Vidavivida Tasting

TOCAVI – Escapa’t Rosé Cava – DO Cava

Trepat

VINIFICATION: Our Cava is 100% Trepat, a grape variety native exclusively to the Conca de Barbera, which makes this cava absolutely unique.
This area has an ancient tradition in winemaking that dates back to the monasteries of the Cistercian Order still present in the region.

TASTING NOTES: A cava with an expressive cherry color, bright, and abundant fine bubbles. Aromas of fresh strawberries are one of the characteristics of this variety that persists on the palate throughout the palate with a harmonious and delicate finish.

 

Fragas do Lecer – Godello – DO Monterrei

Godello, Treixadura y Dona Branca.

The vines here are 30 years old on average, yielding small amounts per vine but high concentration. Harvested by hand, with a preliminary selection in the vineyard. Temperature controlled fermentation, and then aged in stainless steel on fine lees for 7 months, followed by at least 5 months in bottle before release; unfined and unfiltered. Floral aromas lead to intense fruit notes of apple, pear, citrus and aromatic herbs. On the palate it shows creamy texture, with well-balanced and pleasant acidity; fresh fruit notes are balanced with mineral. Luscious with a well-rounded finish.

60% Godello, 35% Treixadura and 5% Dona Branca.

Fragas do Lecer

Fragas do Lecer is located in Vilaza, Galicia, in Northwest Spain. It sits in the valley of Monterrei alongside the Támega river. The winery was founded in 2005 by the Boo-Rivero family, winegrowers with a history of over 30 years. They are especially committed to growing indigineous varietals.

The vineyards total 45 acres, in 28 different estate vineyards. This diversity results in various soil types: granite based, sandy, and slate, offering great complexity to the wines. The Tamaguelos estate has over 10 acres of Godello and Mencia vines that are over 30 years old. In addition, they also have some of the oldest Godello and Mencia vines in the region, over 50 years old.

Fragas do Lecer practices organic viticulture, with maximum respect for the vineyards and minimum intervention.

DO Monterrei

Monterrei is a DO wine region in Galicia, northern Spain. It is located in the south-eastern corner of Galicia, bordering Portugal. Winemaking was introduced to the area by the ancient Romans, whose influence is confirmed by the number of presses and vessels that have been dug up here.

In 1994, Monterrei regained the DO status that had been stripped from it because local producers failed to modernize their wineries sufficiently. Since then, it has won acclaim, including commendations from the influential American wine critic Robert Parker in 2008.

Monterrei is situated in the Duoro River basin, although it is the Tamega River – a tributary that eventually flows into the Duoro near Marco de Canaveses in Portugal – that is important here. Most vines are planted in the river valleys along the Tamega.

Monterrei is divided into two sub-zones: Ledeira de Monterrei (Slopes of Monterrei) and Val de Monterrei (Monterrei Valley). The division is a natural split, largely due to differences in the soil types, from granite to slate to clay. These give wines distinctive characteristics.

Climatically, the region is very different from the rest of Galicia. Monterrei's inland location makes it warm and dry during summer and very cold in winter, more in line with the vineyards of Castilla y Leon to the east. This is largely due to the rain shadow effect produced by the Sierra de Larouca mountain range. Monterrei is subject to diurnal temperature variations of up to 30 degrees in the ripening season.

Both red- and white-wine grape varieties can reliably be ripened in Monterrei's climate, although aromatic whites dominate production here, as they do throughout most of Galicia. The principal white-wine varieties, in descending order, are Godello (Verdelho) Treixadura, Dona Blanca and Albarino, which produce wines savored for their distinct fruitiness, crisp acidity and reasonably good body. Red wines are made from Mencia and Merenzao (Trousseau) grapes, which are typically fresh and full bodied.

The Consejo Regulador (wine-regulating authority) allows the production of two wines: Monterrei Blanco (white Monterrei), which must contain 60 percent of the preferred varieties (Godello, Treixadura, Doña Blanca), with the remaining 40 percent from other permitted grapes, and Monterrei Tinto (red Monterrei), which must contain 60 percent Mencía and/or Merenzao.

Monterrei is one of the five Galician D.O.'s.

Los restos arqueológicos hallados en la comarca, tales como prensas, lagares excavados en roca y vasijas de origen romano, evidencian la participación de estos últimos en la introducción de la vitivinicultura en Monterrei.

Desde finales del siglo IX, de la mano de las órdenes religiosas, al ser utilizado el vino como tributo para el pago a los monasterios y señores feudales.

