Con Class Rueda (2007)Verdejo - a bold, acidic grape reared on the arid plateaus of Spain. Sauvignon Blanc - a flirtatious, aromatic white French variety cultivated in the classiest neighborhoods of Bordeaux. Two star-crossed lovers separated by the Pyrenees and kept apart speaking two different languages of love... that was until "Rueda." Imagine that in big, bright, flashing, neon lights. It would definitely sell. Despite the lack of singing, choreography, and melodrama I'd say we've got the vinous version of West Side Story on our hands here.
Sitios de Bodega
60% Verdejo | 15% SB | 25% Viura
Rueda, Spain
While I wait for Broadway and Hollywood to flock to my door to get the exclusive rights, I'll focus more on a yummy new Spanish wine I had the other day - Con Class Rueda produced by Sitios de Bodega.
Rueda is a town and Denominacíon de Origen in western Spain within the province of Valladolid. At a larger perspective, Rueda is part of the Duero River Valley region which runs from northern-central Spain through Portugal and empties into the Atlantic at the town or Porto. Though authorized for red production, white wines are really what Rueda is known for.
Verdejo and Sauvignon Blanc have a lot of similarities - both are aromatic and have grassy, herbaceous, citrus characteristics, have lots of acidity, and are relatively full bodied. Blending them is common in Rueda, though any wine labeled with the DO name must contain at least 50% of the former. Con Class contains 60% Verdejo, 15% SB, and 25% Viura - a third native grape with a serious identity complex (known elsewhere as Macabeo) and commonly used in Cava.
Appearance: Clear and bright in the glass with a green to golden hue. Not straw, but definitely not water translucent.This cheeky white blend really bounces out of the glass and in your face. SB is commonly noted to have a "cat pee" smell which can sometimes seem odd, especially for something you're about to drink. However this is expected, and definitely not meant in a negative way. Compounds in the grape called pyrazines are responsible for this musky, sharp odor. Interestingly enough, pyrazines can be synthesized through a reaction involving ammonia. If you're in mixed company and don't want to get funny looks, the "polite" way of describing this is usually to refer to boxwood or gooseberries... both of which have very similar aromas.
Nose: Clean and aromatic, thanks to the SB. Fruity, with citrus, lemon, gooseberry, grapefruit, and peach pit. Also has several vegetal and herbal notes. Fresh cut grass, lemon balm. This wine smells like I imagine the color green to smell.
Palate: Palate is hovering between light and medium in body, acidity, and alcohol. A dry wine with moderate length. Flavors of lime and lemon, grapefruit, unripe peach or stone fruit, and tropical fruit. Also white pepper, herbs, weedy/grassy characteristics.
Organic chemistry aside, the herbaceous characters and high acid make this wine a prime candidate for consumption with seafood. I served it up with some oysters spritzed with a bit of lemon juice - the salty and acidity played very well together. That followed up with some steamed white asparagus topped with some pink salt and drizzled with olive oil was an excellent match. Experts will tell you to keep wine away from asparagus as alcohol tends to make a certain compound of the veggie give a rather foul flavor. Despite that this is an excellent combination of astringent and savory flavors.
So while I love Spain and France in completely different ways this blend gives you the best of both worlds for a great price. And the best part is no one sings and no one dies. You can't ask for much more than that.
Cheers!
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