CAlizA 2008

Issue # 203 – October 31, 2012
CAlizA 2008 – 88 points
“The 2008 Caliza is a blend of 70% Syrah and 30% Petit Verdot that sees one or two
years in French barriques. It has a striking bouquet of bacon fat and smoke that soars
from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy, dry tannins and a core of dusty
red fruit. It shows good weight towards the masculine, structured finish with mulberry
and cedar lingering in the mouth. This is a modestly priced wine with grand ambitions.”
svmmA vAriEtAlis 2007 – 90 points
“The 2007 SVMMA Varietalis is a blend of 42% Syrah, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon,
and 13% Petit Verdot that sees 10 to 14 months in French barriques. It has a ripe,
vanilla-scented bouquet where it appears that the oak juts out from the fruit profile.
The palate is medium-bodied with soft, supple tannins. It is quite precise with elegant
raspberry and crushed strawberry notes towards the finish, the aftertaste laced with
cloves. This is elegant and feels very natural.”
CAbErnEt sAuvignon 2007 – 88 points
“The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon has a dusky nose of blackberry, licorice and dried blood
with fine delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with dusty tannins and good
weight….”
syrAh 2007 – 88 points
“The 2007 Syrah comes from Dominio de Valdepusa and sees one year in French
new oak. It has a slightly bretty, animally bouquet with scents of loganberry, sloe and
dark plum. The palate is medium-bodied with a pastille-like entry. Notes of dark cherry,
orange zest and Dorset plum lead to a light, crisp finish.”
PEtit vErdot 2007 – 88 points
“The 2007 Petit Verdot, from a parcel planted in 1992, has a fresh, clean nose of dark
cherries and blackberry, although like many pure varietal Petit Verdot wines, it lacks
a little personality. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins….”
AAA 2008 – 90 points
“The 2008 AAA is the jewel in the crown and is named after the Marques’s three
daughters, Alexandra, Tamara and Aldara. A blend of 73% Petit Verdot and 27%
Graciano, it sees 30 months ageing in new French oak. It has an opulent nose of
macerated dark cherries, cassis and blueberry that soars from the glass and displays
fine focus and control. The palate is succulent on the entry with dark cherries, orange
sorbet, blueberries and a touch of sloe with a long, harmonious finish….”
EmEritvs 2007 – 89 points
“The 2007 Emeritvs is a blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Petit Verdot and
5% Syrah raised in new and one-year old French oak for 20 to 24 months. It has a
very broody nose that is lavished in new oak, which rather obscures the fruit that is
underneath. The palate is very smooth on the entry and it has a velvety texture….”
In 2000, fellow producers of single estate wines founded an association to energetically promote and educate consumers
and the trade about the estate concept, or pago in Spanish. At first the group was called the Grandes Pagos de Castilla.
In 2003 the group renamed itself Grandes Pagos de España and today it has more than 20 members.
IMPORTING, DISTRIBUTING AND DEVELOPING PREMIUM WINES AND SPIRITS FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. • W I N E B O W. C O M
Pagos De Familia Marques De Griñon
Sustainablity has always been an essential part of the Marques De Grinon operating philosophy. Creating wines that capture the true
expression of the natural and cultural environment is the quintessence of the estate. Understanding how the soil’s microflora and
fauna have a direct effect on the personality of the wines sums up the principles behind the methods and practices employed.
D.O. Dominio de Valdepusa
Dominio de Valdepusa is located in
Malpica de Tajo, Toledo, and has been
owned by the Marques de Griñon family
since 1292. Granted its own Denominacion
de Origen in 2002, recently the D.O has
been recognized as the first official “Vino
Philosophies and Practices
de Pago” of the country setting exemplary
quality standards. Imbued with history,
royalty, academia, and fine art; the land
Since the first modern day planting of international
and the Pagos de Familia Marquis de Grinon has origins rooting back to kings, military, patrons
varietals in 1974 the objective has been to create wines
of the arts, and even connections to the publication of the very first Spanish grammar book and
that are a true expression of the natural and cultural
Spanish-Latin dictionary.
environment. Traditional elements linked to sustainable,
The Pioneer and Innovator of Dominio de Valdepusa
Carlos Falcó Fernandez de Córdova, is
organic and even biodynamic practices have been
adopted, such as understanding how the soil’s microflora
and fauna have a direct effect on the personality of the
a pioneer in the modernization of vine
wines -maximizing minerality. The microclimate and dry
growing and winemaking in Spain. In
growing season naturally reduces the incidents of disease,
1974; he introduced Spain to the Syrah
the lanes between the vines are never tilled creating a
and Petit Verdot and La Mancha to
haven for local grasses and herbs. The minimal use of
Cabernet Sauvignon, the first step in a
tractors diminishes the overall carbon foot print.
series of daring pioneering innovations.
Techniques such as underground drip-irrigation and
His accomplishments include Spain’s
first high canopy management (the
plants are guided in high trellises)
vineyards with drip irrigation as well as a partial root drying system devised for planting Syrah and
Petit Verdot, he was also the first to implement night time grape harvesting. He holds an agricultural
engineering degree from the University of Louvain in Belgium and graduated from the University
of California (Davis). The Marques de Griñon title has been in the family since the 14th century.
mulching restrict the growth of grass directly under the
vines minimizing the use of herbicides and drastically
reducing water consumption. Modest amounts of water
required for the deficit irrigation comes from the Pusa
River which flows through the estate making it
unnecessary to access ground water. Everything is done
to help the vines achieve balance to produce perfectly
mature grapes that reflect as faithfully as possible the
complex and unique terroir.