Durante la Edad Media y parte de la Moderna, Monterrei ejerció una gran influencia en aspectos económicos, políticos y culturales dentro de Galicia y España. Por este motivo, D. Federico Justo Méndez, autor del libro Brotes de Históricas, afirmaba: «los vinos del valle de Monterrei, por su excelente calidad se codearon con los vinos de Oporto, llegando incluso su comercialización a distintas partes de América. Durante la época del V Conde de Monterrey, a quien el Rey Felipe II le concedió el título de virrey con el fin de gobernar las nuevas colonias españolas en América.

Más recientemente, se puede destacar que, a mediados del siglo pasado, Monterrei fue una zona donde se producían grandes volúmenes de vino de excelente calidad. Muestra de ello fue la presencia en la región de importantes bodegas, que disponían de lagares  de piedra y grandes cubas de madera de roble.

A principios de los años 60 se construye la Bodega Cooperativa de Monterrei, con el objetivo de promover una correcta elaboración de los vinos y su posterior comercialización. A finales del siglo XX, la emigración, el cierre de la bodega cooperativa y el abandono de las tierras, dada su escasa rentabilidad, casi suponen la desaparición del viñedo en la zona, pero el reconocimiento administrativo de la Denominación de Origen y la aprobación de su reglamentación (por Orden de 25 de noviembre de 1994), así como la apuesta por los vinos de calidad, llevaron al resurgir de la comarca.

Es por lo tanto, en los años noventa el momento en que se da un gran salto cualitativo tanto en la recuperación de las variedades preferentes como en la elaboración del vino. Se siguen manteniendo las plantaciones con sistemas de formación en vaso griego, pero en muchas de las nuevas plantaciones se introduce un nuevo sistema de cultivo que se realiza en espaldera a doble cordón para facilitar el laboreo y la recolección. Esto, junto con la inversión en tecnología y la adopción de nuevas prácticas enológicas supuso un gran impulso al sector vitivinícola en la comarca. Al preservar un porcentaje elevado de variedades preferentes en la elaboración (todas ellas autóctonas), se obtienen como resultado vinos de características específicas, con carácter y que expresan la tipicidad de la zona.

En cuanto a los suelos, en la comarca de Monterrei están presentes tres tipos de suelos: Pizarrosos y esquistosos, idóneos durante las épocas de sequía, que proporcionan aromas en los vinos tintos. Graníticos y Arenosos: provenientes de la  degradación de las rocas graníticas, presentan pH bajos, adecuados para vinos blancos. Sedimentarios: complejos debido a la mezcla de materiales.

Alkimia Wines – Alkimia Blanc – no DO

Grenache

Organic and vegan wine.

12 months in NEW French oak barrels.

Golden wine, a very characteristic feature of this type of wine that has been aged for 12 months in new French oak barrels.

It has fresh aromas of flowers, stone fruit, white fruit and orange on the nose with a balanced acidity.

It is a wine of a fresh style with a very marked texture and personality. It is characterized by great complexity, aromatic purity and a very pleasant freshness.

Excellent to accompany any fish and soft meats.

Production limited to 1900 numbered bottles, making each bottle a small treasure.

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Coca & Fitó – Jaspi Negre – DO Montsant

45% Grenache, 25% Carignan, 15% Syrah, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Blend

45% Grenache – 40-90 year-old vines
25% Carignan – 40-80 year-old vines
15% Syrah – 15-30 year-old vines
15% Cabernet Sauvignon – 15-30 year-old vines

Ageing

3 months in French and American oak barrels plus one year in underground concrete tanks

Figuero – Figuero 12, 2017 – DO Ribera del Duero

100% tempranillo

PREPARATION: Vineyard of the Tempranillo variety in La Horra, 70% of the grapes aged between 20-40 years and 30% over 50 years.

Manual harvest carried out in chestnut baskets with a capacity of 12 kilos.

Aging for 12 months in new barrels of 1 wine (85% French, 15% American).

Bottled and aged in the same bottle until completing 2 years

APPEARANCE: Elegant red wine with an intense purple color with cherry-colored rims. Clean, bright and with a very high layer.

AROMAS: Intense nose where black fruit (blackberry, currant, blueberry) and red fruit (raspberry, cherry) join spicy notes of black pepper, cardamom and cloves, with hints of star anise and eucalyptus. A complex nose, very elegant and fresh that invites you to enjoy the wine.

TASTE: Round mouthfeel with a very good velvety tannin structure. An excellent balance and a very long persistence giving another dimension to this wine. It is a wine with great elegance and freshness, very long and with power at its peak.

PAIRING: Barbecue, tapas, pasta and rice, roast chicken and cow cheeses.

