July 10, 2006
Ridiculously Delicious Wine of the Week
It’s official. We found it – the ridiculously delicious wine of the week. The bar was set high. It had to be crisp and refreshing and the perfect accoutrement to a warm summer evening. The Belondrade y Lurton Rueda, a Spanish white wine made from the verdejo grape, is dangerously tasty – and luckily for us, pretty affordable at under $30 a bottle.
What we loved about this wine are the layers of flavors. Made from 20 – 30 year old vines the concentration of fruit was intense and the fermentation in French oak barrels added a richness and depth to the profile. On the nose are aromas of lime, citrus and minerality with a hint of oak. On the palate is a honeyed spice note that keeps all taste buds fully engaged and lingers with flavors of citrus and minerality. It reminds us of a Sauvignon blanc with just a little more body.
This is a wine we will be keeping near by. It’s as close to the perfect summer wine as we’ve tasted thus far. Pick up some baguettes, grab some cheese and make yourself a fun little picnic with this wine. We’re sure you’ll like it, if you’re into delicious.
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Sheesh, even the high falutin' reviewers in the NYTimes wouldn't consider "under $30 a bottle" to be "affordable."
Where does one find this wine?
$30 affordable? Shite... ya'llsssssssssssss crazy!
We tried ours at Bar Carrera a spanish wine bar located on 2nd Ave at 11th Street. You can probably also get it at Union Square wines and if they don't carry it they might order it for you.
agreed- 30 bucks a bottle ain't cheap it's a splurge.
someday, hopefully, american wine afficionados will understand that oak barrel does not open up the flavors of a wine. oak hides flavors. no matter how "french" is the oak, the best french wines - Bourgogne - are not made in oak.
someday, they will also understand that best wines are made from mix of grapes. quality comes from diversity, like in life.
stop the war in irak and you will get cheaper european wines.
:-)
And some of the best french wines ARE made in oak - Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone. I don't think anyone is suggesting that the oak opens up the flavors in the wine, but I think it's important to note that oak adds additional notes (e.g., vanilla/spice) and a richness, in terms of body, to the wine.