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A Taste of Spain in Ohio
P.Shearer

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We here at winecommentator we often get the chance to enjoy many different kinds of wines. As you can tell from some of our reviews and articles, we do seem to lean towards those from California, Australia, and Italy. One region we have been very interested in are wines from Spain. Well, while having a casual dinner at the Galaxy Restaurant in Wadsworth, OH, we noticed that they were going to conduct a wine tasting that featured wines from Spain. Well, as you can imagine, we signed up on the spot!!

Located just west of Akron, the Galaxy Restaurant offers a dining experience for just about everyone out there. There is a sports bar area complete with a television at each booth, a deli area for a quick bite, an upscale dinning room for the fine dining, and an upscale bar complete with several wine flights and a view of the wine cellar. There is also a wine tasting room for private parties, and the like. For our tasting, we were situated in the private room. Our tasting for the evening would feature 10 different wines, all with a rating of 86 points or higher by Robert Parker.

Hosted by Dave Thomas, our evening began with a Cava, the Spanish variety of Champagne, called the Gelida Brut 2002 ($15.99). Made from the the Viura grape, this variety gets its name from the region it is grown in. This particular cava exhibited ripe fruits with a hint of wheat on the nose with a ton of honey flavor on the palate. Very soft and light to medium bodied. It should be noted that this variety is not as sparkling as champagne. It has the bubbles more like a Prosecco. Not a bad starter to the evening.

Our second offering was the Nora Albarino 2005($15.99). Made from the Albarino grape, I likened this wine to a sauvignon blanc, but lighter. The wine exhibited just a ton of tropical fruit and pear with a nice acidity to it and a soft finish. Definitely not something you would serve with heavy foods, but a nice summer wine.

Our third wine was the Protocolo Blanco 2006 ($6.99). A blend of Airen (60%) and Macabeo (40%) grapes, the wine had citrus overtones to it. A slight hint of mint, as well.

Our final white wine of the evening was the Vega Sindoa Vuira/Chardonnay 2006($8.99). At 60% Viura, 25% Chardonnay, and 15% Viognier, this wine had lots of concentrated flavors. Lots of baked apple and honey on the nose with citrus overtones on the palate. A nice wine for the price, too.

Now to the reds!! We were served six red wines altogether and each one a nice adventure. Our first offering was the Luzon 2005 ($8.99). A blend of Mourvedre (60%) and Syrah (35%), the wine had a very dark purple color to it with just a ton of blackberry and a little spice. You could really get a sense of the Syrah in it, too. Also had a very nice lingering finish, too.

Second of the reds was the Priorat Onix 2005 ($8.99). Heralded as the best vintage of the Onix to date, the wine is made from old vine grapes with an average age of 55 years. made from Garnacha and Carinena grapes, the wine had flavors of ripe cherries and a nice lengthy finish. A very nice wine all around.

Number three brought us the Atteca 2005 ($17.99). So far the winner in our tasting, this wine was made with 100% Grenache produced from the estates oldest vineyards at 80-100 years old. While I personally love old vine wines, this was a true winner. Just a ton of raspberry with a nice mixture of licorice, spice, and pepper to it.

Fourth was the Vega Sindoa Cabernet/Tempranillo 2004 ($11.99). Made with 55% Cabernet and 45% Tempranillo, there was good character to this wine. Blackberry, licorice, and a hint of vanilla from the French Oak left a supple texture to this medium-bodied wine.

Our fifth red was the Can Blau 2005 ($16.99). From the Monsant region of Spain, the wine was made from a mixture of Carignan, Syrah, and Grenache. We found the wine most exhibited flavors of black cherry with a hint of raspberry.

Our final wine of the evening was also the one that stole the show: the Alto Moncayo 2004 $42.99). With the very first smell of the aroma, we were hooked!! The wine had the character of a Bordeaux from France with the fire power of a Napa Cabernet. Rated 93 points by Robert Parker, this wine had tons of blackberry and toasty oak on the palate with finish that I can still taste. Just a fabulous wine that, truly, we weren't expecting. We can see why it was rated highly!!

Well, as you can imagine, our number one wine for the evening was the Alto Moncayo. Absolutely stole the show. We also found the Atteca to be quite enjoyable, too. In fact, we purchased a few bottles of the Alto and one of the Atteca. The other favorite was the Priorot Onix. As for the whites, we would recommend the Nora Albarino. A nice crisp wine to enjoy on a hot summer day.

All around, it was quite an enjoyable evening taking our first real adventure into Spanish wines. We must also give praise to the Galaxy Restaurant for the array of cheeses that were put out for us and their hospitality. I can truly say that we will be back for more than just wine tastings.

A special thanks also to Ed for the after tasting tastings. We truly enjoyed it!!