MCF Rare Wine

A Fall-y, (Lightly) Funky Spanish White
 
There's something about aged Spanish whites and the thought of Thanksgiving...the food of Thanksgiving.  The overwhelming smells and flavors, the way they mend together in your mind with long-lost memories to form a general idea of the holiday...when I 'smell' or 'taste' the day in my mind, the nutty, waxy, woods-y nature of older Spanish whites always seems to weasel its way into such a thought.

Not because I only drink aged Spanish whites on Thanksgiving or some other loony thing, but for whatever reason, the concept of Thanksgiving flavors and concept of an older Spanish white have become connected in my brain.

The closest comparison I can think of is if someone were to sing the first half of a line from your favorite song...your brain automatically sings the second half...that kinda thing.

When I think Thanksgiving, I, a moment later, think oxidative, woody, savory...but with that distinct Spanish accent.

SO, now that I've gotten this one off to a really weird start...let me bring it back down to earth.

I'll say this, the flavor of older Spanish whites - the really serious ones, like old Rioja, etc. - is certainly not for everyone.

That's why I was so excited when I happened across today's wine a few weeks ago - the Albir Blanco 2011 of Cellar la Muntanya - because I found that it was, first and foremost, a really tasty wine, but it was a 'primer', if you will, of that 'old Spanish white' thing.

Given its age, it's still remarkably fresh and focused - which isn't that much of a surprise, I suppose.  I actually remember it when it was young and it was quite a lazer beam.

But it has fleshed out a lot and the really nice deeper, oilier, more intense elements are just beginning to emerge.

So you have a wonderful duality going -

A bit citric, a bit nutty.

A bit floral, a bit earthy.

A bit oily, a bit briny.

A bit evolved, a bit bracing.  

And so on...which kinda makes it great at being able to tackle all kinds of foods...which makes it a great 'Fall' white...which means that, yes, it's a great Thanksgiving white...

Being someone who mostly eats sides at Thanksgiving, I'm kinda looking especially forward to some of this with the creamed onions w/bacon.

Yeah...

To inquire about this wine, please email info@mcf-rarewine.com or call 212.255.8870.

Matt Franco
MCF Rare Wine, Ltd
249 West 13th Street NYC 10011
212.255.8870