Payoyo – Semi-cured goat cheese – Cádiz

Goat

Enzymatic coagulation whole pasteurized milk cheese, very light in color due to its natural rind, very creamy, nutty flavor, with a minimum maturation of 35 days and slightly acid and tasty.

Buruaga Arditegia – Edarra Idiazabal Ahumado, Mendiko Gazta – Zigoitia, Álava

Sheep.

The world-renowned cheese with Designation of Origin Idiazabal, is a fatty cheese made from raw milk from Latxa or Carranzana sheep, cured for a minimum of 2 months and enzymatic coagulation.

Idiazabal Edarra Cheese is a raw milk cheese from Latxa sheep from its own farm, made with natural lamb rennet. This cheese is known as mountain cheese, since it is made with milk from sheep that graze at an altitude of 800-900 meters in the Gorbea Natural Park. Mountain cheese, Mendiko Gazta, is a very limited and exclusive product within the D.O. Idiazabal. So far, there are only 3 authorized cheese factories with the corresponding label. The grass at high altitudes gives the cheese a special texture and flavor, more unctuous.

Edarra Idiazabal Mendiko Gazta cheese is an exclusive product with limited production.

Buruaga Arditegia

Buruaga Arditegia is a company located in Etxabarri Ibiña, Zigoitia (Álava), dedicated entirely to the production, distribution and sale of its own sheep cheese.

Our company stands out among the others for its cheese tradition and for extracting its raw material from cattle from privileged places on our land, such as the green landscapes of the Basque Country. Another of the key points to highlight about our product is that, from our beginnings, the shepherds care for and pamper the Latxa and Carranza sheep with all dedication to obtain the best raw milk.

Of course, this effort and this constant work, together with the best raw materials, always translates into an incredible and unique flavor that you should not stop trying.

The process of elaboration of our cheeses is completely handmade, which entails absolute professionalism and responsibility in each of the elaborations. But, on the other hand, this manual way of working allows us to offer the end customer a wide variety of cheeses, finishes and dairy products.

Having said this, we can summarize that the quality of our products is based both on the raw material and on the production process, and also on the effort and love that the artisans put into their work, which is fully reflected in the result.

Hacienda Guijoso – Pure Gran Reserva Sheep Cheese with Iberian Lard – Albacete, La Mancha

Sheep - Minimum cure of 12 months.

“GRAN RESERVA” cheese made with Iberian butter and milk from the sheep of our own livestock.

One of our best cheeses, aged in Iberian lard with 12-14 months of healing. Tuned in a natural cave on Sabina wood. An authentic jewel, with a great touch of Iberian butter that makes this cheese a totally remarkable piece. The most intense flavor with the most exquisite creaminess.

One of the crucial factors in the final quality of a cheese is the quality of its milk. Two factors intervene in this: on the one hand, the breed of the sheep, and on the other hand, the food they receive. At Pago Guijoso we produce food for our sheep in a natural and ecological way, we design their menu with a high level of protein and fat, mainly composed of ray grass, corn, wheat, barley, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. Once the best possible milk is obtained, we make our cheese in the traditional way, recovering the essence of the cheese makers of yesterday; accompanying the quality from the field to the final product.

All our sheep have the best genetic selection. Our livestock is part of AGRAMA, the most important livestock association in the world in terms of La Mancha sheep; Having these very high quality standards, one of the crucial factors in the quality of a cheese is the quality of the milk.

The second and most important part of making our cheese is curing. The world's great cheeses have traditionally been cured underground, at constant humidity and temperature naturally on wooden boards. Our Gran Reserva Hacienda Guijoso Cheese with Iberian Lard is cured on Sabina wood in our caves. Its wood is of an unbeatable quality, both for its resistance and for its unmistakable aroma. The latter gives our cheeses an incomparable elegance, making them the best D.O Manchego farm artisan cheeses in the world.

Ingredients:

Raw sheep's milk, Iberian pork lard (coating), Salt, Calcium chloride, Rennet, Lysozyme (derived from egg), Lactic ferments

 

Argudo – Blau de Cabra

Goat.

A recipe based on balance

Those characteristics and wonderful blue veins, 100% goat's milk, give us an intense flavor and persistent aromas as a result. A decisive taste, but always very harmonious.

It is a leading cheese on all occasions, to be enjoyed calmly and without haste.

Artisanal Production of Goat Cheeses

We are a family business with extensive experience in the goat cheese sector that is dedicated to the artisanal production of goat cheeses, native to Europe and destined for the tuners market and traditional distribution.

Manufacturing and Tuning

Currently, in our company Lact-Argudo we have two manufacturing plants and three refining facilities. This allows us to make a range with very different types, textures and varieties of goat cheese.