 The three Spanish wineries sampled were Borsao (DO Campo di Borja), Marquis de Caćeres (DOC Rioja) and Nekeas (DO Navarra). Wines from Cline, a Sonoma based winery and Emilio Moro (DO Ribera del Duero) are also in the portfolio, says Ashwani Gupta who along with his partner Abhishek Jani presented the wines.
Starting with Nekeas 2007white, a Viura-Chardonnay blend, which was a barely quaffable wine, it got slightly better with a 100% Viura from Marquis de Caceres but went on to a very pleasant Viognier from Cline. The usual high 14% alcohol did not take away the tropical fruitiness of the wine which would make a lovely food wine for Indian cuisine too- and a vegetarians' delight.
Rioja and its neighbouring Navarra make some great Tempranillo- Garnacha based red wines. The whites may be quaffable by their standards. But in comparison to the international availability, including the Indian wines, they still fall short of expectations.
The light bodied Nekeas 2006 red and Marques de Caceres Crianza 2004 were both drinkable wines one can enjoy. But if one were to keep the price in mind too, the next one- a DO Campo di Borja wine (from Aragon region in North eastern part of Spain, vary close to Rioja) from Borsao winery, a 2005 Crianza was truly impressive. Again, high on alcohol at 14.5%, it had soft tannins; slightly over-oaked vanilla flavours and great mouth feel with good balance. It is a good red-meat wine, though chicken lovers can also relish it.
A 2006 Zinfandel from Cline followed by Syrah 2006 were the next two wines. Both were quite palatable, but with the price being the same, I would prefer the later, if it was Sophie's Choice. Shiraz was spicy and juicy-full of berry flavours. It took off on the palate with the smoky cheese, which Rifaqat Mirza, the F & B Director of the Park had smartly added to the cheese and cracker platters. I would have problem leaving the bottle unfinished with that combination.
 Decidedly the best wine from Manash's portfolio was the last wine, Tres Picos 2006 Borsao. Made from 100% Garnacha grapes which grow very well in the warm areas of this region, it was full of black cherries, ripe plums and dark berry fruits. The tannins were slightly on the higher side, a hallmark of the grape. The flavour was persistent right till the back palate and left a long impression after every sip. Again a good accompaniment with the smoky cheese, it would be a serious food wine, the high 14.5% well integrated alcohol level not withstanding.
It is heartening to know there are people who are putting their trust in Spanish wines and trying to popularise them in the Indian market. They offer many value-for-money quality wines and need to be showcased.
It is interesting to note also that specialist importers are arriving on the horizon. For instance, Vinner wines, Gurgaon is focussing exclusively on Italian wines under one label- Opera. Quality as a value-for money proposition is their mantra, as Vikash Gupta, the partner says.
With niche importers like these, the consumer surely will have better choice, high taxes and lack of proper distribution channels notwithstanding.
Subhash Arora
July 22, 2008 |