Viñas de Alange We’re excited to introduce some very tasty, estate-bottled and varietally-labeled Spanish that give the discriminating Hawaii enthusiast the great values they’ve come to expect from Spanish wines! I'd like to emphasize: “Estate” and “varietally labeled”, unfortunately rarities these days in the Spanish Value category (“under $10” selections), since most in the marketplace are blended products from local co-ops... The journey for Viñas de Alange and its winery began in 1999..... The name of this privileged estate is Palacio Quemado.... It was the combined inspiration of the famous making family Alvear from Montilla and the Losada Serra family who own the beautiful Palacio Quemado estate. It’s located in the DO of Ribera near the city of Badajoz in southwest less than an hour drive from the Portuguese border. Alvear, of D.O. Montilla- Moriles (sherry style wines made outside of Córdoba), had recently decided to expand into production --- and if these wines are any indication, there is a lot to look forward to from this winery going forward. Their combined objective is to focus on creating top-notch wines aged slowly in wood barrels. To ensure the degree of quality and excellence that differentiates great wines, an exhaustive grape selection process and strict yield control of the have been implemented, placing quality above quantity. The Extremadura DO of Ribera Guadiana area is characterized by its reddish clay-rich soils --- and here lays the 4000 hectare estate: Palacio Quemado, a privileged plot of land in the municipality of Alange, at the relatively high-elevation of 1600 feet above sea level. Despite the size of the property, less than one hundred hectares are actually planted with vines, predominantly: , , garnacha and . Alange is located in the DO of in the Extremadura region. In the past few years there have been notable improvements here likely associated with the pressure to export. The Ribera del Guadiana is actually divided into six viticultural sub-zones that together comprise the full character of Extremaduran wines: Montánchez, Cañamero, Ribera Alta, Ribera Baja, Matanegra & . Barra Extremadura is located in the central area of the Badajoz province, between the Vega Del Guadiana and the Sierra Morena foothills or Tierra de Barros. The continental climate of the Spanish Central Plateau extends over Extremadura, but it is softened by the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean. Winters are mild and summers are hot, with many hours of sunshine reaching temperatures above 30ºCentigrade (80ºF). The relatively low rainfall levels mostly occur in autumn and winter. Clay soil with high lime content is prevalent in the area. The climate and the soil combined together create a setting that is ideal to make high quality wines.... “Alvear is not technically a Sherry producer as their wines are from Montilla-Moriles. But for wine lovers this should be incidental, as these wines are impressively deep and concentrated, not to mention fairly priced. Alvear has recently introduced some single-vintage bottlings, a rarity for this region.” -- Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar Alvear Alange Syrah, Ribera del Guadina 2010 (#8006) 12/750 $111.00/Case; $9.25/Bottle Dark violet ruby color. Bright and clean. Spicy balsamic aromas with plumy and earthy notes. Great flavor intensity, with blackberries and plums along with hints of freshly cracked black pepper. Soft tannins, good complexity, smooth and silky texture. This Syrah is great with pastas, grilled steaks or BBQ. Picked at full maturity in early Fall, generally one month earlier than the rest of Spain....The wine is macerated slowly in temperature controlled tanks and bottled young to retain the freshness from the fruits and have a wine that is easily appreciated and pleasing. Each vineyard is cultivated individually, yields are kept low and a strict fruit selection process is used to ensure that the end product is of the highest standard...

Alvear Alange Tempranillo, Ribera del Guadina 2010 (#8008) 12/750 $9.25/Bottle 87 Points: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar(“Josh Reynolds” Sept./Oct. 2011): “Dark red. Pungent red berries, cherry, licorice and herbs on the nose. Taut and chewy, offering fresh black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a hint of warmth. Finishes bright and nervy, with a slightly bitter quality and dusty tannins.” Deep garnet with some hints of violet on the rim. Loaded with lovely spice and aromas with hints of cherry and tobacco.Shows ripe dark fruits such as plum and blackberry, soft and long on the finish. Perfect accompaniment for spicy dishes or rich dishes such as game cooked in a red wine sauce... Tempranillo is the most well known specifically attached with Spain. Tempranillo characterizes itself by showing peculiar characteristics in each region of Spain depending on where it is cultivated. Alvear has adapted its processes with the typicity of the grape in this rich, red clay soils to make a balanced and easily approachable wine. Like the syrah, it was picked at full maturity in early Fall (generally one month earlier than the rest of Spain)....The wine is macerated slowly in temperature controlled tanks and bottled young to retain the freshness from the fruits and have a wine that is easily appreciated and pleasing. Each vineyard is cultivated individually, yields are kept low and a strict fruit selection process is used to ensure that the end product is of the highest standard...

