Wines from Spain’s 2010 vintage are shaping up to be absolute crackers.
Joven (pron. Hoven) is a young Tempranillo that is harvested in one year and sold the next. I guess you could almost liken it to Beaujolais Nouveau from a concept point of view. There is little if any time for this style of wine to be aged in oak or in bottle for that matter, making it a great accompaniment to spicy and hotter styles of foods. Typically Jovens are light and fruit driven and made for immediate drinking – think pre-dinner party drinks with olives, jamon, BBQ’d calamari and chorizo.
This wine from Cillar de Silos is gamey on the nose with overtones of tobacco, violet and cranberry. Texturally the palate is like velvet with hints of warm spice and absolutely NO fruit sweetness. This baby is savoury all the way. Produced in the Ribera del Douro from an outstanding vintage, what more do you need to convince you to try it? It’s complex without being weighty and rewarding without requiring navel gazing.
‘2010 marks another great success for the Joven, a very grown-up wine, despite its youthful name! Made from young Tempranillo and completely devoid of oak, this wine has a natural exuberance and beautifully soft tannins’-Simon Field MW
