of the Entrechuelos Chardonnay (QV). The grapes were grown at Domecq's own Cortijo de Torrecera vineyard next to the bodega and were night harvested at cooler temperatures. This reduces the risk of fermentation starting to soon, especially useful for white wines as it preserves delicate aromas. They were then carefully selected and pressed. Fermentation took place in new low-toast French oak barrels, and the wine was aged in them on its lees for four months. After bottling, it was aged a further three months before sale. That means it now has over a year in bottle, the perfect time to taste it.

Price
10.50 euros, Licores Corredera