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Perfecto?

27/11/2013

 
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Escondite Perfecto £6.99 from M&S (14% abv)
If you're a regular reader, or have attended one if my events, you'll know that I love to encourage people to experiment with new wines.

So, from time to time, it's good for me to do the same. I'd never before tried the Mencia grape or any wine from Spain's Bierzo region, so when I saw the name Perfecto, the time seemed right to add another varietal to the list. Escondite Perfecto, to give it the full name, means "perfect hiding place" in Spanish.  Could I lose myself in a glass?

The Marks and Spencer labeling is a little misleading. There's a natural cork rather than the synthetic closure mentioned, so were the other descriptions to be trusted? Plum, raspberry and spice with floral notes set high expectations from this 2010 oak-aged wine.

Initially, I didn't get much scent - even after swirling & letting the glass develop for a while before tasting. To be fair to the wine, it is the cold season and I had eaten a rather spicy meal, earlier in the evening.
After trying to make my mind up if I was smelling plums, roses or my imagination, I gave up and took my first sip.

Medium bodied, with pleasing acidity, and medium tannin levels, this is a fairly easy to drink red wine, though it would probably work better accompanying foods like Serrano ham, roast pork or cheeses.

The flavours, like the nose (or smell of the wine) are fairly light and certainly much less pronounced than I'd hoped from a wine with such a depth of colour.

There are some similarities to a south of France Syrah in the floral notes with plum and spice character, but there's a little less texture on the body. So pleasant but not Perfecto, at least at this stage.  


Bierzo is in Spain's North West corner, in the province of Léon, yet still benefiting from some Atlantic influence coming in from neighbouring Galicia. Vines receive a winning combination of 2200 sunshine hours and around 700mm of rain annually.  The grape variety Mencia (apparently the same as Portuguese grape Jaen,  if DNA profiling is to be believed, and another I've never tried) suffered for years from being planted on over fertile soils which led to high yields but dilute wine.  It's now coming back into it's own as winemakers work with old vines on "schist" soil slopes. (Schist is a kind of crystalline rock which retains heat well but has low organic nutrients).  There have been references to the aromatic and herbaceous quality of Cabernet Franc, but that wasn't something I experienced with this bottle.

Determined to give the wine the best chance, I sliced up a few chunks of parmesan.  That, and leaving the wine for an hour or two definitely seemed to add something.  The body felt fuller, the lifted violet or rose became more prominent.  A character emerged. 

Mr Purple Teeth returned from his evening out and was forced to sample for the benefit of you, my dear readers. I was surprised that his verdict was "I'd happily drink this with you".  I had feared the lack of texture would put him off. So, for best results, my advice is to decant an hour or two before serving.  

We kept a glass for the next day, and it fared well, with increased smoothness & body. Mr Purple Teeth seemed to like it even more.

Although lacking some complexity, there is an elegance there just waiting for you to experience it. I will be looking for other examples of this varietal.
I'm still not sure I'd lose myself in a glass, but I'm happy to have experimented, and maybe you will be too.


Cheers!



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    Purple Teeth

    My name's Heather and I've been enjoying wine for over 20 years. I'm the 2013 winner of the Wine and Spirit Education Trust Rhone prize for oustanding students at the advanced level.
    My mission is to share my passion for the myriad varieties of fermented grape juice, hopefully inspiring you to try something new, or to host  a Purple Teeth wine party in your own home or business.

    My blog mainly features wines you should be able to find on your local high street or online, and occasionally, I will review restaurants, travel and other forms of alcohol, since my qualification covers spirits too.  I believe it's important to enjoy the calories and the cash we spend on alcohol, and I hope my guidance can help you reduce the risk of making a bad buy.
      
    When I'm not drinking wine, you'll find me on the dance floor where West Coast Swing is my dance of choice. Socialising with the friends I've made there from all over the world has also brought me new adventures in alcohol!  And just in case you're interested, I also write a blog called Confidence Within.  You'll find it at heatherharrison.weebly.com


    Remember to enjoy wine sensibly...
    For a woman, 2-3 units per day is the recommended maximum allowance.  This equates to around one standard "pub measure" glass of wine:
    175ml of 13% alcohol wine is 2.3 units (and a scary 140 calories).  
    You'll find all the facts you need about safe, moderate drinking at the www.Drinkaware.co.uk site. 
    Purple Teeth supports safe drinking. Never drive or operate machinery after drinking alcohol.

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