Alvear Alange Granacha, Ribera del Guadina 2010 (#8010) 12/750 $9.25/Bottle 88 Points: Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar(“Josh Reynolds” Sept./Oct. 2011): “Bright ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of red berries and fresh flowers. A spicy, nicely focused midweight that offers juicy, vaguely jammy strawberry and raspberry flavors and a kick of white pepper. Finishes racy and precise, with good lift and lingering spiciness.” Redolent of red fruits, this wine is juicy, round, fresh, and rather like. Bright and clear with some hints of violet.Fruits, spice and minerals are in perfect harmony.In the mouth it is fruity with some blackcurrant and a good acidity, it is bold, ends on a nice fresh finish. A very tasty red to serve just slightly chilled with cured meat, antipasto, grilled chicken or paella or fish. Garnacha was traditionally cultivated in Extremadura, and this wine shows the typical varietal character from this region. Like all of the red wines, it’s picked at full maturity and carefully macerated over a long period of time under controlled temperature and bottled young. Each vineyard is cultivated individually, yields are kept low and a strict fruit selection process is used in order to make high quality wines. Spain & Tempranillo: Tempranillo is a dark-skinned red-wine grape variety that forms the backbone of some of the finest wines from spain & ...Almost every red wine from and in Spain has Tempranillo at its core, and in Portugal the variety is widely used in Port and dry table wines from the ... Tempranillo means 'little early one', a name given to it by Spanish grape growers who observed its habit of ripening earlier than Garnacha, its traditional Spanish blending partner. Tempranillo may be an Old World grape, but producers there are taking the New World’s lead when it comes to bottle labeling. It is increasingly common to see Tempranillo proudly displayed on wine labels in conjunction with the more traditional geographical indicator. A thick-skinned variety with a high anthocyanin count that makes for deep-colored wines with moderate tannins, Tempranillo is well suited to the demands of the modern wine consumer. While it lacks its own idiosyncratic flavor profile, the wide range of aromas detectable in Tempranillo-based wines give it a charm in and of itself, with tasting notes ranging from strawberries, blackcurrants and cherries, to prunes, chocolate and tobacco. The former three notes typically come from younger examples from cooler climates, while the latter three develop with increased vineyard heat and age. and Tempranillo are old bedfellows and have an excellent relationship. American oak in particular is the traditional choice of winemakers in Rioja, and Tempranillo’s flavor profile marries beautifully with the vanilla and coconut notes imparted by new oak barrels. Further west in Ribera del Duero, the fashion is to use higher proportions of French and used oak barrels to allow Tempranillo’s fruit to shine with a focus on more spiced oak flavors. As time passes the two styles are consolidating and the consumer is being rewarded with wines of greater complexity. Tempranillo grapes are not known for their naturally high acidity, and it is all too easy to find fat, overblown Tempranillo from the baked plains of La Mancha, which leaves the drinker in no doubt that this is a wine from a hot, flat environment (‘manxa’ means 'parched earth' in Arabic). On the other hand, this lack of abundant acidity (when compared to Spanish red-wine grape Graciano serves Tempranillo well when it grows in topographically diverse regions with high diurnal temperature variation. Hot, sunny days encourage the grapes to ripen fully, while cold nights help them to retain their natural acid balance. The result is bright, lively, fruit-driven wines with just the right balance of warmth and tanginess. And this is where Tempranillo comes into its own. It is no surprise, then, that the continental of Argentina and Australia have been the first New World regions to adopt Tempranillo. As is the case with Garnacha (), Tempranillo lends itself well to cultivation in bush vine or 'goblet' form, which is how it has traditionally been grown across the Iberian Peninsula. The freedom of bush vines is thought to encourage the development of the resulting wines’ fruitier flavors, although many Spanish growers are now obtaining good results from Tempranillo vines trained on wires. Being a vigorous variety, a fearless pruning regimen is essential to keep fruit quality at its best.