This Saturday we continue our tour of the Iberian Peninsula with five wines from Spain.  These wines come from longstanding vineyards with gnarled old vines that produce concentrated fruit.  And thanks to the Euro, they are a fantastic value. 
 
2016 Huguet de Can Feixes, Blanco Selecció  $15
Chardonnay, Parellada, Macabeu, Malvasia
This estate founded in 1768, is over 400 acres of mountainside terrain and is the highest vineyard estate in the Penedès region at over 1400 feet.  Organically farmed, the Blanco has an intense lemon-oil aroma with firm acid structure.  It has apple, melon and apricot notes along with wet stone flavors that reflect its gravelly soils.
 
2014 Familia Montaña, Rioja Crianza  $12
97% Tempranillo, 3% Graciano
The Montaña ages for 12 months in French oak instead of the more common American barrels. The wine’s spice and leather complement the deep blackberry fruit and ferrous minerality of Rioja’s red soils.

2014 Huguet de Can Feixes,  Negre Selecció   $15
70% Tempranillo, 30% Merlot
From the same vineyards as their white, Can Feixes’ round red Negre offers juicy cherry and licorice flavors, with notes of smoke and mineral. Its lively orange acidity imparts focus, while light tannins lend enough structure for balance.  The wine is juicy yet mineral with hints of tobacco, and a lingering fresh plum and cherry finish – and of course organic.
 
2015 Descendientes de Jose Palacios, Pétalos de Bierzos -$ 22
Mencia
During the late 1980’s, Alvaro Palacios travelled his native Spain selling French barriques to winemakers in his travels he got the idea of making great wine from old-vine Mencía.    From old hillside and hilltop vines from across Bierzo’s western edge, this excellent example of Mencia shines. This is such a tight and beautiful red with dark berry, stone and limestone character. Medium body focused and refined. It has a linear and very long finish and is a standard bearer for the region. Organic
 
2014 Hermando & Sourdas Antidoto, Ribera del Duero  $25
Tempranillo
The Antidoto is meant as an antidote to the many Ribera del Duero wines that substitute heavy-handed winemaking for a sense of place and variety.  The wine comes from 80-year-old vines in the cooler part of Ribera del Duero and is un-filtered and un-fined and aged in neutral barrels.  The wine has red fruit flavors, a racy acidity and considerable minerality on the palate.

Madrona Wine Merchants offers free wine tastings featuring 4-5 selections on a theme every Saturday from 2 until the bottles run out and on Sunday we offer a mini-tasting of two wines all day from 11-5.