So I just got in the Marti Fabra Selecio Vinyes Velles 2004 ($14.99 special) from Jorge Ordonez, and on the label was a wine region I had never heard of – Empordà. I feel that I am fairly well-versed on the up-and-coming Spanish wine regions (like Bierzo, Jumilla and Toro) but this was all new. So, a bit of online research (many thanks to the Spanish wine site, www.espavino.com) and viola! Empordà!
The region of Empordà (also known as Costa Brava) lies on the Spanish-French border, just northeast of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast, along the shore of the Gulf of Lyon. It is a tiny wine region, possessing 39 bodegas (wine houses) and producing just over 6.2 million liters of wine annually. The main red wine grapes produced are: Garnacha Tinta (the local Grenache clone), Carineña, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo).
The Marti Fabra V.V. 2004 is a blend of all 5 red grapes, and with its slight bottle aging (the current vintage is 2005), it has taken on an almost Port-like nose, with supple cherry and red raspberry flavors, hints of tobacco and spice, and a dry yet lingering finish.
There are around 50 different wine regions in Spain – more than I had realized. Most are tiny in size, and with as diverse of microclimates as here stateside. I continue to advocate checking out Spanish wines to all our customers – they truly can’t be beat for value. I’ll revisit this topic in the weeks to come.
¡Salud!
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