Wine, like any other gastronomic product, has a season that is more suitable for its consumption depending on its style. Today we leave you some tips to enjoy the last drops of wine of the summer with all the refreshment you need.
On more than one occasion we have mentioned Atlantic wines, those influenced by the humidity of the ocean. Well, this influence leaves its mark on the wine through a higher acidity and a cooler, i.e. less ripe fruit. These wines, due to their conditions, are perfect for drinking in summer.
In order not to stray too far from the cool concept that brings us here today, we are going to recommend three txakolis. Gorka Izagirre 2020 blanco, a wine that responds to all our summer needs with great solvency. The Gorka Izagirre winery has some of the best scores in the Peñín Guide in the Bizkaiko Txakolina D.O., a production area so close to the sea that if we pay attention we can glimpse the saline effects of the breeze on the wine itself.
Hori Bai Artxanda 2020, by Jon Ander Rekalde, is our second txakoli of the year, with a citric and herbal character that will surprise you.
For the last txakoli we have reserved for ourselves a wine aged on its lees and in the bottle, which even if we take a step back in the concept of freshness, its acidity is so lively that it will continue to be an excellent choice to drink during these last days of heat and we can also accompany it with a fish at our table. We are talking about Península Vino Atlántico 2019, a white wine from hondarrabi zerratia that has all the Atlantic freshness but with a more intense and oily palate, a real delight!
Not everything in life is txakoli, we must also leave room for other wines, and in this case we are going to go to another important producing area in the style of cool crisp wines. We move to Galicia and specifically to Rías Baixas, where one of the most famous Spanish white grapes, Albariño, grows at its best. As with txakoli, the albariños from Rías Baixas have that Atlantic freshness that we like so much, which in the long run also translates into a greater capacity to age their wines, as acidity is a natural wine preservative. This is why our first recommendation is a white wine from 2013, so that you can start to get rid of the false belief that all white wines must be drunk from the current vintage. Pazo de Rubianes Albariño 2013 captivated us this year, for its crispness, its saline, floral and citric character. This wine also has an excellent value for money.
Another option that should never be overlooked is Pazo de Señorans, the great Galician lady. This winery has managed to place some of its wines among the best whites in Spain, specifically its 2011 vintage Selection obtained 99 points in the last edition of the Peñín Guide, becoming, together with the Arzuaga Albillo 2008, the two highest scoring white wines of the year. Today we will be content to present you their Pazo Señorans Colección 2017, another wine with our highest quality-price rating, that is to say, five stars, and which shows how a good Albariño can age perfectly without the need to age it in oak barrels.
And as we have just mentioned oak, we would like to bring you a wine that will show how this variety performs in contact with wood. To do so, we turn to another relevant winery within the D.O. Rías Baixas, Bodegas La Val, an excellent representative of the wines from the Condado do Tea sub-region. Their La Val Fermentado en Barrica 2016 will bring us closer to the world of the more structured, ripe, oily and spicy Albariño, other virtues that will allow us to enjoy a gastronomy with a little more intensity.
We are now approaching the end of this article and we are heading to the other corner of the peninsula, specifically to Catalonia, where we will enjoy some of its sparkling Cava, essential wines for the summer. We will continue with our criteria of excellent value for money to offer you the best wines, but we will make a selection in terms of style. First we want to offer you a very fresh, young and carefree Cava, and then we will move on to a more serious and gastronomic Cava.
We propose youth and playfulness with a Privat Reserva Brut Nature 2019, a simple but very well-made sparkling wine, fresh and with a fine and sparkling bubble. Its smooth bitter finish will be perfect for an aperitif and will undoubtedly help us fight the heat.
Our most serious Cava is represented by Parés Baltà, and this is Parés Baltà Blanca Cusiné Gran Reserva Brut Nature 2013, a long-aged sparkling wine that shows us other more subtle, pleasant and intense attributes. Here we will see a more golden colour, the result of its greater ageing and a set of rich aromas of nuts, spices and ripe fruit. Another way of approaching wine with bubbles in a more complex and enjoyable way.
Having tasted these wines, we can now officially say goodbye to summer and welcome autumn and its infinite wine-growing possibilities.
Tips for "travelling" with your favourite brands in perfect condition wherever you go.
Which wines are best for the summer season and how can we enjoy them anywhere?
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