The few other Italian wines I tasted could not match the Barolos from earlier on. The 2021 Cepparello by Isole e Olena had beautiful kirsch flavours and decent length on the palate, but was not outstanding. The 2019 Frescobali Castelgiocondo Brunello, from this acclaimed vintage, included nice mocca flavours and good intensity with firm dry tannins, but again, not outstanding. The 2020 Luce Brunello was lighter in the mouth, but quite tannic.
Of these other wines, I preferred the Fontodi wines. The 2021 Vigna del Sorbo was elegant, with good depth and some interesting herbal notes, while otherwise quite ripe. The 2021 Flaccianello delivered typical mocca flavours with good intensity and drive.
Then it was time to go to the Spanish pavilion. First stop was Capellanes from Ribera del Duero. The wines were a mixed experience. I found the 2021 Reserva oaky, a bit rough and alcoholic. My preference was for the 2021 Un Sueno, from vineyards at 1100m altitude. This Tempranillo was very dark, with great fruit purity and elegance. The 2020 Picon is a big wine, full-bodied and oaky.
The second winery from Ribera del Duero was Cepa 21. The 2022 Malabrigo, grown on rocky soil, was fresh and complex, with the finish a bit unbalanced. I also tasted the low yielding 2020 Hortago.
Unfortunately, I only managed to taste two wines from Muga, the Rioja superstar.. The 2016 Prado Enea Gran Reserva was dark, with a good fruit profile, and the noticeable oak well integrated. I preferred the 2021 Muga Torre. The wine comes from 40-90 year old vines. It is a concentrated Tempranillo, built out in French oak, with an elegant mouthfeel. It gives this deceiving lightness impression, which I feel only old vines can do - excellent.
I could not find the Louis Sebra wines when tasting wines from Portugal, but I found the wines this afternoon, tucked away behind others. Luis Sebra was there himself. These Douro wines are different from most, not coming out of a Port tradition. My word for the 2022 Albariño Granito Cru Vinho Verde; simply exuberant. The 2022 Xisto Cru Branco is a high altitude wine from schist and granite, with many varieties. This citrus flavoured wine is similar to the very good Niepoort whites. The first red was the 2022 Mono C Castelão. This is a very different wine from the full-bodied typical Douro red. This wine, from the Castelão variety, is very light on its feet, matured in concrete, quite easy drinking, a bit like an easy drinking Grenache. The 2022 Xisto Cru Red comes from high altitude vineyards. It delivers more traditional flavours, and is complex on the palate. The 2022 Mono A is a single varietal wine from Dão. It is floral and quite light. Overall, this was an interesting and different set of wines from one of Portugal’s most innovative winemakers.
What a day!