RSS FeedThe Tuesday evening Club de Enófilos de Valencia meetings began again in October after the long summer break. They take place at the Denominación de Origen Valencia HQ on carrer Cavallers (depressingly, their website has been “under construction” for ages – I guess it’ll emerge in due course). I’m hoping to attend a lot more in 2009-10 than I’ve been able to over the last year or two. Apart from the tastings themselves, it’s good to keep in the swing of things.
At the 3rd of November meeting Alfonso Sánchez Zahonero (sanchezzahonero.com) presented three wines: his Capricho 2006 and also the Capricho 2007 ‚Äì which will not be marketed until the spring of 2010 — as well as the 2006 vintage of his top wine, L’Essència. Alfonso looked both frighteningly young and impressively relaxed on the platform. He explained that he has no background in wine. He is from the small town of Siete Aguas, where his parents are both butchers, he was bitten by the wine bug, and after studying winemaking just got on with it.
He seeks out vineyards whose grapes he likes the look of and buys them from the grower, and then makes his wine in his parents’ garage (the term “garage wine” wasn’t coined without reason). He then does the rounds of bars and restaurants selling his wines direct. His youthful verve makes it sound so straightforward, and I salute his entrepreneurial spirit.
The Capricho wines are a blend of Tempranillo, Syrah and Merlot, and aged in oak for about nine months. Both the 2006 and 2007 were lighter in colour and alcohol (12.5%) than is often the case with wines from the Comunitat Valenciana. It was an honest red, with an acidic freshness. It wasn’t really made for cold November nights, but their refreshing lightness would have been just the thing on a hot day. Alfonso sells the Capricho at about 3 euro, and you can’t say fairer than that. Look out for the 2007 from April or so next year.
The L’Essència is a grander wine. The 2006 that we tasted was awarded a gold medal at the Concours Mondial de Bruxelles in 2009, no less. It is made from Tempranillo and Syrah and spends a little longer in oak and comes in at 13% ABV. I thought that this wine was a real thoroughbred, having substance and finesse. It echoed the lightness of the Capricho, but built on it. I recommend it highly. I note that it is offered by La Sucursal, the Michelin-starred restaurant in the IVAM (the Modern Art Museum) building, which says a lot. Felicidades Alfonso.
